The piano is the instrument that everyone wants to learn. But how do you start to learn to play the piano? It’s easier than you might think. All it takes is some basic principles that will have you playing your first piano song more quickly than you ever thought you could.

First, the saying that “practice makes perfect”… throw it out the window! Memorize this: practice makes permanent! However you practice is going to be how you play so make sure that you are mastering the correct methods for playing the piano before you move on to more advanced techniques. Here are a few simple things that you will need to help you learn to play the piano more quickly.

• A piano—let’s face it, it’s kind of hard to play without one.
• A metronome.
• A practice Schedule.
• Interesting music.
• Time set aside to practice.

Once you have the above things the rest of learning to play the piano falls into place. Learning to play the piano is all about the practice time. Set aside short, you heard me short, periods of time that you can have everyday to practice. You make more progress by having short, productive practice times rather than long, boring ones.
Start practicing the music that you like slowly. If you can’t do something slowly you’ll never do it quickly. Use the metronome so you can get a sense of time in your head and then work up to quicker speeds. After you have run through you piece a few times locate the problem areas. Work through them slowly to get out the kinks.
When you are at the beginning of learning to play the piano it helps to have a recording of the piece you are playing. Now that you are up to the right speed try playing along. You’ll have your very own concert (try to get the recordings of live concerts so you can have applause after you’re done.)
Once you’ve worked up to mastering a piece go ahead and try something a little more modern. You know how to play the piano; mix it up with something more impressive. Playing “Hot Cross Buns” for the rest of your life won’t leave you satisfied.

Remember to continue in the proper habits for learning to play the piano. Don’t forget to keep the practice schedule that you have set up for yourself. If you slip and go for too long in between playing you’ll have to start over. Who wants to work through things more than they have to? Following the above techniques and remember to continue advancing in your skills at playing the piano.

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We all have heard a beautiful or stirring piano performance and wished we could play the piano. Many of us probably began piano lessons as a child and gave up when practicing seemed boring. Can’t we just learn to play the piano without practicing? Like any other skill worth acquiring, playing the piano takes practice. The key is learning to enjoy the process, the journey to the completed piece. Take pride in small accomplishments and recognize little improvements along the way. Learning to play the piano is a life long process. There is always more to learn.

One way to jump back in is with an online course. Remember though when you begin to play the piano, set small goals for yourself and reward yourself. If a new piece is challenging decide on a time limit that you will work on it and then you can play something fun or easier. The key is not to become discouraged because you don’t reach performance quality overnight. Learn to enjoy the time you are able to spend at the piano as a break from the other stresses of the world.

Celebrate the small steps you make. Recognize the improvement you make from one week to the next in your online course. Work the piece in small sections, like they say you can eat an elephant one bite at a time. A piece can be learned one measure at a time. Identify the new skills you are learning so that you can see your progress. Have you mastered a difficult rhythm or fingering sequence? Are you becoming better at reading the notes in the bass cleff? Each of these skills helps you progress towards your goal, learning to play the entire piece.

Practicing the piano yields the best results when it is consistent. Practicing for 20 minutes everyday will bring faster and better results than practicing for an hour a few days a week. Our brains learn best by consistent repetition. Plus it can be easier to squeeze in 20 minutes into our already busy schedules than trying to find a free hour. Vary your practicing so that it doesn’t become boring. Work on several pieces at a time, one that is difficult and a few others that are easier and will be learned more quickly. That will help you feel you are progressing faster.

Learning to play the piano will bring you a great sense of accomplishment. You don’t have to play to the level of a concert pianist to enjoy the piano. It can be very satisfying and relaxing just to be able to sit at the piano after a long day and play a few simple pieces. Be patient and persistent and steady in your online course and  you will learn to play the piano.

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