Learning to Play the Piano - Three Questions
Learning to Play the Piano? Ask Yourself Three Questions
Are you learning to play the piano? Have you been playing the piano for awhile? Are you taking piano lessons to enhance your skills? Are you studying the piano to play for friends and family and in recitals? Are you playing for your own enjoyment?
Every person who plays the piano no matter at what level needs to keep a reasonable perspective about the learning process and their successes and challenges. One way to keep a healthy perspective about playing the piano is to ask yourself three questions as you work through exercises and repertoire or find yourself performing for a YouTube video or for a live audience.
Ask yourself -
What did I do well?
What can I do better?
How can I make changes?
The first question, "what did I do well?" is the question that is rarely asked when starting to learn a new skill like playing the piano. It also is the question a seasoned pianist needs to ask themselves and rarely does. But, it is a very important question.
Any person playing the piano needs to notice and celebrate small
accomplishments. They must recognize what was done well. Learning to play the piano involves physical, mental and reasoning skills simultaneously. It is a challenging instrument to play. Thus the absolute need to celebrate accomplishments whether they be successfully crossing a thumb under on a scale passage fingering, using the damper pedal cleanly, performing a piece by memory, or recognizing a key signature is critical to one's self-esteem as a pianist.
The second question, "what can I do better?" seems to be more common to the human race and specifically to adults learning to play the piano. We are always looking for fault and some too easily find it in themselves and in their piano playing. But, it is a question that must be seriously considered after the accomplishments, small or large, have been noted.
In learning or maintaining piano playing skill there is always something that can enhance and improve the playing of a song, the performance of a chord progression, or the rhythm of a particular piece of music. Carefully discovering what can be made better will enhance the music you play whether it is for yourself or shared with the public.
The third question is one that is also often slighted. Students are excellent at knowing what should be done better but knowing how to make changes to create better sounding music is often a mystery. The pianist of any level needs to constantly monitor and notice certain challenging passages and not continue to play them the same incorrect way time after time hoping the next run through will be correct in some miraculous way.
Music must be broken into tiny chunks to find the root of a challenging passage or cadence. It must be analyzed with all the knowledge one has at any given moment to determine what the cause of the problem is and how it can be fixed most efficiently.
Become a better pianist by asking yourself the three questions, "what did I do well? What can I do better? and How can I make changes?" After asking yourself the three questions formulate carefully thought out answers. After discovering the answers to the three questions, celebrate successes, discover challenges and work diligently and carefully to understand how to fix problems. Make these three questions a habit for every practice session and performance and watch your piano playing prowess increase exponentially.
****
Become a better pianist by asking yourself the three questions, "what did I do well? What can I do better? and How can I make changes?" After asking yourself the three questions formulate carefully thought out answers. After discovering the answers to the three questions, celebrate successes, discover challenges and work diligently and carefully to understand how to fix problems. Make these three questions a habit for every practice session and performance and watch your piano playing prowess increase exponentially as you enjoy the piano.
Are you learning to play the piano? Have you been playing the piano for awhile? Are you taking piano lessons to enhance your skills? Are you studying the piano to play for friends and family and in recitals? Are you playing for your own enjoyment?
Every person who plays the piano no matter at what level needs to keep a reasonable perspective about the learning process and their successes and challenges. One way to keep a healthy perspective about playing the piano is to ask yourself three questions as you work through exercises and repertoire or find yourself performing for a YouTube video or for a live audience.
Ask yourself -
What did I do well?
What can I do better?
How can I make changes?
The first question, "what did I do well?" is the question that is rarely asked when starting to learn a new skill like playing the piano. It also is the question a seasoned pianist needs to ask themselves and rarely does. But, it is a very important question.
Any person playing the piano needs to notice and celebrate small
accomplishments. They must recognize what was done well. Learning to play the piano involves physical, mental and reasoning skills simultaneously. It is a challenging instrument to play. Thus the absolute need to celebrate accomplishments whether they be successfully crossing a thumb under on a scale passage fingering, using the damper pedal cleanly, performing a piece by memory, or recognizing a key signature is critical to one's self-esteem as a pianist.
The second question, "what can I do better?" seems to be more common to the human race and specifically to adults learning to play the piano. We are always looking for fault and some too easily find it in themselves and in their piano playing. But, it is a question that must be seriously considered after the accomplishments, small or large, have been noted.
In learning or maintaining piano playing skill there is always something that can enhance and improve the playing of a song, the performance of a chord progression, or the rhythm of a particular piece of music. Carefully discovering what can be made better will enhance the music you play whether it is for yourself or shared with the public.
The third question is one that is also often slighted. Students are excellent at knowing what should be done better but knowing how to make changes to create better sounding music is often a mystery. The pianist of any level needs to constantly monitor and notice certain challenging passages and not continue to play them the same incorrect way time after time hoping the next run through will be correct in some miraculous way.
Music must be broken into tiny chunks to find the root of a challenging passage or cadence. It must be analyzed with all the knowledge one has at any given moment to determine what the cause of the problem is and how it can be fixed most efficiently.
Become a better pianist by asking yourself the three questions, "what did I do well? What can I do better? and How can I make changes?" After asking yourself the three questions formulate carefully thought out answers. After discovering the answers to the three questions, celebrate successes, discover challenges and work diligently and carefully to understand how to fix problems. Make these three questions a habit for every practice session and performance and watch your piano playing prowess increase exponentially.
****
Become a better pianist by asking yourself the three questions, "what did I do well? What can I do better? and How can I make changes?" After asking yourself the three questions formulate carefully thought out answers. After discovering the answers to the three questions, celebrate successes, discover challenges and work diligently and carefully to understand how to fix problems. Make these three questions a habit for every practice session and performance and watch your piano playing prowess increase exponentially as you enjoy the piano.
