If you want to learn how to play the piano but don’t have the money to invest in lessons, don’t worry – you can teach yourself! In this comprehensive guide, I will discuss different methods that you can use to learn how to play the piano by yourself.
We will also provide tips and advice on how to stay motivated and keep practicing. So whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced player who wants to go solo, read on for all the information you need!
How to Learn Piano By Yourself
Learning to play piano requires effort, dedication, and the right steps. So if you’re ready to teach yourself to play the piano, here are the steps to get you there:
1) Get a Piano or Keyboard
Before you start learning to play the piano, you need an instrument to practice with.
A keyboard or digital piano is essential for practicing and learning how to play. It is basically impossible to learn how to play the piano without a real keyboard or a piano.
If you can’t afford a keyboard or piano at the moment, you may still have a couple of options like finding one at your school or church. You could also try borrowing one from a friend, or you could rent one from a music rental store. You may also be lucky to find one being given out for free in your local online marketplace.
However, if you have the budget to get an actual piano, you need to make sure that it sounds right and tune it if it doesn’t.
You also need to be extra careful when moving it around because pianos are quite fragile.
You’re probably thinking, “I’m not ready to get a piano yet!” And I completely understand.
Pianos can be expensive, so if you’re not ready to make that kind of investment yet, you can always start with a keyboard. There are plenty of great options available for under $200.
The Yamaha PSR-EW300 is a great option if you’re looking for an affordable keyboard.
It has 76 keys, so it’s full-sized and perfect for beginners. It also comes with a stand, a power adapter, and a sustain pedal, which are all essential accessories.
If you want to spend a little bit more, the Casio CTK-2550 is another great option. It has 61 keys, which is smaller than a full-sized piano, but it’s still a good size for beginners. Plus, it comes with some cool features like a metronome, 100 rhythms, and 400 tones.
However, one of the best beginner pianos you can get is the Alesis Recital 88-key digital electric piano. This is the keyboard I started out with, and I still really haven’t had to change it yet. I’d recommend you give it a try.
Keyboards are a great way to start learning how to play the piano because they’re relatively inexpensive and portable. So, now that you have some options to choose from let’s go on to the next step.
2) Practice Posture and Basic Technique
Now that you have an instrument to practice with, it’s time to learn how to sit and hold your hands correctly. Proper posture is essential for playing the piano correctly and avoiding injuries.
When sitting at the keyboard, you want to be sure that your back is straight and your shoulders are relaxed.
Your wrists should be in line with your forearms, and your arms should be parallel to the keyboard. You also want to make sure that you’re sitting up tall enough so that you can reach all the keys comfortably.
If you need to, use a piano bench or stool to help you sit up straight. This is the best kind of seat for comfortable playing on a piano or keyboard. If you’re looking for a great piano bench to start with, the ChromaCast CC-FBENCH Padded Keyboard Bench is a great adjustable bench to get started with.
Now let’s talk about how to hold your hands correctly.
Getting Familiar with the Piano
For beginners, it’s best to start by learning how to play with just your right hand.
Place your right thumb on Middle C, which is the white key directly to the left of the two black keys in the center of the keyboard.
Now, place your other fingers on the keys directly to the right of your thumb, starting with your index finger.
Your fingers should be slightly curved and positioned over the keys so that you’re ready to press them down.
Now that you know how to sit correctly and how to hold your hands, it’s time to start familiarizing yourself with the piano.
The first thing you want to do is get familiar with the keyboard.
Spend some time just playing around, pressing different keys, and experimenting with the different sounds they make.
Don’t worry about playing anything specific yet; just get comfortable with the feel of the keys and the sounds they make.
Now that you know how to sit correctly and how to hold your hands, it’s time to get into the next thing.
3) Learn The Basics of Music Theory
This is a very important step that a lot of people overlook.
You need to have a basic understanding of music theory before you start playing the piano. This may sound obvious, but when teaching yourself piano, you may be tempted to skip the boring parts and get into the fun stuff.
But trust me, learning the basics of music theory will make playing the piano a lot easier and more enjoyable in the long run.
Plus, it will help you understand sheet music, which is essential for progress as a pianist.
Here are some basic things you need to learn:
Notes and their positions on the staff:
The staff is a set of five lines and four spaces where music is written.
Notes are represented by symbols called noteheads, and they sit on either the lines or in the spaces of the staff. As we mentioned before, Middle C sits directly to the left of the two black keys in the center of the keyboard.
If you look at a piece of sheet music, you’ll see that Middle C is written on the line in the middle of the staff. The notehead can be either filled in or opened, and it will have a stem coming off of it. The stem can either go up or down, depending on which note it is.
Key signatures:
A key signature is a symbol at the beginning of a piece of music that tells you which notes will be sharp or flat for the rest of the song.
For example, if you see a sharp symbol next to a G on a piece of sheet music, that means that every G for the rest of the song will be sharp.
Key signatures can be either major or minor, and they can contain either sharps or flats.
Time signatures:
A time signature is a symbol at the beginning of a piece of music that tells you how many beats are in a measure and what kind of note gets one beat.
For example, a time signature of four-four (or common time) means that there are four beats in a measure and a quarter note gets one beat.
Clefs:
A clef is a symbol at the beginning of a staff that tells you which notes will be written on which lines.
The most common clefs are the treble clef and the bass clef.
The treble clef is also called the G clef because it looks like a fancy G, and it’s used for higher-pitched notes.
The bass clef is also called the F clef because it looks like a fancy F, and it’s used for lower-pitched notes.
Chords:
A chord is two or more notes played together. You’ll often see chords written as Roman numerals, with uppercase letters meaning major chords and lowercase letters meaning minor chords.
For example, an (I) chord is a major chord, while an (i) chord is a minor chord.
Scales:
A scale is a series of notes played in order, going up or down in pitch. The most common scale is the major scale, which contains seven notes.
Scales are named after their starting note, so a C major scale starts with a C and goes up to the next C.
Don’t worry; you don’t need to become a music theory expert overnight. Just familiarize yourself with the basics, and you’ll be fine.
There are plenty of resources available to help you learn music theory. I would recommend starting with this free course from Berklee College of Music.
Once you’ve learned the basics of music theory, you’re ready to move on to learning how to play the piano.
4) Learn Piano Chords
After learning the basics of music theory, you should be familiar with what chords are. However, to learn how to play the piano better and faster, you should know the different piano chords.
There are many different chords, and you don’t need to learn them all at once. Just start with the basic chords and work your way up. There are two types of chords: major and minor.
Here are some of the most common piano chords:
– C Major: C, E, G
– D Major: D, F, A
– E Major: E, G, B
– F Major: F, A, C
– G Major: G, B, D
– A Major: A, C, E
– B Major: B, D, F
There are also minor chords that can look intimidating but are easy to understand once you understand the major chords. Here are the minor chords:
Minor Chords (Source: www.piano-keyboard-guide.com)
– C Minor: C, Eb, G
– D Minor: D, F, Ab
– E Minor: E, G, Bb
– F Minor: F, Ab, C
– G Minor: G, Bb, D
– A Minor: A, C, Eb
– B Minor: B, D, F
Now that you know the basics of music theory and piano chords, it’s time to start learning how to play some songs.
Here are some easy praise and worship songs for beginners. If you like to try a different genre of music, several sites also provide chords.
Start by finding the chords for one of these songs and playing it slowly. As you get more comfortable, you can speed up the tempo. You may also want to start with some easy songs that only use a few chords.
5) Learn the Piano Notes and Song Patterns
Now that you know some chords, it’s time to start learning the notes on the piano.
The notes on every piano are the same, so once you learn where they are, you can play any song.
There are 7 notes on every piano, and they are A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. These notes repeat over and over again on the piano. The only difference is that they start on different “notes.”
For example:
– A could be the note you play with your left thumb
– F could be the note you play with your right pinky
– G could be the note you play with your left pinky
As you can see, the notes on the piano are not in alphabetical order. This can be confusing for beginners.
To make it easier, I would recommend learning some basic songs that only use a few notes. As you get more comfortable, you can start learning songs that use more notes. To find the notes on a piano, you can also use a keyboard diagram.
However, I recommend learning to identify the notes by heart, and this comes through practice.
Starting with the Middle C, look for the next C note on the piano. It will be either to the right or the left of the Middle C, depending on whether you’re going up or down the scale. If you can find the next C, then you can find all of the other notes by moving up or down in pitch.
Learning Song Patterns
One of the best ways to learn the notes on the piano is by playing songs.
As you play, look at your hands and try to identify which note you are playing with each finger. You can also find some helpful diagrams online that show you where the notes are on the piano.
Once you know where the notes are, you can start learning some basic patterns. These patterns will help you play songs more easily. One of the most common patterns is the scale pattern.
This pattern starts on note C and goes up to the next C.
It looks like this:
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
This pattern repeats over and over again on the piano, and you can use this pattern to play any song in the key of C. Next, find a song that you know well and start playing it slowly.
As you get more comfortable, you can speed up the tempo and try finding some easy songs that use only a few notes.
6) Learn How To Read Sheet Music
At this point, you should be able to easily play a couple of songs by knowledge. Now is a good time to start learning how to read music.
Sheet music is a representation of the notes that you need to play in order to perform a song. There are many different ways to read sheet music, but the most common way is by using a treble clef.
