WHERE TO START??!!!

[elderdat2]

Greetings all,

My name is Derek and I have been a member of this board for awhile now, but I had never posted before.  I stumbled across this site searching for resources to help me to learn how to play gospel music.  I have some musical background, but non of it is on piano or organ.

I feel the tug of the Lord upon my heart to begin to learn how to play gospel, church-style music on the piano and organ.  My desire is further motivated by the great need in my church for SKILLED and ANOINTED musicians that are capable of carrying our services from beginning to end.  Our music department has had a wonderful musician playing for us for the past 3-4 years, but now he is away at college and we have another person playing who is not as skillful nor dedicated to the ministry of music in the church.  My initial goal is to learn how to play for pentecostal-style praise & worship service, and backing up the preacher; then I want to learn how to learn how to play songs by ear that can be taught to the choir.

Again, I have NO experience playing piano or organ and my questions are:

1. Besides praying for God's blessing, anointing, & guidence WHERE DO I GET STARTED?

2. I have seen some musicians who sell tutorials online, WHO HAS THE BEST MATERIAL FOR BEGINNING MUSICIANS? (I don't want to purchase material that will confuse or discourage me and I don't want to get stuck with a bunch of tapes with a musician simply "showing off") WHO HAS THE BETTER INSTRUCTION???

3. How do the organ and piano differ in terms of technique?  Is one easier to learn than that other?

Please help me, I want to get started ASAP.  Thank you and God Bless!

Elder Derek A. Tillman, II
Miami, FL

[divinemusician]

Welcome!

I would say that hearandplay.com is a good website to buy cd's for learning how to play also gospelkeyboard.com.

I posted in the gospel piano, some scales that will help.

A lot of people say start with the organ because that is harder to play then a keyboard. I say start with what is going to be easy for you. Not so much easy but easier for you to grasp than the other, some start the organ and then move to the keyboard, some do the keyboard then the organ, so learn both at once.

it is going to take some very long night or day practicing. I know you can do it! Stay with it.

[soundsofintegrity]

i purchased from www.hearandplay.com, i think it's better then a real instructor at your house, he gets to the point to what you need to lear and play gospel music and to play by ear.