It is definitely an E minor chord (e, g, b), but you're right that the d needs to be in there as a leading note down to the C#.
The trick is that the colors painted here aren't created by triads, but by seventh chords, which include an extra note (the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th).
In fact, the chord is an E minor 7 (with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, AND 7th, i.e. e, g, b, d), which is then built to an A dominant 7 an inversion down (e, g, a, c#) and resolved to the D minor (d, f, a, d).
I used Casio Privia and Kawai CA63 digital pianos with my 2 kids (they are now 11 and 9 y.o.). With the help of some Mac and iOS software they have learned piano to grade 4 Royal Conservatory level.
What is the software that you used? I have a Yamaha and would love help in learning to be a better player.
I'm getting the distinct impression that there are a bunch of people who believe the only true piano lesson is one where an abusive teacher brandishes a ruler over the student's hands. That's a grim view of pedagogy.
You are projecting your own bias. Read spheric's quote again. This is a good description of how an effective teacher operates, and provides a good model by which parents can evaluate teachers for their children.
That's a tautology. If you get a shit teacher who doesn't teach how to practise, you have a shit teacher. A good teacher will have material to support how s/he teaches, and will adapt to how the student best learns. A system like this one cannot do this, and as a teacher, I would HATE to have to teach around what this system supplies. It may be effective for some, but in most cases, it is not going to be conducive to how the student will best learn.
Systems like this one and Fretlight rely on eye/hand coordination for beginning students to play notes. The systems are alike in that regard, notwithstanding your non sequitur about the music illiteracy of guitar players.
Starting children in their earliest formative experiences with playing an instrument by teaching them to depend on their eyes to play notes does them a disservice. This dependency is an obstacle which must be overcome later if the student is to reach their potential. The sooner a music student can stop looking at their hands and start relying on the feel of the position of their hands, the better. Refer to digitalclips above saying his hands just know where to go. That is actually an important accomplishment (which would be delayed by the eye/hand rote approach).
You are projecting your own bias. Read spheric's quote again. This is a good description of how an effective teacher operates, and provides a good model by which parents can evaluate teachers for their children.
Systems like this one and Fretlight rely on eye/hand coordination for beginning students to play notes. The systems are alike in that regard, notwithstanding your non sequitur about the music illiteracy of guitar players.
Starting children in their earliest formative experiences with playing an instrument by teaching them to depend on their eyes to play notes does them a disservice. This dependency is an obstacle which must be overcome later if the student is to reach their potential. The sooner a music student can stop looking at their hands and start relying on the feel of the position of their hands, the better. Refer to digitalclips above saying his hands just know where to go. That is actually an important accomplishment (which would be delayed by the eye/hand rote approach).
The piano teacher who hits their student's hands with a ruler is not the description of a good teacher. I had a teacher who did that.
Yes, a human teacher can adjust to a student's needs that they can observe where a pre-programmed system cannot. But that alone doesn't mean this is a terrible thing. The lessons are good, the selection of sheet music is large, and the score practice and game keep it entertaining and educational.
The ONE Smart Piano does not teach children to depend on their eyes to play notes any more than a human piano teacher does. Humans point out where the notes are, and then the child learns to not look at their hands, because they develop muscle memory for where the notes are.
The app has Score Practice which doesn't use the LEDs unless the student taps on HINT which lights up an LED. The goal is speed and accuracy when playing the note displayed on staff, which means the child no longer has to look at their hands.
The KARA game does encourage it, because the Rockband / GuitarHero type display doesn't accurately indicate notes well, and they don't display staff in game.
The LED-Guided practice uses the LEDs, but you can turn them on or off from the app settings.
The only thing it doesn't come with is a bench and a paper apron with printed piano keys on it to drape over the tops of the student's hands so they can't see them. I hated that stupid paper thing.
I get it. You would have preferred they left the LEDs out rather than toggle on/off in app. You believe the only way to learn is through weekly lessons face to face with a human teacher. I understand that a good teacher can adjust to a student's needs and can help guide away from bad habits as quickly as they form. At the same time, I don't think this is the bad product you think it is.
