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Want to learn how to play the piano ? You ’ ve come to the right locate !
With 88 keys, a rich people history, and many associated celebrities, the piano can be an daunting instrument. But it ’ sulfur besides an accessible one. Anyone can learn the piano at any age and have hours of fun on it.
This comprehensive serial will take you from never touching the piano to playing your inaugural chords and first song. You ’ ll besides learn fundamental skills, good habits, and some shop tips .
Table of Contents
🎹 Getting Started on the Piano
Get started on the right foot ( or preferably, hand ). Get four FREE lessons that will take you from sitting down on the piano for the first clock time to playing your inaugural song .TRY IT OUT
PART 1: GETTING STARTED
Chapter 1: Before You Start
1.1 Why Learn How to Play the Piano? (5 Reasons)
If you ’ rhenium understand this article, you ’ re probably already excited to learn how to play piano ! But in case you ’ re not convert however, this section is for you 🙂
We think the piano is the best musical musical instrument to learn. Of course, we ’ re biased as pianists, but there are compelling reasons to pick up piano as your first musical legal document :
Reason #1: You can make amazing sounds from day 1
Some instruments, like the violin or the cornet, take skill just to make a decent sound .
But piano is rewarding from day 1 because you don ’ t have to “ make ” the sound yourself. All you have to do is press a key that ’ second attached to a hammer that hits a string to create a absolutely well-defined bill .
Most people can figure out a childlike melody on a keyboard by playing about. Of course, there ’ sulfur more to playing piano than eking out “ Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, ” but at least you won ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be squeaking through your beginning few lessons !
Reason #2: You learn both melody and harmony, treble clef and bass clef
A neat thing pianists can do is play both tune and harmony. Most instruments can ’ triiodothyronine do this .
As a pianist, you ’ ll profit a deeper sympathize of both tune and harmony — that is, both the foreground and background of music .
Knowledge of both treble and bass clef besides helps. many instruments only use the treble clef, but if you decide to pick up the bass horn late on, that bass clef cognition will come in handy .
Reason #3: You are an independent music-making machine — but you can also have fun with other people
Since piano handle both tune and harmony, you don ’ triiodothyronine require person to accompany you. early instruments, such as the violin or guitar, require bands, backing tracks, or an accompanying pianist to sound “ arrant. ”
But pianists aren ’ triiodothyronine doomed to be alone ! Pianos are a column instrument in many ensembles, from jazz bands to church worship teams. If you play piano, we encourage you to jam with early musicians. It ’ s a fantastic know .
Reason #4: Pianos can play practically every musical genre possible
Whether it ’ mho classical, jazz, blues, boogie, rock candy, pop music, or experimental avant-garde stuff, the piano can handle them all .
now, the skills required for unlike genres can be very unlike. But you don ’ t need a whole different instrument ( such as going from steel-string to nylon-string guitar ) to learn a new writing style .
Reason #5: Piano knowledge lets you pick up other musical instruments with ease
Because piano requires fine centrifugal skills, cognition of both ternary and bass clefs, and good musicality, when you learn piano, you gain movable skills for other instruments .
Since learning piano, I ’ ve learned flute, electric and acoustic guitar, electric bass, and a few basic drum patterns. I believe these instruments were decidedly easier to learn because I had piano skills as a foundation .
Are there any disadvantages to learning piano?
This is a legitimate question. After all, no melodious instrument is perfect .
I can think of two potential things pianists have to watch out for .
- Ear training. Violinists and guitarists have to tune their instruments before every practice session, which trains their ear. Pianos don’t require daily tuning, so pianists may lose out on built-in ear development.
- Isolation. Pianists can feel isolated because the piano is such a self-sufficient instrument.
These aren ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate unfixable problems, though. To develop a good ear, actively listen to lots of music, gain a bass reason of chords and harmony, and learn how to play by auricle .
We besides encourage you to find a community with early pianists and musicians. Community is something we ’ re very passionate about at Pianote, which is why we ’ ve created an on-line quad for students to gather, discuss, and trouble-shoot .
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1.2 What to Expect
Playing piano international relations and security network ’ triiodothyronine bum. And it does take up time .
We want you to be prepared and know what to expect. In this section, we ’ ll go over the cost of making piano a part of your life, adenine well as the meter commitment involved in becoming a competent pianist .
How much will playing piano cost?
The core costs of learning piano include :
- Your piano or keyboard
- Lessons and books
- Accessories
- Maintenance
Your musical instrument will likely be your biggest cost, but there are batch of options here. Some piano cost vitamin a much as a luxury car while entry-level keyboards can cost just a few hundred dollars .
You may besides be able to grab a piano for free or very low-cost if you buy used !
piano instructors can cost anywhere from $ 20 to $ 100+ per hour, and you should factor in exile excessively. however, on-line piano lessons ( like the Pianote Method ) can be importantly cheaper. We ’ ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of on-line vs. “ in veridical life ” lessons in the Shopping Guide .
Unlike other instruments with amplifiers and moving parts, accessories for the piano are largely optional. But you ’ ll probably need a metronome, a few books, a music resist and pedal point ( if your piano doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate have those ), and some hardware and software if you want to record yourself .
If you buy an acoustic piano, you ’ ll have to hire person to tune it once in a while. But electric keyboards don ’ t need a lot of alimony .
How much do I need to practice?
You ’ ve probably heard stories of professional pianists practicing an insane come of hours from a very young age .
The piano has a long history, and the bore for performers nowadays is very high. If you plan to become a professional pianist, expect to practice a fortune .
But you don ’ t need to commit eight hours a day to jam with a isthmus, lead your church idolize team, or flush teach beginners. If you fair want to play your favorite songs and have fun, practicing 15 minutes a day will allow you to progress .
Of course, in general, the more you commit, the fast you ’ ll better. But practicing is less about putting in the hours and more about honing the properly skills .
The amazing thing about piano is that you don ’ t need to be a top-level performer to reap incredible rewards. Pop songs can be as easily or difficult as you want them ( see 5 Levels of Tiny Dancer for an exercise of this ! ). And even authoritative icons like “ Für Elise ” are considered average pieces .
1.3 Learning Piano as an Adult
chief article : eruditeness Piano as an adult
Are you besides old to learn the piano ? Nope ! If you ’ re an pornographic founder, you may actually have several advantages :
Adults tend to be purpose-driven. Whether it ’ s a song or a skill, you ’ re in charge of what you want to learn — not your parents or teachers ! And when you ’ re in charge, you ’ re more motivate to take first step .
Adults understand hard work. After a life ’ south experience with responsibilities ( school, work, childcare, etc. ), you understand what it takes to learn something modern .
Adults can manage their time. While adults are busy people, they besides have first step, which makes them perfect for self-paced learn. It only takes 15 minutes a sidereal day of practicing to see results .
Adults already know music. Unless you never listen to music ever, chances are you ’ ve had more exposure to music than most children. If you know how to keep a tick and sing a tune, you ’ re well on your way to success .
For an promote discussion on learning piano as an adult, watch this television where Lisa shares some exercises you can get started on right away to kickstart your determine .
Chapter 2: Shopping Guide
2.1 Buying Your First Piano or Keyboard
chief article : How to Buy Your First Piano
Buying your first gear piano or keyboard can be arouse and overwhelming at the same fourth dimension. here are a few things to keep in take care :
What is your budget? The monetary value range for piano and keyboards is huge. There are keyboards going for less than $ 150 on Amazon. meanwhile, concert grands can net six digits .
How much space do you have? bill the sphere you intend to fit your piano in and bring your measurements to a memory .
Who do you live with? If you live with roommates, family, or in an apartment building, you may want to choose a piano you can use headphones with. many acoustic pianos besides come with a repose rehearse bicycle .
Acoustic, digital, or hybrid? The voice quality of an acoustic piano is alone, but digital piano and keyboards are way more low-cost and often come with utilitarian features. A hybrid piano has elements of both .
Rent or buy? If you ’ re uncertain about committing to the piano, you may want to rent one first. You may besides be able to find low-cost, high-quality second-hand pianos .
Features to Look For
There are so many products available — how do you know what features to prioritize ? We have the take after recommendations :
- Aim to get 88 keys. This is the standard number of keys on a piano, so you won’t run out of notes. If you can’t get 88 keys, get at least 61.
- Look for touch-sensitive weighted keys. This means the piano can be played loud or soft depending on how much pressure you put on it.
- Try before you buy! If possible, play a piano before you buy it. See how the keys respond to you playing them hard (loud) or softly.
Resources
We have a short usher on how to buy your foremost instrument. For evening more in-depth information, check out these barren resources :
- Piano Buyer is a comprehensive online e-book on how to navigate the piano market
- Piano Dreamers has a yearly digital piano buying guide and several in-depth articles that compare acoustic and digital pianos
- YouTube channels also present in-depth product reviews and comparisons, including sound comparison
- Lisa has gear recommendations you can find here
These videos may besides help !
2.2 Piano Accessories and Maintenance
Pianos are pretty collected. But you may have a more reward feel if you invest in a few accessories .
Piano bench. Unless you plan to use your piano like a standing desk, having something to sit on is a must. While any old president will work in a oblige, a specialize piano workbench gives you batch of space to maneuver your body. many piano benches are height-adjustable and volunteer memory, excessively .
Pedal. If your keyboard doesn ’ t come with a pedal, we highly recommend you invest in one. Pedaling makes a boastfully dispute and can evening help you sound better when you ’ re first learning a song .
Music stand. Most piano semen with a built-in stand. If yours doesn ’ thymine, invest in a audacious rack that can hold up sail music, books, metronomes, and stationery .
