How to Play the Piano: A Quick Guide for Beginners

Research has shown that learning a musical instrument improves dexterity, reduces depression, and more. Besides that, it’s just plain fun! So what’s stopping you from learning how to play the piano? 

You may say that you think it will be difficult. To a certain degree, you may be right. Playing the piano, not to mention playing an instrument in general, can be difficult. 

It may not be as difficult as you think, though. Before you make any final judgments, read on to learn some beginning piano tips. 

Buying a Piano 

What do you need to get started with playing the piano? The first thing you need is the piano itself. There really is no replacement for it. 

Certain types of piano are expensive, but there are many options. Electronic options will probably be cheaper. You may prefer getting this, as you’re not sure if your interest will stick. 

A low-quality piano, however, may cause your interest to wane. It will probably sound poorer, which can give you less reward for your efforts. If you think this will be an issue, consider buying from the top piano brands

What and How to Learn 

Formal, in-person lessons aren’t the only option for learning how to play an instrument. There are many other options available across the internet. 

You can find some free tutorials on YouTube. Remember that the qualities of these can vary. If you’re willing to pay some more, there are many online lesson programs available. 

Also, playing piano isn’t just running your fingers through exercises. Learning music theory fundamentals can be very helpful. Consider researching these online to help you improve your playing. 

Practicing

You may think that you need to play for hours a day to get good. This may or may not speed up your progress. You can spend hours thinking you’re practicing, but you’re not. 

What matters most is practicing smart. You can still make steady enough progress with just 15 minutes a day. 

Start with simple exercises and songs. Play them slowly before speeding up. If you don’t, you can end up getting into the habit of playing poorly. 

Make sure that you don’t just play songs. Learning scales and chords is also very important. This is especially the case if you want to improvise and/or write songs in the future. 

Consider focusing on the fundamentals first and then play songs as a reward. 

Read More After You’ve Learned How to Play the Piano 

Remember to be gentle with yourself. It takes a lot of time and effort to learn how to play the piano. Recognize that you’re not ‘broken’ if you struggle and celebrate your successes along the way. 

Also, know that there’s a lot more for your reading pleasure all over our site. You can gain a ton more knowledge from our other pieces on music, partying, and much more. Go check them out!