How to learn to play the piano from scratch: a step by step guide for beginners

Learning to play keyboards well is not easy and requires a lot of time. So how do you learn to play the piano from scratch? Following the elementary rules, you can quickly learn how to play the piano at home.

The Art of Piano Playing: The Mechanics and Principle of Sound Extraction

We get acquainted in detail with the mechanics of the instrument in order to understand the physical features of sound extraction and the process:

1. Pressing a key – the hammer strikes three identical strings;
2. From physical impact, the strings vibrate (sound);
3. If the key is released, a special mechanism will mute the string;
4. If you hold down the key, the strings will sound until they stop vibrating.

A demonstration of piano mechanics should be carried out on the piano, since the internal structure of the instrument is clearly visible there.

Learning to play the piano on your own: Landing at the instrument. Arms

The emancipation of the playing apparatus and the “freedom” in the shoulders are the foundations of healthy pianism. Acquaintance with the instrument requires the teacher to make maximum efforts towards working on the student’s landing. The key to quality work in the classroom is an even posture and a chair that is suitable in height and size.

The student’s hands should first of all be as relaxed as possible from the shoulder to the hand. The brushes themselves should resemble a dome. For better assimilation, use the following method: invite the student to take a ball or fruit of a suitable size in his hand, repeat the dome-shaped position of the hand. Watching videos of music performed by professional pianists will help you master the material.

Learn to play the piano at home: Gymnastic exercises for hands

Correction of physical discomfort in the hands of the student will be possible thanks to a set of exercises:

• “Windmill” – we lower our hands down (relaxing the gaming machine as much as possible from the shoulder) and simultaneously imitate the movement of the windmill blades with our hands;
• “Threat” – with the help of a clenched fist, one should move the hand in order to relax the joints, in addition, this exercise can be performed using the elbow joint;
• “Twisting the light bulb” – imitation of the process of twisting the light bulb involves the movement of the hand to the outer and inner sides;

These exercises are recommended to be carried out before starting classes, the complex will relax the muscles and ligaments, which will negate possible physical discomfort.

How to learn to play the piano from scratch: Reading music. Musical literacy

Musical theory is extremely extensive and difficult for a beginner. Therefore, it is worth dwelling on the study of the basic seven notes and their location on the corresponding note lines. This material is held in every music school, but for the lost “dummies” individual lessons are just right, the prices for piano lessons for beginners are democratic. An experienced tutor (online inclusive) will help you immerse yourself in reading and writing, as well as the Solfeggio discipline, which specializes in studying the basics of music theory. To achieve the result, we recommend using the training materials of Vakhromeev, Davydov and Varlamov. Basic theoretical concepts for a beginner pianist:

• Melismas are melodic decorations of the main melody; there are several types of melismas (mordent, trill, grupupto);
• Scales and modal gravitation (major and minor);
• Triads and seventh chords are more complex musical structures of 3 and 4 sounds, respectively;

The pianist must clearly and accurately distinguish between the following concepts:

1. Tempo is the main measure of speed in music;
2. Rhythm and meter – a sense of the pulsation of music, as well as strong and weak beats;
3. Strokes – graphic signs in the musical text, which mean the way of performing the piece assigned to itself (staccato, legato, portamento);

Our piano tutorial will be a good helper in future aspirations to the great and will help you learn how to play the piano on your own at home, for example, the Imperial March: