Learning how to play the piano is an incredibly rewarding, yet very difficult experience. Mastering the keyboard takes time, and more importantly practice. However, simply putting in the time isn’t enough.
How you practice matters more than how much time you spend practicing. Because of that, we’ve put together a few tips on how to improve your piano skills and take them to the next level.
Slow, Deliberate Practice
One of the easiest ways to improve your piano technique is to make your practice slow and deliberate. We tend to rush things when learning new techniques in music. This applies to all instruments, not just piano. The need to sound as good as someone else or play the piece at the intended speed can build bad habits and set you back weeks. You can always start with basic piano chords for beginners and work your way up from there.
Mastering the ability to practice at a slow, deliberate pace is the only way to properly master a new technique, song, scale, or progression. By playing slowly, you’re allowing your brain to build solid muscle memory.
Gradually increasing speed over time ensures that your technique is clean and flawless. Although it seems counterintuitive, slow practice will make you a better player faster.
Play Different Styles of Music
Most of us have a favorite music genre that we enjoy listening to, but also playing. In fact, it’s so easy to get lost in a specific genre of music. That being said, you should do your best to explore different music styles as much as you can. It’s not a matter of expanding your musical horizons, but rather exposing yourself to styles and techniques.
The best way to do this is to find a genre that you aren’t familiar with and dive deep into it. Make sure to download printable sheet music and start working on genres that feel interesting to you. Do this often enough and you’ll become well versed in various techniques.
Keep Track of Your Progress
Learning to play the piano takes time. In fact, it’s a never-ending process for most. That being said, keeping track of your progress is a good way to keep improving. Running a journal can give you insight into your own skill level which you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
Progress is subjective until it is measured. By running a journal, you can keep a tangible track of your progress, then use those notes to gauge whether you’re on the right track or falling behind in some areas. A journal can also uncover bad habits before they become a problem. Running a journal feels like a complicated job to most, but it really isn’t. You don’t have to be too complex with your notes as long as you log the important metrics.
Perseverance is Key
With everything said, there is no better way to become better at playing the piano than to be consistent with your practice. If you can train yourself to practice every day, no matter what, you’ll see tangible progress very soon.
The act of getting behind that keyboard and practicing even when you don’t necessarily feel like it is key. Doing this will build discipline and discipline always trumps motivation.