If you’re interested in playing piano, then it’s important to be aware of all the piano tips and tricks that will help you improve your efforts towards this skill set.

There are certainly some mistakes that almost every piano student makes, even adult students. Therefore, it’s good to know what these are and how you can try to avoid them as best as possible. You’ll also get a better understanding of what to look for when finding piano lessons.

7 mistakes almost every new piano student makes

Learning the piano can be a highly rewarding but challenging journey to take on. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the common mistakes that occur with most new piano students.

1. Playing too fast and too soon

As a beginner, you might feel like you need to be hitting certain benchmarks, and there might be a pressure to know how to play a song by the end of the first few lessons. Beginners will often play at performance tempo almost immediately, but that ultimately leads to more mistakes rather than fixing them by going slow and steady.

Practice it at a ‘snail-slow’ pace so that every note you play, you’re thinking about it before you hit each key. Only increase that tempo once you can play it perfectly three times or more in a row.

2. Neglecting proper posture and hand position

Slouching, sitting too close, or playing with flat fingers can cause a lot of tension and potential injury in your hands and fingers, and even other bodily parts if posture isn’t correct.

Sit on the front half of the bench and keep your feet flat. Keep your fingers curved, like you’re holding a small ball, and ensure your wrists are level with the keyboard.

This will help improve your poster and also correct any hand positioning so that you’re not finding it painful practicing on the piano for long periods of time.

3. Ignoring rhythm and counting

It’s certainly common to focus on only hitting the notes while disregarding any note lengths and rests.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to use a Metronome. This helps to keep count. Alternatively, you could just count out loud while practicing, but that can also be distracting to do this whilst also trying to play.

4. Practising without a plan

If you’re aimlessly trying to play through pieces, then you’re just playing and not practising. That’s not going to help you progress in your efforts when it comes to learning the keys and all the other elements that help you get better.

Try to set clear, 10-20 minute goals for each session and try to stick to achieving these goals, rather than reverting to playing a few notes or the same song over and over again.

The more you practice, the better you get, and that’s why the focus should be on practicing over playing all the time.

5. Skipping the hard parts

Many students will find themselves playing through a piece from start to finish and skipping over or glossing over the tricky parts. While you might be able to get away with this during practice and playing, if you’re performing the piece, you can’t do this without getting caught.

Try to use the 80/20 rule when it comes to avoiding this mistake. Spend 80% of your time on the 20% of the music that you find most difficult to play. Isolate those specific measures, as this helps to master them before playing the whole piece again.

Dedicating most of your time and practice to the tough stuff will help to perfect even the toughest notes.

6. Neglecting music reading and theory

When it comes to basic music theory practice, these are just as important as playing on the keys themselves. It’s important not to rely solely on YouTube tutorials or memory. Instead, dedicate your time to sight-reading simple melodies and learning basic theory like key signatures and note names.

7. Inconsistent practice habits

Beyond your piano lessons, you should also be practicing regularly. Trying to cram in a two-hour session here and there can be less effective than doing short, daily practice sessions. Consistency will beat duration. With that in mind, spend ten to fifteen minutes of daily practice so that you’re building that muscle memory you’ll need.

What to look for when finding piano lessons

When you’re on the lookout for piano lessons, you’ll want to look for a teacher with the right qualifications and the teaching style that you’re after that’s tailored to your goals. From classical to jazz and pop, you also want a teacher who matches your personality and inspires as well as motivates you.

Assess their experience with your age and level, as well as reviewing any studio policies, and ensuring they maintain good communication.

Key factors to evaluate

There are some key factors when it comes to evaluating teachers that you’re looking at to use as a new piano student. These include:

Credential and experience

You’ll want to look for formal musical training opportunities or certifications from recognized music teacher associations to find the best teachers available to you.

Teaching philosophy and style

When it comes to their teaching approach and style, you’ll want to find one that aligns with your goals. A good teacher should be able to offer a holistic curriculum that includes theory, musicianship, technique, and not simply playing the songs.

Personality and communication

The teacher you pick should be encouraging and capable of creating a comfortable and non-judgmental environment. Most of all, they should be patient, as you’re just a beginner and therefore will ultimately make mistakes as you learn and improve.

Logistics and policies

It’s important to clearly understand studio policy, including payment schedules, tuition rates, and makeup lesson policies for any cancellations.

Environment

If it’s in-person, check that the studio is a well-maintained and dedicated space and that the instrument you’re using is one of the best.

With these piano tips and tricks, you’ll be able to hopefully get off to a great start when it comes to learning to play the piano for the first time.

[All images were downloaded from unsplash]