Simple Tips for Learning to Play the Piano

The piano is considered one of the most popular instruments in the world, along with the guitar and the regular drum set. However, the piano is not really easy to play compared to the guitar and the drums, as you will often need to have good hand-eye coordination as well as great control of your fingers, which you will use to press different keys on the instrument.

Luckily, there are several tips that you can follow so that you can learn how to play the piano in no time. But, the tips don’t really provide you with an instant way to learn the piano since you will still need to dedicate plenty of time and effort to the learning process, although they can be helpful in making the process much faster. To learn more, here are details of the simple tips for learning to play the piano.

Get Online Piano Lessons

piano keys

One of the quickest ways to learn how to play the piano is to get online piano lessons, which are offered by various tutorial websites on the internet and by software or apps for computers and smartphones. While physical piano lessons would allow you to get hands-on experience in learning with a tutor, there are several disadvantages to them that make them less appealing than online lessons. Some of these disadvantages include the tutor not always being available even during your free time and also the expense of getting physical piano lessons since they are often more expensive than online lessons.

With online lessons, you will gain access to various guides that are available to you anytime. So, even in the middle of the night, you can watch or read specific lessons about playing the piano or keyboard without the need for a tutor. Of course, reading and watching will take time, but it is significantly better than being stagnant in your learning process just because you are waiting for a tutor.

In addition to readily available guides, online piano lessons would still provide you with a tutor, although you can only see the tutor through your computer screen. But, if you have a webcam that is pointed towards the keys of your piano, the online tutor would still be able to guide you on what to play and how to play it. So, if you want to stay at home and play more comfortably using your own piano, you should definitely get online piano lessons.

Always Warm Up Before Playing

Another very simple tip that you can follow is to always warm up before playing. This warm-up includes finger exercises so that you can make your fingers as flexible and smooth-flowing as possible so that you can easily press whatever keys you need to press on the instruments, as well as arm exercises that you will need to prevent cramping or sore muscles after hours of practice and tutorials.

Most of the common mistakes that beginners make are due to stiff fingers, so having a warm-up is ideal if you want a better and less painful time practicing songs or musical pieces on the piano. You can just spend at least five to ten minutes warming up before practicing or starting the online tutorial.

Start with Simple Songs and Pieces

Of course, beginners can’t just learn complex songs and music pieces at the start, as they will just get stuck on one part and never move on because of how complicated the parts are to play. It is undeniable to many musicians that finishing a song feels satisfying, and as a beginner, you would need to get that same feeling in order for you to know how worth it or gratifying playing an instrument is.

One way for you to finish a song fast is to start with simple songs and pieces first. A lot of tutors would also recommend you to begin with easy songs, so finding songs you can play on the piano as a beginner is relatively easy if you have online lessons. It is okay if you are slow in learning piano parts, as rushing through everything can just lead to disaster. Don’t rush part and practice every key or note until you get the timing right for them. Start with simple songs and try to finish one first before moving to another.

Practice Every Day if You Can

learning  a song on a piano

If you have free time every day, we highly recommend that you at least spend 20 to 30 minutes of your free time practicing the piano. One of the drawbacks of not practicing every day is that you would often forget about certain parts of songs, so you would need to relearn those parts and spend a lot more time practicing instead of finishing the songs quickly.

In addition, playing the piano often relies on muscle memory, and not playing for days or weeks can make you lose that muscle memory, which would deny making you have to relearn how to play the piano again before you can go back to your usual practice routine. So, in order to retain the skills that you’ve learned so far, you will need to practice playing the piano almost every day if you have free time.

Listen to the Songs You Want to Play Multiple Times

In order for you to learn specific songs, you would have to listen to them. However, in order to memorize parts and sections, you would have to listen to the songs even if you are not playing.

Listening to songs multiple times can get tedious, but it is what you need in order for you to memorize them and practice them faster and better once you get your hand on a keyboard or piano. You can add the songs and piano pieces you wish to play on the playlist of your music streaming apps like Spotify so that you can easily listen to them again whenever you are on the go or listening to music on your speakers.

And these are some of the simplest tips we can provide for you to learn how to play the piano easier and faster. There is really no shortcut to learning to play instruments, so you really have to spend time and effort in order to learn and eventually master playing the piano. Follow the tips we have offered above so that there is less stress and hassle in going through the learning process.