|
Article Contents:
Learning any kind of music or musical instrument
is a wonderful hobby that can easily turn into a
profession. It can be extremely satisfying,
after the initial hard work, to be able to
produce sounds that refresh, elevate and soothe.
You also need to make sure that you can spare
the time to attend your piano lessons. It could
need at least an hour each day for practicing.
So how does one get started with playing the
piano? You can start your piano lessons even
with a digital keyboard linked to your computer,
but there’s nothing like an acoustic piano in
the long run if you intend to take up this hobby
seriously.
Once you invest in a piano you will need to
make sure that you take good care of it and
maintain it properly. Apart from a piano, you
must be prepared to pay for your piano lessons.
Private lessons are considered best since the
teacher can understand your abilities well and
steer you in the right direction for the
appropriate techniques to use. In this aspect,
no software can substitute the attention and
guidance that you can get from a real piano
teacher.
Choosing Your Piano Tutor
You need to be totally at ease with your piano
tutor to be able to develop your abilities at
the right pace. A good piano tutor will probably
have a Bachelor’s Degree in Music in addition to
being active with performing regularly in public
as well as being a member of various
organizations related to music. A dedicated
piano teacher will let you use their computer
training lab, give you access to their regular
newsletters, introduce you to competitive
performances. So don’t go by what fees they
charge you. Paying a little more and getting all
this is better than paying a little less for
just coaching alone.
While some teachers are prepared to come to
your home at an extra fee and coach you, most
expect you to go to their studio to learn.
So while choosing your piano tutor, find out
about his or her experience and qualifications,
what they expect from you as a student, what you
can expect from them and the type of music they
teach. You will need to know whether the teacher
covers music theory and various techniques. You
may also like to know how many other students
the piano tutor teaches and whether teaching
piano is their full time activity.
Tips To Get Started With Playing
The Piano
The first thing you need to do is of course get
some music theory basics. While this can sound a
little tedious, when all you want to do is get
your hands on the keys and start playing, it is
essential to know theory to get a true
understanding, if you are really serious about
playing the piano or any musical instrument, for
that matter.
Next comes listening to as much piano music as
you can. If you listen to the music, you can
gradually pick out the notes you hear and
perhaps practice along with the music. This will
help you over time, to identify the notes,
intervals and patterns of the chords being
played. It may be a little tough in the
beginning, but you will become proficient at it
soon. You will notice, as you listen to the
piano recordings, that some pianists follow a
particular pattern and keep repeating them
across the songs they play. So something that
probably sounds complex will be quite easy once
you understand how it is done.
You are possibly wondering what you should
concentrate on when you practice. Now this will
depend on what you are aiming for. When you
practice scales, you will be able to develop
expertise on the keyboard with your fingers. You
will also be able to relate with music theory
better, allowing you to recognize which key you
need to begin a song with, in addition to
automatically knowing the sharp notes and flat
notes that appear in the song. Start your
practice initially with scales taking it slowly.
What Is Your Goal?
You need to decide whether you would like to be
a writer and composer of music, or improvise or
directly play from sheet music. Some people tend
to literally play piano ‘by ear’. We could say
that there are, in general, two types of
pianists. The ones that play it by ear and the
ones that read the music sheets. There are some
exceptional pianists who have the ability to do
both.
The experts advise that no matter what your goal
is, you cannot bypass learning music theory. It
is only then that you can express yourself
through your music with passion and feeling.
This information will get you started in your
piano-playing hobby, along with the resources
where there are plenty of instructional videos,
links to piano lessons, book recommendations and
educational articles that will equip you will
all you need to know about this satisfying hobby
– playing the piano.
In the next part of the article we will talk
about keyboard vs. real pianos, basic intro into
reading piano notes, finger placement, and foot
pedals.
continued page 2 >> |
