How to learn to play the piano?

© Arkady Chubykin Playing the digital piano
© Arkady Chubykin
Piano basics
Play by ear
One of the simplest ways to learn piano is to learn to play by ear. Most great players learn this method, so that in time their ear learns to pick out the notes when they are played.

The benefits of learning to play piano by ear are that you can once you do this, you can learn to pick out any key on the piano. This means that you will be able to listen to songs on the radio, pick out the core music notes in a song and be able to play by simply hearing the notes in your mind.

Piano playing guides
Learning how to play the piano by using piano lesson books, one-on-one tutor sessions, or even online lessons in playing piano music will all help to achieve this goal.

Piano lessons
Traditional piano teaching involves a mixture of theory and practice. Learning the piano keys from A-G and the various ways in which they can be played through the various music elements – tempo, pitch, rhythm, texture and timbre is what playing the piano is all about.

Which guide should I choose?
The more lessons you take and the more music you practice, the more efficient in playing the piano you will become. Whilst most people can learn to play through practice and while taking piano lessons, learning how to play piano by ear is different and it is believed that this skill is learned rather than acquired.
Practice
It is by practicing the piano daily that your skills will improve.

Tips
Self-tutor yourself and play the keyboard along to a video of piano lessons, or see a Step 2 play or Rocket Piano video. You might also consider a free online class, or researching into various piano tutorials on the Internet. If you have a Mac, there are piano applications you can download, which can help you to practice.

Music lessons for kids
Piano lessons for kids are highly effective. You may want to research the various keyboards suitable for kids. This will help in their keyboard learning, as keyboards offer musical options far beyond the piano.

Music Recording
Once you can perform songs fluently, investing in a recording program or software can help you to record and capture music.

Choosing and sampling effects
You might want to invest in a few of the best guitar amps, which along with pedals, can help to elevate and amplify your sound.