What it Takes to Be a Better Piano Player
Want to be a better piano player? Do you struggle to perform in front of people? Are you having trouble sight reading? I’m going to tell you exactly what it takes to become a better piano player, so that you can sight read or improvise on demand, and perform in front of a crowd without getting too nervous to play.
First, you need lessons. If you have stopped taking lessons, why not start up again? Nobody is too old to learn new things. Having a teacher helps you to stay on track and be accountable for your practice. Also, a trained teacher can help you to position your hands, relax muscle groups that are tense, and point out things that they would play differently. It gives you a fresh perspective.
The next thing is you need to practice every day. I’ll say that again. You need to practice every day. You remember 90% of what you learned if you practice the same day as your lesson. By the next day, the retention rate drops significantly. If you are practicing every day, you’ll be more effective in your practicing and you’ll remember more of what your teacher said. Also, you will be able to make progress on songs, instead of just relearning a piece over and over.
Make sure you do warm up exercises and scales to increase your dexterity and make it easier to play quick passages in no time. There are several great books on this subject. Hanon exercises, 30 Day WarmUp Guide, and A Dozen a Day are my favorites. I’m not sure on those titles, but a simple google search will reveal their true identity.
Spend time being creative. Try new things. Play with your kids. Just make noise and feel free to mess up. Try to come up with a different accompaniment to a simple song you know. Start with an easy chord progression in an easy key (C) and then move to harder stuff.
Spend time sight reading new music. Try something you’ve never seen before and try to play it in the right time without stopping to figure every note out. You should start with things that are easier than the level you are working on for your lessons, but hard enough to keep you thinking every second. Sight reading can be very fun and many people are requiring it of pianists all the time. When I go to church, I am always handed a new piece of music that I’m supposed to sight read for choir practice or the children’s group. Many times, I’m even sight reading the hymns on the organ when I step in for someone who is out of town. The important thing in sight reading is don’t stop. Keep going even if you mess up. That’s just part of it. Everyone messes up. Move on.
Whenever you get the chance to perform in front of people, do it. Every time you play in front of someone, you will be less nervous the next time you play in front of someone. It’s like anything else. Practice makes perfect and the more you practice performing in front of others, the better you get at it. Sure, it’s scary and it makes you feel like you’re going to die, but in the end, you don’t die and your friends still like you. Believe me, it gets easier. Just try it and try it often.
Last, but not least, play songs you can sing with once in a while and sing your heart out. Even if you’re not a singer, it will improve your playing to sing along. Accompany someone while they sing. Keep up with them. Follow their lead. It makes you think and it’s reallly fun to connect with someone musically.
I hope this article has helped you to want to be a better piano player. You know what you need to do. Practice every day, take lessons, do your warmups, try new things, sight read, perform for others, and sing.
5 Responses to “What it Takes to Be a Better Piano Player”
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Amy, Wish I was a piano player I could relate better. Just wanted to say that this isn’t just a blog post, it’s an “article”. Consider article posting/publication.
Bill,
Thanks for the comment. I would love to publish articles. Do you know of a good place?
Amy,
Good article. How to get to Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.
It seems that many of life’s endeavors take passion and practice. I’m sure you find a lot pf pleasure in playing and sharing with your family and friends. I don’t play but I am an avid listener, mostly acoustic, and collector, mostly Napster to-go. What genres do you enjoy playing?
Thanks for the comments, Joe and Jack. Joe, I like different genres depending on my mood. If I’m really sad, I like Rachmaninoff and Chopin. If I’m angry, Griegg or sometimes even John Schmidt or some really heavy classical stuff. When I’m happy, jazz with vocals, opera, or broadway. Sundays, I usually play hymns and spiritual songs. I am a classical gal at heart, usually leaning toward Romantic period.