Should I take some piano lesson for theory

[smokinguit]

I have a nice keyboard set up in my music area. Problem is the instrument seem daunting to learn on my own. The internet has a wealth of resources, but I am overwhelm and don't know where to start. I've always wanted to learn piano (at a competent level) just so I can broaden my theoretical knowlege and see things from a different angle. Question: should I get in to that just to learn the basics, especially harmony; or should I continue my immersion in jazz guitar. I'm afraid learning the piano might just slow my growth as a jazz guitarist as I'm trying to get to an advance/professional level of playing. Or perhaps, it might help me see some new things. I'm not sure.

[fep]

I'd say give it a try and find out for yourself. If you like to compose/write tunes, knowing some piano is awfully useful.

I did. I went through these books to just get the basics down...

http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Adults-B...6617702&sr=8-3

Amazon.com: KP2 - Bastien Piano for Adults Book 2 BK/CD (9780849773051): Bastien: Books

And now I'm working my way thru this book:

Amazon.com: Jerry Coker's Jazz Keyboard (0029156165722): Jerry Coker: Books

This Jerry Coker book is the stuff I really want to learn. This book teaches jazz chords, voice leading and comping. This book will teach you to be able to comp to lead sheets from chord symbols (like from the real book).

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by smokinguit

I'm afraid learning the piano might just slow my growth as a jazz guitarist as I'm trying to get to an advance/professional level of playing.

Not true. Piano will do nothing but help you. Pick up the Complete Book of Scales Arpeggios and Cadences--don't know the publisher, sorry. Easy to find on the www. Open up and start reading. Once you've got your feet wet, get a couple of easy pieces and play 'em. Piano is fun fun fun...

[paynow]

Originally Posted by whatswisdom

Not true. Piano will do nothing but help you. Pick up the Complete Book of Scales Arpeggios and Cadences--don't know the publisher, sorry. Easy to find on the www. Open up and start reading. Once you've got your feet wet, get a couple of easy pieces and play 'em. Piano is fun fun fun...

+1. It's incredibly helpful, especially for composition and analysis. If you major in music it's usually required that you learn some piano, no matter what your instrument is.

I'm no Art Tatum but I get by and I find it helps me as a guitarist. I also write better tunes at the piano because it gets you out of "riff mode". And, the ability to instantly hear how notes sound against the chords you want to use in a tune is very helpful.

Here's a great book I have:

Amazon.com: Jerry Coker's Jazz Keyboard (0029156165722): Jerry Coker: Books

[timscarey]

I might suggest taking theory lessons on piano from a jazz piano player. Don't just go with any old teacher, make sure you find one who plays jazz and will teach you what you want to know.

[mr. beaumont]

One more "+1"

Music theory makes a lot of sense on the piano.

It seems to me most good players of other instruments can at least find their way around on the piano.

I dabble here and there...I find the piano to be very helpful when writing, or for hearing a quick idea against harmony. I'm no piano player, for sure! But I can use it as a tool for understanding, which is a good thing for me...

[JonR]

A friend of mine has just set up this great series of free online piano lessons - and he's asked me to spread the word, so here they are. (If I thought they were crap, I'd keep quiet, but I think they're really well designed - definitely worth a look.)
Keyboard
Judging by some of his language, they seem to be designed for kids, but I'm sure grown-ups can make equal use of them.
There was the odd typo here and when I looked through them (some of the Mozart Minuet lessons are wrongly numbered), but I think he's on the case about those.

(BTW, if he looks a bit mad, that's because he is. But in a good way You should see him in normal life, this is nothing. But he's an amazing musician, plays all nstruments, not just piano.)

BTW, to get the full benefit click the full screen button on the right of the Play bar.

[FatJeff]

Absolutely, the piano is worth learning. If you can devote 30 minutes a day to piano, and still get your practice time in on guitar, go for it. Any less than that and it probably ain't worth it. I'm personally a hack at the keys, but I still play them every day, although only for about 10 minutes to keep up what little skillset I have. In the future I'll probably return to it with more force.

That Coker book is good for learning to comp but it won't teach you how to improv.

[marcwhy]

Learning/playing piano is great, and certainly can't "hurt." Try to understand theory on the guitar, too, though -- many things will open up ...

[stevedenver]

i took up piano shortly-for theory
its amazing-i took a piano for idiots class-chords and simple stuff-great fun

everything is linear-its easy to see the distance between notes and chords etc-its so easy to build chords, and play with voicings etc-its the best in this regard

otoh-and not at all to disuade you-
it was difficult -left hand right hand-two cleffs to read-and hitting the right notes-ie feel and muscle memory-daily practice practice practice
]
its like starting all over-tyr as i might to improv and jam to the midi backing stuff on the piano-its tough-chops take a long time -one note samba is nice though LOL
i would strongly recommend it none the less

[JonR]

Just an extra comment. IMO it's not necessary to learn the full two-handed piano-playing technique - unless you want to be able to perform on it. For a guitarist - or for any musician - the piano makes the perfect tool for exploring harmony in more depth, for understanding theory, for arranging tunes (eg for horn sections), etc. I've known my way around piano almost as long as I've played guitar (45 years), but I still can't play two-handed. I don't need to, because I'm not a pianist. I treat it as simply a device which has all the notes you'll ever need for anything, laid out there in front of you. You need no technique whatsoever to push a key down! All you need to do is learn the notes (and how hard can that be, there's only 7!). The only limitation on what chords you can play is how far you can stretch your ten fingers. And of course you can use the sustain pedal if you want to hear chords voiced wider than that.

[jtizzle]

Piano, especially for a guitarist, is a really important tool you could have. Especially in the harmonic sense. I started taking private piano lessons at my school just this semester with a really great player who knew a bunch of the greats. I've only had about 3 or 4 lessons with him but already I'm starting to view chords in a completely different angle. The way I thought of chords was in positions, like, if I play a D, I know where I can play the third in the string above it, and so on. But I never thought of letter names when I did it. Playing piano, it's a necessity to think of the letter names, so I'm getting faster at that thought process and actually my voice leading has gotten so much better in the past month, just because I know where the notes lie and what I can drop to make a new chord, or what notes I can change. I'm also starting to use more piano voicings, such as a pretty cool phrygian voicing thing I never knew about.

The Mark Levine piano book is great, it's the one I'm using right now.

[max chill]

Theory lays right out on the piano like no other instrument. It is the ultimate tool for learning about music.

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by smokinguit

Question: should I get in to that just to learn the basics, especially harmony?

Here's the book I was referring to. Has helped me a lot. Very straight up with all the info neatly arranged to get you up and running. Good luck!
Alfred Music Publishing | Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences - Complete Book | Book

[smokinguit]

I want to thank you guys for all the great suggestions. I'm going to start some jazz piano lesson soon thanks to all of you.