The piano is a very popular instrument all over the world, especially to younger kids. It is simple, easy, and just about anyone can play. I have been playing the piano for over seven years, been performing in concerts, churches and nursing homes, passed 7th Grade AMEB, and currently practising for 8th Grade. Over the years I have made quite a few mistakes, but making mistakes is all part of the learning. If you are interested in learning the piano, here are some key tips to remember.
1) Practice, practice and practice some more. When practicing, always, and I mean always, practice slow first. Don’t worry about the speed until later. When you practice slow, you can kind of the feel of the song and remember the placement of the keys, so when you start to play faster it will be a lot easier.
So remember rule one, always practice slow first.
2) Fingering. Man how I hated when my parents and teachers always told me to use the right fingering. My own fingering always felt better and easier to play. But trust me, later on this is a very hard habit to break, and getting the proper fingering is the key for playing complicated phrases. Even if your own fingering feels more comfortable, the correct fingering is always better in the end. And when you start to play faster songs, if you don’t have the correct fingering you won’t be able to play the song very well.
So rule two, always use the correct fingering. If you are a parent, make sure you child is using the correct fingering. If you are someone who is currently learning the piano, always use the correct fingering. If you’ve someone who’s been using your own fingering for a few years now… STOP. Use the correct fingering.
3) Bend your fingers. I always use the play flat fingered and never bent my fingers. I could still play the songs alright, but as the songs gradually got harder, faster and more complex, I started to struggle. Not only does bending the fingers help you play more smoothly, but allows you to play faster on the piano, and always you to execute techniques such as trills and turns better. I learnt the hard way, but you can learn the easy way now. If you are like me and play flat fingered, trust me when I say this, bend your fingers. It might feel really uncomfortable at first, and you’ll be really tempted to play flat fingered again, forcing yourself to bend your fingers now will signicantly improve your piano playing later on.
So don’t forget rule three, bend your fingers all the time.
4) Always have fun. If you hate playing the piano, or your parents are forcing it, you’re not going to get any benefit from this. In fact, it will probably be a waste of time. If you’re not sure if you don’t like playing the piano, the best way to enjoy playing the piano is by playing the songs you like. I like playing anime and the final fantasy piano collections pieces myself, because they are entertaining and usually challenging. So go to your local music store, or search online and find some music you know you will enjoy learning and playing. Playing pieces on the pianot that you enjoy will greatly increase your love for the piano. Also when practicing for piano examinations, playing the songs your enjoy once in a while gives you a stress free break for the hard work of practicing those long, complicated and usually boring piano examinations pieces.
So rule four, always have fun!
Remember these four easy, but vital, tips and you will notice over time, maybe even instantly how much your piano playing has improve. Happy playing!
