That's how I feel too! I started learning a year ago and one page of easy music takes ages to learn! I know that with practice and experience I will get better, and more efficient at learning pieces.
I would not worrie about learning time after 3 month. I myself are only 8 month in or so and still need alot of time to figure things out. But: It gets better! Slowly, but it do. And if i have the next improvement, when i can do things with more ease than before, it really is motivating. I look forward to the future. :)
You're doing good BewmBawks, just be patient and you'll get great results. The kids and ''prodigies'' you see on the internet are generally combinations of mininum 3 hours daily practice + great teachers + extremely supportive parents who manage the practice sessions well. The kids may look innocent and naive, but they have had more time on the instrument than most adults- it just doesn't look like it from the surface level. In the end it all comes down to the hours you log in my opinion. Someone who has done 10,000 hours is going to play and see music in a completely different way to someone else who has logged 400 hours.
@@frqv I've been playing exactly 8 months too 😂want to share what we have completed so far?just saying I've only played the same 4 pieces for 4 months straight so not much progress more or less 4 months of practice but still what and how any pieces have you learned
Jazer, I've been teaching piano for 30 years. I often send your lessons to my students. Your suggestions are spot on for any level student. Respect and kudos.
#3 is called “chunking” and works for all skills and memory tasks. You learn bigger and bigger building blocks, then you can build something bigger and more complex very easily.
Not only chunking but also the prerequisite: comprehension. From simpler to more advanced. Let's say you see the chord progression C D G - what you take away depends on music theory knowlege. Maybe you first notice that these are chords that are familiar to me (starting with a very basic, but useful, step!). Then that they are all diatonic to G-major, then maybe functional relationships between them, or maybe you recognize this from a particular song in a different key, any kind of advanced concept like this - this is how more and more comprehension lets you form the chunks of information. :)
For me, it's both poor practice habits and poor practice methods. Not only am I not consistent, but when I do practice it's too easy to fall into the trap of playing what I'm already comfortable with. I need to develop more discipline and patience to step outside of my narrow little comfort zones. This is an exceptionally helpful and useful channel, thank you.
0:25 Mistake number 1 : Lack of piece practice 2:48 Mistake number 2 : Lack of technique practice 5:16 Mistake number 3 : Lack of theory practice 7:36 Mistake number 4 : Lack of listening practice The point is, GO PRACTICE! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
The speed at which one can learn a piece depends somewhat on what “learning” means. I hesitate to add to my repertoire because I continue to make little mistakes on previously learned pieces. I have this idea (inculcated in me by my first music teacher) that I should not move on to another piece until I have played the current one PERFECTLY. BUT since nothing is ever really “perfect,” that rather subjective standard makes it difficult to move on to another piece. I’m a self-teaching adult beginner on the piano, and there are still troublesome passages in all 8 pieces that I have “learned” in my first year of playing. My fear is always that I’m moving too fast.
Guilty as charged. Especially prone to playing the pieces I have learned at the expense of learning new ones because it is difficult. But I have forced myself into the remedies you have stated: understanding the composition and how music theory applies or conforms. And trying to understand why I am repeatedly making the same mistake at the same place. Where are my fingers in relation to the next note or notes and how best to get them to the right place. And slowly repeating that pattern and shape of my hands for numerous times. Your training and tip videos are accurate in their diagnosis.
Difficulty learning new pieces is made easier by daily sightreading at a lower level. The better you read the language the easier it is. Stop focusing on one song.
For three months I've been struggling with the beautiful hymn "What Wondrous Love Is This" in A minor. It is not particularly difficult but for some reason I could not get through it without making a plethora of mistakes. I didn't think about going online and listening to a piano version. Thanks for the suggestion. I am self taught and your videos are like a tonic to me! Many thanks!
Don't practice wrong notes. Allow yourself to hold (and hear) one correct chord while you look for the next one and leave out the wrong notes altogether. You must be trying to play too fast.
I have promised my FB friends that I will learn a new piece each month and post a video of it, this keeps me accountable. I enjoy planning what I am going to post.
Thank you for this, as a 53 year old who has done exactly as you described, schlepped along with 5-ish pieces I love my entire life, I plan to take your advice of scheduling in new pieces. What has trapped me with these songs personally is that I’ve never truly mastered them. I’ve made mistakes that keep me stuck, feeling I should not move on if I haven’t really “got” them. I hope this may make you laugh, but some mistakes I make are literally from the muscle memory of having begun to learn them in childhood, and not compensating for my hands growing!! Again, I’m 53. Anyway, thanks very much for your fresh thoughts on how to invigorate my practice.
Great advice, thank you. I’ve found that I am able to stay motivated and excited most when I don’t box myself into corner - forcing myself, for example, to finish learning a piece before trying anything else. Instead, I just do whatever sounds like the most fun in the moment - sometimes I work on chipping away at a harder piece from the sheet music, sometimes I follow a tutorial on UA-cam, sometimes I practice very simple pieces from beginner books (I’ve only been playing a year), sometimes I watch videos on music theory or like this video! But no matter what it is, I try to always pick something that will push my boundaries a little more and a little more. If it becomes a chore, or you don’t give yourself the option of practicing something that is not incredibly difficult for you, you will not want to continue. I think it’s so important to find the way for you to stay joyful - when learning is fun you want to learn!
Jazer …I have been tinkering with the piano for a number of years but..never see myself anything other that a beginner. In this time I have just about subscribed to every piano teaching/theory channel there is. I have bought about a dozen online progs to help me learn. Although it’s not been money wasted…with your channel, I think I have found my favourite. Love your playing, your ability to describe the pitfalls and peaks of learning the piano. Keep up the good work. 👌🏼🎹
Guilty but getting better. Can you do a video on tension. I am discovering that I am only able to release some of the tension the more familiar I become with the piece I am learning. Initially it is as if I am clinging on for dear life. I struggle to relax and keep focus.
I started playing piano an year ago after learning a few songs on Casio in childhood. Self Learning Music Theory required real determination to not to quit but I am following Benedict Westenra on You tube as well as have purchased his Udemy courses and they have really helped me progress on my goal. Your today’s video is so amazing as I can truly relate to every thing but moving forward, I believe I have understood my errors. Thanks 😊
You are a fantabulous teacher, with out a shadow of doubt... People those who don't have even iota interest in learning key board will be glued to the same have gone through your videos... your work is noble worthy...
I know how to play only two pieces, one of them is the 1 mvt. of the Moonlight Sonata. It took me around 1 month and a half to memorize but it means a lot to me being able to play this right now, because it's one of my favorite pieces of all time. And I'm very thankful to you Jazer, for your encouragement and tips for begginers. Thank you so much!
Currently I’m learning some jazz piece and it goes slow as hell since most of the chords there are like EbAdd9/Ab. Without the music theory this chord is a bunch of random notes which makes the progress really slow and frustrating. I’ve recently started the channel in which I’m planning to have a lessons about some part of music theory from adult’s perspective, since I’ve also started playing as an adult. Please consider joining if you plan to learn in an easy way something about theory :)
I did catch the wrong note you played because I have heard this piece so many times. My dad used to play some beautiful classical pieces. You are a very good teacher I must say.
I'm going on two years now having learned to play piano. Though I do not play classical, I do apply your lessons to my practicing and to the pop songs I play. Thanks!!
Thanks! Now I don't feel guilty about spending 6 months on a very difficult cello etude. On piano, it's been helpful to do Hanon etudes and also play different pieces during the same practice session. I've recently taken up jazz piano and found that it has improved my overall musical performance in other genres, reinforcing what you are saying about quantity and variety. The flip side is that in playing too many pieces I end up learning morsels and not entire pieces.
Thank you so much Jazer! You really help reassure me that I am not alone in my endeavor to play piano. It's so comforting to find out that many of my queries and stumbling blocks are common. I deeply appreciate you sharing your knowledge!!!
How timely!! This past week, I just stumbled onto the idea of listening to the piece you're working on. I'm learning the first movement of Beethoven's 5th, as translated into piano by Liszt, and I was struggling because some of the chords that sound great when played at speed, one flowing into the next, sound awful when played slowly, concentrating on each one. Hearing what it's supposed to be made me more willing to put up with the sounds I was making long enough to learn and for them to start sounding better. Thank you for your videos! Keep them coming, please!
Love your channel! By far, the best piano instructor on UA-cam. As a beginner, my goal was to learn 10 pieces this year. It is slow going, and I have learned 3 pieces, but still make some mistakes on each. I will use your suggestions to help with learning and perfecting new and existing pieces. Thank you.
Hi Jazer. Can you recommend some books for music/piano theory? Edit: if ever you can share some of piano theory books or pdf would be much appreciated. I can relate on Mistake 3.
I don't know any books in English....But there is a good and famous one in Persain maybe It's translated into English....the name : Music theory by Mostafa kamal poortorab
Some of the bibliogrophies of the book I mentioned in another comment : Theory of musoc by Ernest Haywood.....The elements of Music by Ralph Turek....Theorie de la musique par A.Danhauser
I highly recommend JAZZ PIANO TEHCNIQUES by John Valerio. It has everything from Hanon exercises to scales to theory and study etudes, that have been incredibly helpful to me.
Not learning enough pieces. I didn't realized that I had fixed this problem or that it was even a problem until I watched this video. I wasn't motivated to play because I was only playing/learning one piece and I was bored of it. I do like the 12 pieces in a year challenge. Thanks!
I just found your channel and subscribed today. I am in my 50's so I don't know if it's possible to ever be good at it, but I still enjoy listening to piano music.
A very helpful video (as always). All very good tips. To prevent myself from overestimating my practice time, I bought a kitchen timer. I set the timer & I practice until the timer goes off.
Learning new pieces... I don't like moving on to a new piece until I've mastered the one I'm working on. This usually means practising a piece over and over until I can play it mistake free. This is probably the thing that slows me down the most. However, sometimes impatience takes over and I will start learning a new piece before completing the old one, so this has the added effect of slowing me down even further. There are a few pieces I've taught myself that are incomplete because of this. But I've started to see that the practising is having the positive effect of making reading the music easier, and I' not having to stop and think "what is that note again...?"
I realised as a learner that my finger independence was not as good as I thought it was and went back to basic boot camp to do finger strengthening so that when learning pieces mistakes were more confined with learning the piece and not from an inability to do aroeggios consistently.
The first one is so true for me! For a long time I just stuck to the same old pieces because I was too lazy to learn new ones lol but now and over the past few years Ive been playing whatever songs inspire me (either by ear or youtube) and honestly it keeps me hooked on the piano. Whenever im learning a new piece I cant seem to stop because its so exciting!! And I love the challenge too! And I think it keeps me motivated to continue getting better at the piano so I would 100% recommend this tip!
Keeping me honest I like to record myself then try to listen to the recordings as if they were done by a professional. If the recording is not enjoyable to listen to then I can hear places that need work. This works for learning to send Morse Code as well.
I'm on my third piano teacher in 4-1/2 years since wanting to learn the piano. Question : So why do I have to come to your youtube channel to learn things like this?? I'm 58 y.o. and feel so 'behind' from where I thought I'd be at this point. I don't blame the teachers 100% because i've slacked over the years, so I'm not in denial. It's just frustrating to see others (especially younger folks) who seem to make quicker, more meaningful progress than what I have. BTW, I thank God (and you) for your channel which brings me much insight and good instructions, and patience!!
This is so sweet. At any age slacking w such a self endeavor like piano comes at a cost. You know what you gotta do! Keep on at it and u might surprise yourself!
Thank you for posting these videos. I've been teaching piano for about ten years. My students do fairly well overall but lately, some bad habits have popped up with some of them. I use these as a sort of "professional development" session. As for myself, I wasn't a piano major in college but was a voice major and of course, we had to play a certain proficiency level to graduate. Unfortunately, my family was poor and I did not have piano lessons before college, as so many do. I was in Band and choir and could definitely read music but beyond that didn't have much music theory knowledge. It's true, the more pieces you learn, everything becomes easier. I was asked to play "mood music " at an upcoming Christmas party for a friend. I froze. I've never been asked to something like that before. So, I went and bought 6-7 Christmas piano books at our local music store and just started playing through them (made sure they were all grade 3+ and above because the easier stuff was garbage). What was fairly difficult a few weeks ago is now relatively easy so I'm working on finess and presentation for an expert performance.
No.1 To enable yourself to learn more pieces, you must eventually put aside some of the older pieces, which are by then at the bottom of the pile. This is not always easy when you love them. No.2 I find encouraging a student to actually get to the piano, sit down and start playing is the important part, maybe even agreeing an exact time to do this. Once there, I know they will stay longer than they think, especially when they love what they are doing. No.3 Find a teacher who includesTheory at every lesson, even for a few minutes. There are many Teachers who do not, often just because there is never enough time and never get around to it. It is SO important and a little every lesson goes a long way. No.4 Listening to recordings and following scores is wonderful advice and a valuable and often humbling experience. Really listening to yourself as you play is good too!
Yes! New pieces! Waiting for my new sheet music to arrive. I have five pieces that I have struggled through so far. (75 years, restarted and loving it so much) Hanon is coming too. Woot woot! Thank you for your instructional and inspiring videos!
I realized has a beginner that learning piano is a lot of dedicated work and a lot to learn to achieve playing correctly. Thank you for your honest tutorial & comments.
Good timing for this video. I've been trying to learn a song for 3 weeks and still don't have it. I was getting very frustrated with myself, so it's comforting to hear that it's normal for beginners to take a couple months to learn a new piece.
After several times of hitting the wrong note, I write the letter name below the note. And if I still hit the same wrong note, I highlight the letter name that I just wrote.
Jazer, I really appreciated your tips!! My new challenge is Pachelbel canon in D. My challenge is that I tend to go very fast but thanks to your advice, I'm going slow putting more attention in my fingering. Thanks!! Love your videos!
Nice video!!! The learning is definitely important for progress ----- or for progressing towards where each person would like to get to. Learning on various fronts - which includes theory - even into areas of counterpoint - after having learned enough of the earlier theory. Smoothness and nuances, timing, reliability/consistency are also very nice and interesting areas to work on.
Jezza, the more i watch your videos, the more i can relate to a lot of mistakes and tips that you give. I am lucky enough to avoid most, but not all. Your content is golden, keep up the amazing work.
Dude, I’m coming back to Piano after about a year break. I didn’t play a ton to start with but I had a good couple songs I’d play for people etc. I learned wrong the first time (UA-cam Synthesia or whatever). Coming back I said I would learn proper and learn how to read. Your tips and constant uploads are so helpful! Been back at it for about 2 months now and its going amazing. I love your channel!
Ah ha! A good reason for all my scales practice popped up in your vid. The incorrect note stood out very clearly to me. Maybe if it was even more subtle I wouldn't have but it shows me at least some of the reason for the incessant focus on scales...
Mistake 4. Number 1 was a problem for a long time, but now, believe it or not, I now have 40 pieces memorized. I retired 2 1\2 years ago, so that does make a difference. Thank you for the great videos, Jazer.
Relate most to your 3rd mistake. The composers wrote the scores so that people enjoy - not play them (but yes we've to play first). The masters will most enjoy playing their own compositions because they knew exactly why each & every note were placed but learners are score-bound robots. The greatest progress is when we start to play each measure with emotion. Each of us will respond differently but a little understanding of musicality & interpretation of a piece makes us mature players to relate to the pull & push that makes music what it truely is - emotional fulfilling of our own lives experience. That's what makes a concert grand when performers relate. Waiting for your video for more on this.
I finished musical school, but I still feel sad sometimes, because we all learned theory and practiced playing the piano, but back then I’ve never thought of connecting both parts together😞 and now I often think of how much in might have sped up my learning process.
That's no problem at all - because in life, there are various paths that can be taken. So - for example, you have learned theory and practised playing the piano. That is good. Excellent actually. And now - just develop other areas that you want to further develop. Your existing skills are guaranteed to help a lot. Also - don't feel sad at minor things. There are lots of people out there in truly sad (dire) situations - eg. major health issue, or living in third-world or war-stricken regions.
I especially connected with learning the piano language. I have been playing on a digital piano for about 8 months. I am a member of Pianote but I also subscribe to your channel as well. I have been following Pianote lesson plans so I am a ways from "reading" music yet. But I have been concentrating mainly on practicing the piano techniques, scales C, G, Am, Em, diatonic chords, chord inversions, intervals, arpeggios. I want to be able to play these smoothly and accurately because I figured then I would be able to pick up playing pieces easier.
This is spot on. I am an absolute beginner who just got a keyboard a month ago and I have learnt three pieces now (which I'm still not solidly good at any of em but I did get a grip on how to play em), but i'm at the brink of slowly giving up my piano learning bcoz i found that it takes so long to really master one piece, and i hate the thought that to learn another new piece will take me another long time of struggling.
Hi Jazer. Please make a video on 'Sequence in which music theory should be learned, like the order of learning scales, chords, arpeggios, and other stuff.'
You are gifted teacher! Thank you for sharing so clearly. I also have shared your videos with some of my students. Keep the videos coming! Blessings to you
Hello JAZER ! Can you pls make a video on HOW TO GO THROUGH PIANO EXCERCISES . What I mean is , can you explain how should we (beginners) follow exercise books (such as HANON , CZERNY , SCHMITT) . I was really confused how much of these exercises should I practice each day , and also how to go through these books . Should i pick up new exercises each day or should i keep practicing the previous ones that I have learned ????? PLS MAKE A VIDEO ON THIS TOPIC , AS THIS WILL BENEFIT THE MAJORITY OF YOU VIEWERS (MOSTLY BEGINNERS) . Looking forward for your response !! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What you said is only right. Actually I think I want proceed as you recommanded but I tend to give up on first mistake and time passes. I hope that I can get along with. Wish me good luck. Thank you
You nailed it! Agree on everything. In the Nocturn a piano player needs to be technically prepared to play 4 keys chords, since the chords are broken in the accompaniment . Just as an example of one out of 1000 other things to know and master.
Hi Jazer, I follow all your videos from oldest till date diligently and really admire your way of teaching. I have question for you. In one of your previous videos, you mentioned about practicing pieces with rhythmic variations and gave the 10 most commonly used ones to print out. Can you please show in examples by playing how to use them when we have the difficult passages we seem to can’t control? I am still a beginner and this shall really help me and our other friends. Thanks 😊
I like the idea of playing more pieces. Still how can we choose them? Specially for a lower middle player. I mean I'd spent about 6 months playing the Waltz in A minor of Chopin and still is not really good. I see the challenge is to have a good selection of motivating-difficult-but-not-so-much pieces. But how to know which pieces are appropriate? specially for self taught players like me. Perhaps you can recommend some pieces for beginners/intermediate (certainly advanced players should know)? Your video are very useful to me, I learn a lot and they keep me motivated! Thank you Jazer!
Very good. I have a friend whose daughter practice’s on schedule, with more focus before playing for an audience. That’s why people always compliment her with “I’d give any thing to play like you do” Are you will to do the practice? Keep ‘‘em coming”. Many thanks
im so relatable at the part where it takes me months to learn a piece but now after watching your videos i realize a lot of things and i'm always happy watching tutorials from yoy because the advices you give really helps. I've made a little progress i can learn a piece now in just 3 days thank u very much
I would say another major hinderance is taking tempos too fast before you’re ready. If you haven’t worked out the technical solutions slowly, and just try to “force through” at a fast tempo, you’ll end up 1) practicing mistakes and 2) practicing being tense because you’re not comfortable with the tempo yet. Over the years I’ve learned the hard way that slow practice means learning a piece in MUCH less time ... and that practice makes _permanent_ .
I'm relatively new to learning piano so watching these vids helps a lot. Also, I'm not sure what I should prioritize for music theory. I go over 7th chords and major scales but I don't really know if its what I should be doing. Any insight on this from anybody would be awesome :)
Hey, hopefully you've figured it out a little by now but the best way is to play pieces. Know what quarter notes, eight, 16th sound like, as well as recognizing chords. Keep theory in mind while practicing. Only way to "practice theory" effectively is to play music. Theory is boring by itself. Knowing scales is good but theory only gets you so far without real practice on an instrument. Theory is a tool, people used to and still do get good without it. It's hard to get a good understanding of theory if theory is the only thing you focus on, because theory is based upon music, not the other way around
I started learning 3 weeks ago from scratch at 63 years old. I am on to my 7th piece in the exercise book my teacher is teaching me from. I'm not fast but I am getting there slowly. I practice a lot and am making progress. My teacher is amazing and I am so motivated to conquer this. By the way, my goal is to be able to play Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat. Such a beautiful piece of music. Thank you for the tips Jazer, they're definitely helping.
Pianote has a tutorial on Melanie that you played at 4:30. It's the very first I just started studying. I'm learning piano and music theory for a few months now, and yes you are 100% right. Although it's really tough to get through the initially parts of everything about the theory. The difficulty is that one has to know and understand everything at once in a matter of speaking.😵💫 We all listen to music all our lives, but when starting studying music we discover a strange enigmatic world.😂 However I'm retired and can take all the time I need to discover this enigmatic world. You can learn by ear, but you will never know what you are doing, I think. Great video, these kind of videos do firmly remind me not to cut corners.
Been doing an hour or more per day since January 1st. to try and improve my playing and especially reading skills. I could not agree more about knowing music theory. When I took lessons as a child/teen, I just read each note separately. Now I notice chords/patterns/keys in a completely different way. It has greatly helped my reading as I'm not stuck on every individual note once I've analysed the chord.
For me I can memorize a pretty difficult song that’s around like 3 to 4 minutes long in about 2 days of solid 2 to 3 hour sessions but to actually play at speed takes me 3 weeks to a month to get down but concerning the biggest mistake I fall into is the one about playing songs your comfortable with and not actually spending your time where to need it
Hi..... U are the best piano teacher I've ever seen!..... U said u will post the 3rd part of I can't play with 2 hands but its been 4 months still I'm waiting... I hope u post it
I am so glad to come across your channel. 🌷 As a self-taught adult learner, with very little time to practise (being a full-time academic), I consider your advice, not just in this video, as a magic wand! I applied your previous tip on repeating the bar seven times and it worked like magic. Now I can play the first page of the piece I'm learning so smoothly (I'm challenging myself with the first 3 pages of Appasionata 3rd, but slowly, because it charmed me). I also very much like your exemplary methods. Thank you for your much appreciated help. 🌷🎶
Which of these mistakes could you relate to the most?
0:00 Intro
0:25 Mistake 1
2:45 Mistake 2
5:15 Mistake 3
7:36 Mistake 4
mistake 1
Mistake 3
Hello Sir how are you 😇
Mistake 3 & 4 both
I really want to play piano as my project work in my finales. I only have two years to learn. Can I really achieve this.
Man, I needed to hear that it took 3 months to learn an easy piece when you first started. It always feels like I'm not getting it fast enough.
That's how I feel too! I started learning a year ago and one page of easy music takes ages to learn! I know that with practice and experience I will get better, and more efficient at learning pieces.
@@TheMuteSwan it's like that at beginning but if you keep practicing it gets faster and easier 👍🙂
I would not worrie about learning time after 3 month. I myself are only 8 month in or so and still need alot of time to figure things out. But: It gets better! Slowly, but it do. And if i have the next improvement, when i can do things with more ease than before, it really is motivating. I look forward to the future. :)
You're doing good BewmBawks, just be patient and you'll get great results. The kids and ''prodigies'' you see on the internet are generally combinations of mininum 3 hours daily practice + great teachers + extremely supportive parents who manage the practice sessions well. The kids may look innocent and naive, but they have had more time on the instrument than most adults- it just doesn't look like it from the surface level. In the end it all comes down to the hours you log in my opinion. Someone who has done 10,000 hours is going to play and see music in a completely different way to someone else who has logged 400 hours.
@@frqv I've been playing exactly 8 months too 😂want to share what we have completed so far?just saying I've only played the same 4 pieces for 4 months straight so not much progress more or less 4 months of practice but still what and how any pieces have you learned
Jazer, I've been teaching piano for 30 years. I often send your lessons to my students. Your suggestions are spot on for any level student. Respect and kudos.
#3 is called “chunking” and works for all skills and memory tasks. You learn bigger and bigger building blocks, then you can build something bigger and more complex very easily.
Not only chunking but also the prerequisite: comprehension. From simpler to more advanced. Let's say you see the chord progression C D G - what you take away depends on music theory knowlege. Maybe you first notice that these are chords that are familiar to me (starting with a very basic, but useful, step!). Then that they are all diatonic to G-major, then maybe functional relationships between them, or maybe you recognize this from a particular song in a different key, any kind of advanced concept like this - this is how more and more comprehension lets you form the chunks of information. :)
For me, it's both poor practice habits and poor practice methods. Not only am I not consistent, but when I do practice it's too easy to fall into the trap of playing what I'm already comfortable with. I need to develop more discipline and patience to step outside of my narrow little comfort zones. This is an exceptionally helpful and useful channel, thank you.
