Getting Started with Piano? Read This First!

While piano lessons have set some children on their eventual career path, giving them the tools necessary to shine, for others piano lessons were nothing more than weekly torture that succeeded in turning them off from playing piano forever.

A lot of time has passed since those childhood classes, and now you’re ready to tackle this wonderful skill with newfound enthusiasm. The only thing standing in your way is…well…everything. Where do you start? How do you start? What do you do to get yourself on track to start playing piano again?

For starters, relax! The best student can only learn so much without a good teacher, so finding the right one is the best place to start. Different folks learn in different ways, and learning how to play the piano is no exception.

Naturally, there are a variety of ways to learn this new instrument. This step-by-step guide will help you get a handle on the what, where, how, and whys of modern day piano classes.

Use a Human Teacher

Learning the piano from a teacher is the most traditional method. Either an instructor will come to your home or you will go to a studio or your teacher’s home, depending on your arrangement, and you learn directly from the teacher. The teacher imparts whatever knowledge s/he has available.

The benefit of this type of piano class is that you are learning with a human being who understands human nature, inhibitions, and concerns. The teacher can tailor the speed of the classes, vary the style of the music, and stop to answer questions about nuances.

The downside to a human teacher is that you are limited to their breadth and scope of knowledge. Anything beyond these parameters you will miss out on. It also means you will learn any errors that the teacher has trained himself into, picking up any unusual idiosyncrasies of the teacher as well.

Turn to the Web

Others opt to learn piano online, and there are a number of advantages to this approach. The breadth of knowledge is endless, you can find a tremendous variety of resources, and you can work at your own pace and on your own schedule.

On the other hand, becoming an online pianist is sort of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) service, meaning it’s harder to tailor lessons to what you need to know or want to discover.

Additionally, there is nobody to correct the flaws in your playing, though you will be learning from a computerized – and therefore nearly flawless – teacher.

Install an App

Finally, there are smartphone and web applications that combine the best of both worlds into one easy to use resource for learning piano.

Apps let you tailor your learning style and pace. The technology also monitors your progress and makes changes to the classes according to your current level. You can start with piano lessons for beginners and progress through the ranks to become as accomplished a pianist as you like. In the world of piano apps, the world is your oyster. 

If you want to go in the app direction, we recommend trying our latest app Simply Piano. It will guide you step by step giving you instant feedback as you play. You can choose from various courses depending on your level and taste.

So, learning to play the piano can be as fast or as slow, as basic or as challenging, and as intensive or as easygoing as you’d like. That’s the beauty of modern day piano classes. You choose the level, pace, and depth.

So pick a learning method, and start down the path to piano fluency today!