| Learning to play the piano doesn't have to be tedious, | | | | they heard every wrong note I played. My husband is |
| traumatic or expensive. I took piano lessons from a | | | | learning to play the piano and he likes to play at night |
| piano instructor as a child. There were no home | | | | after I have gone to bed, so the keyboard with |
| computers back then, so I had to have a live person | | | | headphones works well for him. There are various |
| teach me. I practiced the assigned pieces every day | | | | keyboards and most of them aren't as expensive as |
| for 2 hours. Talk about tedious! Granted, I look back | | | | a piano. So if you find the piano isn't the instrument of |
| now, and realize the pieces were good pieces for | | | | choice for you, you haven't spent too much to find this |
| learning the techniques of piano playing and they fit the | | | | out. |
| lesson the instructor was teaching. But as a child, it just | | | | A Better Way to Learn |
| wasn't what I wanted to play. I wanted to play the | | | | There are books at the book stores that can teach |
| tunes on the radio. | | | | you how to read the music and some of them actually |
| I remember one "recital" my instructor took me to. We | | | | come with instructional CD's. I had to buy books that |
| went to this lady's house, there were three of us | | | | taught the theory of piano playing; the very first book |
| students. Two of us sat on her couch, while the third | | | | taught me how to read the music. What notes on the |
| student played in her study. There were two | | | | page stood for which keys on the piano. What the |
| Dobermans guarding us on the couch. Now, as a child I | | | | signs for sharp and flat mean on the piano. What a |
| had cats; my family never had a dog. So I was terrified | | | | quarter note versus an eighth note means. The theory |
| to move with those dogs sitting there staring at us. | | | | of piano music could also be called technique; it's the |
| Piano lessons shouldn't be remembered this way. It's | | | | nuts and bolts of the written music. If you are the type |
| good thing I never associated piano music with being | | | | who learns better from reading something and then |
| terrified. | | | | putting it into practice, this would be a good route for |
| I also remember my mom giving me cash to give my | | | | you to learn to play the piano. |
| instructor. Now, I was lucky, my instructor lived across | | | | There are also online programs. Now, with computer |
| the street from me. So she knew my mom real well. | | | | technology so commonplace, you can go online, and |
| Okay, maybe I wasn't so lucky, I couldn't fudge on my | | | | for a fee, download instructional videos on learning to |
| lessons in any way shape or form. But if I had a | | | | play the piano. These videos start with the basics, |
| question, I just trotted across the street and asked. | | | | learning the names of the keys, musical notes, etc. And |
| Back then though, Mom was paying $20 a week for | | | | these videos usually have simple songs for beginners |
| me to learn to play the piano. Pretty steep at the time, | | | | to learn to play, so you can put what you learn into |
| especially when Dad was not working because of the | | | | practice. |
| strike at his company. | | | | So, if you don't want to start out learning to play the |
| My point is there are other less tedious, traumatic and | | | | piano with the expensive expenditure of buying a piano |
| expensive ways to learn to play the piano. You can | | | | and spending money on weekly lessons, you can go |
| buy a keyboard with headphones, so everyone | | | | another route. You can buy a less expensive |
| doesn't have to hear you struggling or make mistakes. | | | | keyboard and learn to play privately via books and |
| When I practiced, everyone in the household heard | | | | online programs. |
| every note played over and over and over again. And | | | | |