How to Become a Skilled Pianist

The piano is a great instrument to start off with when you are trying to learn your first musical instrument. It is easy to adapt to and it provides a wide range of notes to work with. Very many musical careers are built from having a great understanding of piano. One of them is music production. So not only is learning the piano a great place to lay your musical roots, it is also fun and it builds your musical creativity quickly.

Today we outline 8 steps that will get you started on becoming a great pianist.

Have easy and frequent access to a keyboard

Like any other instrument, the keyboard is one that needs a lot of exposure for you to get good at it. The best way to do this would be to buy one from a local sound equipment shop. But if you are not in a position to afford one signing up to a music school like Kamata would give you all the access you need to a keyboard in order to get started at a lower cost.

Practice, practice, practice

The lessons you learn in piano playing will need to be practiced regularly. This will help you to transfer the lessons to your fingertips seamlessly without having to think through it. A lot of people believe in the 10000 hour rule of practice but there are a lot of great pianists out there who have mastered the craft in less than 10,000 hours. All one needs is a consistent practice schedule. Setting aside one or two hours for piano practice is sufficient to have you gaining momentum in a few weeks.

Try learning a variety of songs

A lot of musicians tend to get comfortable playing one genre of music that they either prefer or were taught to play first. A great pianist however increases his flexibility by trying out a variety of genres. There are varying playing styles depending on the genre you are playing; be it blues, classic, gospel, rock, jazz or even reggae. The quickest way to get acquainted with all these styles is to play songs from each genre.

Ask an experienced pianist to play what you want to play for you

Sometimes getting your fingers around a certain melody can be tough. You might not get it at the first attempt. It is therefore always a good idea to have a trainer or an experienced player alongside you to show you how to play it. By observing their movement and style you will soon start to understand what it is you are not doing right and how to improve your playing to match theirs.

Be free and versatile when playing

Written piano music can come in technical notations that will confine you to playing in very rigid ways. While it is impressive to always play a song the exact way it is written, it is much easier to play it in a way you are comfortable with before you add any complex structures in the song. This way you will get in tune with the basic melody and gradually add components that enrich the sound. For instance a song that combines both chords and single notes may be challenging to play. So first learning the notes before adding the chords is a quick way to progress into maestro playing level.

Pay attention to your mistakes

Whenever you get stuck in a certain song, the best way to correct yourself is to play attention to what you are doing wrong. It could be that you are confusing one chord step with another or you might be placing the wrong finger on certain keys, causing you to stumble. All pianists have started out at such places before mastering the art of piano playing.  As soon as you recognize where you are going wrong it becomes easier to consciously avoid the mistake next time.

Count as you play to match the time signature

For you to play the piano perfectly you will need to grasp both the melody and the timing of the notes and chords you are playing. The best pianists have a way of maintaining a specific tempo and even playing around with it in order to stir the audience’s emotion throughout the song. To improve your ability to maintain tempo it is advisable to count your way through the song’s time signature. At times a song will have a complex rhythm that needs extra concentration in order to play correctly. Tapping your feet or humming the tempo while you play will help you keep the pace of the song.

Play in front of friends and family

Playing alone provides lots of freedom to make mistakes and improvise with your creativity. However, true confidence in playing the piano is built when performing in front of an audience. If you can impress both the people watching and listening as well as yourself then you are on your way to being a professional pianist. Therefore playing in front of friends and family provides a great opportunity to test your self-confidence while improving your finesse.

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