Today, there are several methods and resources to learn to play the piano. Going for private lessons from a piano teacher is not the only way. Here we take a look at the various methods and resources and will discuss the pros and cons of each so that you can use the appropriate ones to learn to play the piano. These methods and beginning resources will also serve well teachers who are just starting out in the teaching profession since it gives them a structured approach to teach students.
Music Lessons from Tutors
Personal Music Teacher
This is how many have learned to play the piano in the past, and is still an effective method to learn. So you get hold of a good teacher or music school and learn directly from the tutor.
The best thing about having a personal piano teacher is that the learning curve is faster; there is less probability of you picking up any bad playing habits; you can occasionally ask your teacher to teach you how to play the latest hit songs on the piano.
Another thing is that there will always be someone to motivate you and push you to put in more effort, which is absolutely needed in the earlier days.
You will also know the various career paths that are available to professional players, and also know more about the local music scene from your trainer. You may not need it immediately but it will encourage you to work hard on your piano playing.
The downside of this method is that it is expensive and costs more compared to other methods, and if the tutor comes over to your place, you need to pay even more.
You need to spare more time, assuming you have to travel to the teacher. For most, especially children, it can be a challenge if you have to visit your teacher, especially if you have to travel a long distance. Adults will need to be dedicated enough to take the lessons, considering they will have several other things to do. The good thing is that you can now find excellent piano tutors online, who can impart the lesson online using a computer (video software).
While most teachers will be able to teach absolute beginners, intermediate-level students may find it difficult to find teachers with the right competencies.
One lesson in a week may not be sufficient for many. It also means if you have doubts or want clarity on any particular learning concept or exercise, you will have to wait for the next lesson.
So overall this is a good option but then it can be a challenge to find a good teacher for private lessons. This can be the most expensive learning option.
Group Music Lessons
This means enrolling in a music school where you will take lessons in a group.
This can be a fun way to learn and also make friends with other students, some of whom may be learning to play other musical instruments as well.
You will learn how to play in a group, which is a good skill to acquire! And if you spend a few years learning there, who knows, you might even form a band with the friends that you make there.
The main advantage of going to a music school is that it increases your overall knowledge of music, not just specific to the piano. You will learn about other instruments as well and how those instruments are used together in a song. You may even be exposed to sound recording and music technology.
The downside is that it is difficult to find a good school in the vicinity. You should be willing to travel a long distance if you want to earn in a good music school.
If you miss a class, they are not going to stop that session for you. You will have to somehow manage and learn what was taught in that class on your own. Though friends are good, it also means that you might unnecessarily spend time on non-music related things.
It is still among the more expensive options but provides a well-rounded knowledge of music. You may also spend more time on unnecessary things.
Learning on Your Own: Various Resources
Nowadays, you can even learn to play the piano on your own.
Piano Method Books
Piano method books are designed to take you from the beginner levels to more advanced levels by introducing the various lessons and concepts in a systematic manner. These books cover all the necessary concepts, exercises, and songs for your practice, and take you right from the beginning to the advanced levels.
These may be available as one fat book that covers everything; some methods books are available as a collection of books that go from beginner to the more advanced levels.
These books start by familiarizing the students with the white and black keys of the piano. These include lessons in music theory, technique, performance (repertoire) sight-reading, and melodies for practice. Multi-key solos (songs that have key signature changes) and original music pieces are studied in varying music styles such as pop, jazz, folk songs, and classical,
The lessons are presented in a sequential and logical manner.
Almost all books nowadays come with a CD (or link to a website with audio files) that contains the lessons, exercises, and songs that are covered in the book. So you know how any song or exercise is supposed to sound, which is a great thing.
Best Piano and Keyboard Method Books
Complete Piano Player / Keyboard Player (by Kenneth Baker)
The Complete Keyboard Player Paperback (by Kenneth Baker): Good starter book if you have received a music keyboard. It teaches you to play songs where the left-hand plays fingered chords in the accompaniment section of a keybard. Eventually, you should consider buying the complete piano player which will provide you with more material for your left hand and is an excellent book for newcomers to the piano.
The Complete Piano Player (by Kenneth Baker): Easy to follow book for learning basic music theory and learning how to play piano. Exercises are effective, has several simple songs that you can learn to play using both the hands.
Alfred’s Adult All-In-One course
Alfred’s Adult All-In-One course for adult beginners includes a variety of musical pieces and concepts that clearly explains topics like fingering, harmonizing, using chords with both hands and differentiating between major and minor scales. Some versions of the book may include songs that you can hear and play along. Read more here.
- Alfred’s Adult All-In-One Course: Easy to understand, fast-paced, and includes challenging stuff later to keep students interested.
Faber Piano Adventures Method Books
Piano Adventures method by Nancy and Randall Faber is another popular method book available for piano. These include lots of original lesson music, even for beginning levels and the music is available in a wide variety of styles More advanced lessons for older students include fun songs in different genres.
As with most methods, the beginner courses are quite popular for this piano method; the intermediate course offered is also very good. In general, the lessons in most of these method books can have more variety and not be more tilted towards classical. However, these are still great resources for learning in a progressive manner. Feel free to use a combination of piano methods to improve your learning.
Do you have to use these methods books?
If you will be enrolling yourself in a music school, or if you’ll be taking lessons from a piano teacher, I would suggest that you wait for some time before you buy any of these. Most music schools provide their own music books and most teachers also give you hand-written notes initially. Based on your progress, you can add some of these to your library or ask your tutor for recommendations for books.