0:25 Mistake number 1 : Lack of piece practice
2:48 Mistake number 2 : Lack of technique practice
5:16 Mistake number 3 : Lack of theory practice
7:36 Mistake number 4 : Lack of listening practice
The point is, GO PRACTICE!
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!
The question being: How do I get to Carnegie Hall? 😏
@@JWolfe-nq7nq It’s pretty easy: Carnegie Hall on the corner of 57th Street and 7th Avenue in New York City.
@@KeepingOnTheWatch And here I thought it was the intersection of Practice St and Practice Ave. heh
@@JWolfe-nq7nq Add Strymon Big Sky reverb pedal to your piano, it has Carnegie hall preset, then you sound like you play your piano there.
@@iceuul674 LOL. My Casio has that effect. It doesn't make my playing sound any better! :)
The speed at which one can learn a piece depends somewhat on what “learning” means. I hesitate to add to my repertoire because I continue to make little mistakes on previously learned pieces. I have this idea (inculcated in me by my first music teacher) that I should not move on to another piece until I have played the current one PERFECTLY. BUT since nothing is ever really “perfect,” that rather subjective standard makes it difficult to move on to another piece. I’m a self-teaching adult beginner on the piano, and there are still troublesome passages in all 8 pieces that I have “learned” in my first year of playing. My fear is always that I’m moving too fast.
Guilty as charged. Especially prone to playing the pieces I have learned at the expense of learning new ones because it is difficult.
But I have forced myself into the remedies you have stated: understanding the composition and how music theory applies or conforms. And trying to understand why I am repeatedly making the same mistake at the same place. Where are my fingers in relation to the next note or notes and how best to get them to the right place. And slowly repeating that pattern and shape of my hands for numerous times.
Your training and tip videos are accurate in their diagnosis.
Difficulty learning new pieces is made easier by daily sightreading at a lower level. The better you read the language the easier it is. Stop focusing on one song.
For three months I've been struggling with the beautiful hymn "What Wondrous Love Is This" in A minor. It is not particularly difficult but for some reason I could not get through it without making a plethora of mistakes. I didn't think about going online and listening to a piano version. Thanks for the suggestion. I am self taught and your videos are like a tonic to me! Many thanks!
Don't practice wrong notes. Allow yourself to hold (and hear) one correct chord while you look for the next one and leave out the wrong notes altogether. You must be trying to play too fast.
I have promised my FB friends that I will learn a new piece each month and post a video of it, this keeps me accountable. I enjoy planning what I am going to post.
Thank you for this, as a 53 year old who has done exactly as you described, schlepped along with 5-ish pieces I love my entire life, I plan to take your advice of scheduling in new pieces. What has trapped me with these songs personally is that I’ve never truly mastered them. I’ve made mistakes that keep me stuck, feeling I should not move on if I haven’t really “got” them. I hope this may make you laugh, but some mistakes I make are literally from the muscle memory of having begun to learn them in childhood, and not compensating for my hands growing!! Again, I’m 53.
Anyway, thanks very much for your fresh thoughts on how to invigorate my practice.
Great advice, thank you. I’ve found that I am able to stay motivated and excited most when I don’t box myself into corner - forcing myself, for example, to finish learning a piece before trying anything else. Instead, I just do whatever sounds like the most fun in the moment - sometimes I work on chipping away at a harder piece from the sheet music, sometimes I follow a tutorial on UA-cam, sometimes I practice very simple pieces from beginner books (I’ve only been playing a year), sometimes I watch videos on music theory or like this video! But no matter what it is, I try to always pick something that will push my boundaries a little more and a little more. If it becomes a chore, or you don’t give yourself the option of practicing something that is not incredibly difficult for you, you will not want to continue. I think it’s so important to find the way for you to stay joyful - when learning is fun you want to learn!
Top tier comment here.
Jazer …I have been tinkering with the piano for a number of years but..never see myself anything other that a beginner.
In this time I have just about subscribed to every piano teaching/theory channel there is. I have bought about a dozen online progs to help me learn. Although it’s not been money wasted…with your channel, I think I have found my favourite.
Love your playing, your ability to describe the pitfalls and peaks of learning the piano.
Keep up the good work.
👌🏼🎹
Guilty but getting better. Can you do a video on tension. I am discovering that I am only able to release some of the tension the more familiar I become with the piece I am learning. Initially it is as if I am clinging on for dear life. I struggle to relax and keep focus.
I started playing piano an year ago after learning a few songs on Casio in childhood.
Self Learning Music Theory required real determination to not to quit but I am following Benedict Westenra on You tube as well as have purchased his Udemy courses and they have really helped me progress on my goal.
Your today’s video is so amazing as I can truly relate to every thing but moving forward, I believe I have understood my errors. Thanks 😊
I’m also self learning. Good luck 👍🏻
You are a fantabulous teacher, with out a shadow of doubt... People those who don't have even iota interest in learning key board will be glued to the same have gone through your videos... your work is noble worthy...
I know how to play only two pieces, one of them is the 1 mvt. of the Moonlight Sonata. It took me around 1 month and a half to memorize but it means a lot to me being able to play this right now, because it's one of my favorite pieces of all time. And I'm very thankful to you Jazer, for your encouragement and tips for begginers. Thank you so much!
😍😍 I love to see a positive post like that. It's exactly the way I feel
@@deadmanswife3625 Am i witnessing something here
@@genericjoekid1326 no
@@deadmanswife3625 oke
@@deadmanswife3625 sorry hehe
Currently I’m learning some jazz piece and it goes slow as hell since most of the chords there are like EbAdd9/Ab. Without the music theory this chord is a bunch of random notes which makes the progress really slow and frustrating. I’ve recently started the channel in which I’m planning to have a lessons about some part of music theory from adult’s perspective, since I’ve also started playing as an adult. Please consider joining if you plan to learn in an easy way something about theory :)
I’m joining !
Yes, I see now that I am going to have to expand my piano world to included more new pieces. You are truly a teacher at heart!!!
