Use these tips to help you learn faster and to sharpen your skills! Click the image to find out more about teaching yourself to play piano.
You may have noticed that the title of this post is how to learn piano. That is because there are some things you can do to get more out of each lesson. Some teachers never address this very important issue of HOW to learn. They simply demonstrate and expect the student to copy what they have seen for countless boring hours. That is not the best way to learn anything. If you are considering taking piano lessons, or you are learning how to play the piano already, there are some simple steps you can take to make the process go more smoothly and speed up your progress. None of these things is particularly difficult or challenging, but done consistently, they can help you to become the best piano player that you can be in less time. So, without further delay, here are some tips for playing the piano that you can start using right away!
- We all know that practice is a key ingredient to getting better. People take different approaches to practicing though. Many people find that setting aside one specific time during the day for practicing, and then sticking to that schedule can really help. The key here is consistency. You are better off practicing for a shorter amount of time every day consistently, than you would be if you skip a few days between practicing and then force yourself to practice for several hours. The consistency helps you to learn.
- One of the advantages of learning to play today, rather than in years past, is the fact that there are many helpful software programs and other media available to help you to improve your skills. People learn in different ways. Some learn best by watching (videos), some by listening (CDs) and some by doing (Practice!!!). Although practice should be part of every aspiring pianist’s plan, some people can get a lot out of adding the other approaches as well.
- Use what you know already (if you have been taking lessons) and try to figure a song out on your own. It might be something fun like a song you heard on a commercial, but put what you are learning into action. Make it fun.
- Although it may be tempting to take on really difficult pieces to impress your friends and family, starting with something easier is often a better idea. The brain does better when it is fed smaller portions to learn and absorb. In education, teachers often use what is called “chunking” as a way to present new material to students. This means exposing students to relatively small “chunks” of information and then giving them a chance to learn and apply it until they are comfortable with it. At that point, move on to the next “chunk” you would like to learn.
- Give yourself goals for learning new piano skills. Be specific about what you would like to be able to do, and give yourself a date by which you will achieve the goal. Write it down and put it somewhere that you will see it every day. As you achieve these goals, be sure to celebrate them, even if it is just something silly like putting a silly sticker on the paper with your accomplished goal. Then, show someone what you learned.
- Finally, don’t be afraid to be creative. Try composing your own piece of music. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated if you are just starting out. This is another example of how you can apply what you are learning. Thinking creatively puts your brain to work in a different way than simply trying to memorize those oh-so-important basic skills.
If you found these tips interesting and helpful, well, that’s great! BUT, the fact remains that you will need to do some work and practice a lot if you want to become the very best that you can possibly be. If you are trying to learn on your own at home, or if you feel like you could just use something extra to help you to learn a little bit faster, you might want to check out the Rocket Piano program. Now that so many people are teaching themselves at home, it has been getting quite popular. Click Here to learn about Rocket Piano lessons!
