4 Proven Ways to Successfully Learn Piano
JUNE 12TH, 2020
There is a right way and a wrong way for you learn how to play piano. How can you find the way that works best for you?
By understanding the 4 paths to successfully learning piano and selecting the one that matches your personality, abilities and circumstances.
Today you learn how to figure out which method of learning piano will be most effective for you.
This is a topic that many people take for granted and pay little attention to. However, most people that quit taking piano lessons are unaware of this information. While piano teachers know why so many of their students quit piano lessons, most would never reveal these facts. So, I am excited to share this with you and hopefully it will save you lots of time, money and frustration.
The 4 Proven ways to successfully learn piano are:
The Traditionalist
The Course-Taker
The Faker
The Gamer
A quick note: we have compiled ALL our content into a comprehensive guide that will remove all the confusion and answer many questions you have about learning piano! Grab our guide, Learning Piano 101: Everything You Need to Know, when you sign up in the box below!
The Two Key Requirements to Learning Piano!
To learn piano you must have two things. Time and a learning method that works with (not against) your abilities and circumstances.
Those that move forward investing their money in learning piano without time and the proper learning method end up disappointed and frustrated.
The Method You Choose to Learn Piano is Important
Most people that quit piano lessons end up blaming themselves. They have tried to follow instructions to the best of their ability. They practice, practice, practice. Yet they find themselves quitting because they just can't seem to do the one thing they signed up to do. After many months of trying to learn, they still can't play piano.
Because they followed instructions and did everything their instructor told them to do, and still cannot piano very well, they feel like they must not be smart enough to learn it.
If only they knew that the fault was not their own. In fact the reason people fail to learn piano is seldom the student's fault. The real problem with most piano lessons fail is that the student is mismatched with the proper teaching method that will work for their personal abilities and circumstances.
If you're older, you might believe that your age is the culprit. You begin to think you are too old to learn something new. Not true! Anyone can learn piano at any age. So do not give in to this false belief.
Others feel that they are not musically inclined. And while some are naturally more musically gifted than others, I have found that while not having innate musical ability can be a barrier to a person learning how to play a musical instrument, it is certainly not an obstacle that cannot be overcome. The best medicine for those that struggle musically is to help them to gain confidence by helping them have quick wins at each and every lesson.
Why Time is so Important
Time is also essential because in most cases results do not happen overnight. No matter which method to learning piano we choose, our improvements will be incremental and recognized over the span of months and years. For example, we would expect that after taking piano lessons for a year, we would be much better at it than when we first started taking lessons. The question is: Can you hang in there through the difficult stages?
Many do not because the time commitment that they may have agreed to initially was unexpected or unrealistic. They never realized how much practice their teacher expected them to do at home. And for many it would be impossible to commit the amount of practice time required due to an already busy schedule.
We must accept that while we all have the same amount of time in each day, we do not all have the same amount of time to commit to learning piano. The key is to be realistic. Ask yourself: "How much time do I have to commit to learning and practicing piano?"
Now read the rest of this article and find the method that fits into your busy schedule and matches your circumstance.
As you can see, to succeed at learning piano you must understand yourself and be willing to find an approach that is adaptive to your needs. Both requirements must be met for you to succeed at learning how to play piano.
Why All Methods of Learning Piano Don't Work for All People?
When it comes to learning piano, despite what anyone will tell you, there is no “One-Size-Fits-All” solution. There is no single way to learn piano that works for everyone.
When we try to squeeze ourselves into the wrong mold and we try to force ourselves to learn piano the wrong way, we get frustrated with trying to learn how to play piano and we give up.
For many people including myself this is a difficult, and expensive lesson to learn.
Why Piano Lessons Failed You in the Past
More than likely if you have taken piano lessons in the past and have given up, you did not fail your piano lessons. Your piano lessons failed you. They failed to provide what you needed to be able to learn.
Have you ever tried to learn piano and ended up feeling that it was too difficult? Perhaps you have watched videos, you've read books, you’ve even hired a piano teacher. But nothing seems to work. There is nothing more frustrating than trying one thing after another and still feeling like it is impossible.
If this has been your experience, do not feel bad. This happens to most piano students. The reason why so many people struggle to learn how to play piano is that the way they have chosen to learn does not suit their learning style and circumstances.
As you will read in my bio, I went through this experience several times before I finally discovered this secret. In fact, I quit piano 5 times before I finally realized that the problem was not me. The reason that I was making very little progress with my piano lessons despite years of trying, was that I was trying to learn piano the wrong way.
The truth is piano students are not all the same. We all learn in a variety of different ways. Some of us require a strict learning environment with persistent help from a personal instructor. However, many others require low stress and the ability to learn how to play piano on their own.
