The piano is a unique and interesting instrument. It is always fun to play the piano. However, there are many people who are of the opinion that it is nearly impossible to become a consistent and proficient piano player without having years and years of expensive piano lessons. This is not necessarily the case. You can also teach yourself to play the piano by having a little knowledge regarding the notes, chords and keys, and with some practice.
Playing By Ear
A piano’s sound is acoustic since it is produced by vibrating strings plunged by all 88 keys. On the other hand, this features is not present in electronic keyboards. If you are in the process of buying an instrument, there are certain points that you should keep in mind while making the selection for an acoustic piano.
Piano can be upright, baby grands or grands. Generally, acoustic pianos are more expensive compared to electric keyboards. However, it is possible to rent a piano instead of owning one.
You also need to tune a piano at least twice a year so that you can train your ears to hit the notes correctly. Generally, old pianos are out of tune, particularly if the piano has not been played regularly. If your piano has not been played for a very long time or has been moved recently, you may want the piano to be tuned professionally before moving ahead with your practice.
In case you’re not able to find a piano, a great alternative is a keyboard. Keyboards are relatively affordable, and they never go out of tune. They also offer lots of sounds and features that are capable of enhancing your music. Keyboards are also easier to move around and don’t require too much space. In this way, a keyboard may prove to be a great tool for beginners. You can always start practicing on a keyboard and then upgrade to a piano.
If you want to choose the best piano for you, check out my article that explains all the piano differences here. It also categorizes them by the depth of your pockets.
Familiarize Yourself With The Piano
You need to play with it and identify the middle tones, flat and sharp tones, and the bass and high tones. You should really listen to all of them and note how they are different from each other. Keep practicing until you are able to tell the difference between them.
Learn Major Keys
As a beginner, you are required to study the major keys if you want to be in a position to identify the sounds that you hear. Some people learn the major keys and then assign a particular number to the notes. After that, they assign a number to the finger they are going to use to play. Instead of memorizing notes, you just need to remember the corresponding number of your finger. However, this method is not necessarily recommended.
Once you’re aware of how to do this, you are in a position to label songs by numbers instead of letters. It becomes far easier this way than memorizing a lot of information. The problem with this method is that it is a way to kind of cheat yourself. It prolongs the time it takes to learn the notes. So please, learn the notes – it is not that complicated, and you will save a lot of time if you are serious about learning piano.
If you want to find out the easiest way of learning the keys and fingerings, check out my article here. You will find all the information you need to learn all about major keys.
Learn The Chords
Most songs are composed by using the variations of chords and chord progresses. Therefore, you’re going to listen to them in different keys, but the calls are composed of the same intervals. Trying to identify the notes in some great records is a good way to understand the notes properly. Therefore, you should learn how to play the basic chords and then find out where they are located on your piano. You are also required to play the chords so that you can familiarize yourself with the sound of these chords and then become capable of recognizing them. If you are not aware of the name of the chord, you should still know what the chord sounds like. At the same, you should also be in a position to recognize if the chords are in a high register or a low register and from that, you will be in a position to know where they are located.
The C Major triad (chord) comprised of C, E and G are among the simplest chords to learn. You can play this chord on middle C in the beginning (right-hand fingering is 1, 3 and 5, and left-hand fingering is 5, 3, 1). Then you can move to a different octave on the piano and keep C as the lowest note.
Notice Patterns
All songs are composed of musical patterns called intervals. The chords generally repeat themselves in a steady rhythm or beat. If you are able to identify the intervals or the propositions of the chord you’re listening to, it will become much easier for you to play a song that you have heard. You will also be in a position to learn which chords are combined with others. This will help you understand how melodies and baselines are constructed. This, in turn, will help you in making your own.
Master Humming
Humming is very important because humming helps you internalize a song. Once you have understand the intervals in a melody, you can figure out the entire melody, and, you will be in a better position to repeat the song on the piano. In other words, you should hum the tune to understand it properly and deeply. You can sit down in front of a camera and repeat the tune. Once you are aware of the chords and what the notes should sound like, you will be in a position to duplicate the song by ear.
Review Of Finger Placement
In order to really play the piano, you are required to know with which finger you want to play particular keys. The best way to do this is to memorize placement that may be available in a piano book for beginners. In this case, the fingers are numbered. For example, the thumb is number one and the pinky is number five. A beginner’s book will also teach you how to play each note by telling you with which finger you should play it with.
To learn finger numbering, check out my article here. Look for “Piano Finger Chart – Numbering fingers for each hand” at the bottom of the page.
Conclusion
You should listen to songs closely. Then you should practice humming the songs and see if you are able to duplicate this song on your piano. Or you can select a song that you like, and with the techniques that you have learned, you should try to play it by ear. In order to become a good piano player, you need to practice a lot, generally speaking, at least three times a week minimum.
