How To Play the Piano
Many people really want to learn to play the piano. They then start to practice the piano, and they just give up learning how to play piano. People think piano practice is a chore. They get this idea as a child. The movies where some kid is stuck indoors practicing scales over and over while all the other kids are outside playing ball, playing tag, and just having fun. Then they lose interest and never learn how to play the piano.
If you want to learn to play piano you will need to see your piano practice in a new way. You will need to See so leaning becomes accelerated. The learning process needs to become something that you will be able to learn to play the piano and play it well. Read my page about online piano lessons if you are serious about learning to play the piano.
If you don’t practice and you just play old familiar tunes you will learn slow, and it will become tedious. Yes, you will get better at playing those same tunes but technically you won’t be pushing yourself to greater sounds.
Proper, structured piano practice helps you to move forward. Proper is not a practice of playing songs over and over. Your Practice needs to involve unchartered territory. The golden rule is – ‘practice what you can not play, not what you already know how to play’. First of all, work out what you want to achieve before you start leaning how to play the piano.
Do you just want to know all your chords without thinking about how they are formed – then work out a practice routine that leads to that goal. Maybe you want to learn about chord substitution – again, make the practice fit the goal.
Learn to Play Piano
Split your practice session in two parts. In the first half play the difficult stuff – your mind is sharper to begin with – then give yourself a reward by playing enjoyable but reasonably difficult tunes. Make sure you are very comfortable. Many people get have bad back problems. When you play the piano and your posture is terrible you will damage your back. Usually this is from of a bad piano stool that is at the wrong height. Also make sure your piano is in tune, and if you have not learned how to tune one, hire someone. Make sure you have a decent piano if you are serious about learning how to play the piano.
Every fifteen to twenty minutes do some stretches. Stretch your arms, and your legs. Do some shoulder stretches and roll your neck side to side to combat stiffness. Maybe try some Yoga exercises to help you get into shape.
Remember the three times daily rule. Also remember repetition in practice is essential to learning how to play the piano. If you find something difficult to play, be sure you practice that difficult thing at least three times every day or when you have a chance. Don’t worry if it takes months to master – you’ll get there you will learn to play the piano.
What ever you do, do not play for the neighbors. When you Practice the piano, do it at a time when you don’t care who is listening. That way you can make lot’s of mistakes and play things over and over. Keep your piano music organized. Don’t keep it in a pile where you keep playing the same ones. If you download sheet music put it in a folder marked "practice for piano" or something that you know what it is. Have plenty of shelves and space close by your piano. Keep it real. I truly believe that anyone can learn to play piano and learn it to an enjoyable fun exciting level. No two people are alike – some are more ‘naturally’ gifted than others. If you have an average ability, dont worry. Practice make perfect, and the more you practice the more you will learn.
Now and then, practice with your eyes closed – or don’t look at the keys – this really sharpens you up. Put some organization in your life to make your practice uncluttered (this where Mindfulness comes in). Too many people think they don’t have time to practice when really they just haven’t found the time. How long should you practice – that’s up to what you want to achieve. You don’t have to be a concert pianist. At first just play for yourself and enjoy it.
Remember that how you practice and how much you practice the piano will depend on how quickly you learn. As well as how well you play. So what are you going to do? Aim to practice as much as you can. Before you know it you will learn how to play the piano.