It's well-made. The app is decent. The Hoffman Academy lessons are good. People have mentioned Kawai, Roland, Casio, Kurzweil, Nord and others in the comments, but not one of those makes an MFI (made for iPhone/iPad) product. To use theirs with an iPad, you would need to get a MIDI adapter (IK Multimedia, Line6, or the PUC/PUC+ from Zivix, the same people who made Jamstik.) And then, how do you know what apps to begin with? Outside of the terrible Piano Apprentice toy from a few years ago, I think this is the first Made for iPhone/iPad piano product.
I read the review and the comments, but nobody really talks about how this piano actually sounds. I know digital pianos can't beat an acoustic, but you would think the review would at least compare the sound of this to the more common digital pianos out there.
The USB cable is an unusual choice: It's a USB 3.0 connector we haven't seen before at the host end and lightning at the other. For The ONE Light, the cable is a desktop USB 3.0-B connector and lighting at the other end. We're not sure why they chose to use the OTG (on-the-go) cable arrangement rather than using the USB A connector, which would enable cables from all manufacturers.
The decision to use a B connector, makes perfect sense to me. The piano is a peripheral, not a host. The iPad is the USB host. As such, the piano should use a B connector and the host device should use an A connector (if it wasn't using Lightening, of course.) It's not like when you attach your iPad to a computer - in that case, the computer is the host and the iPad is the peripheral.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bugsnw
Someone said earlier to buy something with a piano-like keyboard and I concur. I have a rough time playing those 'toy' pianos with only a couple octaves. The plastic, thinner keys and absence of any attempt at a real piano feel make them difficult to enjoy. Even better, rather than buy a junky digital piano, buy a used real piano and buy an easy song book that uses lead sheets.
This is for those that just want to sound good playing the piano, not those that want to play classical some day.
Agreed. A self-teaching device like this is much like trying to self-teach using a book. You can learn the basics, and you can get good if you practice a lot, but if you want to be good enough to sight-read complicated music (like, but not limited to, classical piano) then you probably will need lessons from a good teacher.
Learning the basics on your own and then taking lessons after you decide you're serious enough can work. You just have to realize that when you start with a real teacher, you may end up having to unlearn a bunch of bad habits.
As for the feel, yes, full-weighted keys are far better if you want to learn piano. But light-weight or unweighted keys may not be a problem if you expect to play other keyboard instruments. Organs and many models of synthesizers also have light- or unweighted keys. What you prefer to play on is really a matter of preference, and if you're going to be sticking with electronic instruments, you can pick whatever you think feels best. But if you plan on playing a real piano, then you should learn on fully-weighted keys, so you will be comfortable with it when you switch over later on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vmarks
A used piano can be a nightmare. If you ever buy a used piano, get a piano tuner to go with you to inspect it, they'll be able to tell you how abused it's been and what it needs to be brought back into good shape.
A digital piano with weighed keys feels and will play better than a used piano that's been beaten to hell. The keys aren't thinner, and have the same finish as a regular piano.
As others have pointed out, you're comparing new to used. Digital pianos can also be abused to death. And when that happens, it's often more cost effective to throw it out and buy another (new one, this time, please) than to try and repair it. An acoustic piano can usually be repaired/rebuilt (unless it's totally shot), if you're willing to spend the money.
It is important, when purchasing ANY used product, to inspect it thoroughly. If you don't know what to look for, you must bring along someone who does.
That being said, I usually recommend digital to people. The reason is that it costs less. A top-of-the-line digital instrument may cost up to $6000. A new inexpensive acoustic piano may start at that price and may not sound any better than a high-end digital piano. A new piano that sounds great will typically cost substantially more ($10,000 and up to the sky, depending on brand and model.) In addition, an acoustic piano needs periodic tuning, while a digital one does not.
