You have to decide these points for yourself
but you’ll know when your ears are smiling
when you test in person or audition sound
clips. In addition, you have to make sure that
any keyboard/digital piano fits within its
surroundings but thankfully most
manufacturers offer a variety of finishes,
from gloss black and white to wood.
In terms of the sounds, a broad range of
bread and butter sounds is important (organ,
strings, guitars, woodwinds, brass, clav etc)
but the most important thing is a great piano
sound. EQ and reverb are also great for
customising sounds and the ability to layer
two sounds is handy too.
In addition, a pair of audio outputs is
necessary if you want to record or connect to
a mixing desk/PA system and having two
headphone sockets enables your good selfIt’s essential to have
solid rhythmic
support and a
metronome helps
TIPS FOR LEARNING PIANO FASTER
Learning piano needn’t take forever: here are some tips for speedy learning
1 Firstly, select an instrument that feels good,
sounds good and inspires you to play: you
can’t underestimate how important this is to
keep you engaged with learning.
2 Next up, from the start of the learning
process, sit comfortably at the piano, don’t
hunch over and always play from your
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movement is also important: if you are having
to move your hands, wrists and arms loads
that’s wasted energy. Relax your arms and
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3 Use a metronome at all times to give you a
rhythmic framework when practising. If you
practise or play without a timing reference\RXZLOOĆQGLWPXFKKDUGHUDQGVORZHUWR
learn. Don’t overlook timing!
4 Start with learning scales as soon as
possible to aid technique and note reading
too. Scales are a tried and tested way to
improve your playing, technique and stamina.
5 If you envisage yourself doing exams, then
try and start on an approved syllabus (such
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you’ve wasted any time: there are approved
classical (and also jazz routes now too) to
cater for all tastes.
6 Whilst there are many apps out there for
learning, real sheet music and books are still
as valid as ever. They are tried and tested.7 There’s nothing wrong with a paper and
pen either and it’s great to develop your
theory and to be able to write music
physically with a pen and paper: it’s a very
useful skill that many pro musicians still rely
on and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!
8 As well as having your head in apps and
books, remember that just sitting down and
playing without constraints is massively
important. Try composing your own tunes,
jam along to your favourite music, record
yourself/listen back, or jam with friends
online over Skype, FaceTime or Zoom.
9 Don’t forget that one to one tuition with a
reputable teacher will always help too.keyboards and pianos via Bluetooth or USB
so be sure to check out whether the piano
has good learning resources included, or at
least a discounted subscription.
In addition, always try to get a height-
adjustable stool (that can accommodate two
people) included with your keyboard/piano.
One big problem I come across (as a player
and teacher of piano myself) is bad posture
caused by sitting at the incorrect distance
and height, which can lead to all manner of
back or neck problems and ultimately lead to
poor technique. Next, make sure your
keyboard or digital piano has an adjustable
music rack for putting sheet music or an iPad
on: not all of them include this.
Then be sure not to overlook the speaker
system onboard. Is it loud enough? Does it
sound warm and lush or horrible and tinny?
and another person (teacher, sibling, friend
etc) to play together at any time of day or
night without annoying others in your house
(or your neighbours).
Other must-haves include a metronome,
which can provide an audio and/or visual
click on screen for practising timing and
scales. Whenever I teach or advise my
students about practising, it’s essential to
have solid rhythmic support and a
metronome can provide this and will help
no-end long term with your timing. If the
digital keyboard/piano has built-in beats
and auto-accompaniment, this can serve the
same function yet also be a lot more fun than
just listening to a boring click. Beats andauto accompaniment will improve your
timing, get you listening and improvising
(and on the path to jamming with real
humans) and allow you to work on your
harmonic language/ideas too.
Finally, the ability to record your
performances to internal memory as audio,
an external memory stick, or an onboard
sequencer is very handy. These features all
allow you to record yourself, then listen back
and hear where you are going wrong: this
will only aid and speed up the learning
process and as a bonus you can show off your
performances to your friends and family too.Learning how to play an
instrument is good for
many things, including your
mental health44 T3 JUNE 2020
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