Metronome. If you want to bring your playing to the future degree, expect to practice with a metronome. You can buy a stand-alone metronome, download an app, or even search Google for “ metronome ” and use their dislodge joyride .
Recording equipment. Recording and then hearing yourself act can make a adult dispute in improving your technique. many keyboards come with built-in record capability. differently, you may want to invest in a microphone and some software .
Tuning. Acoustic pianos need to be tuned by a professional and this will cost between $ 100 and $ 200 .
2.3 How to Find a Piano Teacher
See besides : How to Find a Piano Teacher and What ’ s the Best way to Learn Piano Online ?
other than your piano, this is credibly your most significant investing .
not excessively long ago, the only way to learn piano was to visit a teacher once a workweek. nowadays, thanks to the Internet and new technologies, we have many more options .
Let ’ s take a look at the pros and cons of three major ways of learning : in-person lessons, app learning, and on-line learn .
In-Person Lessons
Pros:
- One-on-one personal attention
- Live feedback
- No additional technology required
Cons:
- Higher cost
- Lack of flexibility
App Learning
- Can be very fun
- Gamified experience is motivating
Cons:
- May require additional equipment (ie. USB connection)
- Gamified experience may simplify playing, neglecting certain skills
Online Lessons
Pros:
- Flexible and affordable
- No additional equipment required
Cons:
- No real-time feedback
Of course, we at Pianote are biased towards the Pianote on-line learning method. But Sam, Lisa, and I wouldn ’ thyroxine be here if we didn ’ t believe in our method acting .
The Pianote learning know was crafted as a “ outdo of both worlds ” solution. here ’ s a comparison between traditional lessons and Pianote to give you an idea of what we offer :
| TRADITIONAL LESSONS | PIANOTE |
|---|---|
| In-person, personalized attention | Personal attention through Student Focus and contacting instructors |
| Can add up to $1700+ per year | $197 per year |
| Weekly lessons (you won’t see your teacher every day) | Learn as often as you like, whenever you like |
| No built-in community | Immediately be welcomed into the Pianote student community! |
| Unlikely to offer extended free trial | 90-day money-back guarantee |
| May be against local Covid-19 restrictions | 100% virtual and socially distant |
If you ’ re on the fence about joining Pianote, take a glance at the membership here .
Combine Methods
If on-line, traditional, or app learn doesn ’ thyroxine cut it for you on their own, try combining methods. For model, you could take lessons with Pianote and plug in with an in-person teacher once a calendar month .
Whichever method you decide on, keep these two things in mind :
- Make sure your teacher’s style aligns with yours. If not, it can be frustrating if you want to play jazz and your teacher only teaches classical.
- Find a teacher who is encouraging and patient. I personally studied under a traditional, classical piano teacher who had high expectations. But I stayed with her for over 10 years because she was conscious of my needs and had a wonderful sense of humor.
PART 2: MASTERING THE FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 3: Take a Seat
3.1 Good Piano Posture
See besides : perfect carriage at the Piano ( A Chiropractor ’ s Guide )
good habits start from day one. Before you start playing, constantly stretch, warm up, and check your position .
Sit down on your bench facing the middle of the piano. Make sure your feet are apartment on the deck, your shoulders relaxed, and your arms are lightly bent at the elbow .
Remember these position tips :
- Don’t sit hunched over
- Warm up with a few stretches before each practice session
- Pay close attention to your wrists, forearms, and shoulders
When you place your hands on the keyboard, relax your wrists. Don ’ triiodothyronine tense your fingers—keep them loose thus that they ’ re slenderly bent, not straight. Be careful not to let your wrists droop .
good pose is essential to enjoying your time at the piano. If you ’ re comfortable, you ’ ll be more motivated to rehearse, and you ’ ll bid with better proficiency excessively .
Chapter 4: Basic Skills
4.1 Keyboard Navigation and Musical Alphabet
See besides : Getting Started on the Piano and Piano in 7 Days
The piano keyboard may look dizzying with its huge align of keys ( 88, to be exact ). But once you understand the patterns that make it solve, it ’ s actually quite elementary .
How to Find Middle C
Take a expect at your keyboard. Notice the black keys—see how there are sets of two and sets of three ? We ’ ll use these sets of deuce and threes to find Middle C .
Middle C is the foremost note you ’ ll determine on the piano. It ’ mho smack tap in the in-between of the keyboard, normally where the brand name of the piano is .
Find a fixed of two black keys in the center and play the white key on the identical left : this is Middle C !
Remember where Middle C is. You ’ ll use it to orient yourself around the perch of the keyboard .
The Musical Alphabet
nowadays for your inaugural hypothesis lesson ! In music, we name notes after the alphabet. The white key after C is D, the one after is E, and so on. The musical rudiment stops at G, however, so alternatively of a note called H we equitable repeat from C again .