I did catch the wrong note you played because I have heard this piece so many times. My dad used to play some beautiful classical pieces. You are a very good teacher I must say.
I'm going on two years now having learned to play piano. Though I do not play classical, I do apply your lessons to my practicing and to the pop songs I play. Thanks!!
That's great!
Thanks! Now I don't feel guilty about spending 6 months on a very difficult cello etude. On piano, it's been helpful to do Hanon etudes and also play different pieces during the same practice session. I've recently taken up jazz piano and found that it has improved my overall musical performance in other genres, reinforcing what you are saying about quantity and variety. The flip side is that in playing too many pieces I end up learning morsels and not entire pieces.
Seriously, the points you make in your videos are so practical and good
Love the content
Thank you so much Jazer! You really help reassure me that I am not alone in my endeavor to play piano. It's so comforting to find out that many of my queries and stumbling blocks are common. I deeply appreciate you sharing your knowledge!!!
Rock on Tintchetia!
How timely!! This past week, I just stumbled onto the idea of listening to the piece you're working on. I'm learning the first movement of Beethoven's 5th, as translated into piano by Liszt, and I was struggling because some of the chords that sound great when played at speed, one flowing into the next, sound awful when played slowly, concentrating on each one. Hearing what it's supposed to be made me more willing to put up with the sounds I was making long enough to learn and for them to start sounding better. Thank you for your videos! Keep them coming, please!
Love your channel! By far, the best piano instructor on UA-cam. As a beginner, my goal was to learn 10 pieces this year. It is slow going, and I have learned 3 pieces, but still make some mistakes on each. I will use your suggestions to help with learning and perfecting new and existing pieces. Thank you.
You can do it Michelle
Hi Jazer. Can you recommend some books for music/piano theory?
Edit: if ever you can share some of piano theory books or pdf would be much appreciated. I can relate on Mistake 3.
sameee.
tho I am self-studying (Alfred) Complete Book of Scales, Arpeggios & Cadences.
I don't know any books in English....But there is a good and famous one in Persain maybe It's translated into English....the name : Music theory by Mostafa kamal poortorab
Some of the bibliogrophies of the book I mentioned in another comment : Theory of musoc by Ernest Haywood.....The elements of Music by Ralph Turek....Theorie de la musique par A.Danhauser
I highly recommend JAZZ PIANO TEHCNIQUES by John Valerio. It has everything from Hanon exercises to scales to theory and study etudes, that have been incredibly helpful to me.
abrsm discovering music theory or how to blitz abrsm theory. professional books!
Four fantastic pieces of piano advice. Each one a gem. Thanks fir sharing your wisdom and joy of music
Not learning enough pieces. I didn't realized that I had fixed this problem or that it was even a problem until I watched this video. I wasn't motivated to play because I was only playing/learning one piece and I was bored of it. I do like the 12 pieces in a year challenge. Thanks!
I just found your channel and subscribed today. I am in my 50's so I don't know if it's possible to ever be good at it, but I still enjoy listening to piano music.
A very helpful video (as always). All very good tips. To prevent myself from overestimating my practice time, I bought a kitchen timer. I set the timer & I practice until the timer goes off.
I have a problem with not learning more pieces, (and also not finishing them). This video was helpful thank you!
Pinning down the mistake. I’ve started doing that … awesome advice!
Learning new pieces... I don't like moving on to a new piece until I've mastered the one I'm working on. This usually means practising a piece over and over until I can play it mistake free. This is probably the thing that slows me down the most. However, sometimes impatience takes over and I will start learning a new piece before completing the old one, so this has the added effect of slowing me down even further. There are a few pieces I've taught myself that are incomplete because of this. But I've started to see that the practising is having the positive effect of making reading the music easier, and I' not having to stop and think "what is that note again...?"
I realised as a learner that my finger independence was not as good as I thought it was and went back to basic boot camp to do finger strengthening so that when learning pieces mistakes were more confined with learning the piece and not from an inability to do aroeggios consistently.
That's great!
i learned 1 song and basically only played that. got bored and stopped playing. think i might take it up again, thanks for the motivation !
You can do it 👍
Thank you also for your great advice! You're an excellent teacher and you certainly keep me motivated.
The first one is so true for me! For a long time I just stuck to the same old pieces because I was too lazy to learn new ones lol but now and over the past few years Ive been playing whatever songs inspire me (either by ear or youtube) and honestly it keeps me hooked on the piano. Whenever im learning a new piece I cant seem to stop because its so exciting!! And I love the challenge too! And I think it keeps me motivated to continue getting better at the piano so I would 100% recommend this tip!
Keeping me honest I like to record myself then try to listen to the recordings as if they were done by a professional. If the recording is not enjoyable to listen to then I can hear places that need work. This works for learning to send Morse Code as well.
I'm on my third piano teacher in 4-1/2 years since wanting to learn the piano.
Question : So why do I have to come to your youtube channel to learn things like this??
I'm 58 y.o. and feel so 'behind' from where I thought I'd be at this point.
I don't blame the teachers 100% because i've slacked over the years, so I'm not in denial.
It's just frustrating to see others (especially younger folks) who seem to make quicker, more meaningful progress than what I have.
BTW, I thank God (and you) for your channel which brings me much insight and good instructions, and patience!!
Your brain isn't as plastic as it was earlier in life, and your progress will come with higher time investment. It can't be helped.
So glad I can be of some help to you Tim, never give up, I'm with you the whole way!
This is so sweet. At any age slacking w such a self endeavor like piano comes at a cost. You know what you gotta do! Keep on at it and u might surprise yourself!
you are seriously my favorite account right now. so informational but you make it so interesting!
I definitely need to work on my weaker areas of a piece and not just gloss over it. Thanks for a helpful video.
Thank you for posting these videos. I've been teaching piano for about ten years. My students do fairly well overall but lately, some bad habits have popped up with some of them. I use these as a sort of "professional development" session.
As for myself, I wasn't a piano major in college but was a voice major and of course, we had to play a certain proficiency level to graduate. Unfortunately, my family was poor and I did not have piano lessons before college, as so many do. I was in Band and choir and could definitely read music but beyond that didn't have much music theory knowledge.