In general, I tell people that they should only get an acoustic piano if they want a piece of furniture for their home. If they play well enough that they really want the sound of a really good acoustic piano, then they won't be asking for advice on this subject :-)
(FWIW, I play a Kurzweil K2500X, which has 88 fully-weighted keys. I paid about $4000 many years ago. In addition to all the organ/synth sounds, I have a few really good piano programs. They don't sound like a Steinway, but (when attached to a good amplifier and studio monitor speakers) they sound better than any acoustic piano you could buy for $4000.
Comments
It is definitely an E minor chord (e, g, b), but you're right that the d needs to be in there as a leading note down to the C#.
The trick is that the colors painted here aren't created by triads, but by seventh chords, which include an extra note (the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th).
In fact, the chord is an E minor 7 (with the 1st, 3rd, 5th, AND 7th, i.e. e, g, b, d), which is then built to an A dominant 7 an inversion down (e, g, a, c#) and resolved to the D minor (d, f, a, d).
What is the software that you used? I have a Yamaha and would love help in learning to be a better player.
Steve
What is the software that you recommend? I could really use help in becoming better. I have a Yamaha piano.
You are projecting your own bias. Read spheric's quote again. This is a good description of how an effective teacher operates, and provides a good model by which parents can evaluate teachers for their children.
Systems like this one and Fretlight rely on eye/hand coordination for beginning students to play notes. The systems are alike in that regard, notwithstanding your non sequitur about the music illiteracy of guitar players.
Starting children in their earliest formative experiences with playing an instrument by teaching them to depend on their eyes to play notes does them a disservice. This dependency is an obstacle which must be overcome later if the student is to reach their potential. The sooner a music student can stop looking at their hands and start relying on the feel of the position of their hands, the better. Refer to digitalclips above saying his hands just know where to go. That is actually an important accomplishment (which would be delayed by the eye/hand rote approach).
You are projecting your own bias. Read spheric's quote again. This is a good description of how an effective teacher operates, and provides a good model by which parents can evaluate teachers for their children.
Systems like this one and Fretlight rely on eye/hand coordination for beginning students to play notes. The systems are alike in that regard, notwithstanding your non sequitur about the music illiteracy of guitar players.
Starting children in their earliest formative experiences with playing an instrument by teaching them to depend on their eyes to play notes does them a disservice. This dependency is an obstacle which must be overcome later if the student is to reach their potential. The sooner a music student can stop looking at their hands and start relying on the feel of the position of their hands, the better. Refer to digitalclips above saying his hands just know where to go. That is actually an important accomplishment (which would be delayed by the eye/hand rote approach).
The piano teacher who hits their student's hands with a ruler is not the description of a good teacher. I had a teacher who did that.
Yes, a human teacher can adjust to a student's needs that they can observe where a pre-programmed system cannot. But that alone doesn't mean this is a terrible thing. The lessons are good, the selection of sheet music is large, and the score practice and game keep it entertaining and educational.
The ONE Smart Piano does not teach children to depend on their eyes to play notes any more than a human piano teacher does. Humans point out where the notes are, and then the child learns to not look at their hands, because they develop muscle memory for where the notes are.
The app has Score Practice which doesn't use the LEDs unless the student taps on HINT which lights up an LED. The goal is speed and accuracy when playing the note displayed on staff, which means the child no longer has to look at their hands.
The KARA game does encourage it, because the Rockband / GuitarHero type display doesn't accurately indicate notes well, and they don't display staff in game.
The LED-Guided practice uses the LEDs, but you can turn them on or off from the app settings.
The only thing it doesn't come with is a bench and a paper apron with printed piano keys on it to drape over the tops of the student's hands so they can't see them. I hated that stupid paper thing.
I get it. You would have preferred they left the LEDs out rather than toggle on/off in app. You believe the only way to learn is through weekly lessons face to face with a human teacher. I understand that a good teacher can adjust to a student's needs and can help guide away from bad habits as quickly as they form. At the same time, I don't think this is the bad product you think it is.
It's well-made. The app is decent. The Hoffman Academy lessons are good. People have mentioned Kawai, Roland, Casio, Kurzweil, Nord and others in the comments, but not one of those makes an MFI (made for iPhone/iPad) product. To use theirs with an iPad, you would need to get a MIDI adapter (IK Multimedia, Line6, or the PUC/PUC+ from Zivix, the same people who made Jamstik.) And then, how do you know what apps to begin with? Outside of the terrible Piano Apprentice toy from a few years ago, I think this is the first Made for iPhone/iPad piano product.
