T3 - UK (2020-06)

JUNE 2020 T3 41

Learning piano

he unprecedented
situation of life under
lockdown has led many
of us to search for new
ways to pass the time and learn new
skills; learning a musical instrument
could be just the antidote you need
to these strange and uncertain
times. In fact, many of us have
always wanted to learn a new (or
additional instrument) so now
there’s really no excuse.
Whether it be drums, piano,
keyboard, guitar or anything else
you have always wanted to be able to
play, there are lots of great resources
out there to help, in the form of
pre-recorded lessons or one to one
tuition from professionals (on Zoom
or Skype). Even famous musicians
are now allowing you into their
previously hidden worlds to pass on
their secret recipes for becoming a
great instrumentalist.
I’ve been playing piano since the
age of five – so almost 40 years now!

• and that one decision by my folks
  to start me off with piano lessons
  (despite my initial resistance!) was
  literally life changing and has

defined my entire musical career.

I meet many people who say to me

“I wish I could play like you” or “I

used to play a bit and wish I hadn’t

stopped” and I have to admit my

heart sinks when I hear this.

Having the ability to play any

instrument is such a huge game

changer for anyone’s mental health,

cognitive abilities and general

happiness at any age and it can help

you through tough times, provide

joy too and connect you to people

and the world in ways you never

thought possible. Along with all the

people you meet through your

connection with music and your

instrument, whether that be other

musicians in bands, or educators,

dancers, artists and other creatives,

there is no time like the present to

start on – or rejoin – the path to

learning an instrument.

WHY PICK PIANO?

But why go for a piano or keyboard

and not another instrument? Well,

firstly, the piano is a relatively easy

instrument to learn with a pretty

shallow learning curve – though of

course, like anything, to be really

great you need to really put in the

hours. There’s also a ton of great

learning resources out there for

people of all ages/abilities, including

books, apps and videos. Compared

to string instruments where you

have to contort your hands into all

sorts of unnatural feeling positions

(at first) and where you have to

physically make contact with the

string with your hands to create the

sound, the piano keyboard does a lot

of the ‘heavy lifting’ work for you. In

the most basic way, all you have to

you is press a lever (the key), which

then triggers a hammer (real or

virtual in software) that hits a

string and hey presto you’re off.

Essentially, the way a piano or

keyboard works means that anyone

from a toddler to a pensioner can

make a decent sound by simply

pressing a key and listening to the

beautiful note that rings out.

Piano keys are also comfy and

nicely spaced for our human hands

(again unlike the guitar) and so as a

starter instrument it’s ideal. The

piano keyboard is a thing of absolute

T

Words: Daniel Goldman

With many of us locked down at home, now seems like a good

time to start learning piano. But where’s best to start and what

kind of keyboard or digital piano is best?

Learning

piano

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO...