The piano is a unique and interesting and fun musical instrument. While it can be hard to get good at playing the piano without years of expensive piano lessons, it's not absolute. Armed with knowledge of notes, chords, and lots of practice, you can be self-taught on the piano.
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Method 1 of 3: Play with Ears
Step 1. Find a piano or keyboard to use
If you don't have a piano at home, maybe you can borrow one from a friend. The advantage of learning how to play the piano is that the sound produced is authentic from the vibration of the strings. In addition, the piano has 88 keys. The keyboard lacks both of these features. Don't forget when making your choice.
- Pianos are much more expensive than keyboards, but can be rented at some music stores or tutoring centers.
- Tune in if the piano you're using is antique or old so you can practice relying on your ear to play the correct notes. If you haven't used it in years, it's best to get a professional to tune the piano before playing.
- If you can't find a piano, please find a keyboard. The keyboard is reasonably priced, the notes never slip, and it has a ton of sound features that can enhance your music. Not to mention, the keyboard is easier to carry around and doesn't take up much space. This instrument is suitable for beginners. You can start on the keyboard and move on to the piano once you're good at it.
- Get a beginner-only keyboard. This keyboard has special guides that will help you learn songs faster. Usually, these keyboards come with books and videos that will help you learn musical notation.
Step 2. Sit down and get used to the piano or keyboard
Play and identify the middle notes (middle of the piano), flat notes (black key on the left), sharp notes (black key on the right), bass notes (low sound) and high notes (high pitch). Listen carefully to each note and notice the difference. Keep practicing until you really know the difference between each note.
Step 3. Learn the main keys
You'll need to know the key notes if you want to identify the sound you're hearing. For example, 1 = C; 2 =D; 3 = E; 4 = F; 5 = G; 6 = A; 7 = B; 8 = C. Note that the numbers 1 and 8 both represent a C note, but the 1 represents the middle C while the 8 represents the high C.
- If you already know how, feel free to label songs with numbers instead of letters. For example, the song “Mary Had A Little Lamb” is E - D - C - D - E - E - E, which can be changed to 3 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 3.
- If you have no knowledge of music at all, you should try by trial and error.
Step 4. Learn piano chords
Songs are usually composed of various chords. You'll hear it in different keys, but chords are made up of the same notes. You should be able to identify these tones when you hear them. Therefore, learn the basic chords and find their location on the piano. Play chords to familiarize yourself with the sound so it's easy to spot. Even if you don't know the chord name, you can still recognize the sound. It's also a good idea to identify the bass or high notes, and their location on the piano keys.
For example, C, E, G are simple chords that you must first learn to recognize in C Major. However, this chord can also be played on both low and high keys
Step 5. Pay attention to the pattern of the song
All songs are arranged according to a musical pattern. Chords are often repeated in a fixed rhythm. If you can recognize the pattern you hear, the song will be easier to play. You will be able to learn which chords are combined with other chords. This way, you can better understand how melodies and baselines are constructed, making them easier to play.
Step 6. Get in the habit of mumbling
Muttering will help you memorize or compose a song. Then, you can repeat it on the piano more easily. In other words, mutter the tone. Then, sit down and play it back on the piano. If you already know the chords and notes of the song you're going to play, you should be able to repeat them by ear.
Step 7. Review your finger placement
In order to really play the piano, you need to know what fingers are playing the keys. The best way to learn how to place your fingers on the piano keys is to read a beginner's guide. Usually, the spoke keys are numbered. For example, the thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5. These books teach you how to play each note by showing which fingers press the key.
Step 8. Practice
Listen to a variety of songs, then practice muttering songs and try imitating them on the piano or keyboard. Or, pick a song you like and use the techniques you've learned. You need to practice at least three times a week.
Method 2 of 3: Learn the Basics of the Piano
Step 1. Learn some basic piano knowledge
There are 88 keys on a piano. White piano keys are called natural because they produce a natural tone when pressed. Black piano keys are named accidental because they produce a sharp or flat tone when pressed.
- There are 7 naturals on the piano: C-D-E-F-G-A-B
- There are 5 accidentals per octave and all five can be sharp or flat.
- Learn the names of left- and right-handed staves: bass clef and treble clef.
Step 2. Use the user guide
Since you don't have a teacher, learn from books. There are many piano books sold at music stores or bookstores that will help you learn how to read music, basic scales, chord movements and then simple songs.
Take advantage of multimedia tools such as DVDs. YouTube videos are also very useful for learning. If you are a visual learner, these media will be very suitable because you can see how the music is played correctly
Step 3. Learn the notes
You'll need to learn where notes are located on the piano, the sounds they make, and how notes are written on the stave. Therefore, you can create cheat cards to help identify the notes on the stave. You can buy stickers to stick on the piano keys, or you can buy a beginner piano lesson book so you can read notes.
Familiarize yourself with common chords. Start with the chords in the major. Then, continue with the chords in the minor
Step 4. Learn fingering
Use a manual to help learn how to play a note. Playing notes with the correct fingers is just as important as learning where the notes are located on the piano keys. If you don't practice with the right method, you'll have a hard time playing up and down the scale.
Step 5. Practice playing the scales
Playing scales helps you get used to the notes and the sounds they make. If you learn how to sight read (play a song without reading it first), it will help you learn where the notes are and where they appear on the stave. Play the scales one hand at a time, then try playing them together.
Step 6. Learn some easy songs
Look for these songs in your manual. The book will teach you how to play an easy song and guide the placement of the finger. This exercise also helps you remember notes so that your sight reading skills can improve. Start with C major, then work your way up to the minor keys until you get used to it.
When practicing a song, try playing the melody and bass notes for each hand separately. If your game has improved, try merging
Step 7. Keep practicing
Learning to play the piano takes a lot of practice. Play sheet music to become more proficient in sight reading, fingering, and piano playing. Schedule exercise 3-4 times a week for half an hour. Do not move on to the next exercise if you have not mastered the previous lesson completely.
Method 3 of 3: Using the Services of a Piano Lesson Teacher
Step 1. Find a piano teacher
This method is very expensive, but powerful enough to learn how to play the piano. A good teacher is not only proven to help novice players become proficient, but also can teach the basics of the piano properly. The help of the teacher will also prevent you from having bad playing habits.
- Review your sight reading, fingering and piano playing with the tutor.
- Ask to review the location of notes on the stave and piano.
Step 2. Determine the lesson schedule
Since your main goal is to learn to play the piano on your own, you probably won't see tutors very often. Schedule a meeting once a month just to check progress or ask questions that are confusing you. For example, you might ask if a song is playing at the correct tempo.
Step 3. Practice
Again, you need a lot of practice to learn how to play the piano. Many people visit their tutor several times a week. Therefore, practice 2-3 times a week or daily if you prefer. Schedule 30 minutes of practice twice a week, but you also need to take the time to review your tone and sight reading skills. You don't need a piano or a keyboard to practice these two things.
Tips
- Even though it's very tempting, try playing without pressing the pedals. The resulting sound will be clearer and errors easier to hear. Thus, you will learn a lot.
- If you play other instruments with other tunings (such as Bb, Eb, or F), learn how to transpose so that you can play the music on the piano with the correct sound. Bb (B flat) is probably the easiest to change because the shift is not too far. The notes shift one to the left, except for C and F which are Bb (flat B) and Eb (flat E. You can find transpose guides on the internet. This skill opens up new possibilities because you can play all your music on both musical instrument.
- Play the melody with your right hand, and resist the temptation to play the melody with both hands. Maybe when you're just starting out it's easier to do, but you'll regret it once you get used to it because this habit must be broken
- Make the most of books and videos.