I read the review and the comments, but nobody really talks about how this piano actually sounds. I know digital pianos can't beat an acoustic, but you would think the review would at least compare the sound of this to the more common digital pianos out there.
The USB cable is an unusual choice: It's a USB 3.0 connector we haven't seen before at the host end and lightning at the other. For The ONE Light, the cable is a desktop USB 3.0-B connector and lighting at the other end. We're not sure why they chose to use the OTG (on-the-go) cable arrangement rather than using the USB A connector, which would enable cables from all manufacturers.
The decision to use a B connector, makes perfect sense to me. The piano is a peripheral, not a host. The iPad is the USB host. As such, the piano should use a B connector and the host device should use an A connector (if it wasn't using Lightening, of course.) It's not like when you attach your iPad to a computer - in that case, the computer is the host and the iPad is the peripheral.
Originally Posted by bugsnw
Someone said earlier to buy something with a piano-like keyboard and I concur. I have a rough time playing those 'toy' pianos with only a couple octaves. The plastic, thinner keys and absence of any attempt at a real piano feel make them difficult to enjoy. Even better, rather than buy a junky digital piano, buy a used real piano and buy an easy song book that uses lead sheets.
This is for those that just want to sound good playing the piano, not those that want to play classical some day.
Agreed. A self-teaching device like this is much like trying to self-teach using a book. You can learn the basics, and you can get good if you practice a lot, but if you want to be good enough to sight-read complicated music (like, but not limited to, classical piano) then you probably will need lessons from a good teacher.
Learning the basics on your own and then taking lessons after you decide you're serious enough can work. You just have to realize that when you start with a real teacher, you may end up having to unlearn a bunch of bad habits.
As for the feel, yes, full-weighted keys are far better if you want to learn piano. But light-weight or unweighted keys may not be a problem if you expect to play other keyboard instruments. Organs and many models of synthesizers also have light- or unweighted keys. What you prefer to play on is really a matter of preference, and if you're going to be sticking with electronic instruments, you can pick whatever you think feels best. But if you plan on playing a real piano, then you should learn on fully-weighted keys, so you will be comfortable with it when you switch over later on.
Originally Posted by vmarks
A used piano can be a nightmare. If you ever buy a used piano, get a piano tuner to go with you to inspect it, they'll be able to tell you how abused it's been and what it needs to be brought back into good shape.
A digital piano with weighed keys feels and will play better than a used piano that's been beaten to hell. The keys aren't thinner, and have the same finish as a regular piano.
As others have pointed out, you're comparing new to used. Digital pianos can also be abused to death. And when that happens, it's often more cost effective to throw it out and buy another (new one, this time, please) than to try and repair it. An acoustic piano can usually be repaired/rebuilt (unless it's totally shot), if you're willing to spend the money.
It is important, when purchasing ANY used product, to inspect it thoroughly. If you don't know what to look for, you must bring along someone who does.
That being said, I usually recommend digital to people. The reason is that it costs less. A top-of-the-line digital instrument may cost up to $6000. A new inexpensive acoustic piano may start at that price and may not sound any better than a high-end digital piano. A new piano that sounds great will typically cost substantially more ($10,000 and up to the sky, depending on brand and model.) In addition, an acoustic piano needs periodic tuning, while a digital one does not.
In general, I tell people that they should only get an acoustic piano if they want a piece of furniture for their home. If they play well enough that they really want the sound of a really good acoustic piano, then they won't be asking for advice on this subject :-)
(FWIW, I play a Kurzweil K2500X, which has 88 fully-weighted keys. I paid about $4000 many years ago. In addition to all the organ/synth sounds, I have a few really good piano programs. They don't sound like a Steinway, but (when attached to a good amplifier and studio monitor speakers) they sound better than any acoustic piano you could buy for $4000.