In this article we identify and explore the 4 Ways to Successfully Learn Piano. I will help you to figure out which method you align with the best so that you can finally learn how to play piano.
1. "The Traditionalist"
The first proven method that helps people to successfully learn how to play piano is Traditional piano lessons. When people think about taking piano lessons, this is the first image that naturally comes into their minds. The key characteristics of traditional piano lessons are typically: a one to one teacher/student interaction where learning piano spans over years if not an entire lifetime. Music theory, sheet music and rigorous practice are synonymous with this method of learning piano. Some love this format of learning piano and would not consider any other options. While others hate Traditional piano lessons and run far away from them.
What Are Traditional Piano Lessons Like?
For most people, Traditional piano lessons are difficult and require a large investment of time and dedication on the part of the student. Typically over the course of many years, a piano teacher will instruct the student on music theory and will show the student how to read sheet music. Sheet music is a song which is written in a musical language that can be used to play a musical instrument. After learning how to read sheet music and practicing piano for about 30 minutes to 1 hour per day, the student makes slow steady progress and eventually is able to play a variety of songs on piano.
These piano lessons start of with the basic concepts of music theory by having the student practice scales (musical notes that sound good together played in a specific order) or play simple songs such as nursery rhymes on piano, and progressing to more complicated music while a teacher coaches and critiques the student on all aspects of performance.
Traditional piano lessons do not only focus on instructing students how to play music. They also focus on posture while playing, correct fingering of piano keys and rhythm. Very frequently piano teachers will require students to practice piano using a metronome, which is a device used by musicians to keep on time with the progression of the song as they play a musical instrument.
One final thing to note about Traditional piano lessons is the fact that they can be very expensive. Depending on the teacher, their demand and expertise, you can expect to pay on average $40 per lesson. Each session will average 30 minutes in length and much of the time spent during the lesson is reviewing what the student should have learned in the prior lesson. Needless to say, you can see why progress seems to be so slow to the student trying to learn piano using this approach.
With all that being mentioned, the truth of the matter is Traditional piano lessons have been proven to work for hundreds of years. People that stick to them, swear by them and are able to develop very impressive piano playing skills. Some continue to hone their skills for years and go on to perform in professional bands and orchestras.
Benefits of Traditional Piano Lessons
Traditional piano lessons are ideal for people with adequate time and commitment to learning piano in a structured school-type setting. People with a long-term goal of playing complex classical music or perhaps playing piano professionally with an orchestra need to know all the technical aspects of music and piano.
As you can see from the above description, Traditional piano lessons demand a very strict adherence to processes and a deeply structured learning format. Therefore, patience, repetition and practice are the most important requirements for people that choose take traditional piano lessons. Students must be aware that learning piano using this method takes a lot of time. For example, it may take 6 months to a year for a student to see his or her progress by being able to play a few interesting songs on piano.
These characteristics make traditional piano lessons more appealing to parents and less appealing to children who are more prone to prefer less structure and faster results. Therefore, most people enrolled in traditional-styled piano lessons were committed by their parents that see the benefit of highly organized music instruction.
Who do Traditional Piano Lessons Not Work For?
There are 4 types of people that Traditional piano lessons are not suitable for:
1. People with busy schedules.
2. People that want to make quick progress.
3. People that do not want to practice piano daily.
4. People that find it difficult to take critical feedback.
The most essential elements to succeeding at taking Traditional piano lessons are time and dedication. Therefore, if you do not have enough of either of these essentials, you must choose a different avenue to learn piano.
As you consider this option, be honest with yourself. If you are an adult with a busy schedule or lifestyle, Traditional piano lessons are not for you. If you work a full-time job, are a full-time student or raise children, Traditional piano lessons are not the best option.
Traditional piano lessons have failed many more people than they have helped. In fact, if the decision over which method will work for you is based on sheer numbers, the odds are that if you take Traditional piano lessons, you will more than likely quit within 1 year.
Steve Lungrin of Learning Piano is Fun, states that there are 5 Reasons Traditional Piano Lessons do not work. I agree with most if not all of his thoughts on this subject. Some of the reasons he lists are not mentioned in my article. Please check out his observations in this video: 5 Reasons Traditional Piano Lessons Fail Most People.
2. "The Course-Taker"
There are two types of piano Course-Takers. The first type is made up of people that have taken Traditional piano lessons before as a child and want a way to reengage with piano lessons as an adult. These folks know that their current lifestyle will not allow them to take Traditional lessons and are making the smart choice to find something that is more likely to work around their busy schedules.
