I have used SimplyPiano for about 1 year now and I'm really happy with it. I did learn of lot of piano theory and I can easily read sheet music and learn/play simple songs (left hand chords + right hand melody) in a few minutes.
> Does the app correct your position (important if you don't want to get fatigue and cramps), your volume, fingerings, etc?
Yes, the app does constantly reminding you to have the correct position, shows fingering but does indeed not test for volume. It's obviously not as good as having a teacher constantly watching you.
I have also recently started some lessons with a piano teacher for more in-depth music theory and checking my current progress, she didn't have too much stuff to correct, so the app wasn't that bad and the stuff that I learnt was actually correct and usable. One thing that the teacher was a lot better at than the app was explaining how more complex musical concepts are linked together and how focusing more on the basics is more important that learning specific things/progressions.
> connect it to an el cheapo midi keyboard
I use the Yamaha NP 12 (it costs around $200), it sounds amazing but it does have only 61 keys and it's semi-weighted. I still think it's good enough for learning how to play.
One thing that you might be missing is the fact that most of the people wanting to learn the piano don't plan on becoming a professional, they just want to be able to learn and play a few songs or improvise a bit. In order to do this usually "good enough" is good enough, you don't need the best equipment or the perfect technique. It's also important, as you mentioned, to know what to expect and what you are missing out on by using the learning methods you do.
> Yes, the app does constantly reminding you to have the correct position,
That's not what I meant by position, I meant hand position, finger curving, etc. If you did it well at the start that's nice, some people don't (in fact there's a guy in this same thread saying that he has finger cramps when playing).
> so the app wasn't that bad and the stuff that I learnt was actually correct and usable.
That's great! I'm not saying it's useless, only that has limitations, the same thing that you noticed when you started with a teacher.
> I still think it's good enough for learning how to play.
As long as it's weighted it's decent, and 61 keys for starters is not too bad either. When the parent said 'cheapo midi keyboard' I was thinking of one of these small cheap keyboards that almost looks like a toy.
> One thing that you might be missing is the fact that most of the people wanting to learn the piano don't plan on becoming a professional, they just want to be able to learn and play a few songs or improvise a bit. In order to do this usually "good enough" is good enough
I know that. I'm talking precisely to that people, because I'm one of those people. I'm doing that with the clarinet right now in fact. If you really want to play a few songs by yourself and improvise a bit, you're taking it seriously enough to the point I do think it's worth it to go to a teacher.
> Does the app correct your position (important if you don't want to get fatigue and cramps), your volume, fingerings, etc?
Yes, the app does constantly reminding you to have the correct position, shows fingering but does indeed not test for volume. It's obviously not as good as having a teacher constantly watching you.
I have also recently started some lessons with a piano teacher for more in-depth music theory and checking my current progress, she didn't have too much stuff to correct, so the app wasn't that bad and the stuff that I learnt was actually correct and usable. One thing that the teacher was a lot better at than the app was explaining how more complex musical concepts are linked together and how focusing more on the basics is more important that learning specific things/progressions.
> connect it to an el cheapo midi keyboard
I use the Yamaha NP 12 (it costs around $200), it sounds amazing but it does have only 61 keys and it's semi-weighted. I still think it's good enough for learning how to play.
One thing that you might be missing is the fact that most of the people wanting to learn the piano don't plan on becoming a professional, they just want to be able to learn and play a few songs or improvise a bit. In order to do this usually "good enough" is good enough, you don't need the best equipment or the perfect technique. It's also important, as you mentioned, to know what to expect and what you are missing out on by using the learning methods you do.