Learning how to play the piano could be a significant struggle whether you might have already started or simply have the desire to start off fresh. Playing the piano is without a doubt very much like any other skill set or talent worthy of experiencing, it benefits the students that implement correct basics and it rewards them much more rapidly. I would like to talk about some factors you’re able to do that may help you to learn piano or keyboard much quicker as well as appreciate it much more.
A number of you have thought about playing for some time and many of you have tried previously and stopped I’d like to offer a bit of suggestions in the event that is the case. If it’s something that you want to do, do it. Take the time now to get a teacher or a lesson system and start right now to do something that you enjoy. Only regrets or happy memories follow our decisions to follow or not follow something we want.
Set the time aside for playing and especially practice. It’s amazing how many times in life we can look back and in frustration ask why we aren’t making progress or seem to be stuck. Most of the time we don’t realize that the only reason we haven’t moved forward is because we simply haven’t spent the time to deserve it. It’s easy to be frustrated if you don’t know why something is wrong but it’s easy to set a course of action and get past it quickly when you do. If you’re not where you want to be just evaluate your efforts before doing the same thing all over again.
It’s inspiring to see great pianists perform and play incredible music. But you have to remember that with every hour they spend playing or performing there’s at least another 10 hours spent behind the scenes practicing. You should always practice with a goal in mind: at least 90% of your time should be spent practicing. Focus on mastering something specific. It could be a section of music, certain notes, a scale, or anything. It is during this time that pianists become great if they thoughtfully and carefully play with an end goal in mind.
You don’t have to play full time or become a concert pianist. Take a breath, relax and just play often. Spending one hour a day, 5 days a week is much better than spending 5 hours in 1 day, 1 day a week. You will develop focus and consistency in your playing if you develop focus and consistency in your practice.
Use a metronome. We have all seen or used them before and you might like playing without one much better if you’re like me. But if you cannot get the rythm right then what good is it to play? Playing with a metronome will help you to get it right the first time. I have a tendency to slow down on the hard parts and then speed up on the parts I know well. Using a metronome helps you discover these parts and lay a good foundation to learn the song well from the beginning.
Don’t use the pedal. Wait until you have learned the song well before adding the pedal as a last touch. This way you learn coordination and placement of your hands and fingers are shaped to the music. When it sounds good without the peddle you can rest assured that you are playing well. Now that you are familiar you can add the pedal and play it with confidence.
Start trying to improvise. It can be a little frustrating at first but you can just try adding a couple notes here and there to begin with. As you continue to do so you will develop a natural feeling for a song more quickly. Even if you play a song without any improvisation, it helps to intuitively avoid mistakes playing new songs and sound smoother.
Enjoy what you are doing, pick songs that you love. Inner drive is defined by and a product of passion. If you lose it or have none, you have no drive. We have a lot of other words to describe it like ambition or desire but each one has its root in what’s inside and that is passion. When you do something you love it moves you forward.You are automatically propelled forward when you do something you love. It doesn’t require dragging it along or even remembering it. If you want a good example of this it’s food. We don’t forget to eat for very long, most people don’t have to schedule it and we all love food. Passion and drive do need to be developed and cultivated but they will move you forward much further than you could ever go without them.
I didn’t have much drive when I first started playing because I didn’t have much passion. I was the one that spent the 5 hours in one day rushing rather than playing with consistency. I just wasn’t playing songs that I really loved. I started playing all the time only after I started playing music that I loved. I played for love of music and you know what? I enjoyed it too. So take the time to practice and learn theory and all that good stuff but make sure you take the time to play what you want to play too.
The most important thing we can do is start taking action the moment we choose to do something. So if you’ve been waiting to start or get better just go for it. If you don’t have the money for a teacher, there’s a lot of really great programs out there. If you want a recommendation there’s a great program I’ve used that is very complete, comes with 12 months worth of material and a ton of songs and bonus material. It’s actually really cheap and I figure for the cost of a piano lesson it’s worth getting piano lessons for beginners. I have had some really great teachers and some not so great ones, same with books and programs. Unfortunately I can’t recommend any teachers that are likely to be within driving distance of you. Of all the programs I’ve used though, I have to say this was the closest thing to a real teacher and the best one especially for the money.