Learn a Piano Piece Quickly

Learning to play a new piece of music on the piano can be difficult. Whether you're struggling with a piece your teacher set you, or are teaching yourself a piece you've always wanted to learn, this guide should help reduce the hours of frustrating practice which seem to get you nowhere.

Steps

Approaching the piece logically

  1. Find the piece you are working on. Listen to the dynamics; this helps with mostly classical pieces.
  2. Split the piece up. Setting yourself smaller goals within the piece of music will make it more manageable and less frustrating. Moreover, by splitting it into parts, you can listen to the dynamics with greater ease and try to follow along as you listen. This helps you to tell the difference between how you're playing and how the artist is playing the piece.
    • The extent of parts you split the piece up into will depend on the length of the music and how difficult it is; use your judgement to decide.

Practicing the piece

  1. Practice each hand individually. Learn the right hand part first, then the left. Don't try to play them together until you can play them both individually, fluently.
  2. If it is a popular piece or song that you know, try to play along to the lyrics/music in your head when practicing your right hand. That way you'll know when you go wrong and you'll be able to memorize it easier.
  3. Add to the piece bit by bit. Rather than trying to play all the way through, play one line a few times, then add the next line, then the next.
  4. Slow it down. Don't try to play it at full speed until you can play it slowly without making mistakes.
  5. Take your time. You'll end up feeling frustrated if you try to do it all at once. Take regular breaks and play other pieces which you can play while you're learning a difficult piece.

Dealing with challenging areas

  1. Identify any problem sections and break them down further. If you need to spend 10 minutes on getting 2 chords right, then spend 10 minutes on it. It will be worth it in the long run and ignoring a problem part can cause frustration later on when it is the only part you cannot play.
  2. Play it through once you think you've got the hang of it. This will allow you to identify any places you are still going wrong. Remember to keep coming back to the piece now you can play it, so you don't forget it.
  3. Don't leave it wrong. If you stop practicing after playing it wrongly, you will remember it incorrectly. By making sure you end on a section you can play, the correct version will stick in your mind, making it easier to play next time.

Tips

  • Many pieces of music are based on patterns. Patterns make music easier to play so identify as many as you can.
  • If you find yourself getting frustrated, take a break. The music will still be there when you come back and you won't learn as efficiently if you're annoyed.
  • Learn some music theory. Knowing the structure of the piece, why the composer put this chord here or this one there, etc. will speed up your progress.
  • Keep calm and take a deep breath. It may sound silly but it helps when you lose your focus.
  • Try to find a easier version of that song and learn it first. That will make everything a lot easier.
  • Relax and play the song like you know it already.

Warnings

  • Try not to get frustrated, if you find you do stand up take a few deep breaths, play another song once or twice then get back to your piece you were working on.

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