Reading the Piano

One of the basic steps in your piano lessons is how to read the piano.

Learning and understanding how to read the piano and the easy piano notes are vital keys for success in any piano lessons whether it’s private or online piano lessons.

We’ll start with something simple. Let’s review the piano keys.

The piano keys are the white and black keys in a piano or a keyboard. By hammering or pressing or stroking down your fingers you will be able to create sound. These sounds are definite and exact in terms of reading it. For example, no matter where you play the key C in the piano it will always be a C, be it a lower C or a high C.

The black keys are often called as ebony while white keys are called ivories.

Common pianos have 88 keys. Grand and upright pianos are mostly available in 88 keys. There are other piano and keyboards that have lesser keys. Keyboards are known for having only 76 keys or 69 keys.

Having lesser keys limits what you play on the piano.

If you take a closer look at the image above, you’ll notice that it follows a certain pattern. This pattern is definite and it never changes whichever piano or keyboard you play.

The pattern as it follows: 5 white keys and 7 black keys. This makes up an octave. A piano with 88 keys usually have 7 octave and extra 4 keys.

These piano keys have a designated easy piano notes on each. It’s easy to remember on each octave because it will never change.

It is as follows; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G.

There is no H on the piano. When you stop at G just go back to A.

Piano Lessons: Online or Offline

There are many ways to learn how to play the piano. You can either choose private piano lessons or self-learning through online piano lessons or piano dvds.

Both different methods of piano lessons have its pros and cons. In this entry, let’s try to differentiate them and see which piano lessons suit you.

Private Piano Lessons

Having private piano lessons are perfect for toddlers and kids. It teaches them the essential and basics of piano playing. Teaching piano students at home help both the teacher and the student to focus on the piano lessons. Also learning this way allows the student to ask questions regarding the lessons. Piano beginners can easily understand the lessons because it is real and on the spot.

Although that is said, there are a lot of disadvantages with private piano lessons. First are the distractions. Lessons done at home can be distracted even by just a simple phone call or a dog barking. Another thing, with private piano lessons you could either study at home (with more distractions such as television) or at your piano teacher’s home (less distraction, boring experience).

Another downside of private piano lesson is if you are already an adult. Of course no adult would want to be taught piano sheet music like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Too childish. Also private piano lessons can be really expensive. It’s almost $100 per month. You can buy groceries with that already.

Self-Learning Piano Lessons

If you don’t have enough time to commit on private piano lessons or don’t have enough money for private piano lessons then there is always an alternative. You can always try self-learning piano lessons trough some modern methods. When you’re already a grown-up these adult piano lessons for beginners will be you solutions.

One of the best things you can try is online piano lessons. A lot of people and companies are now posting free online piano lessons everywhere on the internet. You can always try YouTube piano videos for starters. Or websites that offers free online piano lessons. No matter where you go online piano lessons are a sure hit. It’s free, easy to understand and you can control anytime you take the lessons.

Maybe you want something more reliable, then you can try buying or borrowing from libraries piano dvds. Piano dvds are available on Amazon or on websites that offers piano lessons. You’re just going to pay extra for lifelong piano lessons on your own home.

You can also try piano lesson books. It also has extensive explanations of the lesson without the visual aid which is in most cases very important.

Or you can try something you can always listen or watch wherever you are, PODCASTS. Yes, the great invention of ITunes can now be used as an easier way of learning free piano lessons. Piano podcasts can be played anywhere using your iPhone or iPod devices or even on your own computer.

Conclusion

So what’s the verdict? If you have the time and the money and a quiet place to learn, you can always try private piano lessons.

But if you are an adult already with no free time and enough money for private piano lesson, you can always go for self-learn piano lessons. Same results minus the expense, the pressure and the money.

Learn by yourself! It’s easier and cheaper. Online piano lessons are a great answer to adult piano lessons for beginners and toddlers’ first easy piano notes.

Finding the Right Piano Teacher

Piano Playing is a very fun activity for your kids to enjoy. It can really build their musical interest in such a young age and the known benefits are endless.

According to a blog post I read recently, children who are introduced and started piano lessons at a young age shows higher self-esteem and are unlikely to get any degenerative mental diseases such as Alzheimers disease. Piano playing stimulates the mind and keeps it mentally active.

You can give piano lessons for children even at the age of three, but it requires a really great, patient piano teacher. Children this young and a little older have really short attention spans. A piano teacher must give piano lessons for a toddler in around 15 minutes or less. Ages between six to 10 years old are the best ages to teach children how to play the piano. Children around these ages are curious and have an unlimited supply of energy.

Here are some tips on finding the right piano teacher for your kids:

1. Not because the teachers are inexpensive doesn’t mean they’re capable of teaching your kids. Find a piano teacher with an excellent background of piano teaching with kids and a great music background. You don’t want to be a guinea pig for a new piano teacher, don’t you?

2. Private piano lessons or class lessons. Depends on you actually. Some parents prefer private piano lessons for kids because the piano instructor can really focus on the kid’s lessons.

3. Patience is a virtue. Very true especially when they’re teaching kids.

4. What kind of teaching style do they have? Piano teachers are more inclined to teaching classical piano music but some also offers jazz lessons.

5. Recitals. It’s better if the piano teacher also have piano recitals. It helps the children get more confidence and know how to perform in front of an audience so they won’t have and piano anxiety attacks.

But the best way to teach your kids is if you are also active on the music lessons . It helps you understand your kids more and bond with them.

Resource: Play Piano - When Should You Start Learning Piano