Students who decide to learn on their own usually go in for a combination of method books and books based on specific topics. You may also need to supplement your learning with extra exercises and songs, for better retention of the various musical concepts. Over time, you will require books focused on specific skills such as sight-reading, piano technique, how to play pop/rock/classical/boogie-woogie, and so on.
Piano Books and Magazines
Over time, you will need to supplement your learning by using books that focus on particular topics or skills.
For instance, you may want to increase your repertoire of classical songs, or you may want to learn other styles of music (such as rock, pop, boogie, jazz, etc.), or you may want to improve your sight reading, or you may want to learn how to use chord progressions.
You will find excellent books on such topics, that will further improve your skills as a piano player and as a musician.
Sight Reading Piano
Being able to sightread written music is an important skill. Although not really a method to learn, if you’re able to read music, you can refer to many more books, which will further improve you as a piano player
If you’re particularly interested in the classical genre of music, you will need to refer to a lot of sheet music in order to increase your repertoire of classical songs. for that, you will need to become good at reading music.
Related: Sight Reading Piano – How to do it the right way
Piano Movies & Games
Here’s a collection of some great movies made around the Piano (on great pianists & their performances).
Watch them to get some inspiration for your music learning, watch it to learn more about some of the greatest music composers, or just watch it because they are well-made movies.
Learn through Games: You can also learn the basics and improve your sense of rhythm and timing by using games (such as Guitar Hero, Rockband). This method makes use of a controller and software and is a fun way to learn.
Courses as Software / Apps (Video Lessons)
More people are learning to play the piano using Software and Apps that make use of video lessons. These can be quite comprehensive with several lessons, exercises and play-along songs for practice. What makes them really enjoyable is that these are available as video lessons, so you can actually see what notes are to be played and how it is supposed to sound.
Pros
The best part about these options is that you can learn right at home, and go through the lessons as many times as you wish.
The cost is much less compared to private music lessons. You also save a lot of your traveling time.
Most recent learning programs make learning to play the piano quite interesting, so you are really not bored going through them.
The downside is that you need to be really self-motivated as there won’t be anybody to prod you. It lacks the personal touch of a teacher. It’s likely that you may pick up some bad playing habits or interpret something wrongly if you are not careful and if you don’t observe the video lessons carefully.
You will need a computer/tablet to be able to make use of these learning courses.
This can be a cost-effective option to get started, especially if you are juggling with many more things in life and are short on time. Here are some good piano learning courses that you may consider.
YouTube Videos to Learn to Play Pianos
Have you recently got a new music keyboard or piano, and want to try out a few music lessons or even a few simple songs before you get a full-time teacher? These YouTube videos should will give you a jump start, especially if you’re trying to figure it out on your own.
There are many who feel that something that is FREE is probably not worthwhile, but there’s a lot that you can learn just by watching others play.
So in case you’re struggling to get started on your new piano, go through these tutorials. Here we go:
Learn the Basics in under 10 Minutes
Have 10 minutes to spare on this weekend? Or after work? This video gives you all the basic information you will need to start playing the piano (Even Ryan Gosling learned to play the piano in only three months for La La Land).
If you always wanted to play the piano, you should check this video out. All you need is a keyboard – which doesn’t cost much nowadays.
Watch: Learn how to play songs on the piano in under 8 Minutes
Basic Piano Notes
In case you have not yet figured it out, here’s the names of the basic notes on a piano keyboard.
Piano Chart explains the various Notes on Piano Keyboard
Learn all about Grand Staff, Ledger Lines, Clefs
Basic Piano Chords
Here’s how to construct a chord/triad and how to use it.
More on how to play chords on the piano
How to Play the Blues Scale on the Piano Keyboard
The blues scale is the basis of most improvising techniques. Here’s how to play it.
How to Play Trance/ Techno on Keyboard
Basics of how to play trance/techno without needing any music sheet/score.
Intermediate Blues Lick for C7 F7 Chords
If you are comfortable playing the above, here’s a blues lick to include in your repertoire.
2-5-1 Chord Progression
Here’s how most songs usually end…a very popular chord progression.
Using Seventh Chords
Though most chord progressions can be played using triads, using a seventh chord makes the progression sound better. Here’s how to play the seventh chords.
Improvising Using the Chromatic Scale
Here’s how you can use the chromatic scale to add variety to your piano playing.
Jarrod Radnich – Another Incredible Piano Solo
Here’s another video to inspire you. Watch Jarrod Radnich performing the pirates of the Caribbean on the piano.
More Resources
Children’s Methods for learning the Piano: Alfred Piano Method, Clark Method (The Music Tree), Faber and Faber, Pace Method, Robyn Method, Suzuki Method for Piano, Thompson Method, Rote Method, Miracle Methods
Adult Methods for learning the Piano: These are designed for adults, and usually include a different set of practice songs. Alfred’s Adult Piano lessons, Bastien Method for Adults, Play by Choice, Pace Method for Older Beginners,
Play by Ear: There are many good keyboard and piano players who are able to play by ear. Over time, they have developed the ability to listen to music and then play them, without referring to the written notes. Read more on how to play piano by ear.
Summary
I hope you now have a clearer picture of how you can proceed with your piano learning. You may have to use a combination of the various piano methods, depending on your age, temperament, time to spare, and ambition. For those of you are not ready for a personal piano tutor yet, or who want to learn on their own, a more efficient and cost-effective solution would be to get hold of a good piano lessons software.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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