Learning to play the piano is easy if you have the right tools, attitude and teacher. But if you do the wrong things, it’ll slow down your learning process and make things more difficult. Avoid the pitfalls on this list and you’ll be off to a better start!
Be at Ease with Your Piano Teacher
Many students who are taking piano lessons worry about letting their teacher down by making mistakes or about not progressing “fast enough”. Stop worrying about this. Great piano teachers will never hold mistakes against you and understand they are part of the learning process. As for the amount of progress you’re making, every student is different (and has varying amounts of time to devote to practicing each week!) A good teacher will understand all of this, and will not see you in a bad light for making mistakes or progressing slowly.
Thinking That Studying Classical Music is a Must When Taking Piano Lessons
Many old-schoolers believe that classical music is the best way to learn to play the piano. This fallacy has held back many students from reaching their peak levels of piano playing abilities. The reason for this is that not everyone enjoys the sound of classical music. And if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll practice less often, and perhaps even quit your music lessons altogether. So if you enjoy classical music, then by all means, go for it! But if you don’t enjoy that style of sound, then learn to play via some other genre, whether it be pop, jazz, or modern.
Thinking “I’m Too Old For Piano Lessons”
If you’re a mature student, you may have heard that old adage that “Children learn faster than adults.” However, experienced teachers know that this simply isn’t true when it comes to piano lessons. For starters, many children don’t have the focus or patience to practice for prolonged periods, thus giving the mature adult learner an advantage. The bottom line is that no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to learn to play the piano.
Practicing for Long Sessions Every Day
While practice does indeed make perfect, too much of it can slow down your learning. It’s important to keep your focus up and your mind fresh – practicing for hours every day simply isn’t likely to be as productive as doing it in shorter bursts of intense concentration instead. When you try to practice for hours at a time, it’s impossible to concentrate fully for such a long period – even your fingers can get tired, making for sloppy notes and rhythms. Instead, consider setting aside 1 or more 15 minute practice sessions per day. Odds are you’ll accomplish far more in less time by doing so.
Taking Piano Lessons and Learning to Play Should Be Easy and Fun!
If you avoid making mistakes like worrying too much and falling for piano learning myths, you’ll see that learning to play the piano will be easy and fun. You’ll look forward to your practice sessions, and enjoy your lessons.
Are you ready for for piano lessons and live in the Burlington, Ontario area? Then Capstone Music is ready to give you a tour of our music school!
