f13.net forums - Online resources for musicians?

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July 19, 2025, 05:33:27 AM

we're back, baby

My main focus is singing and it has been for most of my life. I've also been playing instruments when I was a kid/teenager.

The only instrument I was ever interested in except "singing" was the piano but I never learned playing it. This has to change in my opinion so I'm currently researching a lot of info online and I plan to learn piano after all.

I couldn't find a decent resource for musicians though. If you google you find a lot of sites and boards but nothing strikes me as definitive or used by a lot of musicians. So I figured since a lot of f13-members are musicians and play instruments maybe you guys could point me in the right direction as far as online resources are concerned.

Which boards do you frequent when you want to talk about music, musical instruments and technique? Any recommendations?

It's not a forum but it is something I really wish had existed twenty years ago - http://www.smartmusic.com/ .

It's a program with a yearly subscription, it was $25 last year and is apparently $36 now. It is geared for band students, where your teacher later on reviews everything you've done, but it is perfectly fine to just use it by yourself. You basically end up with sheet music on your computer (or laptop, which is what I ended up using so I can plug it into the stereo easily, and it only likes being installed on one computer), and you can play along to the accompanying band (or MIDI, or orchestra, depends on the chart), and there's a little indicator pointing to where on the music you should be if you get lost.

And at the end, it tells you what notes you got wrong. And it also has been recording you all along, and you can listen to yourself mixed in with the accompaniment. This thing is incredible for sight-reading training and improvisation practices. It has scales and stuff on there too, which I imagine would be useful if you haven't learned those well yet. I've been using it for sight-reading and improv, but I can only imagine it speeds up the whole learning process immensely (there are way more Easy-rated pieces than the higher-level stuff).

Apparently it works for vocal, too, though I've never tried that.

As for Internet Expert Opinions, the only forum I've spent much time on is saxophone-specific, and though entertaining to read, really, not all that useful in the grand scheme of things. Get lessons to make sure your technique is right, and then it's all just practice. Rock Out

Edit: Hrm, PIANO. I just got paranoid about that, so I just checked the thing for piano charts and there are 590 pieces (compared to 2119 for saxomaphone). No solos, scales, or improv, which sorta sucks. So it's not AS useful for piano as other instruments, but 590 pieces isn't too shabby, plus you could plink out the melody from any instrument in C (I cheat all the time and play clarinet/trumpet/baritone parts on tenor and Eb clarinet/bass clef instruments on alto just for more variety).

Once in a while I check out what's on guitarworld.com. I mostly use books or just sit around noodling. Mostly the latter.

Get lessons if you can afford them and can make the time for the regular appointment, there's really no substitute for good in-person instruction.

Also if you're serious about learning piano but don't want to just run out and buy yourself a real one, make sure you get a keyboard with weighted keys and a full 88 key keyboard. Playing on regular keyboard keys will screw up your technique if that's what you're practicing on early. What you're looking for is usually called an electronic piano or digital piano.

Thanks Ingmar.

That's what I gathered from my research so far. I've already decided on two or three possible stage pianos in the beginner price range that I will try once I get around to go to my local music store, I even have researched teaching options in my area.

What I want is a board to ask questions on when I'm stuck or I need advice. Preferably one where more than two people read or answer your question. Preferably also a board that is not just limited to one style or one instrument.

I don't really have my hand in the game anymore as an actual musician, so I'm not sure what the best sites are. I think Harmony Central was recommended to me once, but I don't know how it stacks up for specific instruments.

Quote from: Ingmar on November 02, 2011, 04:20:23 PM

I don't really have my hand in the game anymore as an actual musician, so I'm not sure what the best sites are.

BOO

Playing music improves your quality of life (and that of those around you once you get decent enough) and also stimulates mental growth. I'd say it makes you a better gamer, but I'm probably a bad example for that!

I wish I hadn't put down my bass back in 95 (until about 98 or 99). Hell, I wish I had been more focused as a kid. My first guitar teacher wrote in my HS yearbook: "Slow down with your millions of women and practice your instrument of music" Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?

He was right! (Though I don't really regret the millions of women...)

I wish everyone would pick up their favorite instrument and start learning and practicing. It takes a while to see the results, but it never stops paying off; for an entire lifetime. My favorite time of day is going home for lunch and playing some classical selections for my fiancee, resets our day no matter how crazy things get.

Aaanyway...the keyboard is a great place to enter music since it's pretty visually easy to learn. Tough to play, but even if you move on to something else, it's the best foundation instrument. An instructor will do more for you than the internet :)

As a french horn player who lives in an apartment I am not sure I would be doing anyone who lives near me any favors if I was playing a lot. awesome, for real

Sometimes Siegfried needs help waking up and getting his ass down to the Rhine on time.

I've bought a digital piano three weeks ago. I have so much fun playing even though I've only had one lesson and I'm shit at it that the only thoughts I have is: "Why did I wait so long, I should have done this ages ago.