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PeelThePaint t1_j6o4r04 wrote

Reply to comment by Rularuu in LPT: If you are considering learning a musical instrument or learning to sing, I highly recommend also learning the basics of a piano. Knowing your way around a keyboard will help you understand what you're doing on all other instruments and while singing. by BellyScratchFTW

Piano doesn't really have any technique at the beginning stages. Push button, receive note. There's no reason why anyone couldn't play a simple melody with one finger provided they know what notes to push. If you're playing a brass instrument, a piano is really helpful at the start when you're building technique so you can hear what note you should be playing rather than hoping you're hitting the right partial.

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Rularuu t1_j6o9k1z wrote

I think that playing chords and understanding harmony from the framework of a piano is the real purpose of learning how to play the instrument for others, not hammering out Mary Had A Little Lamb with one finger.

To actually play chord progressions requires some technique and understanding of how chords are built, and you would be better off figuring out how to play your instrument to some level of comfort than jumping into something entirely new alongside it. Not to mention that for most people it isn't a mad rush to learn everything as fast as possible and motivation/fun is the most important factor.

I say this as someone who was competent on guitar and bass and then learned keys. I would do it the way I did every time, albeit maybe faster.

>If you're playing a brass instrument, a piano is really helpful at the start when you're building technique so you can hear what note you should be playing rather than hoping you're hitting the right partial.

Sure, I can agree with that, but I don't know if that's really playing the instrument so much as having one around as a tool.

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