It's true, the more pieces you learn, everything becomes easier. I was asked to play "mood music " at an upcoming Christmas party for a friend. I froze. I've never been asked to something like that before. So, I went and bought 6-7 Christmas piano books at our local music store and just started playing through them (made sure they were all grade 3+ and above because the easier stuff was garbage). What was fairly difficult a few weeks ago is now relatively easy so I'm working on finess and presentation for an expert performance.
No.1 To enable yourself to learn more pieces, you must eventually put aside some of the older pieces, which are by then at the bottom of the pile. This is not always easy when you love them. No.2 I find encouraging a student to actually get to the piano, sit down and start playing is the important part, maybe even agreeing an exact time to do this. Once there, I know they will stay longer than they think, especially when they love what they are doing.
No.3 Find a teacher who includesTheory at every lesson, even for a few minutes. There are many Teachers who do not, often just because there is never enough time and never get around to it. It is SO important and a little every lesson goes a long way. No.4 Listening to recordings and following scores is wonderful advice and a valuable and often humbling experience. Really listening to yourself as you play is good too!
It's exactly what was evident to me. It's good that it comfirms what I thought, I feel more in a good way now.
Can you recommend a good book to learn music theory? Your efforts on UA-cam are much appreciated, great job!
Yes! New pieces! Waiting for my new sheet music to arrive. I have five pieces that I have struggled through so far. (75 years, restarted and loving it so much) Hanon is coming too. Woot woot! Thank you for your instructional and inspiring videos!
I realized has a beginner that learning piano is a lot of dedicated work and a lot to learn to achieve playing correctly. Thank you for your honest tutorial & comments.
Jazer, so pleased you said how long it took you to originally learn those songs. It's such a relief. Great advice too. Thanks!
Good timing for this video. I've been trying to learn a song for 3 weeks and still don't have it. I was getting very frustrated with myself, so it's comforting to hear that it's normal for beginners to take a couple months to learn a new piece.
After several times of hitting the wrong note, I write the letter name below the note. And if I still hit the same wrong note, I highlight the letter name that I just wrote.
Jazer, I really appreciated your tips!! My new challenge is Pachelbel canon in D. My challenge is that I tend to go very fast but thanks to your advice, I'm going slow putting more attention in my fingering. Thanks!! Love your videos!
I start listen the piece I'm learning. Thank you for the tips. You're great!
Nice video!!! The learning is definitely important for progress ----- or for progressing towards where each person would like to get to. Learning on various fronts - which includes theory - even into areas of counterpoint - after having learned enough of the earlier theory. Smoothness and nuances, timing, reliability/consistency are also very nice and interesting areas to work on.
OMG! Sent this to my piano students! They loved it and have improved greatly. Thank you! ( now I know that they have practiced😅)
Jezza, the more i watch your videos, the more i can relate to a lot of mistakes and tips that you give. I am lucky enough to avoid most, but not all.
Your content is golden, keep up the amazing work.
Dude, I’m coming back to Piano after about a year break. I didn’t play a ton to start with but I had a good couple songs I’d play for people etc. I learned wrong the first time (UA-cam Synthesia or whatever). Coming back I said I would learn proper and learn how to read. Your tips and constant uploads are so helpful! Been back at it for about 2 months now and its going amazing. I love your channel!
Jazer, I'm from Brazil. You've been helping me a lot and now I consider you my Piano Teacher. Thank you
Ah ha! A good reason for all my scales practice popped up in your vid. The incorrect note stood out very clearly to me. Maybe if it was even more subtle I wouldn't have but it shows me at least some of the reason for the incessant focus on scales...
Mistake 4. Number 1 was a problem for a long time, but now, believe it or not, I now have 40 pieces memorized. I retired 2 1\2 years ago, so that does make a difference. Thank you for the great videos, Jazer.
Valuable points. One of the best channel on learning piano.
You are totally right. Thanks.
Many thanks!!! Allllllllllwayyyyyyyss find your videos helpful!
Relate most to your 3rd mistake. The composers wrote the scores so that people enjoy - not play them (but yes we've to play first). The masters will most enjoy playing their own compositions because they knew exactly why each & every note were placed but learners are score-bound robots. The greatest progress is when we start to play each measure with emotion. Each of us will respond differently but a little understanding of musicality & interpretation of a piece makes us mature players to relate to the pull & push that makes music what it truely is - emotional fulfilling of our own lives experience. That's what makes a concert grand when performers relate. Waiting for your video for more on this.
I needed this video pep talk today... thanks Jazer
I finished musical school, but I still feel sad sometimes, because we all learned theory and practiced playing the piano, but back then I’ve never thought of connecting both parts together😞 and now I often think of how much in might have sped up my learning process.
That's no problem at all - because in life, there are various paths that can be taken. So - for example, you have learned theory and practised playing the piano. That is good. Excellent actually. And now - just develop other areas that you want to further develop. Your existing skills are guaranteed to help a lot. Also - don't feel sad at minor things. There are lots of people out there in truly sad (dire) situations - eg. major health issue, or living in third-world or war-stricken regions.
I especially connected with learning the piano language. I have been playing on a digital piano for about 8 months. I am a member of Pianote but I also subscribe to your channel as well. I have been following Pianote lesson plans so I am a ways from "reading" music yet. But I have been concentrating mainly on practicing the piano techniques, scales C, G, Am, Em, diatonic chords, chord inversions, intervals, arpeggios. I want to be able to play these smoothly and accurately because I figured then I would be able to pick up playing pieces easier.
This is spot on. I am an absolute beginner who just got a keyboard a month ago and I have learnt three pieces now (which I'm still not solidly good at any of em but I did get a grip on how to play em), but i'm at the brink of slowly giving up my piano learning bcoz i found that it takes so long to really master one piece, and i hate the thought that to learn another new piece will take me another long time of struggling.
Really appreciate the tips! Sending good vibes 🙏🏽
YES! These are all spot on!
Thanks Jazer , you are inspiring me to start learning Piano .
Hi Jazer. Please make a video on 'Sequence in which music theory should be learned, like the order of learning scales, chords, arpeggios, and other stuff.'
