Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Is There An Easy Way to Learn Piano?

By L. M. Ray

The piano is a wonderful, universal instrument that plays a role in almost every country's musical culture. Because of its universal appeal, many people all over the world want to learn the instrument. Many new students of piano can get impatient with themselves as there are so many conflicting piano methods and teachers who believe that they have the answer.

If you don't take a solid approach to learning, your chances of success are slim. One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make when trying to learn how to play, is putting the cart before the horse as new students want to sit down at the piano and play Mozart the first time out which isn't a realistic idea to have in your head. You will become discouraged and want to give up if you don't see immediate results.

As a novice piano player, learn to make one small goal at a time so that you can get a grasp of the basic skills you should be building. First you need to get your note reading in both clefs learned so that you can start adding on to your foundation as a pianist. The most important fundamental is being able to read the notes then you can become a better piano player with time.

Another thing that new pianists should do right off the bat is to set some goals. While you don't want to set the goals at an unreachable level, you want to challenge yourself so you can surprise yourself and others. Just like in any other area of life, goal setting is critical in playing the piano, especially for the adult student.

Be clear with some goals. Do you want to be able to use both hands to play by a certain day? Just decide what it is that you want to get done and execute a step by step plan to get it done.

The next thing that you need to do once you set your goals is practice. This might seem like an obvious part of the problem, but it is often overlooked because people want to take the easy route and just get to the goal. However, they don't realize how much of a difference practice can make.

You don't need to practice until you are exhausted, as that will do more harm than good. You don't want to be tired and bored after a few weeks, but you should set up a step by step plan to get to your larger goal which you can discuss with your instructor. Lastly, question your teacher about anything that confuses you regarding your assignments or mastering the fundamentals of the piano.

The last thing that you need to remember is to not criticize yourself. Negative self-talk has prevented some potential virtuosos to quit much too early because they were frustrated and impatient. Perseverance and determination are two key components that an aspiring pianist needs to have to master the basics and build a solid foundation.

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