Is there piano music for reduced number of keys (32)?

Question

So, I was scammed into buying this (if you are wondering, a yamaha portasound ps-1) for 60€. 2 and a half octaves (32 keys).

I learned a bit to play simple songs and about general music theory (chords, scales, usual stuff).

After a while I found this site with free scores. Cool, but, as you imagined, most scores don't fit my keyboards (or better, my keyboard doesn't fit them).

Is there a site where I can find scores for size-challenged keyboards like mine? I am mostly interested in baroque stuff (that's why that site was great :c)

Answer 1

Don't waste any more time. With whatever style of music you aspire to play, two and a half octaves isn't going to touch it.Even if you can find dots that keep within those parameters, the tunes are going to frustrate you in your playing.

Look at some of the discussions relating to this problem on this site. Generally a 61 note will do, but a 76 would be better for most music, and for luxury, get an 88 note - not strictly necessary though.

Bite the bullet - you did get conned. Move into the proper musicians' world - sell yours to a complete beginner - a child would love it.

Answer 2

All music composed for the piano was written for an instrument with between 61 and 88 keys -- mostly for instruments with 76 to 88 keys.

Smaller keyboards are useful for playing individual parts on a synthesizer in pop music. But piano music was written for the piano.

As far as Baroque music, in the Baroque era, the largest keyboard, the harpsichord, had only about five octaves of keys. Some organs had a four-octave keyboard. But you will discover that the range of notes in harpsichord music does not line up with that of contemporary 61-key MIDI controllers. So even for Baroque harpsichord music, you need a keyboard with 76 or 88 keys to play all the pitches without transposition.

You might find a very few pieces of early music written for two other keyboard instruments: the virginal and the clavichord. Those might work on your 32-key keyboard. But that is about it.

A very ornate clavichord

Answer 3

What you have is OK if you want to focus on learning chords and melody. You can practice making economical voicings. Buy a fake book that has songs you like and play the chords in left hand and melody in right. But at some point you will want to move to a 76 note with (at least) semi weighted keys. There are lots of acceptable options and if you can find a used Yamaha or Casio you will have fun.

Answer 4

You can play all the repertory for toy piano...you can also try some pieces from Bach's Anna Magdalena book...Nahre Sol a pianist on youtube also wrote some beautiful (and difficult) pieces for 37 keys...I'm also searching for more