6 Common Mistakes To Avoid When Starting To Learn Piano
Even though it takes time and effort, learning to play the piano is something many people enjoy doing. You may make your learning process go more smoothly by avoiding these typical yet critical errors, as is the case with every talent.
If you’re taking piano lessons, whether online or in person, you could have already made some of these blunders. On the other hand, you could be surprised by a few! Read on for further information on these blunders and ways you may enhance your piano-playing experience.
1.Piano Practice sessions that are too long or unpredictable.
It turns out that there is such a thing as too much practice when it comes to playing the piano, despite the common belief that practice makes perfect. Learning the piano, like any other instrument, requires practice and patience. When you ask too much of your mind and body, it can lead to physical symptoms like cramps in your fingers and mental exhaustion.
To stay healthy and prevent injuries that might hinder your progress:
Practice sessions should be kept brief. Ten minutes a day will keep you occupied without overpowering your senses at first. Make up one session at a time if you miss two; don’t attempt to pack in more than that. Instead of forcing oneself to practice the piano for hours to meet a weekly goal, giving yourself time to recharge and return to the instrument with new enthusiasm is better.
Keep to a regimen, but vary the length of your workouts. As part of each practice session, warm up with technical exercises like scales and arpeggios, read the music, and have fun. Whether taking piano lessons at your speed or having a professional take you through the fundamentals, ensure you mix the topics covered each time.
You will quickly become tired of the repetitive practice of simple melodies or chord progressions. You should add technical difficulties like sight-reading, ear training, and learning new piano chords to maintain interest.
Embrace the experience! Having fun while you study the piano is the most effective strategy. Although studying music theory and honing one’s ear is crucial, performing an instrument is where most enjoyment is found. Finishing a practice session on an enjoyable note, like a lyric from a song you love, is a must.
By following these easy steps, you can maximize the effectiveness of each practice session.
2.Fingering at the wrong place.
How to start playing piano with the right-hand position and fingering technique is a real challenge. The “correct way” to approach the keys depends on your hand’s natural shape, which might make it difficult. So, here are a handful of basic guidelines:
The pinky and thumb, together with the white keys, are shorter fingers that play longer keys.
The black keys, index, middle, and ring fingers, and longer fingers play the shorter keys.
As you go through the levels, improper fingering can become a hindrance, causing you to play more slowly, making parts challenging, and eventually affecting your tone. Also, you need a strong foundation to think creatively about fingering in certain songs or sections because the simple and right things don’t always match.
To improve your playing, it is helpful to practice technical abilities like scales and arpeggios in the long run. Collaborating with a piano instructor, consulting a method book, or perusing freely available internet resources can all help you master the correct fingering skills.
3.Being unable to understand Piano music notation.
Piano players need to be able to read more than simply the notes on a page to play both solo and accompaniment roles. Your responsibility as a pianist is to contribute to the piece’s emotional and energetic driving forces. You should have no trouble picking up on subtleties in music, such as dynamics, articulation, pace, and time signature.
Learning to read music notation requires the study of music theory. That can be useful for:
- Reduce the time and effort needed to complete lessons.
- Get better at reading written text.
- Educate you on how to make do with less
- Get yourself ready to shine
- Raise your level of musical enjoyment.
If you’re working with them, a music instructor will incorporate theory into your piano lessons.
4.Extended periods
Some players used to get pumped up whenever they were going to learn a new song. The common outcome could be annoyance and tense fingers, unfortunately.
A daily practice session of around 10 minutes should be enough at the outset. Changing your muscle memory to accommodate the new motions is no easy task! Doing shorter bursts more frequently rather than longer, more intense workouts once a week will be gentler on your hands.
Your ability to train for extended periods will increase as your skill level rises. However, even when rehearsing, skilled musicians need breaks. Nobody ever practices for over forty minutes straight. An appropriate amount of adult practice time is half an hour each day. Two or three shorter sessions of ten to fifteen minutes each can work well for younger pupils.
5.Failing to develop a regular Piano schedule
To sum up, regular practice is the key to improving your piano skills. We usually begin with lofty goals and plenty of practice. The frequency of your practice sessions decreases after the first several weeks. Before you know it, weeks have passed, and you still haven’t played the piano.
Incorporate practicing into your everyday routine (like brushing your teeth) to help you stay on track. Practice will become something you eagerly anticipate after a few weeks. Just ten minutes a day will do the trick. Two commercial breaks in one television show! Why not put that time into a more worthwhile endeavor?
6.Positioning the Piano keyboard in the corner
The adage goes like, “Out of sight, out of mind.” This is also accurate for the piano. Your motivation to sit down and practice will decrease in proportion to how hidden your keyboard is in your room. Therefore, if you can help it, keep your keyboard away from crowded areas like closets.
Make sure you put it wherever you can see it. You may even turn your practice area into the room’s focal point. The sight of it should make you want to put on your favorite tunes as you pass by! Put your keyboard somewhere bright, comfy, and pleasant. Sitting in the shadows among the discarded bookshelves and boxes in the basement is no picnic for anyone.
In the end!
Put the ones you find difficult on your piano and write them down! Lessons can also be arranged. Good habits will be formed, and harmful habits will be broken. If you’ve tried learning the piano without success, bringing in experts is okay!