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You’ve got a new piano. It’s time to learn how to make some beautiful music.

Being able to play music isn’t the only thing you can look forward to when learning a new instrument. Studies have shown that you can see several health benefits when learning something new.

So what can you do to learn? This post will show you the best ways to learn the piano.

Follow the eight tips below to get started on your musical journey.

Piano Tips for Beginners

1. Learn the Basics

It may seem obvious but start with the basics. Sometimes we want to jump straight in and try to see how far we can go in the beginning. But if you don’t start simple first, you can burn yourself out from failure or injure your hands because they don’t have the stamina to handle more complex music.

The first thing you need to focus on when playing is posture. You will be doing a lot of repetitive motion. Good posture will help reduce the strain on your hands and wrists when you are playing.

Once you are sitting correctly, focus on learning the basic techniques. You need to perfect your form in the beginning.

Once you have learned proper form, focus on learning the primary rhythms and cords that make up the songs you want to practice.

2. Set a Practice Schedule and Stick With It

Practice makes perfect. If you don’t invest the time to learn a skill, then you aren’t going to go anywhere with it.

Malcolm Gladwell is famous for developing the 10,000-hour rule. This number is the average amount of time it takes for someone to become an expert at something.

If you want to become good, then you need to put in the hours. Try to practice the same amount of time every day and don’t stop.

The more work you do, the better you’re going to get.

3. Try to Find Patterns

Music is made up of patterns. If you take the time to learn what these patterns and progressions are then it becomes much easier for you to learn by ear.

Instead of working on learning every note, you can learn patterns and play the songs you want faster.

Learning patterns also help you understand how melodies are constructed. You might not want to stick with other people’s music. This will help you come up with your own jam!

4. Apply the 80/20 Principle

The 80/20 principle has become popular in business and skill development. It’s a simple principle when you take a look at it.

The idea is that 80% of your progress will come from 20% of the work you do. How does knowing this help though?

Don’t put all your efforts into learning every piano skill you can. Only focus on the skills that once you master will make everything else you learn easier.

You can also use this principle to play the music you want to focus on. Chances are what you want to play only uses a subset of the types of playing out there. Focus on what you need to know to play the music you enjoy.

5. Play Slow in the Beginning

You aren’t a master musician yet. It’s okay if you don’t play your music fast.

Before you start working on speed, make sure you are accurate. Spend your time making sure you hit all the right notes.

As you rack of practice time, muscle memory will start kicking in. When this happens, you should see your speed begin to get better.

Until then, take things slow and do things right.

6. Warm Up Before You Practice

It might not seem like a lot, but your hands are doing a lot of work. Like the rest of your body, if you don’t make sure they are ready to work, you can risk injury.

Before you begin, stretch your hands and perform warm-up exercises. This stretching will help blood flow to your hands and remove any stiffness in them.

You can also get into the right frame of mind by practicing simple techniques and progressions before you start your practice. A good set of exercises to learn are the Hanon exercises.

7. Practice Music You Enjoy

You didn’t start to learn a new instrument to have a miserable time. You want to have fun. When you practice, make sure you are working towards progressing with the songs you love.

Pop is an easy genre of music to pick up. This music has simple melodies that aren’t hard to understand. They’re catchy too and won’t be too dull to keep playing.

There are also several beginner piano songs that are catchy and good for practice. Learn what these are and use them to practice your technique.

8. Find a Teacher

You can learn a lot on your own. But this can limit some people and slow their progress. Sometimes it helps to find a teacher to help you learn.

Finding an expert will give you a partner in your learning. They know the tips and tricks that can help make your learning process easier.

You also have someone that can look over your shoulder to make sure you are doing things right. Sure, you may be producing the sound you’re going for when playing your music. But are you using the proper technique?

A teacher will be able to make sure you do things right, so you don’t have to correct yourself in the future. It’s easier to learn the right way to do things the first time around.

Best Ways to Learn Piano: Final Thoughts

Now that you know eight of the best ways to learn the piano, don’t waste any time starting your learning journey. It takes a long time to master an instrument. But if you take the time and do your practice, you can become someone worth listening to someday.

Have you purchased a new piano and need help moving it home? Take a look at our piano moving services to learn how we can help.