So, you want to play piano?
Play it! Play a lot, play every day, play in the dark sometimes, explore the keys shapes and sounds and their patterns. Get to know the hills and the valleys. Develop important spatial relationships. Your body has kinesthetic memory! YAY!!
Listen deeply. Sing along often, this is a crucial part of your ear training it doesn’t matter if you are a “good” singer or not. Hum, count, tap your toes, feel your heartbeat, then feel the subdivision of that beat, then subdivide it again, and again. Try to pick out tunes that you know, learn to recognize the patterns.
Love every single note. Be patient with yourself. Patient like Buddha! Start with the music alphabet and the concepts/symbols for duration, learn how to read the language, the notation, and all the tips for becoming more efficient at it. You will have to traverse path like others before to get to the next level, you can’t really skip or avoid things to avoid difficulties later.
Practice smart, efficiently, strategize! Attach practice time to existing habits when possible. 10 minutes of “smart” practice daily is more effective than 2 hours of practice the day before the lesson. Understand the difference between “playtime’’ at the piano, and “worktime.” Make time for both. Some tasks will be like brushing your teeth… not that exciting in the moment but yielding years of good teeth to chew up whatever music you choose, resulting in a dazzling smile.
Set goals and expectations. The simplest song can be very beautiful and satisfying. Tailor your piano method books to your personal goals to help assure all the basics are covered and keep reasonable expectations about achievement while avoiding being overwhelmed.
Explore “outside the box.” Stretch yourself, you’re capable of amazing things!
Play it! Have fun with it!
The benefits of studying music are not just music skills, but life skills!Learning to play the piano requires a fascinating combination of biological senses, physical motor skills, and cognitive abilities. Because it is a “whole-body” experience, your brain must process multiple streams of sensory feedback and translate them into physical actions simultaneously.
The nature of the arts provides an aesthetic, qualitative experience of life that is unrivaled. To engage students’ role in the elevation of the human spirit is a powerful intrinsic motivator that is critical to my concept of student-centered learning.
-Heather Yonker…..seeker of beauty….intention…..flow!
Heather Yonker Piano Studio in Madison, Wisconsin 