Whether you are currently a student who's preparing for an exam or someone who has not sat for exams for a long run, we have a question for you.
Are you team Study Hard or Study Smart?
Regardless of your differences in opinion on which method works best, I think we all have to agree that what works for you may not work for others, and vice versa. That's because everyone has a unique learning style and depending on the nature of the subject learnt, it could be very different. Sometimes persistence alone doesn't work.
The author of Atomic Habits, James Clear has this to say about persistence.
"You're more likely to unlock a big leap in performance by trying differently than by trying harder. You might be able to work 10% harder, but a different approach might work 10x better. Remain focused on the core problem, but explore a new line of attack. Persistence is not just about effort, but also strategy. Don't merely try harder, try differently."
It's important to explore a wide range of possibilities and methods of working things out to achieve your desired performance. Likewise, the same strategy applies when you are learning a musical instrument like the piano!
In this article, we will look at various resources that you can refer to as you learn to play the piano.
One-To-One Teaching: Piano Academy/ Private Tutoring (Core Foundations)
We figure it's best to start off with the most conventional and stable way of learning the piano. It's after all a good way to get your fundamentals done especially if you are a beginner.
Having a piano tutor will give you an overview of the instrument and overall piano learning experience. You will be guided not just on the theoretical aspects and practical aspects of playing the piano but also on what you can possibly do with the skills that you have gained as you progress along the way.
Depending on your current age and learning purpose, you can check out various places and platforms that offer piano lessons. For instance, if you are a parent of a young kid, you might want to send your child to a piano academy in order for him or her to meet new friends.
If you are a working adult, you might prefer to learn one-to-one from a private tutor in the comfort of your home due to convenience and flexibility. You could also take online lessons whenever and wherever you want if you want to minimise any travelling expenses too.
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At Superprof, you can get the best of both worlds! You can learn from home tutors as well as online tutors who offer personalised piano lessons regardless of your location in Malaysia!
Also, most Superprof tutors also offer their first lessons for free, so be sure not to miss this amazing learning opportunity!
Not only that, you get to filter through the profiles according to your preferences in terms of learning level, location, learning mode, years of experience, teaching styles and maximum budget before contacting your desired piano tutor!
In just a few clicks, you can learn from a piano tutor with 20 years of teaching experience or opt for a student tutor to have a more relaxed learning experience.
See, learning piano with Superprof has never been so easy!
Online Resources: YouTube tutorials (Watch Repeatedly)
If you are more of a tech-savvy person who learns by constant visual stimulation and repetition, YouTube tutorials might be your next favourite piano learning resource!
One of the few benefits of learning via YouTube tutorials is that you can constantly repeat and rewind the parts that you are unsure of and replay until you get it.
Some of the YouTube channels featuring piano tutorials that are beginners friendly include:
- MangoldProject
This channel includes bite-sized easy piano exercises for basic notes, scales, triads, and even intervals. Not only that, this channel also teaches you how to play different styles of piano like the jazz piano and master other piano playing techniques like modulating, chord voicing and chord substitution.
MangoldProject has more than 300 videos and a total of 692k subscribers (as of this time of writing).
- PHianonize
This channel focuses on two main elements: basic piano lessons and covers of pop songs as well as classical pieces on the piano. If you have a specific song in mind that you want to learn, you can request it on this channel. Some of the examples of songs that have been covered include:
- Tchaikovsky - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
- Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
- We Don't Talk About Bruno (From "Encanto")
- Alicia Keys - If I Ain’t Got You
- Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
PHianonize has more than 3,500 videos and a total of 1.38 million subscribers (as of this time of writing).
- Betacustic
This channel shares some similarities with PHianonize in terms of providing piano tutorials for different songs.
What sets Betacustic apart is that it has separate videos for single-hand training (left-hand training) as well as the provision or music sheets of the covered songs.
You can purchase the provided music sheets and play them together with the tutorials to have better progress.
Established in 2013, Betacustic has more than 1300 videos and a total of 574k subscribers (as of this time of writing).
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
Practice Materials In Between Lessons: Theory & Practical Learning Books
It is understandable that your piano tutor might have already provided you with the necessary learning materials if you have enrolled in a formal piano lesson.
However, the piano learning process continues even after your lessons.
For absolute beginners or adult learners who want to have extra input to improve their practical and theory skills, here are two of the most popular piano learning books that you can get your hands on.
To Build Strong Fingers: Alfred's Basic Classic Editions (Hanon Exercises)
To be honest, Hanon exercises can be a heaven or a hell/do-or-die-playing experience.
This book comprises a series of piano exercises that were introduced by Charles-Louis Hanon to help improve the learner's sight-reading skills and foster speed and accuracy in finger movements for both hands.
You can get this book at local bookstores or e-commerce websites like Shopee and Lazada.
To Build Strong Music Theory: Music Made Easy by Lina Ng (Theory Exercises from Grade 1 to 8)
This is a go-to theory book for many piano learners in Malaysia.
It consists of straightforward and simple illustrations of various music concepts and theories. The entire book collection is also written according to the ABRSM syllabus.
So it is widely used by those who are preparing for piano exams too!
Achieve Accurate Rhythm & Tempo: Metronome (Physical/Apps)
One of the challenges that learners might face when they are learning the piano is playing the required piece in the right rhythm.
Sometimes, it's easy to be "carried away" when you are focusing on solely reading and playing the notes.
This is where the metronome comes in.
After reviewing the time signature of the piece that you are playing, you can then set the tempo which is indicated at the beginning of the piece through the beat per minute (BPM). This will give you a sense of the actual tempo of the piece, like what the composer intends it to be played.
However, another role of the metronome is also to guide you accordingly at a gradual pace when you are learning a new piece. For example, you can adjust the BPM to be slower than the actual BPM during your practice session.
This will help you to familiarise yourself with the notes first in order for you to gain confidence when you are playing the piece later.
Photo by Rachel Loughman on Unsplash
Depending on different sizes and variations, the price of a physical metronome can range from RM30 to even RM250++. Some of the common metronome brands include Aroma, Nikko, Yamaha, Musedo and many more.
You can also get a metronome app on your mobile devices via Google Play like Metronome Beats and Soundbrenner.
Don't forget to explore these amazing benefits that you get to enjoy as you learn to play the piano.
Engage In Discussions With Other Piano Learners (Forums, Social Media & Websites)
Apart from gaining all the technical skills while you learn the piano, let's also not forget the other side of the equation — the people!
The piano learning experience can be an enriching one because it can lead you to various communities, be it piano learners, piano educators or professional and famous pianists.
Don't be surprised by the fact that there are many public groups for piano learners on Facebook and even platforms like Reddit where you can submit your inquiries on learning experiences or even piano competitions!
Above all, you can discuss freely (literally) any piano-related topics and connect with local and even international piano learners!
Who knows, you might even meet your next best friend or potential collaborator through these discussions! You could even pick up some new resources or techniques from them! It's important to note that the piano learning journey is never a one-person journey.
Now that you have reviewed these piano learning resources, take your time and experiment with them! Try them out to see which works best for you. All roads lead to Rome. You got this!
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