| To truly learn to play the piano well, piano lessons and | | | | piano lessons at the same time the student is learning |
| a proper instructor are of utmost importance. Sure, | | | | to read music notation. Learning to read music is an |
| there have been many great self-taught piano players | | | | area of practice that will continue throughout the full |
| throughout the history of the piano, but even the most | | | | course of learning to play the piano. A piano teacher |
| naturally gifted piano players know the benefits of | | | | will usually begin a student with easy musical pieces to |
| having a good mentor can result in a much quicker and | | | | start off with, and gradually increase the difficulty level |
| more well-rounded learning process for the average | | | | and introduce the piano student to more advanced |
| beginning pianist. When I say "much quicker," I do not | | | | assignments. After the student is adequately |
| mean that a qualified piano instructor will magically turn | | | | knowledgeable in reading music, a piano teacher might |
| you into a concert pianist in a week's time, because it | | | | introduce the student to Sight Reading, which is the |
| takes years to truly reach an advanced level of piano | | | | term used for playing a piece of piano music without |
| playing, even for the gifted students. The reason that | | | | having seen it before. |
| proper piano instruction is vital to the learning process | | | | Another detail of properly learning to play the piano is |
| is that it enables the piano student to learn proper | | | | studying and practicing music theory and chords. |
| piano playing techniques from a qualified source and | | | | Chords and music theory are extremely valuable |
| gives the student an additional perspective rather than | | | | aspects of a pianist's learning process. When learning |
| being only self-taught. | | | | to read music, a beginning piano player should be |
| Of course, the styles of each piano instructor you | | | | taught to understand the theory behind the music, |
| meet may vary, but their teaching should always | | | | rather than simply relying on sheet music. There may |
| cover the same five basic topics: fingering and posture, | | | | be instances in a pianist's life in which he or she will |
| reading music, scales, technique, and sight reading. The | | | | have to perform without the aid of sheet music, and |
| proper fingering and posture should be taught earliest, | | | | this is where the value of knowing chords and music |
| due to the importance of a piano student knowing how | | | | theory kicks in. Unfortunately, many piano instructors |
| to their hands and where to place them on the piano | | | | seem to leave this factor out of their piano lesson |
| keys. The basis of this area of study should be | | | | plans, but with chords and music theory mixed in with |
| repetitive practicing of scales. Soon after, the piano | | | | all other quality piano instruction, the beginning piano |
| student should start learning how to read music | | | | player begins to grow as a pianist since all of the |
| notation beginning with the very simplest notes, key | | | | elements of instruction are working together. Learning |
| signatures and time signatures before moving on to | | | | to play the piano then becomes simply gaining |
| more advanced ideas. | | | | knowledge gradually over time, and it only gets easier |
| Piano teachers introduce most of these ideas into the | | | | and more enjoyable! |