It may be difficult to learn to play a song on the piano. Whether you want to learn a song your teacher assigned you or a song you've always dreamed of doing, this guide helps you cut down on unnecessary frustrating hours of practice.
Steps
Step 1. Divide the song into parts
By dividing the piece into small parts that will represent the objectives to be achieved, it will facilitate the learning process. The parts to be divided may vary according to the length and difficulty of the song, the decision is up to you.
Step 2. Play the song with separate hands
Learn the right hand part first and then the left hand part. Don't try to play directly with both hands until you can play it well with separate hands.
Step 3. If it's a famous song you know, try thinking about the lyrics when playing the right hand part
This way you will know when you are wrong and will memorize the part more easily.
Step 4. Proceed step by step
Instead of playing the entire piece of music, play one staff at a time and then add the next one and so on.
Step 5. Play slowly
Don't play it at full speed if you can't play it slowly first without making any mistakes.
Step 6. Don't rush
You will end up discouraged if you try to learn the song in one fell swoop. Take regular breaks and play other songs that you can play while learning a more difficult one.
Step 7. Identify difficult areas and treat them separately
If you need 10 minutes to play 2 chords, don't rush and take your time. You will find that in the long run it was worth it instead of finding yourself playing the piece without being able to perform a part of it correctly.
Step 8. Play the song after you have learned it well
It will be used to check if there are any sections to study further. Remember to play the song regularly after learning it to avoid forgetting it.
Step 9. Don't stop studying it if you still can't get it right
If you stop practicing without correcting mistakes, you will always play that song incorrectly. Concluding a practice session with a section of the song that you can play well will make things easier when you play the song next time.
Advice
- Many pieces of music are pattern-based. Patterns make music easier to play, so identify as many as possible.
- If you get discouraged, take a break. You will come back to study the piece later avoiding finding yourself spending hours of unnecessary frustration.
- Learn some music theory. To speed up the procedure it is important to know the structure of the piece and why the composer used certain chords instead of others.
