1, Study sheet music.
The language of sheet music notation may seem difficult at first, but
with a teacher or good guidebook and some practice, most people pick up
the basics of it in just a few weeks. Being able to read sheet music
opens up a whole world of compositions for you to learn and practice.
Again, reading sheet music is a fairly involved procedure that won't be
reviewed in full here; however, the very basics have been outlined below
as a reference.
- Music notes are represented by filled-in or empty oval marks (called
heads), with or without other marks (stems, which are straight lines,
and hooks, which come off of stems) on a set of horizontal lines called a
staff that starts at a particular note, which must be memorized based on the clef, or symbol, at the front of the staff.
- Different styles of note represent different lengths. A hollow head without a stem is a whole note; a filled-in head with a stem and a hook is an eighth note,
which lasts one-eighth as long as a whole note. Your teacher or
guidebook can explain all the different notes in greater detail.
- Each note is placed from left to right in chronological order, and
from high to low based on how high or low on the instrument it is. Notes
placed along the same vertical line are meant to be played together.
- To add structure and regularity, the notes are divided into measures or bars,
which are noted by vertical lines through the staff. Each bar is to be
played in the same length of time; thus, a few long notes or many
shorter notes may fit into any given bar, but they must always add up to
the same total.
- Two numbers next to the clef at the start of the music make up the time signature.
A time signature shows how many of what length of note are to be played
per bar. The common 4/4 time signature, for example, indicates that
four quarter notes are to be played per bar.
- There are special symbols for pauses in play, called “rests.” Rests are written into bars and read just like notes.
2. Practice using your hands independently. Many piano
compositions require you to play one rhythm with one hand, and another
with the other hand. In particular, your left hand will generally be
playing low, backing notes, while your right hand picks out a higher
melody. Like patting your head while you rub your stomach, this
technique takes a little time to pick up. Practice by playing a melody
with your right hand, and playing whole note harmonies with your left.
(It is important to note that this technique won't work well for more
advanced pieces)
3. Practice moving your hands.
Eventually, you'll have to leave the middle C area of the keyboard and
venture out towards the edges. Get used to the idea by sometimes playing
your practice drills an octave lower or higher than normal. Sit as
normal, and don't scoot down the bench – in a concert, you wouldn't have
time to scoot from the low end to the high end. Instead, lean your
torso slightly sideways (without bending your back or twisting), and
stretch or contract your arms to reach the notes.
- Try changing positions on the fly. Play something simple, like a
scale or arpeggio, from a lower position than usual, and jump your hands
up to continue it through a second octave. If you start with your left
hand, let it cross lightly over your right and hold position above the
proper keys just before you need it for the second octave. As you play
those notes, draw your right hand back to its higher position as well.
4 Learn to use the pedals.
Long before the electric guitar, pianos were using effects pedals to
change the sound quality of the music coming from the strings. There are
two or three pedals on most modern pianos, each of which has an
important function. In classical compositions, special notation is used
to show you when and how to use which pedal. Your piano teacher can
explain them to you.
- The soft pedal (also called "una corda") is usually on the left. It
softens not only the volume, but also the tone color of the note being
played. The soft pedal is used extensively in Beethoven's compositions,
among others.
- The sustaining pedal is on the right. It lifts the dampening
elements off of the strings, allowing notes to ring, resonate, and blend
much more easily. Clever use of the sustaining pedal can connect
harmonies and notes in interesting and emotionally evocative ways, and
it is commonly seen in compositions dating from the Romantics of the
19th century onward.
- The third, central pedal is usually the sostenuto pedal if found on a
grand piano. The sostenuto sustains notes, but only holds down the
current note being played. On an upright piano, it's likely that the
central pedal (when there is one) selectively holds down certain notes,
normally in the lower register.
