Learning to play the keyboard or piano is a lot like learning to ride a bike: it’ll be bumpy at first, but with a little time and practice you’ll be cruising before you know it! But with so much to learn, it can be tough to decide where to start.
Luckily, Scottsdale Music Academy has got you covered! Students from Scottsdale, Phoenix and all over the valley come to us to help them become a better keyboard player. With so many students and so many years of teaching keyboard lessons, we know all the secrets to becoming a better keyboard player.
So, without further ado, here are some of our best keyboard playing tips and tricks for beginners.
Break It Down
When you’re first learning to play the keyboard or piano, it can seem overwhelming. There are so many notes to learn, fingering techniques to master, not to mention learning to keep time! In order to avoid beginner breakdown, you need to break it down…the music that is. The next time you’re faced with a new sheet of music, try breaking it down into small sections and focus on learning one chunk at a time. Once you feel confident about one section, move on to another. Slicing the piece into smaller sections will make learning the entire song less daunting, and will prevent you from succumbing to musician burn out.
Learn to Listen
Believe it or not, listening is a great way to improve your keyboard playing. After all, the only way to be great is to know what great sounds like! There are a multitude of ways to discover talented musicians. Find new songs online, attend concerts in Scottsdale or Phoenix, or simply listen to another keyboardist at work. Find a piece you love or a keyboard player whose skills you admire to help motivate you to push yourself and stick with it even through the challenging times.
Take It Slow
What’s the quickest way to learn to play the keyboard smoothly, skillfully, and with ease?…By slowing down! Take your time to correctly learn hand movements and fingering techniques. Your brain can only learn so many things at once, and many rookie keyboard players make the mistake of trying to learn it all as fast as possible. Trust us when we say that approach only leads to frustration and fatigue. Instead of racing through the learning process, try slowing it down to ensure you’re mastering each and every aspect.