Learning to play the piano is easy, if you have a great teacher and make just a little time to play. Piano is also a great place to start if you’re interested in learning other instruments, too, given it provides a great introduction to reading musical notes. Let’s get to some tips!
5 Easy Steps to Learning to Play Piano
Step 1: Get a piano and the right accessories.
I can hear you groaning, that’s so obvious, right? But here’s the thing. There is more to it than just buying the first piano keyboard you see. You’ve got to consider cost, and size. Do you have the room and budget for a full-sized grand piano? Or do you need a space-saving fold-up keyboard for now? Give it some thought. Most music teachers would recommend that you get a real piano for the best sound,although it certainly doesn’t have to be an actual Grand Piano – but if you can’t afford a real piano, or don’t have the space, then by all means, go for an electronic keyboard. You an upgrade later when your budget permits.
A real piano has about 88 keys – so be careful if you go with an electronic keyboard, since many of them don’t have nearly that many keys (and that will prevent you from playing much of the music you come across.)
Next, get a piano bench for yourself. The best ones have a fold-up top that allows you to store your music sheets in it.
Also consider whether or not you’ll need a metronome. This is a device that helps you to keep your rhythm when playing.
Step 2: Find a good teacher when learning to play the piano.
The right piano music teacher makes all the difference when you’re trying to learn the piano. If you need a drill-sargent to keep you in line and motivated, then by all means seek it out. But most people prefer someone who is a bit more compassionate and patient. Ask about their credentials, and find out how much experience they’ve had with teaching. You can also get music teacher recommendations from friends and family.
Step 3: Learn how to position your hands on the keyboard.
There is a specific way to position your hands on the keyboard. To begin, look for a set of 5 black keys in the middle of your keyboard (it will be in a group of 3, plus a group of 2). Put your right thumb on the white key to the left of the middle pair of black keys. Place the remaining 4 fingers of that hand on the adjacent white keys. Your thumb is on the C key, and from left to right, the keys are named C, D, E, F, and G. The 2 after that, with no fingers on them, are A, and B. The pattern of key names repeats itself over and over.
If there is a black key to the right of a white key, it is called sharp. For example, if you press the black key to the right of C, you’re on C-sharp. If there is a black key to the left of the white key, it is called flat. For example, if you press the black key to the left of the E key, you’re on E-flat.
Your left hand should be positioned the same as your right, except it’ll be your pinky finger that sits on that first white key to the left of the black key. Your left hand should sit at the nearest set of corresponding keys to the left of your right hand.
Step 4: Learn how to read music.
At first, learning to read sheet music is a bit like learning a foreign language. You have to figure out the meaning of the foreign symbols on the page. There are notes to represent the keys on the keyboard, directions for how fast, or slow, the music is to be played, and even instructions on how loudly or softly you should be aiming to play it.
Step 5: “Playing makes perfect” when learning to play the piano.
Finally, don’t skimp on practicing. Ideally, you should try to set aside time to practice every single day. Even if you’re starved for time, you can probably come up with 15-30 minutes of practice time.
If you keep this up, you’ll be amazed at what you can do with a piano a few months from now!
Ready to learn with the best piano teachers in Burlington? If you’d like a tour of Capstone Music’s music center, we’re ready to show you why we’re the Burlington Post’s Platinum choice for Music Instruction today. Book a visit or sign up for piano lessons now!
