1. Choose which piece to learn
Loving what you do often makes things easier, including when learning the piano. That’s why you should take your choice of piece seriously. You’ll be more motivated to study it and it will make practicing much more enjoyable.
Never force yourself to work on a composition that you don’t like. Don’t try to impress the gallery either. In other words, don’t try to practice a work that you can’t assimilate. Just as you don’t feel obliged to limit yourself to classical music.
Play pieces that match your level. All musical works are adaptable to the abilities of any pianist. Beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Just do a few searches on the net to see the proof.
However, prefer queries in English. For example, the Turkish march easy piano sheet. As a rule, the number of scores will be denser.
2. Decipher music theory well
Learning music theory is constantly dreaded by many musicians. Some people completely block as soon as they start music theory lessons. Having difficulty. However, when we manage to distinguish its exact usefulness, we realize that it is in reality only an intermediary between the piano and the pianist. And knowing how to read notes can become simpler than it seems. If we use the right methods.
Above your piano, display a printout (easily found on the internet) of all the notes making up the. Take care to note their name below, if it does not appear. You can also use the same mnemonic device to better differentiate between sharps and flats on the keyboard, to know which note is equivalent to which beat, etc.
Listening to the pieces you like to play, while paying attention to the notes written on their sheet music can also be a good remedy to better interpret music theory. Singing or using your hands to beat the rhythm, can also help you.
Reading a score is not that complicated. Musical notes are not mathematical sciences. Deciphering them only depends on memorization.
3. Correcting wrong notes Adopting proper discipline
A good piano method does not involve starting over from the beginning of the piece over and over again when you make mistakes. Instead, it is better to analyze what is causing the problem, before replaying the tricky passage several times in a row until you get it perfect. The problem could be bad fingering, incorrect note reading, lack of dexterity, or other things.
4. Playing the piano quickly is not always synonymous with excellence
Learning to play the piano fast is great. But the soul of music is not about competition. If you have trouble playing a piece at the appropriate speed, that’s okay. Progress at your own pace. You should always pick up the pace as you improve your playing.
Playing too fast when you first start studying a score can cause a lot of damage. And completely harm the quality of your playing.
You will be able to improve your speed on the piano throughout your training.
Don’t be put off by the speed of a piece. Its difficulty lies primarily in the way its notes follow one another, not necessarily in the speed of its tempo.
As you increase the speed of your playing, also think about developing your piano touch, once you have mastered your score properly.
5. Do finger dexterity exercises
If you have the opportunity to (sixteenth notes, thirty-eighth notes, quadruple eighth notes) in abundance. You will notice that it very quickly hurts your fingers. And this is completely normal! Learning music works in the same way as sports disciplines. If we want one of the parts of our body to be operational, then we must think about exercising it!
Finger dexterity is essential for a pianist. It allows one to play with greater harmony.
There are exercise books to work on it, such as Little Pischna by the Czech composer, Johann Pischna or Practical Exercises for the Fingers op.802, by the Austrian composer, Carl Czerny.
They will allow you to improve the flexibility and agility of your fingers. And you will suffer less when you have to play a piece loaded with eighth notes!
6. Develop your technique with separate hands
Hand coordination is probably one of the most complex elements of piano playing. Of course, with practice, it becomes less exhausting. It is therefore good to go little by little. The right hand is concerned with playing the melody while the left hand is there to support it. We thus begin by studying the right hand first and then the left hand.
When the respective playing of both hands is sufficiently suitable, they can finally play together. Remember to start slowly before gradually accelerating until you are playing your piece at the expected rhythm.
7. Cut the piece into several parts
Learning everything at once is not a particularly brilliant idea. Remember this: if you want to improve, go about it slowly! You cannot expect to get results worthy of a professional pianist right from the start! Even though it is always good, regardless of your level, to divide the piece you are studying into several parts. The best thing to do is to start with .
If your piece only has one page, working on 1-2 staves per day would be ideal. If it has more, try working on 3-4 staves per day. It’s up to you to decide whether you feel able to go beyond that, over time.
But remember that, for each staff, it is good to first analyze and then work meticulously on each measure.
8. Make learning easier through indulgence
Avoid at all costs setting the bar too high, putting pressure on yourself, or even worse, telling yourself that you are not made for it because you are useless. A musical instrument remains essentially a practice. Learning music therefore inevitably involves having to go through a certain amount of preparation before acquiring good mastery. You will progress much faster if you adopt a positive attitude while being indulgent about your progress.
Allow yourself to make mistakes. Take your time. Try improvising at times, if you feel able. You don’t always have to follow a score “note for note”. Let yourself go!
You will see that the more you progress on the piano, the fewer questions you will ask yourself. For the simple reason that you will have gained confidence because you will have learned to familiarize yourself with the instrument and make it your own!
9. Be diligent in your work without rushing
Although there is no set number of hours to respect to improve when you have decided to study the piano. Playing 1 to 2 hours a day would nevertheless allow you to make good progress.
Of course, regular work always pays off in the end. But there is no point in getting bogged down in abruptness if something is bothering you. If you keep making the same mistakes despite your best efforts, take a break. Sometimes it is best to wait a few minutes, other times a few hours or even the next day.
Give your memory time to digest what it has just ingested. It is by removing all resistance that you will best succeed in overcoming the difficulties that will present themselves to you! Focus only on the outcome of what you wish to achieve!
10. Pay attention to your posture without overdoing it
It is often said that you need to have a relaxed posture to play the piano. Of course, if you are tense, it may bother you. Similarly, if you choose a bad posture, it will eventually become uncomfortable. But don’t waste your energy telling yourself that you absolutely must be relaxed.
The most important thing is to immerse yourself in the song. To feel it, to incorporate it, to live it!
While taking care, naturally, to remain straight without moving your arms and to continue to pay attention to the movement of your hands and the dexterity of your fingers.
It is not so much the relaxation that matters most when playing a piece. But rather the intensity that the pianist will be able to give it!
11. Other tips not to be overlooked
There are details, although profitable, that we easily tend to omit.
- Nail length: They should never be too long. Otherwise, your fingers will start to slide on the keys, and will not be able to press them properly.
- Digital piano and acoustic piano: the disadvantage of digital pianos is that some do not encourage pianists to press the keys enough. There are even some whose keyboards are really bad. Sound quality usually goes hand in hand, in this kind of case… This is why the choice of your digital piano must be made with care. Especially if you play an acoustic piano at the same time. If buying one does not appeal to you, you can just as well. To see if it is really the right piano for you. You can then return it at any time, if the instrument does not suit you.