Nine Things to Know About Starting Piano lessons
A person of any age can learn music.
A three year old does well in an open environment such as a Mommy and Me group rhythm / singing class whereas typically a six year old is able to focus reasonably well during a 30 minute private lesson. By that stage a student is used to school and has some math and reading skills. An adult student has the advantage of being able to grasp musical concepts quickly. That said everyone needs to practice to program their brain to use their fingers and ears in the unique way that playing the piano requires. I teach my students to use games and learn songs they already like to develop these skills.
“Do I have to have musical talent to play the piano?“
I get asked this question sometimes after I have played a show and my response is basically to ask yourself if you need a special talent to learn a foreign language. Suppose you suddenly moved to a foreign country and regularly went grocery shopping and to the laundromat and made a few local friends. A year or two of that and you would be speaking the local language quite well. Learning music is similar, just play and learn and don’t worry about the “talent”
Not every good musician is a good teacher.
These are two different skill sets. Teaching is a special gift which some musicians have. If you or your child has tried a few lessons with a teacher, you will know if they like that teacher. If they do not, that can hamper progress so I recommend you find a different teacher. Many people try to teach themselves how to play and that enthusiasm is great but typically this can be pretty frustrating for most people as they are trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak. They get stuck on something they can’t do, get frustrated and quit. Inadvertently the person then thinks learning music is super hard or they just don’t have what it takes or they are stupid. None of this negativity is helping them. Learning to play an instrument involves a good deal of problem solving with techniques to negotiate the “tricky” parts of a song or piece. A good teacher will help a student to succeed with these challenges and progress with confidence.
All hand shapes and sizes can play piano beautifully.
While a very large adult hand can make a wider stretch, almost all piano music is written for the average person's hand and even child prodigies can play many of the great works for piano.
Your equipment.
From the first day you begin piano lessons you will need something to practice on. An acoustic piano or electronic keyboard is necessary as your creative imagination and musicality has been stirred by the lesson and it’s important to capture that enthusiasm. Music is fun and you need an instrument to play the game. Don’t skip the important details such as the height of the bench or seat in relation to the keyboard. ( See 7 below ). In another article I go into my recommendations on beginner and intermediate keyboard instruments which you can shop for and compare online. Click here for the article.
Creating a Practice time and Routine.
Practice time of 10-15 minutes daily is fine for beginners. As students progress they can increase that. Making a consistent practice routine will have you learning fast and more easily. Speak a little of a language every day and you will retain it and make good progress. Trying to do a lot just one day a week and you will not retain as much. I recommend attaching your piano practice to something you already do as a daily habit.
Creating a Space.
Make a dedicated space for you and your keyboard. This can be just the length of your keyboard and room for you to sit and play. This might seem obvious but there is more to it than might at first appear. Height is a very important factor. The standard height of a piano keyboard above the floor is approximately 28 ½ inches (including castors). A typical piano bench is about 19 inches high. The main point here is that when sitting at your keyboard with your hands ( curved fingers ) just touching the top of the keys, your forearms are mostly level.
The way you sit makes a difference
If using a regular chair and for example an X type keyboard stand, adjust the stand accordingly. Sit upright with feet on the floor. A distance of the average thickness of a pillow between your tummy and the keys. Avoid setups like sitting cross legged on a bed with your keyboard. Why? Because you are training your muscles to play as effortlessly as possible and sharp wrist angles and no feet to play the pedals does not help. Also the keyboard needs to be there as an invitation ready for you to play anytime you feel the mood. Being stored in a closet or covered with stuff is a disincentive to practice.
“Is the piano the best instrument to learn?”
If I could wave a magic wand I would like every student to learn piano, drums, guitar, singing, a wind instrument and a string instrument like violin. There are so many great benefits to all these instruments and learning one makes learning a second instrument much easier. They all have their strengths and piano / keyboard is like having an orchestra because it has so many notes! It is such a useful instrument that piano is a feature of almost every kind of music around the world.
Have fun! You should enjoy learning how to play and express yourself. Remember you are doing it for yourself and once some skills are acquired and nurtured, music is a lifelong joy.
In a way, learning piano teaches us a lot about ourselves. It helps us build confidence, develop problem solving skills and is both technically and emotionally satisfying. It is not surprising that education experts and psychologists highly recommend music lessons.
Enjoy your musical journey!
Fintan O’Neill
Playnmusicllc.com
Fintan O’Neill is a jazz pianist, recording artist and BMI published composer who has been teaching for over 30 years.
