Beginner Piano Lessons -
Hearing the Music
Some people are more musically inclined than
others, but that doesn't mean you cannot learn how
to play the piano. Many tricks of the trade exist
that can have you playing the piano within a couple
of months of practice, and some online courses even
claim to help you learn much faster. No matter what
is claimed or what is available, the most important
aspect of learning how to play any new instrument,
hobby, or art form is dedication and practice.
Listening to Beethoven, Mozart, or any other
genius composers might make you want to sign up with
the best instructor you can find. Your aim might be
to enthrall others with the beauty of classical,
modern, or even jazz piano playing. Many adults who
learn how to play the piano choose to do so through
rigorous methodologies of learning the fundamentals
of music first. This requires dedication and lots of
practice, not to mention the cost of an instructor.
For other learners who want to give the piano a
try, quicker methods won't mean you will enjoy
playing the piano any less. It simply means you will
not have the fundamental base that someone else has
learned over a longer period. One of these quicker
methods, both on and offline, involve the learning
of chords. In an evening, someone who knows nothing
about the piano might have the ability to play a
melody just on chords alone. Playing by chords is
usually encouraged more than playing by tablature.
And, there are no problems with those who first
learn chords then learn to read music later on.
Any piano melody is made up of its smallest parts
- its notes. Those who learn chords do not actually
learn these 'smallest' pieces, but instead learn how
to break the music into chunks. By dealing with
songs one chunk at a time and matching what is
heard, many piano players enjoy greater freedom of
creativity as they progress.
One who learns how to play the piano using chords
does it more so through trial and error. This person
may not actually be able to read musical notations
or scores, but he or she will at least be able to
judge what chord is played and for how long. As the
tune or melody is practiced, usually by breaking a
song up into its basic elements and listening to it
as it is being played, the person matches what he or
she is hearing.
A player who learns how to play the piano by ear
will not necessarily be able to judge if a key is
sharp or flat, and that's where having some basic
knowledge of the notes comes in handy. If you need
to stay in key F-major, for example, then you will
know how to keep that note flat during the entire
scale. While flat keys and sharp keys follow similar
patterns, learning how to play the piano is not
based on this alone. For teenagers or adults who are
inspired and self-motivated enough to pursue their
goals, learning how to play the piano can be done
within a short amount of time.