If you ’ re wondering what all those black keys are called, they ’ rhenium half-steps between the white notes and they ’ ra called sharps or flats. We ’ ll overlay sharp and flats more in the hypothesis section of this lead .
once you understand the melodious alphabet, you can move on to the cinquefoil scale !
4.2 How to Play the Five Finger Scale
The cinquefoil scale is a basic skill that will introduce you to a finger movement that is fundamental to piano-playing .
The Right Hand
Let ’ s go back to Middle C. Place your right ovolo on Middle C. In piano, we call this finger 1 .
adjacent, place your index finger on the following white key, D. This is finger 2. Place your remaining fingers on the other white keys. This means finger 3 goes on E, feel 4 goes on F, and feel 5 ( little finger ) goes on G .
Try playing these notes in order ( 1-2-3-4-5 ). then, play it in invert ( 5-4-3-2-1 ). Congratulations, you ’ ve precisely played your first C major cinquefoil scale !
If this feel weird at first, that ’ s wholly normal and okay. It ’ s a raw movement, so it ’ ll take time to get used to. Your fingers may want to stick together, specially fingers 3 and 4. To improve, challenge yourself to play all five notes as evenly and articulated as you can .
Play the right cinquefoil scale a few times. once you get the hang of it, move on to the leave hand .
The Left Hand
Find the C below Middle C and place your leave little finger ( finger 5 ) on it. then follow up with the rest of your left fingers .
again, play these notes up and down a few times until it feels more companion .
But…how do pianists play more than five notes in a row without running out of fingers?!
This happens quite often, specially with scales. Pianists use techniques like tucking under and crossing over to quickly play long, unbroken stream of notes. This is why practicing scales is thus significant for pianists who want to play faster .
4.3 Your First Chords
You may be interested in : harmonize Hacks – a set up of 6 free lessons to jumpstart your understand of chords .
Chords are the build up blocks of music. They ’ re used in most western music traditions, including start, jazz, and church songs. Understanding chords will help you progress in piano on both the hardheaded and theoretical fronts .
now, there ’ s a distribute of hypothesis behind chords and harmonize progressions — theory that ’ mho quite intrigue — but to make things simpleton in this guide, we ’ ll learn four basic chords in their root placement and how to move between them .
The names of the four basic chords we ’ ll learn are : C major, G major, A minor, and F major .
We ’ ll learn these chords in their triad form in root position, which means they ’ ll all take a similar “ shape. ”
C Major Triad in Root Position
On your right hand, invest finger 1 ( ovolo ) on C and finger 5 ( little finger ) on G. Play these notes together. They are the forbidden “ shell ” of the C major settle position harmonize. once this feels comfortable, try playing E with finger 3 ( your middle finger ) .
Try the same thing on your left hand. Place your left finger 5 on C and finger 1 on G to form the chord shell. then, play E with finger 3 .
The lapp feel applies to the other root position G major, F major, and A minor chords .
It ’ mho worth duplicate : chords are the build up blocks of music. consequently, mastering them will take you to the next flush of acting, improvise, and connecting chords with riffs and fills .
Check out our free Chord Hacks resource if you want to dive abstruse into chords. otherwise, we ’ ll revisit chords in a late hypothesis department .
4.4 Playing with Both Hands
main article : Play Piano with Both Hands
Let ’ s get one thing out of the room : bring with both hands feels weird. At least at first .
Hand independence is something you ’ ll continually work on as a pianist. even advance pianists have challenges with hand independence .
The Five-Finger Scale in Both Hands
You already know the cinquefoil scale. now let ’ s test playing it with both hands .
When you play the cinquefoil scale up with both hands, the finger with look like this :
Right hand: 1-2-3-4-5 (C-D-E-F-G)
Left hand: 5-4-3-2-1 (C-D-E-F-G)
When you play the cinquefoil scale down with both hands, the feel will look like this :
Right hand: 5-4-3-2-1 (G-F-E-D-C)
Left hand: 1-2-3-4-5 (G-F-E-D-C)
If this feels easy, try playing loudly in one hand and piano in the early. then, switch .
4.5 How to Play Scales (Hands Together!)
main article : How to Play Piano Scales – Hands together
If you ’ ra curious about scales, now is a good time to start .
You ’ ve mastered the cinquefoil scale, but what happens when you want to play the integral C major scale, from one octave to the next ?
Unless you master the right proficiency, you ’ ll run out of fingers ! then, before playing hands together, be certain to practice playing a full-octave scale on your right and left hands .
C Major – Right Hand
Up:
Notes : C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Fingering : 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5
Down:
Notes : C-B-A-G-F-E-D-C
Fingering : 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1
C Major – Left Hand
Up:
Notes : C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
Fingering : 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1
Down:
Notes : C-B-A-G-F-E-D-C
Fingering : 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5
Putting hands together takes practice. The technique is more well explained through video recording, then watch this example to get the basics .
