Whether you have just started to learn the piano or have been playing for years, there is always room for improvement. Here are a few important factors when it comes to developing your piano skills.

The most important of all is practice. Like a lot of things in life, progression comes from repetition. Seeing improvement in your playing is a lot to do with muscle memory so playing pieces regularly is the best way to get your hands used to the movement. It is also helpful to put aside time specifically for your practice every day rather than just planning to do it when you are free as you are more likely to commit to a significant practice time this way.

The quality of practice is also an extremely important element when it comes to improvement. Many people will just play a piece through a few times and think that this is enough, but one vital factor when practising is to slow down the piece. Once you can play it perfectly at a slow speed, this is the time to gradually play it faster until you get to full speed. This way you can really focus on getting the correct notes and technique. It is also important to play any problem areas repeatedly. If there are a couple of bars which you find more difficult, just practice these specific bars until you can play them and then play them in context of the whole piece.

The technique is incredibly important when it comes to playing the piano. Your technique can be determined by the shape that your hands are in when playing, your seat position, the tension in your arms and shoulders and even the length of your nails! Learning good technique when you first start is very important as this will affect the sound of your playing and will help with more difficult pieces as you progress. It is much easier to learn good technique when you start than to change a bad technique when you have already been learning for a while.

Hopefully, these tips have helped with any worries about starting and will help you become the best piano player that you can. If you need extra help please contact your local store or pop in and see us!