Keyboard learning will make it possible for you to play music like hymns, masses, etc in full score.  Naturally, you may want to know, what instrument will be ideal for a beginner.

A electronic keyboard with a minimum of 4 octaves is needed.  The size of the keys should be normal for adults, and a smaller key set can be used for children.

The keyboard should have a organ tone, or any such which will give continuous sound.  Piano sound though, useful, will not be ideal for Church Music.

You should aim at gaining the ability to play the full score.  Most enthusiasts are satisfied with the electronic drum beats, and auto or fingered chords.   This while satisfactory to  play contemporary music styles, will not help you to play older music of the classical period, which needs the ability to play the full score.  You will miss so much beautiful music, if you, in spite of having a talent, neglect to go in for this, and are shortsighted and cater to the fancies of listening to synthesized  sound effects provided by modern electronic keyboard manufacturers.    They do that to increase their sales, and not to qualify you to be a professional musician.

Learning the play the full score, gives the added advantage to those who have the talent to compose music.   They will stunt their future with short cuts.  To gain full ability, you need to practice and gain speed in playing.   You have to develop the ability to read the full score as quickly as you can.

The Read Count and Play method will develop your skill to interpret notes and their durations.  In multi-part score, you will find that different notes at different pitches have different durations, and the beauty of harmony comes when you learn to play the music, as it is written by the original composer.

For example you have Caesar Frank's Panis Angelicus,  Mozart's Ave Verum and Wagner's Bridal Marches, and all this will be out of bounds to you, if you do not take pains and work  at it systematically.

You can start by playing the Masses, and Hymns on my website, under Church Music.   You should download the Finale Notation software, and then you will be able to print these scores and use them as practice material.   In any case, you should download this software, to effectively understand and use the Vocal Music Text Book, which is available on this Website.

I started as a 16 year old, and I value this knowledge, and want to share it with you.   I did not have such a luxury, and feel strongly for those who have talent, but do not have the financial resources.   Please feel free to use all this material at no cost, and teach it to others in due course, so that others too will benefit from your knowledge.

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