5. Practice more.
The piano is one of the most difficult instruments to master, but also
one of the most rewarding: the sound it makes is distinctive and
impressive, and the skills required to play it well transfer easily to
any of a number of other instruments. The key to getting good at playing
the piano is to practice as much as possible, whenever possible. Plan
to devote at least half an hour every day to playing it; if you can
spend an hour or more, that's even better. Even if you feel as though
you're making no headway, practice will eventually lead to improvement.
1. Learn about the keyboard. The keyboard of a piano
repeats its notes from top to bottom across several octaves. This means
that the notes change from low (left side) to high (right side), but
don't vary in pitch. There are twelve notes a piano can produce: seven
white key notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) and five black key notes (C-sharp,
D-sharp, F-sharp, A-flat, and B-flat). Playing the white key notes from
C through B and back to C creates a regular eight tone octave scale in C
major; playing the black key notes from C-sharp (next to the white C
key) through B-flat creates a pentatonic (five tone) scale. You can play
every key (both black and white) from C to C in order to create a chromatic or twelve-tone scale.
- The piano is tuned for C major, since it's a very common key.
However, other keys can be played by mixing black and white keys to get
the proper sharps and flats for each note. Any of the keys normally seen
in sheet music can be played on a piano, making it a very versatile
instrument.
- It's easy to double-check a piano's tuning by playing pairs of the
same note at different octaves. The notes should sound identical; if
they don't, one or both of them is sharp or flat and needs to be
re-tuned.
2. Play some notes.
Starting with middle C, gently but firmly push down on a key to produce
a note. Take some time and try pushing slower and faster, softer and
harder, until you have an idea of the kind of control you can exert over
the sound of the piano. Without moving your hands, play all ten notes
under your fingers. Note that some (such as the pinky) are more
difficult to play loudly, while others (like the thumb) take practice to
play softly.
- Play black keys as well. Generally speaking, black keys are played
by moving the appropriate finger up and to the right. From the middle C
position, your pointer finger can move left and right to play C-sharp
and D-sharp, respectively.
3. Play scales.
Try playing notes starting with the pinky C of your left hand, all the
way up to the thumb C of your right hand. Play each white key in order.
Once you reach your left thumb, play the next note (A) with your middle
finger. Then the next (B), with your pointer finger and lastly the thumb
to middle C to finish the scale. Practice this until it begins to get
easier – stretching your fingers is just as important as moving your
hands, as your skills begin to improve.
- Try playing a different scale. Start on one of the other fingers of
your left hand, and play notes up the keyboard until you reach the same
note on your right hand. Adjust sour notes by using black keys where
necessary.
- In addition to learning scales from a teacher or book, it's
important to keep experimenting with them on your own so that you begin
to get a head for them as quickly as possible.
4. Learn about harmony.
Although it doesn't take a lot of practice to be able to bang out “Hot
Cross Buns” on a piano keyboard, unlocking all of your instrument's
potential requires learning to play multiple notes at once on it, using
all your fingers and both your hands. To achieve a nice sound with
multiple notes, you have to understand how harmonies work. This is a
very in-depth topic that can't be covered in full here, but you can use
these notes to help guide your practice.
- Playing more than one note at the same time is called harmonizing.
The theories behind harmony can be very difficult to learn, but a good
rule to start out with is to avoid playing many keys that are right next
to each other.
- The space between a harmony's notes is called its “interval.” The
most common intervals in piano music are fifths, fourths, and thirds. To
hear examples of these, play C and G, C and F, or C and E,
respectively.
- Harmony intervals go all the way up to the fourteenth interval,
which is considered a compound interval since it crosses more than one
octave. Harmonies can also be altered by introducing flat or sharp
notes, adding support notes, and so on. However, you shouldn't have to
worry too much about these more advanced styles for a while yet.