The second type of Course-Takers have no idea how to play piano. They have never taken lessons before. So, they are searching for an easy way to learn piano without having to hire a personal piano teacher. Even without prior piano lessons, these individuals are making a wise choice. By seeking out a course tailored to their circumstances and musical desires, they are more likely to succeed than if they otherwise enter Traditional piano lessons as a busy adult.
What Are Piano Courses Like?
With prices ranging from $30 to $400, piano courses are less expensive than Traditional Piano lessons.
There are hundreds and thousands of courses that have been created to appeal to people with a desire to learn how to play piano at their own pace, from the comfort of their own homes. The methods range from teaching people how to “play piano by ear” from popular websites such as hearandplay.com, while other courses teach people how to play specific types of music such as “blues” or “gospel”.
Most variations of courses infuse elements of Traditional piano lessons. For example, many emphasize the importance of understanding music theory and practicing musical scales. Essentially with many courses, you may find yourself taking Traditional piano lessons without the aid of a live piano teacher.
The many options can be confusing, and it can be very difficult for the piano student to know which one will work for them. Therefore most people that take piano courses never actually complete them. The courses typically end up being placed on a bookshelf for a future date where the piano student will try the course again when they get the urge to learn piano in the future.
Benefits of Piano Courses
Piano courses work for people with busy schedules. They also work people that have taken traditional piano lessons sometime in the past. Piano course instructors understand that most of their students have quit piano lessons before, so most courses make an honest attempt to make playing piano easier. The teachers try to explain things in more basic terms so that the student learning by video or by book reading will be able to understand.
Course-takers do not have time to take traditional piano lessons, so they are searching for a quicker and easier method to learn how to play piano. They desire the structure of traditional piano lessons without the tradition. Their musical taste is open to playing a variety of musical styles from jazz standards, to rock and R&B etc.
This type of piano student typically has some knowledge of how to play piano, so they feel safe following along with a recorded piano teacher online or watching instructional videos and reading books. Many Course-Takers have taken more than one course and most of them typically fall into a pattern of starting and quitting courses repeatedly.
Due to their prior Traditional piano lessons, Course-Takers typically make progress quickly until the course gets more difficult and they plateau in frustration due to not having a piano teacher available to explain the more complicated parts of piano theory.
Who do Piano Courses Not Work For?
Piano courses will not work for people that are not able to keep themselves motivated enough to study and practice. Without a personal piano teacher, you become even more essential to the learning process. So, if you sign up for a piano course, you must guide yourself through the lessons from start to finish.
You also must critique yourself to determine where improvements are needed to make progress. That means you must study music enough to understand what your piano playing "should" sound like and compare it to what your piano playing "does" sound like. Then you must figure out what you need to do to improve.
As a reminder, most piano courses are heavily focused around understanding sheet music and music theory. Therefore, you can expect several similarities to the Traditional piano lessons. So, if you are not inclined to learn or understand music theory without a personal guide to answer your specific questions, you need to reconsider whether taking a piano course will work for your circumstances.
When considering whether you should enroll in any piano course, ask yourself:
Ask yourself:
"Does the course instructor seem to be good at communicating? Is he or she great at explaining things in an easy to understand way, so that I can learn how to play piano without them being in the same room?
"Will I force myself to study piano every week?
"Will I also practice piano each week to support the lessons and make progress?
"Am I able to understand piano lessons well enough without a person answering specific questions related to the training?
3. "The Faker"
It may be surprising to you to find out that many of your favorite musicians are not classically trained piano students. Instead of learning piano using traditional methods they have adopted the Fake approach to play piano. Don’t let the term Fake fool you. Many Fake Piano players are extremely good a playing piano. In fact, the music one can produce using this method can be very enjoyable.
The fake approach to learning piano is extremely popular especially among adults, because it requires minimal understanding of how to read sheet music. The key to mastering playing Fake piano is to learn as many piano “chords” as possible. Piano chords are a combination of notes usually at least 3 piano keys, all played together at the same time. Usually the chords are played using the left hand, setting the tone for the music. The right hand is then used to play the melody, in other words the single notes that generally define and add character to the song making it more distinct.
Fake piano players use Fake Piano Books which feature much more simplified versions of sheet music compared to typical sheet music used in Traditional piano lessons. For example, the left-hand keys to be played on piano are indicated by easily recognizable chord names such as “C Sharp” or “C Minor”, as opposed to the more complicated typical sheet music format. Whereas the right-hand notes are represented in typical sheet music format. This simplification makes the information easier for the piano player to process since they only need to focus on reading sheet music for a much smaller portion of the music.
Learning how to play from Fake Books is a process that can be done by oneself or with the help of a piano teacher. Either way, a student is generally going to see results much faster than the slower steady approach found with Traditional piano lessons.
