How To Play The Piano

You can learn how to play the piano and here is a plan to help you. Every element listed here will help you build your skills, but you cannot possibly learn everything at once. So take your time and practice each element until you feel confident.

To Begin:

Learn Your Keyboard And Your Piano Finger Numbers

To learn how to play the piano, you must first develop a familiarity with the piano keyboard and with your own fingers and how they fit and move on the keys. The piano key layout, note names, and piano finger numbers must become as familiar to the pianist as the controls of a car are to a driver.

A proper (comfortable and effective) sitting position, hand position, and basic piano technique help tremendously.

To learn basic piano technique, the piano keys layout and note names, and piano fingerings, go to "free piano lessons" . Practice (instructions for practicing are included) and master as many of the melodies as you would like.

You will also be learning some basic practicing techniques for learning and memorizing music on the piano.

Next (in no particular order, but it’s best if you work a bit in each category simultaneously):

Learn Piano Scales

Learning and mastering the scales on the piano is foundational to your understanding of music, to your technique, and to your confidence and comfort level at the keyboard.

To learn about scales, scale fingerings, key signatures, and how to practice and play scales, go to “Piano Scales”.

Learn Piano Chords

Piano chords are just as foundational for learning how to play the piano as scales. From the most basic three-note chords (called “triads”), to the most complex jazz and blues chords, a piano player cannot go wrong by developing an extensive chord knowledge and vocabulary.

Learn and play chords to boost your music reading, music memorizing, music composition, improvisation, song leading, accompanying, and overall confidence at the keyboard.

To begin building your repertoire of chords, go to “Piano Chords”.

Start Reading Music

Learning to read piano music opens up a whole world of music to pianists of all abilities and is a worthy and attainable pursuit for everyone wanting to know how to play the piano.

For a plan to help you become a confident music reader at the piano, go to “reading music”.

Learn And Memorize Piano Music

On the road to mastering the piano, a person will discover a vast array of music available to pianists. The range and variety of music and music resources for the piano is incredible. A web page devoted to piano music and piano music books is presently under construction.

Until its completion, just on your own you can explore your local music store, or go to “Sheet Music Plus” (new window will open) and look around at the huge amount of piano music which is readily available for pianists of all ability levels.

Practice is the key to a developing pianist. For a comprehensive, very descriptive guide to practicing, go to "How To Practice".

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