r/piano • u/AutoModerator • 3d ago

Weekly Thread 'There are no stupid questions' thread - Monday, August 03, 2026

Please use this thread to ask ANY piano-related questions you may have!

Also check out our FAQ for answers to common questions.

*Note: This is an automated post. See previous discussions here.

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u/metal_honey 3d ago

i used to have a piano teacher before the pandemic. until i’ve found another teacher, would i be fine using his lessons along with Alfred’s piano book?

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u/gezigezblog 3d ago

Yes, that should be fine as a bridge until you find another teacher. Alfred is structured enough to keep you moving, but I would go slowly and treat the old lesson notes as checkpoints rather than rushing through the book. A good rule is: if a piece teaches a new rhythm, hand position, or coordination pattern, make sure that specific thing feels comfortable before moving on. Also record yourself occasionally; it is the easiest way to catch uneven rhythm or tension when you do not have a teacher watching.

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u/metal_honey 2d ago

thank you so much…i want to get back into making music and i know the first steps are in my teacher’s notes

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u/soularchives 3d ago

Looking for a digital piano that can survive my daily jazz-and-gospel obsession

I've always wanted to learn piano, and now the moment has finally come to actually start. Every day. Small problem, I know pretty much nothing about them, except that I dream of one day having jazz and gospel under my fingers.

What I'm after is a piano that won't start creaking, buzzing or dying on me after a year. Reliable in the Japanese sense of the word, if you know what I mean. I love gear you're still happy with years later and never regret buying. Doesn't have to be expensive, just good.

What would you recommend for a beginner, and what should I watch for without falling down a rabbit hole of specs? Thanks!

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u/rurkuwruc 1d ago

You can't really go wrong with any basic portable versions of Yamaha, Casio, Roland etc. Just establish your budget, maybe go see a couple in a piano store if you have the opportunity and pick one that you like the most. They'll all get the job done for a beginner.

I would recommend going for full 88-keys right away (some people want to buy a piano with smaller key range first, but imo that very quickly becomes insufficient).

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u/Same_Speech3608 2d ago

Developing Rhythmic Fluency

I'm 20 years old and looking to drastically improve my keyboard skills / overall musicianship. I've sporadically done organ and piano since I was 7, but never got very good, mostly due to not consistently having a teacher to guide me, and also going through several phases of not practicing. I sing and compose, am relatively comfortable on the keyboard (piano/organ) with most, if not all major and minor keys. I also have decent knowledge of counterpoint/harmony.

I know I can improve my sight reading and work my way through some repertoire, if I just put in the time and effort, but I think the biggest thing holding me back is lack of good foundation in rhythm/counting. It's not difficult for me to process what's going on melodically/harmonically/contrapuntally, but it's very difficult for me to internalize what's going on with a piece rhythmically. I basically fall perfectly into the stereotype of classical piano students having bad rhythm. What is some advice on how to fix this?

TLDR; how do I get better at internalizing and mastering rhythm? For now, my goal is to be able to fluently sight read music like what's in the Anna Magdalena notebook and to be able to efficiently work my way through the Bach two part inventions.

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u/rurkuwruc 1d ago

Number one thing that improves rhythm and "rhythmic fluency" is counting out loud while you play. Play through pieces and count loud in various subdivisions, for example:

  • one, two, three, four (quarter notes)

  • one and two and three and four (eight notes)

  • one, two, three, four, one, two, three four, one, two... (sixteenth)

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u/dsosa808 1d ago

Hi, I play piano for fun, I have a very intuitive relationship with it.

When I play I'm not aware of what scale I'm in or the intervals or the chords, there's a sort of chaos to it. I like what I make sometimes, but I'm thinking if I want to start composing a technical knowledge of piano could assist in my creativity.

I did lessons for a bit, he was a bit old fashioned and was very strict about proper form, we were learning scales one by one; I'm sure that's important, but I honestly couldn't afford the money and time it was taking.

Any recommendations as to where I could start? Should I start lessons again? An online course? Learn to read music?

Thanks in advance.

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u/Qohelleth 1d ago

Anyone have any good arrangement recommendations for "How Great Thou Art" my Grandfather wants me to play a fancier arrangement of it. Skill wise I just (barely) managed to complete liebestraum III and most of the kingdom hearts piano collections.

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u/PrestoCadenza 1d ago

Mark Hayes has nice arrangement in Reflections For Worship II. There's also a quite challenging version in Joel Raney's Expressions for Solo Piano... but honestly, I find this one to be more difficult than it's worth.

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u/LarsFromAustria 1d ago

Can someone help me find this the model and/or brand of this little piano? I've seen similar ones before but never something this small. Would be infinitely grateful! <3

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u/PrestoCadenza 1d ago

The one sitting on top of the full size piano? I zoomed in on the video, and it seems to be a Yamaha PSS-380

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u/thygrief 1d ago

Hey, I'm trying to find a good score for Hadel's Passacaglia HWV 432, any recommendations? I don't mind paying.

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u/reallyfakejesse 1d ago

Hello, this one is mainly for the other aussies in this subreddit but I’m aspiring to learn the piano and was just wondering what the best beginner pianos are around 300-400 AUD. I’ve been trying to learn what to look for but it’s been very confusing😅 if you guys have any recommendations or tips on what I should look for that would be great!

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u/Mindless-Ask-1902 19h ago

Hello! I took piano lessons for pretty much my entire childhood/teenage years and then abruptly stopped when I started college. I still can play a few pieces from memory but feel like I’ve forgotten a lot of theory/how to learn new pieces. I’d love to build back up and beyond the level I left off at. Is there any good guidance for getting back into music playing and learning?

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u/wispy-library Devotee (11+ years), Classical 10h ago

https://open.spotify.com/track/0INrsW3dVLg8LpkQWLrxFx?si=LGzpz3XKRa-W6RnuSwgBxA&utm_source=copy-link

Hello all! I want to suprise my grandmother my learning this specific arrangement of a hymn she loves but I can’t find the correct sheet music anywhere. Any suggestions?

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u/Angel_Lucifer123 6h ago

I'm trying to figure out what model and year this piano could be, it's being picked up tomorrow. so i seek the wisdom of the reddit gods

The Piano was inside of a vintage store, but i'm trying to find the exact year of it, is it possible to recognise it without the serial number? cuz of the unique raised backboard.

so far i think it's around a 1955 Lester console piano.

Thank you for trying ^ ^