Everyone learning the piano is in the same boat- they want to learn how to play in the quickest time frame possible. They want to move on from playing boring simple piano tunes, so more substantial pieces that sound impressive. There are many tips that you can follow to improve your speed of progression. Good piano teachers always say that in the early development of pianists ear training is central.
Playing the piano by ear opens up so many things - you can learn to improvise and play along with other musicians. The old traditional way of teaching piano would not include ear training- but with more modern contemporary styles now being what pupils want to learn - having a good musical ear is important. The next thing to master is your touch on the piano- many amateur pianists hit far too hard on the keys which firstly does not create and very pleasing sound, and secondly, can cause hand injuries and cramps. Try as best as you can, even on frustrating and difficult pieces to try and have a soft touch - let your fingers glide of the keys and you will notice you actually have more control, the less tense you are.
Next, always make sure you are maintaining correct rhythm - you can do this by playing along to a metronome of a pre set beat on your keyboard. You don’t need to set the tempo (speed) to the exact performance one- it can be far lower when you are in the learning phase- but all the same it will force you to play in correct time. It is tempting when you are learning how to the play the piano to try and play your pieces as fast as you can, but this is the wrong approach - instead, you should aim from accuracy rather than speed.
Next, try and learn sections of your music from memory- this sounds far easier that it is in practice. It is a skill that musicians are always trying to master- but can have great benefits, because if you memorise you don’t have to read the music while you play which should help with your playing control and expression.
As well as being able to memorise, it is important for an amateur pianist to be able to confidently read music - so regular sight reading practise is essential- lots of piano teachers insist on this. It is also important to find piano music that is at your current level- if you choose something too hard you will end up focusing on it for too many weeks with limited rewards which can effect your motivation. Your piano teacher should be able to help you with selecting pieces appropriate for you current piano playing level.
If you want to make serious progress in your ability to play the piano, the only real way to do this is by hiring a professional piano teacher. Matthew Clayton offers piano lessons online through the internet from his piano teaching studio. He gives piano lessons over video calls so students can learn from their own piano or keyboard in their own homes at scheduled time slots that suits them. Online piano lessons seems to be the future - it is a far easier way for student and pupil to get together - and Matthew has concluded that the results of his pupils are just as good taking lessons over a video call as they are in person. Matthew is a well qualified teacher who has had lots of piano teaching experience in a variety of educational settings.
Click below to watch online piano teacher Matthew Clayton play the piano:
To arrange your first online piano lesson with Mathew today, please email on mattdaveclayton@gmail.com