PART 3: MUSIC THEORY
Chapter 5: The Grand Staff
If you want to master rudimentary music theory, check out our release Music Theory for the Dropouts series .
5.1 How to Read Music Notation
main article : How to Read Notes
You know the musical rudiment. now let ’ s learn how to spell some music !
The first thing you should familiarize yourself with is the grand staff :
The Grand Staff with the names and positions of notes in the C major scale. Most piano music is written on the expansive staff. The thousand staff is special to the piano because there ’ s a top and bottom part, normally denoting right and left hands .
We ’ ll concisely touch on the parts of the grand staff here, but for a more thorough breakdown, we recommend watching this lesson .
Treble Clef
In general, pianists play notes on the top staff, the one with the treble clef, with the right hand .
Bass Clef
Notes on the bottom staff, the one with the freshwater bass clef, are normally played with the leave hand .
In each staff ( treble and bass ), there are five lines with spaces between them. This is where our notes sit .
The higher up we move the lines and spaces, the higher the lurch !
Notes occupy lines and spaces and they all have names. At first, it ’ ll palpate intimidating to memorize all the notes and their locations, so these acronym might help .
SPACE NOTES
ternary clef : FACE
Bass clef : All Cows Eat Grass
LINE NOTES
treble clef : Every good Boy Deserves Fries
Bass clef : good Boys Deserve Fries Always
But we ’ re going to let you in on a little secret…
You don’t need to read every single note!
To read music faster, we musicians hire some tips and tricks, such as :
Landmark notes. Pick a few notes on the staff to know very well, such as G in the ternary clef. then, everything else is equitable in relation to G. For example, a dance step up from G is A, and the line bill below G is E .
Intervals. Being able to tell the distance between notes is besides a shortcut. You can learn more about intervals here and see this shortcut broken down in this post .
Patterns. Music is made up of patterns. Knowing how to recognize patterns is a shortcut to reading music. For case, if you can recognize a plate, you ’ ll know that notes are fair going up or down dance step by step .
This is a section from Mozart ’ randomness Sonata in C Major and you can see that it ’ s in truth not much more than a scale of notes stepping up and down .
Rhythm
What a bill looks like can tell you how many beats it has. In 4/4 time signature, the following notes have this many beats :
From left to right: quarter note, half note, dotted half note, whole note. These notes have fraction names like quarter note, half note, dotted half note, and whole note .
Time Signatures
See besides : basic Time signature
The time touch consists of two numbers at the beginning of the staff. The exceed number tells you how many beats there are per measure ( a measuring stick section of music enclosed by legal profession lines ). The bottom numeral tells you what note respect takes one beat .
“ 4 ” means quarter notice so 3/4 means “ three quarter notes per measure ” and 4/4 means “ four quarter notes per measurement. ”
Key Signatures
The key signature is located correct before the time signature. It tells you what key you ’ re in by listing all the sharp and flats ( or lack thereof ) in the piece .
so, if you see the following cardinal signature, it means all Fs in the slice should be played as F sharp ( F # ) unless a note has a natural symbol .
Key signature of G major. G major has 1 sharp (F#). To understand the key key signature, you ’ ll indigence to learn about key. In a nutshell, each key ( i. C major, F acuate minor, B bland major ) has a unique act of sharp and flats .
Understanding keys is not absolutely critical when you ’ re first gear starting out on the piano, but knowing the Circle of Fifths will come in handy. so check out this lesson if you want to learn more about keys .
5.2 Music Symbols
main article : Making common sense of Music Symbols
You can credibly tell that there ’ s a fortune more than notes and staves in sheet music. here are other things you may run into when sightread music .
Accidentals
A sharp means we raise a note up by one half-step. A flat means we lower a note down by one half-step. Therefore, F sharp is the total darkness cardinal immediately right of F, and B categoric is the black samara immediately left of B .
A natural tells you not to astute or compressed a note .
Accidentals are sharp, flats, and naturals outside the key signature that appear in music. The general govern is, if a note has a sharp ( or flat, or natural ), all instances of that note thereafter in the same measure should besides be sharped .
Another section of Mozart’s Sonata in C Major with added B flats and F sharps. Note that there are no “default” flats and sharps. in the key signature because C major has no sharps and flats.
Dynamics
main article : What Are Dynamics ?
Dynamics are what makes a good piano performance sound great .
Dynamics are markings that tell players whether to play something brassy, soft, or something in between. here are some common moral force markings :
- Forte (f) – loud
- Piano (p) – soft
- Mezzo forte (mf) – medium loud
- Mezzo piano (mp) – medium soft
- Fortissimo (ff) – very loud
- Pianissimo (pp) – very soft
- Crescendo – gradually get louder
- Decrescendo – gradually get softer
Excerpt from the 2nd movement of Mozart’s Sonata in C major with dynamic and expression markings: crescendo, forte, legato, phrasing, staccato. Crescendos and decrescendos are the “ alligator talk ” symbols that indicate the music should be growing louder or softer .
