Are you like many others who are continually pestered by someone to learn to play the piano? You may have wondered then, “Why should I learn how to play the piano?” Well, before you use our site to learn how to play the piano you may wish to consider from our guest author Emily Sigers who gives 12 very good reasons why to learn how to play the piano. Take it away Emily:

All right folks, here you go: My 12 reasons why you should start learning how to play the piano immediately, as in today, this very minute!

Okay, fine, finish this article first, THEN get started. And yes, I know that there are more than just 12 reasons to play the piano. But I happen to like the number 12.

1. I truly believe that everyone should play at least one instrument. Every person on Earth should be able to sit down at SOME instrument and be capable of making beautiful music.
2. Playing the piano makes you feel (and look) sophisticated. Truly. No matter who you are or how many warts you have, you’ll just exude class the second you begin tickling those ivories.
3. Piano playing keeps your brain active. It’s very hard for your brain to rot when you consistently throw it the musical language to interpret.
4. You won’t run out of things to do when you’re bored. There’s always a new way to play, always a new approach to playing, and always, always, ALWAYS a new song to learn. (See number 8.)
5. Family members can live vicariously through you. I’m semi-serious about that. The reason I began taking piano lessons (back when I was 10) was because of grandparents who didn’t play, and over the years I’ve had numerous relatives enjoy playing through me. (I live to serve.)
6. People will automatically assume you’re a genius. Honestly, I’ve heard this a lot. People uttering “He/she plays the piano” in the same tone reserved for “He/she has an IQ of 174.” You just can’t help but admire someone playing an instrument.
7. Piano playing is good for your hands. Indeed it is. I probably have stronger hands/fingers than most people I know. And have you ever noticed the hands of a pianist? Beautiful, long, tapered fingers. Chances are that if you’ve ever admired someone’s hands, they play the piano.
8. Pianists never quit learning. There’s absolutely no way to memorize every musical piece on earth. You could learn 10 new songs a day for the rest of your life without scratching the surface of songs out there.
9. Piano playing is FUN. Really. It’s one of the funnest things I do. Think about it, why would so many of us do it if it weren’t a blast?
10. Deep down, everyone wishes they played the piano. Have you ever read other people’s New Year’s Resolutions lists? If you haven’t, then you’re just not nosy like me. No, seriously, if you haven’t, I’ll tell you which wish consistently pops up: “Learn to play the piano.”
11. Piano playing is SATISFYING. It’s truly one of the most satisfying things you can do. (Right after touching your nose with your tongue. Or so I hear.) There’s no feeling like playing a difficult song and playing it flawlessly. Quite an ego-boost.
12. Everyone loves a musician. ‘Nuff said.

Guest Author: Emily Sigers

To see more of Emily’s stuff, hop on over to: http://www.thepianopages.com

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When we learn how to play the piano, we rarely think about how it affects us as individuals. After all, learning to play an instrument is something that we associate with how it affects others- but taking piano lessons can really have a profound effect on your life.

What A Little Music Can Do

It’s no secret that music in itself can be very healing and soothing to others. Music can give you an extra shot of energy when you’re feeling down or calm your nerves when you’re feeling frazzled. This feeling is even stronger when it comes to learning how to play the piano. The positive effects of this instrument are numerous but they are often so subtle, that we don’t immediately recognize them.

First let’s look at your posture. You can’t play piano properly if you slouch, so the more you practice, the more you become accustomed to sitting straight. This is a very healthy practice that relieves you of your shoulder and back pain and increase your levels of concentration. Learning how to play the piano is something that takes a lot of patience and effort- in fact, even the professionals practice every single day. This teaches you the importance of patience and hard work. It will soon become very apparent that the more you play and the harder you work, the better your music will sound. This attitude will naturally spill over into other areas of life. It will also teach you to listen to your own inner rhythm of learning and to encourage yourself as you play.

Get Creative!

Learning to play the piano or any instruments for that matter fine-tunes your senses. You will be able to identify and appreciate other kinds of music- in fact; playing the piano is a bit like an adventure. You’ll learn about different styles of playing from different parts of the world. Your cultural and musical outlook on life will start to naturally expand. Maybe you’ve had a secret little tune that’s been bouncing around in your head- learning how to play the piano is the perfect way to start writing some music yourself! This might have seemed like an impossible dream before but it can become a reality once you get a feel for the instrument.

Playing the piano is also an excellent way to divert your energy into something useful. When you are feeling depressed or nervous, sitting down at the piano will not only calm you down, it will harness also your energy in a positive way. Not only does it calm your mind and body, it can prevent you from doing damaging things like drinking and smoking to relax. Learning how to play the piano could be one of the best things you ever did for yourself.

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There have always been a number of myths associated with learning how to play the piano. For e.g. you need to start to learn to play piano online when you are young, learning to play the piano is extremely difficult, learning to play it takes a long time, playing the piano is all about natural flair which you either have or you don’t, so on and so forth. However the fact remains that the main drive behind learning to play the piano should be your enjoyment and involvement. If you are really interested in learning the piano then it can be simply stated that playing requires 90% of practice and only the remaining 10% is inspiration.

