5 Ways To Improve Your Piano Playing
Posted: Sunday, February 05, 2006
by Rene Knops
If you are a piano player and or looking for piano study tips to improve your piano playing read these tips here below.
Are you playing the piano? It´s a great and rich instrument but before you can really start playing the great masters or that great jazz tune lots of practicing needs to be done...
For this article I want to mention 5 ways to improve your piano playing.
Why? Most importantly, you will learn much faster and eventually play much better then if you have to do this all by yourself.
2. Practice Regularly Never practice when you are tired you cannot focus and concentrate well enough to make good progress.
Practice Regularly Piano playing requires good coordination and music reading skills. To get best results with your piano playing practice daily for at least 20-30 minutes a day.
3. Set Realistic Goals When studying your song, set realistic goals. Find a song that is right, and fits your musical knowledge and skills.
For example if you are studying a Czerny etude make a goal to learn a new page every day or even a few measures depending on your level and skills.
4. Improve Your Sight Reading If you have no trouble reading music notes you learn a new song much faster. Keep working on your sight reading skills by making it a routine to start your daily practice with playing a few bars of a totally new piano piece.
5. Read Music literature of the Composer When you are playing a Mozart sonate and you don´t know anything about his life its more difficult to play with a good "character". Learn all about your favorite composer and try to find a good approach to play his/her songs.
Rene Knops makes it easy for musicians to find music lessons, sheet music and music resources.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Simple,good, straight forward stuff that I belive will work
Thank you. I consider myself an accomplished player, and found your advice refreshing and re-affirming.I'd recommend at least 4 hours practice per day, if you have the time and inclination. After around 6 days, I sometimes develop a slight inflammation, and then I take a break.It is very important to not strain the hands when they start feeling a bit worn down. Better to take one day almost completely off, and rest both the hands and the brain.
All the tips here are based on common sense, but are things that many don't practice. Below are some comments on the stated points:
1. Find a Qualified Piano Teacher
--As noted, having a teacher is extremely beneficial to aid in the learning process. Not only will you
improve faster but there is less chance that bad habits will develop in the future. Translation: You will likely have great technique and not be frustrated when playing difficult pieces. Also, having a second opinion, as in most things in life, is invaluable.
2. Practice Regularly
--Some people will take this to mean playing everyday for hours at a time. I say the time spent on the practicing dosen't matter as much as how FOCUSED you are when you sit down at the piano. Even 10 minutes of concentrated playing is more beneficial than 2 hours of mindless key stroking.
3. Set Realistic Goals
--Selecting a piece that you enjoy and aim to master it. Break the composition into chunks if it is too difficult. This is a great way to have a goal, and ultimately achieve it.
4. Improve Your Sight Reading
--Ah. Sight Reading. Akin to tackling a foreign language or something unknown, this task will only make you a better, highly skilled pianist. Do it, everyday.
5. Read Music literature of the Composer
--Perhaps the most underappreciated aspect of musicanship. Having knowledge of past composers will give you valuable insight and understanding of how the music evolved and came to be. For example, why did so-and-so change the rhythm/key so suddenly, or what does this pattern of notes represent? And who knows- you might discover something about yourself in the process.
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