Start reciting your ABCs. Did you say them in your mind? Or did you start to sing them?
Singing isn’t just for fun, it’s something we do for better retention. Think back to some of the most popular children’s songs – how easily do you remember them?
Music is heavily involved in associative memory. That’s why many of us can hear a song and instantly be transported back to a time when it was popular.
Music motivates us. And when you combine that with learning, it’s one of the best ways to become better at piano playing.
Imagine having to sit down and learn music you hate. What fun would that be? But if you select music you love, if you have a desire to become better at playing the music you love, you suddenly have motivation to keep playing.
The good news is there are a variety of renditions of popular music, made for all different levels of playing.
Beginner songs will only have a few notes in the left hand. They will use simple chords with no more than three notes at a time. They also won’t have a lot of hand jumps or quick finger movements. They’ll keep things simple while you learn.
If you truly want to master piano playing, you should also change the way you learn.
A master learner doesn’t sit down and expect to play a song all the way through the first time. Instead, they focus on learning sections before combining them. A simple schedule would include learning a section on day one, followed by learning section two on day two, and combining it with section one.
And so on.
You can also learn by pulling the music apart, one hand at a time. What makes so rewarding is also what makes it a challenge. Piano playing combines music reading with playing both the right and left hand separately. That gives your brain a workout. But it can also lead to frustration.
As you’re learning, focus on one hand at a time. Play the right hand until you learn it. Then play the left. As you coordinate both hands together, the song will come together quickly.
While there isn’t a best way to learn and play, there are many things you can do to become better at piano playing. These are just a few of the things we use. How about you?
