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I recently started learning piano and want to buy a good keyboard with all the features(weighted keys, touch sensitive keys).. I really liked the yamaha YPG625 model, but it comes with only one foot pedal.

Is it really necessary to have all the three pedals? I am a complete beginner and do not even know what a pedal is used for.

Not necessarily.
The left pedal is a damper (I think it makes the sound alittle smaller)
The middle pedal makes the sound go even softer.
The right pedal(the one pedal) is basically all you need.

I’ve been playing for 6 years now, and I have never used anything other than the right pedal.

Girls Rock/Play A Giant/Big Piano

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I asked another question that involved which piano learning software I should go for, and I just remembered that I have another question. Lets say I go out and actually find the best piano learning software out there, (if they actually work). How long would it take me to get pretty decent at piano if I practiced using the lessons for 1-2 hours a day? Can it be done within 6 months?

Hi there. I am pretty sure there is a edit button so you can change your question in the other thread, but no worries, I will just answer you here, I have all the time in the world today:)

Its really hard to predict what your results will be like, even with the "best piano learning software". In my opinion if you were to practice 1-2 hours a day you will get decent pretty fast. Now I put punctiation on decent, cause you definitely wont get world class, but you will be able to turn a couple of heads in amazement whenever there is a piano around.

As I told you I can definitely recommend the site that helped me back in the day, http://bestpianolearningsoftware.com/

Check it out and I think you will find the answers to alot of your questions there.

I an planning to do so because I don’t have enough money to buy an upright piano. I have also another question about the Middle C, is it always in the middle of the keyboard whether we’re speaking about a synthesizer or a real piano ?

Thank you very much for helping me, I am looking forward to reading your answers.

A decent upright piano is a great investment if you can’t afford a grand. You can also rent upright pianos. If all those options are unrealistic, then you can go ahead and buy an electronic keyboard, BUT:

-Make sure it has weighted keys. In other words, it should have "full" resistant keys rather than just a thin key that goes down really easily. Pressing the key should feel like pressing a regular piano’s key. I think you know what I mean by this; it’s hard to describe in words.
-Make sure it has all 88 keys. The low-end keyboards leave out a couple octaves at the extreme low and high ranges.
-Make sure it has pedals, obviously!

If all those basic requirements are satisfied, then opt for the one with the more realistic piano sound.

P.S. You will most likely NOT find a GOOD electronic keyboard at a Radio Shack or Walmart. Look on the internet or a good music shop in your area.

To answer your other question, middle C is a specific note, 261.63 Hz. It gets the name "middle" from the fact that it is in the middle of the piano. A trumpet, for example, can hit that note(261.63 Hz) but it is not in the "middle" of the trumpet’s range, so to speak. Since that note(261.63 Hz) generally(always) falls in the middle of the piano’s range, it has the name "middle c." So yes, it will be in the middle.

What is it that you plug into your piano to record it. I am making sound effects for a game using my piano. I want to record each note on my piano and then be able to put them in the game after changing to file type. I know how to put it in a game, I just need to know how to record them.

RecordForAll is a great audio recording and editing application. You can overlay tracks and add effects. A free evaluation version is available for download from – http://www.recordforall.com

My daughter just celebrated her 4th birthday. She has shown an apttitude for music and an interest in playing instruments, especially the piano. My wife took dance lessons as a child and I have sung with various musical groups all my life, but neither of us plays an instrument. When should we look to enroll her in piano lessons?

When a child begins piano lessons really depends individually. Some are not ready at 4, some are at 3, some aren’t until 6 or 7.
For sure if you choose to begin now, you have to make a commitment on your own part, since you will be helping and making sure she practices. She’ll need lessons year round, because if you stop for too long she’ll forget and have to start over.
I personally think piano is a great instrument to start learning on. Piano teaches you overall music so well, and it really develops pitch and skills that are very transferable in music later. Growing up my siblings and I were required to play piano until middle school, at which point we could choose to continue or we could learn a band instrument.
Know that your daughter can always learn something else if it isn’t working.
So, is she mature? Bright? Focused? Interested?
Are you ready?
Then yes.
Get a good piano (not a keyboard, please!) and look around for a good teacher.

Say someone started playing piano at age six, how long would it take to get to each grade? At what age could they expect to finish the last grade?

Thanks!

You really can never finish leaning
piano is an amazing musical instrument
i think what you might mean is "when will it be when i start playing like a Professional?" I think after 8 or 10 years of experience

And if I knew how to play a 88 key piano would I have to learn have to play a 73 key piano.

The part you mostly play is identical. The shorter keyboard is missing about half an octave at the top and at the bottom where most songs do not involve playing. If you do songs that extend to the very end of 88 key unit, then you will have problems with the shorter. Also short bad for 4 handed duets on one piano.

I have been taking lessons for 10yrs and my piano teacher and I are good friends. I want to give her something special.

You could give her something related to what she likes. Try something that has a lot of sentimental value (example homemade stuff). Also, try something related to pianos and music (example: figurines ,music boxes,CD’s ect.
Anything will be special to your teacher as long as give it to her with the best intentions.
Hope this helps! ;D

I am learning to play the piano, but the piano in my dorm is old and out of tune. I would like to get a keyboard so that I can keep it in my room. What are some of the best models, and are the lighted keyboards any good?

I’ve owned both Yamaha and Casio keyboards and I’ve not been very impressed with the Casio’s. Yamaha’s have been great.

For a good keyboard, you can find them at Best Buy or Circuit City. Other stores will also carry some, but the selection might be smaller. For a beginner, I might recommend the YPT-210 which costs about $100. It’s not a full-range keyboard as it only has 61 keys, but beginners don’t use the extreme ends, anyway. Yamaha also has in interesting educational method built in, as well as songs that you can accompany for practice. The other end of the YPT series is the 400 which costs about $200 and can plug into your computer for MIDI composition and playback. After the YPT series, you’re getting into the DGX series which costs $550 & up, something more appropriate for experienced players.

The only drawback is that batteries, ac adapter, stands, etc are not included and have to be bought separately. It is a good recommendation, though, even with the additional $50 for all.