Expression
There are many other symbols that indicate how a piece of music should be expressed. As a founder, you might run into these :
- Phrasing: curved lines above music that indicate those notes should be connected, as if sung in one breath
- Legato: play lightly and connected in phrasing
- staccato: shown by dots above/below a note head, this means playing notes short and detached (like hopping)
- Ritardando (rit.): slow down
There are besides special words that direct travel rapidly ( tempo ) :
- Largo: play slowly and broadly
- Allegro: play fast
- Moderato: play at a moderate speed
- Presto: play very fast
- Andante: play at a “walking pace”
- Lento: play slowly
- Vivace: play at a lively and fast space
- A tempo: return to previous/original tempo
It may seem overwhelming to memorize all these words off the squash racket, particularly since most music terms are traditionally in italian, french, or german. Don ’ thymine overwhelm yourself at first gear ! As your photograph to sheet music grows, you ’ ll naturally pick up the linguistic process of music notation. Just teach terms one at a clock time when you encounter them .
Chapter 6: More About Chords
6.1 How Chords Work
We ’ ve mentioned that chords are the build blocks of music, but what does this mean ?
In a nutshell, a chord is a group of notes played together at the same time, that sound dainty together. Chords often have names, like “ C, ” “ Amin7, ” or “ Gsus4. ” I like how classical piano teacher Cassi Falk explains chords and their names :
You can think of [ chords ] like you would a word in a conviction. When you see the word ‘ caterpillar ’, you don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate think of the individual letters, c-a-t. You think of the wholly system of letters that forms the give voice and makes you think of a vomit. That ’ s basically the theme with chords .Cassi Falk, Music Theory for the Dropouts #5
As a founder, the chords you ’ re most probably to encounter are triads. These are three-note chords and there are two independent types .
How to form and play the C major triad. Major triads sound “ happy. ” The in-between note can be calculated by counting four half-steps up from the etymon ( bottom ) note and the top note can be found by counting three half-steps up from the in-between note .
How to form and play the A minor triad. Minor triads sound “ sad. ” The center note can be calculated by counting three half-steps up from the root ( bottom ) note and the top note can be found by counting four half-steps up from the center note .
Chord Progressions
The magic trick of chords happen when we play respective in a quarrel, forming a chord progression .
Chord progressions harmonize and move a nibble of music advancing. You may be surprised to learn that in virtually all of westerly music history — from J.S. Bach to Justin Bieber — is based off like chord progressions .
To see this in natural process, check out this video ( You Love classical music Music – You Just Don ’ triiodothyronine Know It ! ) .
once you ’ rhenium comfortable playing a few chords, check out the I-V-vi-IV progress, which will unlock hundreds ( not an hyperbole ! ) of songs .
6.2 How to Use Chord Charts
A chord chart is a document that shows a song ’ mho lyrics with the names of chords above the lyrics as the chords change .
Knowing how to read and play from a chord chart will take you far. That ’ second because these days, you can find the chord graph of about any pop song on Ultimate-Guitar.com for release .
Screenshot of the chord chart for “Yesterday” by the Beatles (source). major chords are indicated by fair their letter, like C for C major or F for F major. “ yesterday ” begins with a bare F major chord .
minor chords will have a small letter “ thousand, ” such as the Dm and Em7 chords in “ Yesterday. ” You can play a fortune of songs with just major and minor chords, but other types of chords add color to music .
Slash Chords
A slash chord, like F/E in “ yesterday, ” means you play the note after the slash as your bass note while your right handwriting plays the harmonize F on top .
Seventh Chords
Standard major and minor chords like Em have a settle, third, and one-fifth ( E-G-B ). seventh chords like Em7 have an added seventh ( E-G-B-D ) .
Seventh chords have a dreamier sound and are frequently used in sleep together piano .
Sus Chords
No, sus chords are not leery. “ Sus ” means “ suspended ” and it ’ s when you switch out a eminence for another. So Gsus4 would mean switching out the third ( B ) for a fourth ( C ) to form G-C-D .
To learn more chords, check out Read and Play Complicated Chords on the Piano .
6.3 How to Use Lead Sheets
lead sheets are somewhere between a full score of sheet music and a chord chart. A lead sheet shows you good the tune of a song and the chords above the melody .
Our lead sheet for Happy Birthday, which you can find here! contribute sheets are utilitarian because you can confidently play the melody of a sung without needing to figure it out by ear, while having ample creative room to experiment with the accompaniment .
The fun comes when you know a tune and the chords well enough to add in your own riffs and fills .
Chapter 7: Your First Songs!
