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Learning to play the piano, how do you do it?

Learning to play the piano, how do you do it?

Acoustic piano
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Digital piano

We all remember it, flute lessons with thirty noisy children in one class. The windows are dying to burst at the shrill sounds of songs like Father Jacob. "Are you still asleep?" an unnecessary question. Or you may have had lessons from a strict piano teacher who tapped the fingers with a pencil whenever a wrong note was played. A few years ago, this was the way to learn to play music. Fortunately we have other methods now!

Piano classes online

There are several apps with which you can learn to play the piano. For example Flowkey: This app is partly free. There are a number of songs that you can learn to play. If you want to play more songs, it will cost you some extra. In the app itself you can see how much it costs. Do you have a piano with silent-system or a digital piano? Then you can connect a tablet to the instrument and immediately play along with the song as described in the video. Youtube also offers many opportunities to learn to play. For example: All you have to do is select the song you want to learn to play and type it in and voilà, a piano tutorial of the song. Of course there are pros and cons:

Advantages

A person can learn to play the piano without being able to read a single note. Playing this way is a form of the game memory. It is remembering what you should play. Playing this way is low-threshold and accessible. It is a good way to start playing the piano, and it is cheaper than taking piano lessons from a teacher or school.

Disadvantages

You actually have no idea what you are playing. It's just a matter of remembering which key to press. Each piece of music conveys a feeling and emotion which is otherwise clearly readable from the sheet music. How loud or soft should you play? What is the right rhythm? How do you use the pedal board? In some applications, the notes are written down, so that is already a little better, but many beginning players do not look at this. It can also be frustrating to have to rewind every time things go too fast.

Piano classes at school or with a teacher

Of course, lessons nowadays are very different from what they used to be. Lessons are much more student-centred. It is much more about having fun. Teachers and schools are very flexible and open these days. Teachers are increasingly being asked if they can include pop music in the teaching programme, for example. The song "Let it go" from the Disney film "Frozen" is an excellent example of this, whether or not to the chagrin of some teachers. Fortunately, lessons have become much more accessible. And finding a suitable teacher is also a lot easier nowadays. Our site often allows you to find several teachers in your neighbourhood and immediately follow up on your own good intentions or the wishes of your child.

FInd a piano teacher

I want to, but there's no time!

Some teachers can also come to your home or even teach online. If you invite the teacher to your home, you can get lessons in a much more comfortable environment. Of course, it is handy to have an instrument at home, otherwise you might as well play a game of goose board with the teacher. Via video or live stream, the teacher can watch you play at home. It is not the best way to get lessons, but it is certainly a reasonable alternative.

Advantages

Interaction! Posture is very important in piano playing, but also things like fingering and general body language. By learning to play yourself, you may learn the wrong posture. This may cause certain repertoire to be difficult to play later on. Another argument is that it is very difficult to unlearn something. The best thing is to do it right the first time and learn a solid basis. A teacher will look with you and know what he or she has to pay attention to. In this way, a pupil can be taught in a very focused way. For many students, a teacher is also a motivation to keep playing and having fun. Because in the end that is what it is all about: having fun!

Disadvantages

Going to a school or teacher for lessons takes time. For some people, this is often the argument for not going. In this hectic society, good management of the agenda is essential and it can be quite difficult to find a good balance between work and your personal life. It can be a nuisance to have to go to class a few times a week as well. So think carefully about how much time you want to schedule for lessons and practice before you enthusiastically decide to take lessons!

Conclusion

Playing the piano can be relaxing. It is an outlet, a way to let your hair down. It can also be a means to provide the neighbours with a good supply of work vitamins when they decide to do the umpteenth gardening job at 6:00 in the morning. (Piano's Maene is not responsible for possible quarrels caused by piano playing on an instrument of Piano's Maene). The most important thing is: having fun!

Learning to play the piano, how do you do it?

Piano classes online

Piano classes at school or with a teacher

I want to, but there's no time!

Conclusion

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Why you should (not) go for a digital piano