Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Just a few silly questions.

Hey guys. I have 2 questions.

Any tips on turning guitar riffs into melodies on the piano? I'm not sure whether this is a silly question or not.

Secondly, what exercises/books/etc are most recommended for developing speed, agility, evenness, and dexterity?

Thanks.

Notes are notes. I play Blues guitar/sax/harp riffs all the time. (harp = harmonica, typically "cross harp" in the Blues music world).

Just play the same notes.

It's just a matter of identifying each note and the rhythms and then taking it to the keyboard/piano verbatim (of course in the proper key). Many guitarists don't know a whole lot of music theory or are all that familiar with the piano, I've found, so if you'd include yourself amongst this group, I welcome you to check out a thread full of free resources on learning [more] theory here: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1948785.html





Speed and agility come steadily in time as you familiarize with technique and its specific application to what you're learning (definition of technique here: http://www.piano-ology.com/Technique/TheDevelopmentProcess.php). As for evenness, it's just a matter of practicing while always employing evenness - that is to say, if you never practice with evenness, how could your playing come out even when trying to perform. A simple piano/scales/cadence book (google/Amazon search "Alfred's scales") will develop "dexterity" with even practice, of course

Thanks a lot, guys. I've been meaning to sit down with headphones at my keyboard, listening to riffs and trying to play them, but I've been intimidated. I usually just pay close attention to the tonal changes in everything. My understanding has broadened. I feel like my understanding of music is beyond my technique and my ability to play, but I'll get there

In a way that almost makes it easier, since you won't need to pay attention to the tone the way a guitarist does, just the notes. Start with a slow riff with few notes and go from there. The more you do, the easier it becomes and you can move on to harder riffs.

If you are playing a keyboard with a pitch wheel or stick, it can be fun to put it on a synth sound and try to replicate the bends in the strings too.