1. Acquire a piano.
Most teachers recommend that you purchase an actual piano to keep and
practice on at home. Pianos vary widely in style, size, and cost; for
most people, a medium-sized upright piano is ideal, as it takes up less
space than a grand piano and has much better sound than the most compact
styles. Bear in mind that although it's possible to find pianos for
cheap and sometimes even for free, it is dangerous and difficult to move
a piano from place to place. Be sure you have a professional delivery
service lined up to help you move your instrument. Keep in mind that
after you move the piano it will take a couple hours or a day for the
strings to acclimate so avoid playing it for a while.
- When you acquire a used piano for little or no money off the private
market, it's likely that you'll need to get it tuned and possibly even
repaired before it will be usable. Check your local business listings to
find someone who's willing to make a house call and assess your piano's
condition.
- It's acceptable to purchase a high-quality electronic keyboard if
you must (for example, if you live in a tiny studio apartment), but it
isn't recommended. You'll have more trouble learning proper posture and
hand positioning than you would with an actual piano, and you'll never
be able to exert as much control over the sound of a keyboard as you can
with a decent piano. There are some electric pianos, though, that have
their keys weighted to feel like a real piano. This would be ideal but
it may be just as expensive as getting a real piano. If you're dead set
on an electric one for whatever reason this is the way to go.
2
. Acquire accessories. Once your piano is set in place and has been tuned
and examined by a professional, it's time to get a bench and some music
to play. Many pianos come with a bench; otherwise, they can be found at
thrift stores and music stores. Try to get an adjustable bench, as
bench height is very important to ensuring proper posture. Don't use a
dining room chair or an ottoman as a substitute unless it naturally
places you at the ideal height for playing.
- Ask your local music store for recommendations on basic, easy-to-play music
books. It's likely the clerk will know of at least a couple of books
you can use. Try to get one book that encapsulates beginner advice in
the front and contains scales and arpeggios, and one book with simple, complete songs to practice, such as old folk songs.
- If you have trouble keeping a rhythm, buy a metronome.
A metronome sits atop your piano and ticks like a loud clock at a pace
you set for it. It's a useful aid for maintaining a steady tempo as you
begin to get better at playing.
3. Set up for proper posture.
Sit on your piano bench with your music books on the sill of the piano,
above the keyboard. Point your forearms towards the keys until they're
parallel to the floor. If your bench is at the proper height, your
fingers should gently arc downward and rest on the tops of the keys,
without you having to bend your wrists or raise or lower your arms.
Adjust the bench height until you feel no strain in your arms or
shoulders when you sit at the piano. Make sure your shoulders and upper
body is relaxed as well.
- Rest your feet flat on the ground, a comfortable distance apart,
with the toes pointing straight ahead. Sit with your feet in a firm
stance. Sit with a straight back - your shoulders shouldn't hunch
forward, and your spine should be straight. Scoot in until your hands
rest on the keys without having to stretch your arms. You should be able
to move your feet forward to the pedals and back again without putting
any strain on your upper legs. While you hold this position your entire
body should be relaxed.
- If you don't have an adjustable piano bench, or it won't adjust high
enough to make you comfortable, it's acceptable to use pads or pillows
to further raise the height of your seat. Just be sure they're even in
terms of thickness, and stable enough that you won't have to worry about
them slipping as you play.
4. Double check your hand position.
You should be seated at the center of the keyboard. Each of your ten
fingers should rest on one white key. Your right thumb rests on the
white key just to the left of a group of two black keys in the middle of
the keyboard, which is the C note. Each finger on your right hand rests on the next following white key, thus D, E, F,
and G. Your left hand follows the same pattern one octave down, only
reversed: the left pinky should rest on C, and the left thumb should
rest on G. There should be two white keys (A and B) between your thumbs.
- The C note that anchors your right thumb is in the center of the
keyboard, and as such is often called “middle ” It's common for
beginning players to use a sticker or a piece of tape to mark middle C.
Just be sure it's something you can eventually clean off as you get
better.
- Learning the notes
at the center first is conventional because a pianist must normally sit
at the center of the keyboard to be able to reach every high and low
note without standing up and moving.
