how to learn piano at home - how to play keyboard

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How to Learn Piano at Home - how to play keyboard Learning to play the piano at home involves practice, desire and an ability to catch and learn from your own mistakes. Learning to play an instrument does not require a teacher. Interest is the first important part of teaching yourself how to play the piano. Wanting to play keeps you practicing and challenging yourself, aiding to growth in musical skill. Find a suitable instrument to practice on at home. Keyboards offer inexpensive alternatives to real pianos and come in instruments of varying quality. Start off with a cheaper beginner's keyboard. It may not have the same feel or sound as a piano but comes in handy for learning to play. Once you improve and continue to play, an upright piano (new or used) becomes more practical. Learn the notes. Start with white keys. Find middle C (the center C note on a keyboard), and play up and down. Play your right hand only at first, then your left. Use both hands simultaneously, playing in the same direction, and then opposite directions. For example, your right hand moves up while your left hand moves down.Black notes each have two names, depending on scale. Scales are certain notes put together based on a step pattern (how far apart notes are from each other on the keyboard). Add black and white keys together, and learn various scales (see Resources).

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How to Learn Piano at Home - How to Play Keyboard

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Page 1: How to Learn Piano at Home - How to Play Keyboard

How to Learn Piano at Home - how to play keyboardLearning to play the piano at home involves practice, desire and an ability to catch and learn from your own mistakes. Learning to play an instrument does not require a teacher. Interest is the first important part of teaching yourself how to play the piano. Wanting to play keeps you practicing and challenging yourself, aiding to growth in musical skill.

• Find a suitable instrument to practice on at home. Keyboards offer inexpensive alternatives to real pianos and come in instruments of varying quality. Start off with a cheaper beginner's keyboard. It may not have the same feel or sound as a piano but comes in handy for learning to play. Once you improve and continue to play, an upright piano (new or used) becomes more practical.

• Learn the notes. Start with white keys. Find middle C (the center C note on a keyboard), and play up and down. Play your right hand only at first, then your left. Use both hands simultaneously, playing in the same direction, and then opposite directions. For example, your right hand moves up while your left hand moves down.Black notes each have two names, depending on scale. Scales are certain notes put together based on a step pattern (how far apart notes are from each other on the keyboard). Add black and white keys together, and learn various scales (see Resources).

Page 2: How to Learn Piano at Home - How to Play Keyboard

• Add chords to your music. Chords are multiple notes played at the same time. Basic chords (triads) are built from different notes within a scale. The first, third, and fifth notes create a major triad. A flattened third note makes a minor scale. Listen to the difference in sound. A C major chord, for example, is built from the notes C, E and G. In a C minor chord, E becomes E flat.

• Practice technique by starting to play slow. Discover which finger positions work best with the music you are playing. Determine good fingering by observing your technique. Your hands should move from one segment of music to another while keeping time, even while playing faster. Your hands should be comfortable. Contrary to certain theories, playing the piano should not be painful.Piano technique is different for every person. Generally, your hands should curve slightly (like holding a baseball), but every player finds the best personal position and fingering. Discovering the best technique for yourself increases your abilities to play better, faster and more precisely. Recognize your mistakes and learn from them. Pay attention to how you play and change your style once in awhile to check for improvements.

• Decide whether you want to learn how to read sheet music, or play by listening. Both are acceptable learning methods, but using both adds more depth to your musical knowledge. Start off reading sheet music by learning the top (treble) or bottom (bass) clefs one at a time. Practice with simple sheet music, starting slowly and increasing the speed when you are comfortable.Listening, or playing by ear, can be difficult for some, but it can be learned with practice. Listen to simple melodies at first, and match the notes, one at a time, by playing them on your piano. Try to find sheet music to the song at first, and peek if necessary. Add more complex songs once you have mastered single notes. Learn the chord sounds, the beat, and the rhythm. Copy songs by ear as much as possible.

Page 3: How to Learn Piano at Home - How to Play Keyboard

How to Learn Piano at Home - how to play keyboard Click herePiano Techniques