The Key Factors To Learning The Piano

The main elements required while learning how to play the piano from an online source are perseverance and determination. A lot of patience is needed when you are learning to play piano. Although learning to play the piano seems comparatively easy, you need immense patience to learn. Anybody can learn how to play the piano as long as you first accept the fact that learning is an achievable task for anyone. However, it needs to be noted that learning the piano is a long term process and cannot be achieved overnight. Regular and dedicated practice is an essential factor to learning to play the piano. The practice can become more intense as you progress further and so it helps in developing your musical sense.

With proper practice, almost anyone can become a capable pianist. It is ideal if at least an hour a day can be devoted to regular practice. An essential part of your practice routine would be to develop good memorizing systems. It would be helpful to initially start off with a general music book that could probably instruct you as regards music theory and piano. Even after you have reached an advanced level where you are now capable of playing any music, you should never stop learning. You should always be committed to online learning, learn more about how to play the piano.

The Exhilarating Experience Of The Piano

As the piano is such a versatile instrument, it can be used in various musical frameworks. Learning how to play the piano will thus greatly help you in widening your musical knowledge and also help you to appreciate music more. Playing the piano is a highly satisfying experience and even professionals in this field are constantly practicing and learning new things. Professional pianists often think of the piano as a part of their own body and learning how to play the piano in the most effective manner is a great way to convey their love for music.

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Learning to play the piano is a rewarding and satisfying skill. Children will begin piano lessons with great enthusiasm, they are anxious for the end result of being able to play songs they know. But most often that enthusiasm quickly fades when they realize how much practice and work it will take. Being able to play the piano well seems too far away and impossible to reach. Telling a child that when they are older they will appreciate the effort does not go very far in motivating them for today. As adults we need to help them to not be overwhelmed by the whole process and find rewards that will help motivate them.

Self discipline is difficult at any age. Young children especially need help in learning to be consistent. Setting a specific practice time each day will help to avoid the nagging of “Have you done your practicing yet?” It will also help them to learn to avoid procrastination. Set up rewards such as being able to watch TV or play a video game when practicing is done on time. Find the reward that will motivate your child and stick to it. Change the reward periodically or that can become boring also.

Young children will benefit from an adult sitting with them at practice time helping them to stay on task. As they learn what needs to be done you can wean yourself from their practice time. Point out the progress you see each day. Help them to see that at the beginning of the practice time they couldn’t play these five measures very well but now it is much better.

Set an appropriate amount of time for practicing the piano. Consistent practice everyday for 20 minutes will yield faster and more results than a few days of an hour at a time. Increase that time as the child’s skill grows and the difficulty of the pieces increases. Still continue to allow the child to earn rewards that will help keep them motivated. Set a goal for a certain number of days in a row of practicing the piano that will earn a special treat, reward or privilege.

Make sure the child has some music to play that he or she enjoys and is familiar to them. It is rewarding to a child and an adult to be able to play a piece of music that they know and that others know. Begin expanding the music your child listens to. If they have heard classical pieces before they are introduced on the piano then it is much more exciting to learn to play them.

Not everything in life is fun. There are things that just need to be done. But we can add some fun into those times to keep them from becoming boring or monotonous. Make sure there is some fun in your child’s piano practicing. Help them through the discouraging times and remember, not every child learns at the same pace. Maybe too much is being given at once and the child is overwhelmed. Learning to play the piano is a major undertaking and children need a supportive and encouraging adult to help them along the way.

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Thinking of piano lessons for your child and wondering if it is worth the expense? There are more benefits to learning to play the piano than just being able to read and play a sheet of music. Playing the piano is a rewarding benefit in itself; below you will find seven other benefits that come from learning to play the piano.

Self-discipline- Children who are learning to play the piano begin to develop and understand self-discipline. They learn that as they are consistent in practicing everyday they progress faster and their instructed lesson time is more productive. They can start to see how that carries over into other areas of their lives like in their school work.

Hand-eye coordination- Learning to play the piano will help to develop the hand-eye coordination of your child, especially their fine motor skills. Reading the printed notes on the page and translating that into what your fingers should do on the keyboard increases the development of those fine motor skills. Playing piano chords is a big factor too, it teaches their small hands to do exactly what the child wants them too.

Be a better student- Research has shown that those children who learn to play the piano, or any other musical instrument have higher GPA’s and score higher on standardized tests. It especially seems to help in the areas of math and science.

Self-esteem- Children who develop the skill of playing the piano or other instrument have a high self-esteem. The persistent work to accomplish goals helps them to see what they can accomplish and to make the association between results and hard work. It also seems to help curb depression and loneliness.

Learn another instrument faster- Those who have learned to play the piano and tackled the complexity of reading both the bass cleff and treble cleff at the same time find it much easier to learn another instrument. Other instruments only require the reading of one cleff and one note at a time. Thus a new instrument is learned much more quickly.

Relieves stress and anxiety- Sitting at the piano and playing a piece that you know and love can be a great stress reducer, even for children. So many emotions can be projected through the playing of music that are often difficult to express verbally. Children need to be able to have an outlet to express those emotions and playing the piano can help them.

Sense of accomplishment- Being able to play the piano, even simple pieces can bring such a rewarding sense of accomplishment. For children who may be struggling in other areas of their lives it can be very satisfying to have a skill they feel is worthwhile. There is nothing quite like the feeling of hitting some strong chords on the piano to a melody people can recognize.

The benefits of learning to play the piano are not only felt in children, but in adults as well. It is a skill that will have benefits that carry forward through a lifetime.

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