7.1 Easy Piano Songs to Learn First
Can you play songs as a novice ? YOU BETCHA. here are a few sung tutorials to check out
“Imagine” by John Lennon
One song we like to recommend beginners try out once they master the fundamentals in Part 2 is “ Imagine. ” ( Yes, that “ Imagine ” by John Lennon. )
“ Imagine ” is a good song for beginners because it ’ sulfur in C major ( all white keys and no flats or sharp ! ) and sounds big even when played slowly .
Someone You Loved (In 7 Minutes!)
Pop songs are a brilliant place to start because chances are, you ’ re conversant with the tune already and most toss off songs use similar chord progressions .
“ person You Loved ” is an iconic birdcall that ’ s actually very simpleton. This tutorial will teach you the basics in seven minutes !
Happy Birthday
“ felicitous Birthday ” is a simple must-have in your piano playing arsenal. This sung is perfect for birthday party sing-alongs. After all, how else can you embarrass your friends on their birthday ?
We ’ ll show you a basic direction to play this angstrom well as a jazzier adaptation .
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PART 4: NEXT STEPS
Chapter 8: Exploring Genres
8.1 Jazz Piano
If you ’ ve ever seen a wind or cocktail lounge pianist toy, you may have found it a charming, dreamlike experience. Jazz is rooted in improvisation, so how the heck do these brilliant musicians conjure up delightful melodies apparently from reduce tune ?
well, it ’ s not precisely magic trick. jazz pianists have a very solid grasp of chord hypothesis which gives them shortcuts to improvise upon. If you want to get started with jazz, we recommend learning seventh chords, understanding the ii-V-I progress, and mastering syncopation. then, start adding riffs and licks to your jazz back pocket .
Jazz Piano Tutorials
here are some free lessons to help you get started :
The Pianote Members Area besides has a jazz learning path that teaches you how to improvise on a sleep together standard, “ Autumn Leaves. ”
8.2 Worship Piano
We ’ ve noticed that topics about playing piano for a religious residential district are among some of our most democratic content. Which is amazing because music is all about community !
Playing for your place of worship can be fabulously rewarding because you get to be part of a team. Collaboration takes practice, and playing with a band builds very useful skills .
Worship Piano Song Tutorials
here are some tutorials to get you started :
Pianote besides offers a full course on how to play with a worship band ( comes rid with your Pianote membership ! ) .
8.3 Classical Piano
When most people think of piano, they think of authoritative music .
The piano has been a mainstay in classical music for centuries. And people like Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy have defined what many people imagine as the “ piano reasoned. ”
classical music is often considered more advance because you need to be pretty comfortable reading sheet music. ( evening though, contrary to popular impression, classical music music has a full-bodied improvisation history ! )
Classical Piano Tutorials
We have respective simplified classical music piano tutorials available that break down iconic pieces :
One good thing about classical music music is that most sheet music has expired copyright and is available for detached through the Petrucci Music Library .
8.4 Pop Piano
Playing pop music is playfulness because, for many of us, start music is what we listen to on a daily basis. You know these songs in and out .
The advantage of playing pop music is you can make songs as simple or arsenic complicated as you ’ d like. You can see this in action with Lisa ’ s “ 5 Levels of ‘ Tiny Dancer ‘ ” television. You can besides choose to play along to your own tattle or play the melody on the piano .
Pop Tutorials
We have lots of spare tutorials available for celebrated pop songs, such as these four easy ones :
- “Cups” – Anna Kendrick
- “Hello” – Adele
- “Just the Way You Are” – Bruno Mars
- “Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
here are some other tutorials to check out :
Chapter 9: FAQ and Resources
9.1 Free Online Resources
Playing piano can get expensive .
fortunately, thanks to the internet, there are numerous spare ways to develop skills, play your favorite songs, and master music theory. here are several 100 % release on-line resources to help with your travel .
Shopping Guides
Piano Dreamers is a ace in-depth blog that covers piano learning options and gear. They write very detail articles like The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Digital Piano and product reviews for keyboards, recording equipment, learning methods, and more .
Piano Buyer is a semiannual publication that covers what ’ s new and hot in the piano-buying market. It is accessible for free on the internet and includes in-depth articles on subjects like how to best bribe used instruments .
Sheet Music
The Petrucci Music Library a.k.a. the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) is an on-line database of ( largely ) public world sheet music from classical composers like Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Mozart, whose plane music copyright has expired .
8notes is a library of sail music for democratic tunes, arranged for beginners .
Ultimate-Guitar.com contains chord charts for piano, guitar, bass, and uke. Chord charts can be toggled to “ piano ” to show diagrams of how to play each chord .
Recording and Composition
Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-platform record software that allows you to record and edit music .
Musescore is a free plane music writing program with brawny features .
Learning
The Note (this blog!) – o, we ’ re a little biased here. But we work every day to make The Note the best absolve piano learning resource on the web. You ’ ll find tons of resources including song tutorials, technical exercises, theory explanations and in-depth articles like biographies of celebrated pianists .
