What is the easiest way to learn how to really play the piano?
I was always impressed by people who could sit at the piano and start playing, without or without scores. Even more impressive are the people who can improvise on the spot and create their own unique variations of any song. I want to learn to play the piano. Should I start by teaching the piano, like learning to read music? Should I study music theory? Or is there an easier way? All resources are available is great! Thank you.
Sign up with a teacher, learn to read, then learn how to fake, and practice, practice, practice.
There is no easy way unless you’re a genius.
The arts of playing musical instruments has been passed down from teacher to student for millennia. Once in a while, you get someone here who claims to have INCREDIBLE skills – self-taught. I always wonder what they are smoking. You are starting from scratch – no reading, no theory, no instrumental experience of any kind. Call a teacher. Even if you had to work a little OT to pay for the instruction – the whole deal would STILL cost you less in time and effort than if you locked yourself in your room alone, with a keyboard, a pile of bogus instructional CDs ( they can’t see or hear YOU , can they?) and every piece of stupid *instructional* crap on YouTube. Pick up the phone. If you do not know WHO to call – do not start with the loser/stoner at the local music store. Call a local college music dept., or even a local HS – they will put you in touch with people who have DEGREES in music, and are certified teachers. You will be much more likely to get a great teacher, and learn a ton. Get a reasonably-priced, 88 note keyboard, if you cannot get a real piano ( and a decent keyboard is better than a crap piano). For $300, you can get a M-Audio from Musicians Friend – you will need a small amp, or can run it thru headphones or your home stereo – and you will need a stand – I like the ones that run about $89, and look like two Ys connected with a bar – NOT the X kind. Good luck – you can do this, but do it RIGHT.
Like everyone else, I definitely suggest lessons, at least just to build a solid foundation!
If you can’t afford to do lessons for a long period of time, you should at least invest some time and money into taking lessons to learn the proper techniques and to read / write music notation.
Spend some time on it, and once you have the basics down, if you really can’t afford lessons, forgo them.
But to START out, you really should get some proper self taught lessons. I’ve been drumming for 8 years, and I took lessons for 6 months before I even got a kit! Even now learning and playing music is a lifelong endeavour, and I am looking into taking some lessons myself again, to branch out into different styles.
Whatever you decide good luck!
-Clint
It’s not always about a teacher, you need to work for it, you can learn to read basic music in about 20 minutes and you can gain the rest over time. I am teaching myself piano and guitar, have been playing guitar for about 6 months and piano for about 3 and i’m pretty good if i do say so myself. Music theory is easy to study on your own if you thinks it’s interesting enough to study it on your own without a teaching hanging over you shoulder. The internet can be a valuable tool. Try learning for a bit on your own, if you start getting lost find a teacher.
I’ve been playing piano for many years and started composing songs for the last 3 years.
From my experience, to be able to sit down and play with sufficient technical skill and without sheet music – and even improvise, you need to :
1. Get a ‘CLASSICAL’ piano teacher and start learning the classical way – bear with the technical side in the beginning (playing chords, key ladder etc) and do this everyday (and i mean it) to strengthen your finger muscle and get the flexibility and the feel of it.
2. Practice everyday and learn pieces gradually (from easy to more difficult). However, you must excel the piece before moving onto the next one. This means playing by heart and not looking at the sheet
3. After you obtain enough skill to play good pieces, start playing pieces that you like. Also, listen to any music as much as you can and try to guess what key they are playing, feel the dynamics, tempo, and so on.
4. From there, continue playing and don’t forget to practice everyday. haha. if you have the talent, you will get there eventually.
You can believe me or not, but those are the things that have made me what I am today. Had to put up 7 years of boring technical skills. You can listen to my playing and few of my songs on my website http://pianoismyfriend.com