Currently I’m a guitarist/vocalist but have aspirations to compose orchestra type pieces, and to master music theory. I can play the guitar really well but have always wondered whether or not I should invest in piano lessons. What are the benefits of learning to play the piano from a musician’s standpoint? How can learning the piano help improve my songwriting, and help me become a better musician? Can learning the piano help me compose orchestra pieces?
"What are the benefits of learning to play the piano from a musician’s standpoint?"
–> The combinations of string and fret in a guitar make up a note. Since there are six strings and twenty or more frets, the notes are literally "all over the place". In a piano the keys are laid out in one simple manner, no frets, no strings. So the benefit of playing the piano is the notes are easier to map out.
"How can learning the piano help improve my songwriting, and help me become a better musician?"
–> Songs on piano are usually sentimental so it would be useful if you love sentimental songs.
"Can learning the piano help me compose orchestra pieces?"
–> Of course! Learn how to play the classics (Beethoven, Mozart) and take your cue from them.
. . . .
Oh and yes, you should learn how to play the piano.
yes
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no
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Of course you should.. I suggest you watch "the pianist".. a lot of women find men who play the piano quite interesting.. I’m speaking as one who also plays… and another movie is "my beloved".. it’s about beethoven.. wait I think its my immortal beloved..
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yes u may. i am too learning guitar and after that i am thinking of lernig diff. instruments that would help me a lot. though i am thinking of joining karate and all but my mother says that it better if u join any classes in music that would help me in what i am. same way if u learn keyboard too it would be for ur own benefit. nothing would go in loss. so better go.
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"What are the benefits of learning to play the piano from a musician’s standpoint?"
–> The combinations of string and fret in a guitar make up a note. Since there are six strings and twenty or more frets, the notes are literally "all over the place". In a piano the keys are laid out in one simple manner, no frets, no strings. So the benefit of playing the piano is the notes are easier to map out.
"How can learning the piano help improve my songwriting, and help me become a better musician?"
–> Songs on piano are usually sentimental so it would be useful if you love sentimental songs.
"Can learning the piano help me compose orchestra pieces?"
–> Of course! Learn how to play the classics (Beethoven, Mozart) and take your cue from them.
. . . .
Oh and yes, you should learn how to play the piano.
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Yes, you should absolutely learn to play the piano.
The piano is the only instrument that can actually help you with orchestral composition. The piano can play a melody in any register, accompanied by countermelodies or chords in any register, which is what you need to fully understand the workings of an orchestra. You will also find that many orchestral scores are available as piano reductions so in order to play those you will need to be skilled at the piano.
In terms of your own career advancement, it is very helpful to be able to play your compositions to other people and the piano is the obvious choice for an instrument to do this.
You will also, no doubt, need to study Bach’s chorales to further your knowledge of classical harmonization and playing those on the piano is by far the best way to quickly gain an understanding of tonal composition.
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In my opinion, yes!
Piano might be the hardest instrument to compose for, because you have two parts that you need to compose, and both have chords! If you can’t compose hard enough or easy enough piano pieces, you’ll be in a hard place, because pianos are the core of music. I mean, there’s piano solos, pianos in an orchestra, and piano accompanizes almost all other instrumental solos.
You also get the benefit of learning bass cleff from learning piano, and piano is (as mentioned before) a great way to see notes laid out, and less abstract way to get the melodies in your head somewhere where you can see them.
On a totally separate note, I also notice that you only play concert pitch instruments, and maybe you should mess around with something not in concert pitch, (clarinet, trumpet, french horn, alto or tenor) or at least read up on them. They’re going to present special challenges for composing…
Good luck, you sound like you’re very talented, and I hope you find your way in the music biz!
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Yes. You definitely should. With composing, it is much easier to do it when the piece is written for piano(which is concert pitch). From there, just go up or down semitones as you need to, to get the piece right for other instruments. Playing piano is a lot of fun. Especially if you ask your teacher to learn songs that you want to learn. Plus. I’m guessing that you already now how to read music, so learning to notes shouldn’t be hard at all. Personally, i love playing piano, but it’s not for everyone. Some people find it boring after a while, but if you love playing music, i would definitely give it a shot. Try going in it for a year, and go from there. Good luck.
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I teach middle school music… a School of Rock type of thing…only 250 kids a year. Piano (Electric Keyboard in my case) experience allows the kids to learn guitar, drums, and bass guitar with greater ease. In other words, if I teach basic chords and note reading (rock songs mostly) for grades 6 and 7…it’s a breeze to teach that class the other instruments in 8th grade and in high school (I use to teach). Perhaps it’s the coordination they develop…or the ryhthm skills….it’s just so easy to go from piano to the others. Unfortunately, so many kids think drums and guitar are ‘cooler’ so I have to use some convincing to get them to spend time on the keys.
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