Learn How to Play the Piano

Perhaps you have just decided to learn how to play the piano and you are waiting for your first lesson. Perhaps you took lessons as a child but you have not touched your piano in years. On the other hand, perhaps you are a great pianist, but you can only play the piano with written music and you have none with you. In this article, I will show you how to sit down at the piano and just play. I am talking about improvising; something anyone can do.

Improvising is a skill that takes a lifetime to master, yet even a child can do it. Improvising strikes terror in hearts of some yet is the source of bliss for others. Improvising creates music where there was none before, yet it could not exist without the music that came before.

Improvising on the piano can be approached many different ways. One of the easiest ways to improvise is to play just the black keys. You cannot miss this way. You can create rhythms (long and short notes), melodies (one note at a time) and harmonies (more than one note at the same time) using just the black keys. Using just the white keys might work, but be aware that there are some notes that do not get along well with other notes. This is dissonance. Some listeners enjoy it-some do not.

Another way to improvise on the piano is to play a game I call “Finish the Melody.” To do this, play one note. Then, let go of that note and play it again, followed by another note. Then let go again and play those two notes adding another note. Continue in this fashion until you ca not remember all of your melody. Then start a new one. Maybe this melody starts on a new note. If you are a good singer, singing helps develop your melodies. So, sing.

Finally, if you do have experience playing the piano, but you are afraid to improvise, allow yourself the freedom to play what you want. Allow yourself the freedom to experiment. Begin with a simple triad. Play it in both hands one note at a time then as together. Add some rhythm and creativity and your improvising.

The most important key to improvising is to be kind to yourself. Avoid judgments of what you are creating. Statements like, “That’s no good;” “That’s too simple;” and “Yeah, but it’s not _________” (fast, fancy, pretty) can shut down the creative process before it even gets started.

Improvising is the easiest way to play the piano and there are a number of ways to approach it. The challenging part is being patient and kind to yourself while you become aware of what works and what does not work; what you like and what you don’t like; what you know and still want to learn.  

Do you or your child want to learn to play the piano? Have you found “practice time” in your daily schedule? Do you have a piano in good condition? If the answer is yes to all of those questions, the next step is to find few piano teachers to interview. Yes, interview. You want to make sure you find a piano teacher with whom you or your child will want to study for years and will bring you great results. However, first we must find a few to interview.

One great way to find a piano teacher is through your local Music Teachers Association.

This association can be found by using Google to search “your city Music Teachers Association”. For example, someone who lives in Seattle would Google: “Seattle Music Teachers Association.” Being a member of the Music Teachers Association shows a commitment to the teaching profession and the teacher’s interest in continuing education. In addition, members must adhere to a code of ethics that ensures, among other things, personal integrity, clear communication, and a personal responsibility to the musical development of the student. The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) even offers a search for “Certified Teacher.” Becoming certified is a lengthy process through which teachers go show their commitment to teaching.

Another benefit of taking lessons from a piano teacher, who belongs to the Music Teachers Association, is their ability to enter school-aged students into festivals, recitals and competitions at the local, state and national level. If your child is interested in competing, this is something to consider.

Other sources for finding piano teachers to interview are colleges or universities, music stores or word-of-mouth, churches or synagogues. Be sure to approach any of these sources with the clear communication that you are looking for piano teachers to interview. Avoid teachers who discourage interviews, seem surprised at the idea of an interview or teachers who try to set up a lesson schedule right away. A respectable teacher will invite an interview and even encourage you to interview other teachers.

Finding a great piano teacher requires more effort than setting a lesson time with the first piano teacher you call. Create a list of teachers from your local Music Teachers Association; from talking with friends; or from talking with professional musicians. From these sources, you should be able to compile a list of about four to five teachers with whom you will talk to see if they are the best fit to help you or your child learn how to play the piano.

Have you wanted to learn to play the piano, but didn’t know where to start? Or, have you decided to start your child in piano lessons and need some help? In this article, I will guide you through the decisions that lay before you.

Before you decide to take up an instrument, or enroll your child in private lessons, you want to make sure that there will be time to practice. The amount of time set aside to practice will determine the speed with which results are realized. One to three hours a day is the best way to see results quickly. Of course, the attention span of young children might only allow for ten to thirty minutes of practice a day. For either situation, if time is available, you still might need a piano.

In the search for a piano, my advice is this: Purchase the best piano you can afford. The size, shape and color are immaterial if your instrument doesn’t perform and inspire. There are several misconceptions when it comes to purchasing one’s first piano:

“A piano is a piano.”

“The quality doesn’t matter; I just started taking piano lessons”

“It’s for a child.”

Starting with a quality piano shows a commitment to yourself or your child; ensures that the sound and touch are pleasing; and will inspire you or your child to come back to it again and again. This is definitely something you want when you are learning how to play the piano. Once the piano has been chosen, it is time to find a piano teacher.

Again, in your search for a piano teacher, choose the best teacher you can afford. I emphasize the word teacher, because a good performer doesn’t always make the best teacher. A good teacher may or may not have a degree. A good teacher may or may not teach classical piano. A good teacher does have years of experience; a piano studio of great students; and great relationships with his or her students. That relationship is cultivated by good communication and clear expectations of both the teacher and the student.

Having decided to learn how to play the piano may be your gift to yourself. Or, a gift you want to give your child. In either case, making sure time is available to practice the piano and that you have the best piano and teacher you can afford will help ensure your gift has a good foundation.