It is so satisfying when we watch our favorite musicians perform some of their music pieces on stage using a piano. They do it so flawlessly that it brings awe to most of us. Learning how to play the piano comes with a lot of benefits, and although it might seem like an easy task, you should know that it requires a lot of practice.
If you are here, it’s because you either want to learn how to play the piano or looking for ways to help someone else learn. Either way, you have come to the right place. Most people try to learn how to play the piano, but a lot of them give up along the way.
Why is that? Well, there are many answers to that; maybe they weren’t passionate enough, some might have landed on unfriendly instructors, and some perhaps couldn’t find the right ways to learn how to play the piano.
Here, we are going to narrow down for you our five best and proven ways to help you learn how to play the piano. Read on to gather the required information.
1. Traditional Method
Traditionally, if you intended to learn how to play the piano, you were forced to attend lessons with a pro piano teacher. Of course, this has changed over the years with the coming of technology that advances every day.
The traditional method, like any other method, has some of its fair share of advantages as well as disadvantages. Weekly lessons to some are impossible, and maybe the piano teachers around don’t seem to understand and work with your pace.
However, this method is still one of the best ones out there and has helped many people become professional piano players.
If you are passionate and want to learn how to play the piano, then this method can help you learn a lot. You only need to put in more effort, and some teachers are even willing to come directly to your home to work with you.
Given enough time, practice, and self-motivation, this is what Traditional piano lessons can teach you:
- Understanding the music theory
- Guidance to sight-reading
- Developing a piano-learning routine
- Eestablishing a playing stamina and an attention span
Those are just some of the significant benefits of applying the Traditional way of learning how to play the piano.
The method is best suited for budding composers, classical music enthusiasts, and aspiring pro pianists.
2. Do it Yourself
The DIY playing method is one that requires total dedication from your end. With this method, it means that you owe yourself everything. No one will come to check on your progress or plan for you a learning routine.
For this method to fully yield fruitful returns, then you need to be disciplined throughout the whole learning process. Discipline helps you respect the learning routine you set for yourself.
And since you aren’t answering to anybody, you may develop a bit of laziness if you lack the virtue. With enough discipline, you’ll gradually see your playing skills improve nicely.
So, this method entails a lot of different ways to learn how to play the piano.
The first option is that you’d have to follow the Standard Piano Teaching Curriculum. The Standard Piano Teaching Curriculum is one of the broadest and most efficient DIY learning methods.
Its primary focus is mostly on a sequence of books, which range from Primer level to advanced levels.
Studying music theory is the second option under DIY piano learning methods. It mainly focuses on learning music theory and only applying what you have learned on to the keyboard.
What this means is that you’ll solely focus on the structural and written elements of music, with no attention to the style or technique at all.
Here, you’ll learn notation, chord structures, and progressions, rhythmic patterns, essential symbols, abbreviations, key and times signatures, among others.
Finally, the last DIY option is playing by ear. With this method, you don’t require to learn anything complex.
You only have to listen to a particular music piece, and then try to play it on your own through trial and error. It might not cost you a single dollar, but you lack the privilege of assistance from anyone else.
3. Technological Methods
In this era of technological advancement, most, if not all, things have been made easily accessible by the internet. Piano lessons have fallen right in the internet’s effort to make the whole world a global village.
Over five decades ago, if you wanted to learn how to play the piano, then you had to scroll and find an instructor inside the Yellow Pages. However, the internet has rendered the Yellow Pages obsolete.
Now, you can easily access piano lessons from wherever you are and in any nature you desire. With the internet around you, you get to save time, money, and the hassle that comes when attending studio lessons.
There are many options to choose from if you decide to learn how to play the piano using new technologies. They range from online courses, live lessons with either video tools or web chat, and, of course, interactive applications.
These options bring piano lessons straight into your house, which makes learning how to play the piano very conveniently. You also get to enjoy your learning experience with exciting features such as lighting up the keyboard when practicing.
The best part about learning with tech is that if you are having a problem with a specific lesson, you don’t need to wait for another whole week for you to go through it with your instructor. You can tackle the issue at hand immediately and right from the comfort of your home.
ALSO READ: Top 5 Best Exercises for Beginner Pianists
4. The Hybrid Method
The hybrid method is a combination of the vast technological ways of learning alongside a piano instructor. It means you get the cutting-edge experience when using this way of learning.
With the hybrid method, you can take private lessons online through web chat or video conferencing using Skype and other comparable platforms. All you require for online private piano lessons is a webcam, internet connection, a microphone, and, of course, a piano on either side.
Many students are using this method as it offers high-level instructors and in real-time. The instructors come at a cost but not too expensive that you can’t afford.
What we like about the Hybrid method is that you can choose instructors from anywhere you want, as opposed to being limited on the ones around your geographical area.
Before selecting an instructor, make sure you take time to evaluate your options wisely by checking their ratings, as well as their online reviews.
To find them, you’ll have to search across several websites such as Piano Teachers Connect, and TakeLessons.com, among other platforms.
If your weekly schedule is tight or you can’t travel to your piano instructor, the Hybrid method can be of great assistance.
5. Piano Selection
The type of piano that you use when you want to learn how to play the piano also matters a lot. There are two options of devices that can assist you well in your learning course.
You can either opt for a traditional acoustic piano or go for the now much demanded digital pianos. Let us help you weigh between the two and help you see which the best tool for you to use is.
Acoustic pianos that come in upright, grand, studio, and spinet are considered the traditional choice. With it, you get full control of the sound, superior tone, and, of course, mechanical action.
They are fantastic for creating music, but if you are starting, then it cannot be very comforting to use.
On a more convenient alternative, you can use a digital piano. Digital pianos have many benefits not offered by traditional acoustic pianos. Most of them are slim and portable and do not require any tuning.
Tuning is a must on acoustic pianos, and the act can dig deep into your pockets. Unlike acoustic pianos, digital pianos aren’t victims of humidity fluctuations as they are built mostly of plastic material.
Additionally, digital pianos offer recording features that allow you to save your creations and connect to your PC. What’s to love about digital pianos is that with all of the advanced features, they are very affordable.
Over to You
As you’ve seen, there are many ways you can learn how to play the piano. The best way to choose is by first evaluating your finances, interests, and the resources that you have available.
Ask yourself which method or combination of learning methods best suits your goals?. If you vividly establish what your needs are, then we promise that you are bound to achieve your goal of becoming a top-notch pianist.
