Mistakes people make when beginning to learn the piano

Have you been thinking about playing piano for a while? Do you have a child who has expressed interest in playing piano, but you’re not sure if they’ll stick with it? 

Getting started the right way is very important. Not only will it determine how much you enjoy playing the piano, with the right guidance, you will discover just how capable you are of learning an instrument. 

Whether you dream of taking to the stage or are just playing for fun, here are three things to avoid when getting started on your musical journey:

1. Investing in lessons without buying an instrument

This is exactly like booking in a 30 minute weekly session with a personal trainer and then not doing any exercise during the week.   

By the time you buy an instrument, you or your child won’t be in the habit of practicing, so setting up a practice schedule will potentially be a challenge. Getting better at anything requires consistent practice, and piano is no exception!

2. Buying an instrument with no plan on how to learn

Taking regular piano lessons is always the best option to maximise your learning potential.

Ideal scenario: You see a teacher at least once a week. You enjoy your lessons with the teacher so you leave feeling inspired, and you know exactly what you need to practice at home. 

Potential for failure: You buy a piano because a friend said they could teach you. You don’t see them regularly, so you don’t have any structure, and don’t feel motivated to practice. Because this isn’t a strong plan, you eventually stop playing.

Potential for failure: You decide to buy a keyboard because you’ve seen some courses online which have made self study look achievable. Having never played music before, you struggle with some of the music theory and come to a dead end. 

While online courses are great, and absolutely suitable for some learners (particularly people who have previously studied music), there is no substitute for having a teacher. I am not discouraging having a look at online lessons, but if you find you aren’t progressing as fast as you’d like, or are getting stuck on certain concepts, it may be time to look for a teacher, rather than thinking ‘I’m not good at this’. 

3. Overspeculating   

Concerns such as ‘will I be good at piano?’, and, ‘I don’t know if my kid will get bored of playing the piano soon’ are common considerations, but ultimately, with the right guidance and instrument, I believe anyone can learn the piano. If kids like their teacher, and therefore enjoy their piano lessons, they will want to keep playing.

Let’s say, for example, you don’t know how much time your child will have to focus on the piano once they reach their senior high school years. That’s ok! Perhaps piano will be something they do to relax after studying. Playing the piano is meant to be enjoyable, challenging, and satisfying, so if the goal is to play piano just for fun, it’s not the end of the world if they miss a day of practice.  

What do you think of these points? Do you have any more of your own to add? Let us know in the comments.

To discuss getting started on the piano, feel free to get in touch with our friendly live chat specialists. Alternatively, for expert piano advice, call 1300 888 279 to reach your nearest store.

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