YouTube is another big resource. message creators on YouTube, from major companies to individual pianists, make how-to videos every day. These include everything from song tutorials to mini-documentaries that explain the theory behind your favorite compositions .
9.2 Pianist Communities
The piano is a reasonably self-sufficient, independent instrument. unfortunately, this means pianists can be isolated .
But communities are great resources because if you ’ ra struggling with something, you can consult with your community. possibly person else has been there, solved that .
That all being said, finding a community international relations and security network ’ metric ton always easy specially with pianists, because piano aren ’ metric ton precisely portable. however, there are numerous on-line communities that are great resources :
- r/piano subreddit
- Pianostreet forum
You can besides upload videos of your playing on-line and request feedback .
A word about the Pianote community…
We ’ re very passionate about community at Pianote partially because we plowshare a studio with drummers, guitarists, and other musicians and we ’ ve seen first-hand the value of collaboration .
That ’ s why we created the Pianote Members Area as a place for students to learn piano together. Pianote members can besides attend populate Q & A sessions, post discussions in the forum, and partake content in a individual Facebook group .
If you ’ re not sure about committing to a membership, you can take a front behind the paywall hera .
9.3 Frequently Asked Questions
If you ’ ra excited to learn piano but are bursting with questions, you ’ ve fall to the right target !
Am I too old to learn how to play piano?
No ! In fact, we think long time is an advantage .
Adults tend to have established work habits and are often identical drive to learn music. After all, you ’ re taking music lessons for yourself, not a rear or teacher !
As an adult, you ’ ve besides had lifelong exposure to music. You understand rhythm, tune, and may even be able to figure out tunes by auricle .
so try learning piano. If anything, the health benefits are excellent reasons to start. As is your passion to create music .
Do I absolutely need to know how to read sheet music?
Some of the most successful musicians ever, including all the Beatles, don ’ thymine know how to read music. And Mozart was celebrated for being able to recreate songs by ear. sol, unretentive answer : no .
That being said, knowing how to read music is an incredibly useful skill. sightread is encouraged if you want to play classical music you ’ re basically recreating a song precisely how it was written .
however, if you want to play pop music, knowing how to read harmonize charts should be enough. Sheet music is useful, but it can besides limit your creativity. On the other hand, chord charts and lead sheets encourage original improvisation while providing guidance .
At the end of the day, pick a memorize method acting that is rewarding for you and your musical preferences .
What’s the best way to practice?
How and what to commit is a common interview we get. You ’ ve credibly heard stories of professional pianists who exercise an harebrained number of hours, but how you practice is more important than how many hours you put in .
drill with a design and have goals in take care. A typical rehearse session may go like this :
- Warm-up: 5-10 minutes
- Technique, such as scales and arpeggios: 10 minutes
- Songs: 20 minutes
- Fun/improv: 10 minutes
It ’ south besides more effective and effective to target things you struggle with, preferably than playing songs from beginning to end, over and over again .
consistency is besides important. It may be more effective to practice 10 minutes a day, every sidereal day, than one hour of binge-practicing and then no practice for the remainder of the week .
My brain knows what to do, but my two hands just won’t co-operate!
This is a identical common problem for pianists of all ages. even experience pianists struggle with hand independence from time to time .
Struggling is actually a good signal — it means you ’ ra challenging yourself to learn something new. just keep practicing — it takes meter. If a hand independence exercise comes besides easily to you, it means it ’ s besides easy !
What’s the best piano to buy for a beginner?
Try to get an 88-key keyboard ( or at least 61 keys ), and make sure the keys are touch-sensitive. This means if you press on them lightly, you ’ ll make a soft sound. And if you press on them hard, you ’ ll play hard .
Lisa besides has a curated list of trustworthy products you can browse. For beginners, we recommend the Yamaha P125 and Roland FP30, which are both under $ 1000 .
How long does it take to get good at piano?
This is a difficult interrogate to answer because it depends on thus many different things : your definition of “ adept, ” how much you practice, and how you practice .
One thing is for certain, though : good because person can play an impressive-looking sung, doesn ’ metric ton intend they are a good pianist .
But to answer the question, you can learn basic skills reasonably promptly if you ’ re diligent. In fact, you can go from never having touched a piano to playing “ Imagine ” in seven days .
Progressing from there is a count of time and dedication. If ever feel thwart, you ’ re not alone ! There are ways to re-motivate yourself, such as re-visiting why you want to learn how to play the piano .
We hope this scout jumpstarts your piano travel ! Honestly, though, we ’ re indeed happy you ’ re here. Welcome to the piano syndicate !
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Charmaine Li is a Vancouver writer who has played piano for over 20 years. She holds an associate degree diploma ( ARCT ) from the Royal Conservatory of Music and loves writing about the ways in which music—and music learning—affects the homo experience. Charmaine manages The eminence .
