Find Out the Best Route to Take to Achieve Your Dream of Playing the Piano!

Have you noticed how easy it is to get somewhere that you've never been before with smart phone map apps?

​One feature that I love using due to traveling so much is that you get to choose the fastest route with the least traffic ahead of time. Plus, if there's an accident ahead you'll get rerouted usually and will still reach your destination on time; barring any huge emergencies. 

Each section of the route is explained more than once so you know ahead of time which way to turn and which lane to stay in once you've completed your turn. 

Having this detailed route to use is so helpful in getting where we need to go. We waste less gas from getting lost, out trip is more relaxed, and we have more time to use for productive things rather than correcting our wrong turns or getting stuck in construction traffic. 

Have you ever applied this concept to playing the piano? Think about it...

You know where you want to go - you want to end up playing the piano well and have fun doing it. Great!

Now, you need to plan your trip so you don't run into traffic jams, get lost, and waste time along the way!

Let's look at the best route that you need to end up playing the piano well.

• Learn to read the notes in your music. Most of us are going to be note-readers if we're learning to play the piano. This is important because once you know how to read your music visually, playing it will be easier. 
• Learn where those notes are on the piano keyboard. This is the next step and it makes sense because once you know what the notes are in your music you want to play them on the piano and you have to know where they are in order to do that. 
• Learn what sharps and flats are. You'll notice that some of the keys on the piano are white and others are black. The black keys for the most part represent the sharp and flat notes. 
• Learn the Key Signatures. Once you've found sharps and flats in your music and on the piano, you'll want to learn the different key signatures that tell you exactly what notes to play sharp or flat in what you're playing; whether it be a scale or an exercise or piece. 
• Learn the different note values. This means that you start learning how to count the different number of beats that notes and measures get in music. You want to include whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes. 
• Learn your scales. Scales are the foundation of everything that we play on the piano. All of our exercises and pieces are built upon scales. Start with your major scales and then move on to your minor scales. 
• Practice exercises. Piano exercises and etudes help to strengthen our fingers, develop dexterity and make us able to play faster. They are important to challenge us into learning new techniques and give us a chance to practice those new things before we try them in a new piece. 
• Practice new pieces. At almost every level of piano playing we can be learning and playing a new piece that fits with just where we are in our playing. It can be Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or a Beethoven concerto...it doesn't matter as long as we're finding pieces that allow us to use what we've been practicing on in our scales and exercises. 

Following this route in the order given will get you to your destination the fastest and easiest way. There's a steady progression with this path that builds upon each section of your trip so that you don't get lost along the way nor will you get caught up in any unnecessary jams or detours. 

Take time each day to incorporate all of these sections. You may need to go back and visit some of your note names or how to count sixteenth notes. That's fine...you can go back there anytime and visit. Make sure you try to bring something new into your trip each week as well...such as a new piece or exercise, or even a different type of piece from what you've played before. Most of all, enjoy the trip!

Stay Tuned to PianoLessonsOnTheWeb.com to learn much more and achieve your dream of playing the piano!