Learning To Play The Piano
Piano is the short term for pianoforte, a musical instrument invented by an Italian named Bartolomeo Cristofori, sometime in the 1700s. To this date, it is considered as one of the well-designed musical instruments, and it is widely used in different genres, from chamber music to pop RnB songs.
What’s easy and what’s not?
Learning to play the piano is easy. The easy part is learning the notes. A song in the movie “Sound of Music says”: When you read you begin with A-B-C, when you sing you begin with do-re-mi. The same thing goes when learning to play the piano, it begins with those 3 notes, then go forth to next notes: fa, sol, la, and ti. The next octave will bring you back to the do-re-mi’s, only with higher pitch.
One of the difficult factors for every beginner is making the hands relaxed and flexible (making it as soft as the wind, so they say). It’s okay if your hands are stiff at the beginning, you’ll pass that stage as time goes by. Reading and playing the notes accurately can be another challenge, which is why it is essential to study the basic (Kinder 1) lessons first and foremost. As the lessons move forward, another intricacy for beginners is playing with both hands at the same time. All of these challenges can be conquered by any piano student who practices the piano pieces religiously.
To hire or not to hire.
For starters, there’s the option of hiring a piano teacher, whom you can pay by the hour or per session. You can also enroll yourself in a reputable piano school in your area. The average piano lesson can last from 20 minutes to 1 hour per day. Equip yourself with piano books that are appropriate for your level. John Thompson piano books are highly suggested. His books have been trusted by many generations of piano students because these are well-paced and well-designed for each level.
There is also a lot of online piano lessons available, some are interactive, and some are through ebooks. Learning on your own may be okay at the beginning. The ebooks can jumpstart your learning and will include information like keyboard lay-out, notes on treble staff and bass staff, time signatures, practice pieces, and terminologies. However, as you move forward to higher levels, being on your own may not always suffice. Professional guidance every now and then will prove to be advantageous, especially when you’re trying to learn a new song or piano piece.
Work on it.
Have realistic goals. Don’t aim to be good at playing a piano piece that’s not intended for your grade level at the moment. Baby steps are okay in order to avoid frustration. Little achievements will make you want to go on with the lessons. Always remember, you won’t become a Mozart or Beethoven overnight. Some online piano lessons may catch your attention by saying “learn piano in 12 lessons”, but that’s not going to make you a pro. It’s important to start your lessons right, have professional guidance once in a while, put your heart into it, and practice regularly to speed up your progress.