Who Does the Fake Piano Method Work For?
The Fake Piano Method works for many people. It is especially effective for people that at least have a basic knowledge of how to read sheet music. A basic knowledge of sheet music serves as a solid foundation for the Fake piano student to learn from.
When you get the hang of it and understand the basic concepts of using Fake books, you can learn at your own pace with little instruction and guidance required. That’s why so many musicians and people that want to play in bands have opted to go the Fake route.
The name of the game is learning as many piano chords as possible so that you can build a strong battery of musical comprehension and abilities.
Who Does the Fake Piano Method Not Work For?
The Fake Piano Method will not work for people that cannot read basic sheet music. Although this method is much simpler that the Traditional method, it still does require sheet music reading ability to be successful. Therefore, a significant amount of study and practice is required.
Also, as one makes progress, chord structures can go from very easy to extremely complex. As the complexity increases the piano student will often require a “Chord Dictionary” to comprehend the musical notation in the Fake Book. The student must be patient and continue fighting through the difficulties of understanding chord structures and basic sheet music reading to succeed at mastering playing piano from Fake Books.
While not a requirement to play from a Fake Book, understanding music theory is also helpful. Adding music theory will allow the student to play more freely and become less dependent on reading music to play piano.
Again, I recommend using Fake books to play piano for people that are okay with learning how to read sheet music at least at a basic level. If you are not willing or able to do this, then bypass this option and proceed to the next proven method to learn piano!
4. "The Gamer"
The newest profile for piano students that gained popularity around the world about 13 years ago is called Synthesia. Synthesia is a gaming style of learning how to play piano, similar to Guitar Hero. In fact, Synsthesia was originally called Piano Hero until the Guitar Hero people made them change the name.
The appeal of Synthesia for people trying to learn piano is the low skill required to play piano. No longer does a person need to learn how to read sheet-music or study music theory to play their favorite songs. All you must do to learn songs on piano is follow the musical patterns on their computer/tablet and repeat them on your piano or keyboard.
Lately, Synthesia has become extremely popular due to the way it is made learning piano fun and more accessible. If you are a visual learner and your eyes respond well to rapid movements, this might be something that you would like to explore further.
Some of the downfalls to the Gamer approach to learning piano is that you do not actually learn much about the process of what you are doing. It can be easy to get caught up in the gamish nature of playing piano while paying little if any attention to technique and method. Also, just as with video games, some of the programming can be quick and difficult to follow, so a person can easily get lost if he/she isn’t able to keep up.
Traditionalists typically frown on this type of “simulated” piano lesson, but don’t let that disturb you too much. If it works for you, go for it!
Who Does the Gamer Piano Method Work For?
The Gamer Method of learning piano is great for people that do not want to learn piano before they can start to play piano. People that want or need the instant gratification of actually playing songs they enjoy on piano will gravitate to the is method of learning.
Visual learners are more apt to do well using this approach also. The graphical animations that Synthesia provides are colorful and keep your senses engaged as you game through playing piano.
Who Does the Gamer Piano Method Not Work For?
A portion of people that have tried using this method have reported difficulty in keeping up with Synthesia animations. The rapid movements on screen can be challenging to comprehend and then translate onto the piano when playing through complex pieces of music.
Aside from this, of course this approach will not teach you how to read sheet music nor will it teach you much about music theory. Therefore if either of these are goals that you have as a piano student, you need to seek a more appropriate alternative.
Which Piano Method Is Right for You?
Now to the final question: Which method of learning how to play piano is right for you?
There is no right or wrong way to learn how to play piano. There are many ways to learn. To succeed at learning piano, you must figure out which one of the 4 proven ways in this article will work for you.
It is important to understand that there are naysayers that will speak favorably or poorly about each one of these ways of learning piano. Depending on a person’s perspective and life experience, they will recommend that one way of learning piano is better than another.
I recommend that you listen to advice of others. Your friends may be able to warn you about some of the advantages and pitfalls of each of these options. Their advice may prove valuable and save you from making the wrong decision.
But I can also tell you from personal experience you should not let someone else choose the way you learn piano for you. No one can commit your heart, your time, or the patience required for you to learn piano like you can.
The fact is that you must make the best decision for yourself. You cannot allow other people’s perceptions and negative opinions of a way of learning piano to influence your decision. What worked for someone else may or may not work for you and vice versa.
Now that you understand the 4 Proven Ways to Successfully Learn Piano, which one do you identify with the most?
More importantly, which one of these methods for learning piano suits your personality and lifestyle the best?
Are there other methods of learning piano that I left off that you would like to make me aware of?
Comment below and let me know your thoughts!
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