How to Become
a Good Piano Player
People who play the piano –
whether they’re professionals or amateurs –
should always aspire to be a better musician and
pianist. Whether you’ve been taking piano
lessons for half a decade or have yet to touch
the instrument, improvement and progression are
key. From improving finger strength and flexibility to constantly
challenging yourself, here are a few different
ways you can become a good piano player.
1.Create Enough Time for Practice:
If you’re the type who practices whenever you
have spare time, this could be the reason why you haven’t
seen much improvement. Practicing the piano
shouldn’t be low on your list of priorities. If it’s
at the bottom of the list – along with cleaning
out your dishes you should schedule some time each
week to sit down and practice your instrument.
Whether you practice every Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday from 6 to 8pm, or every weekday for
an hour, try not to allow anything to deter or hinder you
from practicing. Commitment to practice is as
important to improving your abilities as finding
the right teacher. If you do find yourself with
extra time, tack on an extra hour to your practice
routine.
2.Learn and Practice Sight Reading:
While sitting down and practicing the same piece
of music until you play it perfectly is a good way
to practice, switch it up every once in awhile by
throwing a random piece into the mix. When
practicing your sight reading, don’t worry too
much about making mistakes. Simply play the
piece from start to finish to your best ability, and
run through it a few more times for good
measure. Not only does this type of practice
improve your improvisation skills, but sight
reading is essential for those who are interested
in joining a band or orchestra. When you do make
mistakes, don’t look at them as a disappointment
or burden. If you consider mistakes a crucial part
of the learning process, you’ll likely find that
practicing the piano will become more enjoyable.
3.Slow Down:
Too many people falsely believe that the true
test of a musician is how quickly they can play.
While playing quickly makes sense in some
contexts, those who play too quickly may start
to miss notes and play sloppily. If you find
yourself missing notes in a particular section,
don’t rush through that section as quickly as
possible- pause the metronome , slow down, and
practice it until you get it right. No matter how
well you think you know a piece, practice it at a
slower pace every three or four run-throughs.
After all, how can you ever expect to play a
piece quickly if you can’t play it at a slowed
down pace?
4.Keep Challenging Yourself:
This may sound stupid, but you’d be
surprised at how many pianists stop challenging
themselves once they’ve become semi-proficient
at playing the instrument. Just as a bodybuilder
must lift heavier weights in order to get stronger,
a piano player must continually play more and
more difficult pieces in order to improve. If you
aren’t sure which piece of music you should
choose to challenge yourself, ask your instructor.
They’ll know better than anyone what your
strengths and weaknesses are, and they should
be able to pick a piece that’s challenging but not
impossible. For example, if you struggle playing
with your left hand they should be able to pick a
piece that focuses mostly on the left hand.
5.Make Sure Your Goals are
Realistic and achievable:
Whether your goal is to become a music theory
master or memorize your latest piece from start
to finish, make sure the goals you’re setting are
realistic. If you’re expecting to become a genius
at playing the piano overnight, think again-
becoming better at the instrument requires hard
work, dedication, and plenty of practice. We’re
only human and, as humans, we tend to dream
big. If you’re struggling to meet your goals, take
a moment to re-evaluate them.
