I Wasted Years on Piano Until I Learned This

Comments · 1.6K

• EN

  @Enesty871 · 3 years ago (edited)

  I can't stress the importance of Point 5 enough. I was constantly trying to learn pieces above my level, and that burned me out in the long run. Then I discovered Ludovico Einaudi, and alot of his pieces are quite easy to play and learn. And they are beautiful! So yes, after realizing that I also should "utilize" the progress I've made and just play great music, my motivation for learning harder pieces skyrocketed.

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• JO

  @johngates453 · 2 years ago

  At 81 ! ,  relearning...   after 63 YEARS  !!!    ...thanks so very much...!!!

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• JA

  @JackyShaw · 2 years ago

  1. Chords are everything.<br>2. AAR - Absolute Accuracy Rule (slow but accurate)<br>3. Use Metronome <br>4. Sight Reading (start small but start)

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• WE

  @webx135 · 3 years ago (edited)

  The &quot;AAR&quot; method was what my instructors taught me, and it&apos;s AMAZING the difference it makes. Focus on playing it right, no matter how slow you need to go, no matter how tedious it feels or if you think &quot;I should be doing better than this&quot;. That doesn&apos;t matter. Focus on the speed and rhythm later.<br><br>Here&apos;s why it works: When you play notes together, the neurons for performing that action fire, and stay sensitive for a bit. If you fail, they&apos;ll kind of connect together but it won&apos;t stick very well.<br>But if you play it RIGHT, the satisfaction basically shoots through all the neurons that just fired, and it strengthens their connection by a lot. So the next time you try, it feels more natural. It just feels like the next thing to do.<br><br>I like to practice this way at night, because it is when you sleep that it then cleans up and solidifies the connections and they stick around long term. The next day might need a bit of warm-up, but often after just one evening, it can feel natural the next day.

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• K_

  @k_slyons7346 · 3 years ago

  A rule that I’ve set for myself when learning a piece is: if I’ve made a mistake at a specific spot 3 or more times, then I circle, write, markup my music at that spot. But if I continue to mess it up, this means it is in my muscle memory. So I repeat that single section 10-15 or even more times in a row, starting slow then speeding up to full speed. This really helps me flatten out the wrinkles in my pieces so to speak

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• NO

  @Nonie_Jay · 5 months ago

  Re having fun. &nbsp;At 10 years old, my piano teacher was all into exams, eisteddfods, performing, moving to the next level. &nbsp;I know she was trying to help and push me forward, but it all just scared the pants off me and I quit. &nbsp;The pressure was too much. &nbsp; I never wanted to be a concert pianist, just learn to play competently. &nbsp;Now, I&apos;m 60 and have just been given a Kawai piano 😍 &nbsp;So here I am, starting again... for my own pleasure 😊

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• DA

  @DanBrill · 3 years ago

  Point #1 is so important no matter what instrument you&apos;re playing. I was a self-taught musician for years, and now at 52 I&apos;m finally taking proper piano lessons in order to learn how to read better and improve my technique. I spent 8 years playing bass in a rock band too. The only way I was able to play without formal instruction is because I understood chords. I see the way my kids were taught music in school, mostly as woodwind players, and I knew they would learn better and faster if they understood chords. So many kids are handed a trumpet or a sax and are never taught about chords because they play single-line instruments. But understanding chords puts everything in context. I only wish I&apos;d known this at 10 years old.

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• CH

  @christinabronnestam8274 · 3 years ago

  The Absolute Accuracy Rule is in fact a version of the best advice I have ever got about piano practice: never try to solve more than one problem at the same time. Which means that you should not bother about even tempo, rhythm etcetera if you still struggle with finding the right keys. So first you must get the fingering right, then you need to get the keys right - let it take as much time as you need.

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• DC

  @dchev · 3 years ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipcm-Ub22UY&amp;t=257">4:17</a> I feel personally attacked

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• FR

  @frankcraven1679 · 3 years ago

  Always be reaching. Always be climbing. I&apos;ve been playing over 50 years and I feel like a beginner. I&apos;ve been in lots of bands, played weddings, played for friends, but I never felt like I was Mr. Piano Man. For me there is always a piece of music I want to learn and master, and the same with genres like jazz, boogie woogie. If you&apos;re satisfied with how you play, you&apos;re not learning enough. I think most good musicians feel like that. &apos;I can be better&apos; is always on their mind.

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• BP

  @BPKeys · 2 years ago

  As someone who’s been playing piano for 20+ years, the most important thing to learn is fingering. You can’t change the size of your hands — I can barely reach an octave chord, but with correct fingering you will be able to play almost anything

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• DA

  @danielbroinas · 2 years ago

  I am not even learning piano at the moment, why am I watching this? I am a guitar player 😂

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