The treble clef is also known as the G clef because it looks like a stylized G. This clef is used for high-pitched notes, such as those played by the right hand on a piano.
To read sheet music, you need to be able to identify the pitch of each note which is determined by its position on the staff.
To master sheet music reading, you need to practice regularly and consistently and one of the best ways to do this is by using a good book that guides you through the process step-by-step.
A great book to start with is “How To Read Sheet Music: A Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners.”
Another great book is “The Ultimate Guide to Reading Sheet Music.”
Both of these books will help you learn how to read sheet music quickly and easily. Once you know how to read sheet music, you can start playing any song that you want. You’ll be able to play classical songs, pop songs, and even jazz songs.
7) Practice, Practice, Practice
The most important thing to remember when learning how to play piano by yourself is to practice regularly. If you don’t practice, you will not improve and you will get frustrated.
It’s important to set aside some time each day to practice. Even if it’s only for 30 minutes, that’s still better than nothing. If you can practice for longer periods of time, that’s even better.
In addition to practicing regularly, you should also make sure to practice correctly. This means that you should focus on your technique and make sure that you’re not making any mistakes – one of the best ways to improve your technique is by doing hand exercises.
There are plenty of good books and online resources that can help you improve your technique. The most important thing is to make sure that you’re practicing regularly and that you’re focusing on your technique.
If you do these things, you’ll be able to improve quickly and become a great piano player in no time.
Now let’s briefly talk about some reasons why you should consider learning piano yourself.
Why Should You Learn Piano by Yourself?
There are many reasons why you should learn how to play piano by yourself.
- You may not have the budget to hire a piano teacher, or you may not have the time to take weekly piano lessons.
- Learning how to play piano by yourself is a great way to improve your self-discipline and perseverance.
- When you learn how to play piano by yourself, you can progress at your own pace and learn the pieces that you want to learn.
- Playing the piano can be very therapeutic, and it can help you clear your mind after a long day.
- Learning how to play piano by yourself can help you develop a deeper appreciation for music.
So, there we have it, those are some of the reasons why you should learn how to play piano by yourself.
Summary – How To Teach Yourself Piano
Playing the piano is a hugely rewarding experience, but it can be daunting to know where to start when learning by yourself.
Luckily, with a little bit of hard work, dedication, and the right steps, anyone can learn how to play the piano.
Here is a recap of what we covered today:
1) Get a Piano or Keyboard
2) Practice Posture and Basic Technique
3) Learn The Basics of Music Theory
4) Learn Piano Chords
5) Learn the Piano Notes and Song Patterns
6) Learn How To Read Sheet Music
7) Practice, Practice, Practice
If you follow these steps, you’ll be playing the piano like a pro in no time! The sky is the limit!
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the best way to teach yourself piano?
The best way to learn piano by yourself is to get a good quality keyboard or piano, use good quality online resources, practice posture and basic technique, learn the basics of music theory, learn chords, notes, and song patterns, and practice regularly.
Can I learn to play the piano by myself?
Yes, you can teach yourself piano with a little bit of hard work and dedication. Just follow the steps in this guide and you’ll be playing like a pro in no time!
What are some good online resources for learning piano?
There are plenty of good online resources for learning piano, but some of our favorites include flowkey, Simply Piano, and Pianu.
Do I need a piano teacher to learn how to play?
No, you don’t need a piano teacher to learn how to play. However, having a teacher can help you learn more quickly and ensure that you’re practicing correctly.
Do I need to take piano lessons?
No, you don’t need to take piano lessons to learn how to play. However, taking lessons can be a great way to improve your skills and progress more quickly.
What are some good tips for learning piano by myself?
Some good tips for learning piano by yourself include practicing regularly, focusing on technique, and using high-quality online resources.
Can I learn to play the piano if I don’t have a lot of time?
Yes, you can still learn to play the piano even if you don’t have a lot of time. Just be sure to practice regularly and focus on your technique.
I’m having trouble finding time to practice. What should I do?
If you’re having trouble finding time to practice, try setting aside a specific time each day to practice for at least 15 minutes. You can also try breaking up your practice into shorter sessions throughout the day.
I don’t think I’m progressing as quickly as I would like. What should I do?
If you’re not progressing as quickly as you’d like, try practicing more frequently or focusing on specific skills that you want to improve. You can also try taking piano lessons from a teacher to help you progress more quickly.
What should I do if I get stuck on a particular skill?
If you get stuck on a particular skill, try practicing it more frequently or seeking out resources that can help you understand it better. You can also ask a piano teacher for help.
Esther Alu is a singer who also loves playing the piano. She’s been playing the piano for over 3 years and recently picked up learning the guitar.