recommend instructional material for semi-beginner?

[tm3]

hello, all! i hope you are willing to give me some advice.

 

i say semi-beginner because i had some lessons as a child and remember a few things about technique and theory.

 

i want to play blues/rock, mainly putting together accompaniments to jam along with some of my favorite oldies but goodies, and possibly playing along with friends.

 

i realize that ideally a good instructor would be the way to go but i'd like to see what i might be able to do with the self-directed route for right now.

 

i sure would appreciate recommendations of books/cds/videos that might be appropriate. something along the blues/rock genre hopefully avoiding the "let's start with three blind mice" approach.

 

thanks a lot for the help!

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by tm3:

hello, all! i hope you are willing to give me some advice.

 

i sure would appreciate recommendations of books/cds/videos that might be appropriate. something along the blues/rock genre hopefully avoiding the "let's start with three blind mice" approach.

 

thanks a lot for the help!

I have a collection and they are all useful! The following though are probably the most useful in terms of ground covered.

 

Hal Leonard has a lot of titles. They have a set of three "beginning, intermediate and mastering" on Blues and on Jazz (seperate series).

 

Dr John has a set of three texts out on Homespun on New Orleans piano which are worth having but are not a replacement for the above texts.

 

Also get out to some Jams. A lot of jams are oriented to guitarists who just want to play stock stuff rather than to actually learning but if you are lucky there will be someone in your area running a jam who is dedicated to helping players advance. Either way playing with people is very different to playing solo and something you need to do.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Hal Leonard has a lot of titles. They have a set of three "beginning, intermediate and mastering" on Blues and on Jazz (seperate series).

Can you give me some info on these series? I have one that's also labelled as beginning, intermediate and mastering but it's by Alfred Publishing/ National Guitar Workshop. I have the Rock and Blues Series, and I think there's a Jazz too, so I'm curious if it's the same one.

 

The blues is pretty good. The rock was good as far as getting different ideas and licks, but I don't think the content is organized very well. The mastering rock keyboards is quite advanced actually, I'm struggling through some of the examples.

 

I like Mark Harrison's 'Intro to Pop Piano' - kind of lengthy though if you work try to work through the whole book.

 

I got organize a list of this stuff soon on my site when I get a chance.

[sudeep]

the pop piano book by mark harrison is a good method...its quite detailed but it seems to go through techniques for standard pop/rock playing. I have worked through the first few chapters...and if nothing else its helped me get all my inversions of all chords without thinking.

 

somthing i can also recommend is (if u havent already)...get yourself access to midi...whether on a pc or sequencer...download songs..mute out the piano and PLAY!!! its a good substitute for not having a band to play with. I spent years and years playing alone at my piano...sometimes with a metronome but mostly without...and i regret it!!

[tm3]

good suggestions -- thanks!

 

i'll try to check out the books and pick one up.

 

the idea of playing along is a great one, but first i have to learn some things to play (basic accompaniments, simple lead, etc).

 

thanks again!

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by Rod CA:

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Hal Leonard has a lot of titles. They have a set of three "beginning, intermediate and mastering" on Blues and on Jazz (seperate series).

Can you give me some info on these series? I have one that's also labelled as beginning, intermediate and mastering but it's by Alfred Publishing/ National Guitar Workshop. I have the Rock and Blues Series, and I think there's a Jazz too, so I'm curious if it's the same one.

 

The blues is pretty good. The rock was good as far as getting different ideas and licks, but I don't think the content is organized very well. The mastering rock keyboards is quite advanced actually, I'm struggling through some of the examples.

 

I like Mark Harrison's 'Intro to Pop Piano' - kind of lengthy though if you work try to work through the whole book.

 

I got organize a list of this stuff soon on my site when I get a chance.

Yes those are they.

 

Now that I am next to my library here are a couple of others

 

Improvising Blues Piano Martin Mann Amsco Publications

 

Exploring Basic Blues For Keyboards Bill Boyd, Hal Leonard (really this time)

 

Each of these has something in it taht is not to be found in the other series.

 

For Rock a must have text is Jeffrey Gudgeon's Improvising Rock Piano also from Amsco.

[Rod S]

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Improvising Blues Piano Martin Mann Amsco Publications

Yep, I have this one as well. I like it. He gives a different spin then some of the other books.

 

For Rock a must have text is Jeffrey Gudgeon's Improvising Rock Piano also from Amsco

 

I've heard about this one more than once. How do you like it?