You are gifted teacher! Thank you for sharing so clearly. I also have shared your videos with some of my students. Keep the videos coming! Blessings to you
Hello JAZER ! Can you pls make a video on HOW TO GO THROUGH PIANO EXCERCISES . What I mean is , can you explain how should we (beginners) follow exercise books (such as HANON , CZERNY , SCHMITT) . I was really confused how much of these exercises should I practice each day , and also how to go through these books . Should i pick up new exercises each day or should i keep practicing the previous ones that I have learned ????? PLS MAKE A VIDEO ON THIS TOPIC , AS THIS WILL BENEFIT THE MAJORITY OF YOU VIEWERS (MOSTLY BEGINNERS) . Looking forward for your response !! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had been learning piano for almost 2 years and I am working on a piece could Bourree by Georg Philip Telemann
What you said is only right. Actually I think I want proceed as you recommanded but I tend to give up on first mistake and time passes. I hope that I can get along with. Wish me good luck. Thank you
You're very inspiring. Thank you!
You nailed it! Agree on everything. In the Nocturn a piano player needs to be technically prepared to play 4 keys chords, since the chords are broken in the accompaniment . Just as an example of one out of 1000 other things to know and master.
You are a very good teacher So much clarity and confidence is exhibited.
Hi Jazer,
I follow all your videos from oldest till date diligently and really admire your way of teaching. I have question for you. In one of your previous videos, you mentioned about practicing pieces with rhythmic variations and gave the 10 most commonly used ones to print out. Can you please show in examples by playing how to use them when we have the difficult passages we seem to can’t control?
I am still a beginner and this shall really help me and our other friends.
Thanks 😊
Hey Reema examples will depend on what piece we are talking about, it's all a bit different- will make some vids talking about this in the future
You played that Nocturne very sweetly.
I like the idea of playing more pieces. Still how can we choose them? Specially for a lower middle player. I mean I'd spent about 6 months playing the Waltz in A minor of Chopin and still is not really good. I see the challenge is to have a good selection of motivating-difficult-but-not-so-much pieces. But how to know which pieces are appropriate? specially for self taught players like me. Perhaps you can recommend some pieces for beginners/intermediate (certainly advanced players should know)?
Your video are very useful to me, I learn a lot and they keep me motivated! Thank you Jazer!
Very good. I have a friend whose daughter practice’s on schedule, with more focus before playing for an audience. That’s why people always compliment her with “I’d give any thing to play like you do” Are you will to do the practice?
Keep ‘‘em coming”.
Many thanks
im so relatable at the part where it takes me months to learn a piece but now after watching your videos i realize a lot of things and i'm always happy watching tutorials from yoy because the advices you give really helps. I've made a little progress i can learn a piece now in just 3 days thank u very much
I would say another major hinderance is taking tempos too fast before you’re ready. If you haven’t worked out the technical solutions slowly, and just try to “force through” at a fast tempo, you’ll end up 1) practicing mistakes and 2) practicing being tense because you’re not comfortable with the tempo yet. Over the years I’ve learned the hard way that slow practice means learning a piece in MUCH less time ... and that practice makes _permanent_ .
I'm relatively new to learning piano so watching these vids helps a lot. Also, I'm not sure what I should prioritize for music theory. I go over 7th chords and major scales but I don't really know if its what I should be doing. Any insight on this from anybody would be awesome :)
Hey, hopefully you've figured it out a little by now but the best way is to play pieces. Know what quarter notes, eight, 16th sound like, as well as recognizing chords. Keep theory in mind while practicing. Only way to "practice theory" effectively is to play music. Theory is boring by itself. Knowing scales is good but theory only gets you so far without real practice on an instrument. Theory is a tool, people used to and still do get good without it. It's hard to get a good understanding of theory if theory is the only thing you focus on, because theory is based upon music, not the other way around
I started learning 3 weeks ago from scratch at 63 years old. I am on to my 7th piece in the exercise book my teacher is teaching me from. I'm not fast but I am getting there slowly. I practice a lot and am making progress. My teacher is amazing and I am so motivated to conquer this.
By the way, my goal is to be able to play Chopin's Nocturne in E Flat. Such a beautiful piece of music. Thank you for the tips Jazer, they're definitely helping.
I don’t cut corners when recording my practice time. I do, however, skimp on learning theory.
Pianote has a tutorial on Melanie that you played at 4:30.
It's the very first I just started studying.
I'm learning piano and music theory for a few months now, and yes you are 100% right.
Although it's really tough to get through the initially parts of everything about the theory.
The difficulty is that one has to know and understand everything at once in a matter of speaking.😵💫
We all listen to music all our lives, but when starting studying music we discover a strange enigmatic world.😂
However I'm retired and can take all the time I need to discover this enigmatic world.
You can learn by ear, but you will never know what you are doing, I think.
Great video, these kind of videos do firmly remind me not to cut corners.
You know me so well, you listed all the mistakes that I made. I will start over again, thank you.
All of the above. Thanks for the advice.
Been doing an hour or more per day since January 1st. to try and improve my playing and especially reading skills. I could not agree more about knowing music theory. When I took lessons as a child/teen, I just read each note separately. Now I notice chords/patterns/keys in a completely different way. It has greatly helped my reading as I'm not stuck on every individual note once I've analysed the chord.
Solid advice. As a student, I identified with each suggestion. Will go on to music theory for sure now.
For me I can memorize a pretty difficult song that’s around like 3 to 4 minutes long in about 2 days of solid 2 to 3 hour sessions but to actually play at speed takes me 3 weeks to a month to get down but concerning the biggest mistake I fall into is the one about playing songs your comfortable with and not actually spending your time where to need it
Very informative! I particularly like the last two! They're so important! 👍
Hi..... U are the best piano teacher I've ever seen!..... U said u will post the 3rd part of I can't play with 2 hands but its been 4 months still I'm waiting... I hope u post it
As always, very thoughtful advice. Jazer brings up important issues that my private teacher brushes over. Fantastic channel!
Great Tips, Makes more enthusias in Practice 👏👏👏😍😍😍
V practical points. Excellent Sir. & Thank you v much.
I am so glad to come across your channel. 🌷 As a self-taught adult learner, with very little time to practise (being a full-time academic), I consider your advice, not just in this video, as a magic wand! I applied your previous tip on repeating the bar seven times and it worked like magic. Now I can play the first page of the piece I'm learning so smoothly (I'm challenging myself with the first 3 pages of Appasionata 3rd, but slowly, because it charmed me). I also very much like your exemplary methods. Thank you for your much appreciated help. 🌷🎶