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hey there!

i was looking for a 88 hammer action piano with the lightning key function. all i could find was by casio, the models are

PX500L
Casio PL-40R
CELVIANO AL-100R
CELVIANO AL-150R

here are two demos of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A43TH46GOnY (fantasie impromptu)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhjRdAt3LGI (piano concerto 1)

the best of them seems the celviano cause it has two different colors for the right and left hand, while the others have only color red.

they all have the song "fantasie impromptu" by chopin and i wanna learn it. im not that good at sight reading so these special pianos might help out.

the problem is, i cant see them anywhere nowadays, cause theyre pretty old.

do you know anything about casio making new pianos like these? that would be so great!

thanks, ben

No one learns from those keys with lights, no one.

Take the plunge, hire a teacher, and learn to read music notation, notation that has been around for centuries. Your local library has stacks of printed music for your use. Well, not your use, the printed music exists for those who can read.

Your request would be similar to someone who could not read the printed word asking to be directed to the spoken book section.

Get a teacher, learn to read, you'll progress much faster and more importantly, have a more solid basis from which to progress.

I didn't even know such a thing existed. It reminds me of when I was a teenager and the Fretlight guitar came out.




Plenty of people have bought them, but I am still yet to come across a solid musician who graduated from the Fretlight approach. Therefore I would echo Dave's comments.

Here's an equally worthless method of learning ...

^^^^^^ OMG not that guy again!

Dave's right. Get a teacher, learn to read and play from notation. You'll be glad you did, honestly.

Also, while you're learning notation always be sure to take music from the radio, TV, CD, whatever, and try and figure it out without printed music ... using your ears as well, ... but learn to read notation. You'll thank us, believe me.

While I agree with everyone that you can't learn to play piano with lit keys, I think it *can* help someone who already knows some piano learn a particular piece, which is what the OP asked about. Assuming the intent is to memorize it as you go, it could save a bit of time for a poor reader, particularly if someone's memorization skills happen to be much stronger than his reading skills. Even some pretty skilled players are poor readers, having learned to play largely by ear, and the lit notes could provide a bit of a shortcut.

But that particular piece? Well... I would not be optimistic. Because figuring out the notes more quickly than having to read them would likely be the least of your problems unless you are already an extremely capable player.

First of all: Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin is not a song. Second of all: You will need years of school to learn proper techniques to play it.

i already learn notes, but its kinda hard for me. i can read almost every note, but i need some time for it. it doesnt go automatically, i have to think about it so theres no fluent play . i had 3 piano lessons so far, but i didnt talk about sight reading with my teacher, all i could see is that he could play "river flows in you" and "chopin etude 25/9" from the paper with ease. i was kinda "that is insane!!" but he just said "what is insane?". hes a good teacher and next time i see him ill ask him how i can improve my skills in sight reading.
i have some books with children pieces in it, too. for me its kinda frustrating seeing 7, 8 year old kids at youtube playing beethovens moonlightsonata 3rd mov while i got troubles playing "my bonnie is over the ocean". hm, i guess thats a known problem for the adult beginner and i am not the only one who learns this late. the idea with the lightning piano just came because i thought that i can learn harder pieces faster with with it. maybe im wrong.

I think most people starting from no musical training at all take a lot of time to learn how to make the finger movements and a lot of time learning to match notes on the page up to notes on the piano. At various points it can feel like one or the other is the thing holding you back (right now you feel that your fingers can do more than eyes and brain can read off the page) but pretty soon you'll go through another phase where you can read stuff that your hands can't manage to play.

For my own part, I can read music really well from playing other instruments. So I have the opposite feeling from you, the notes just fly off the page for me and then my stupid fingers just stumble all over each other trying to keep up.

Also keep in mind that while you're patiently learning to read the notes off the page faster and easier, you'll be working on not only getting your fingers on the right keys in time but also working on doing it smoothly and with exactly the right emphasis and dynamics (loud, soft). That's the part that takes a long time to develop with your fingers...so you might as well spend that time learning how to read the music also.

The lighted keys thing is for people who want to just bang out a tune with the right notes rather than develop the touch and ability to make it sound musical...

wow! i hope i can say that one day. it would be just awesome being able to read like this.

LMAO, I used to have a light up piano when I was 7. It did not help me learn anything. Its essentially a waste of time and money. If you want to learn how to play piano, stop trying to find shortcuts and do it the proper way.

Ask your teacher to work on sight reading with you. Having the keyboard light up is only going to tell you what notes to play, but you arent going to learn the proper fingering at all. Its just a gimmick.