5 Concepts Piano Beginners Must Understand To Learn Fast

Many times I wish I had a time machine and have a redo of my piano lessons. Now that I am a piano and music teacher, I have come to realise that I have missed out on important aspects in learning the piano. In this video, I shall talk about these items that you should prioritise and use them to improve your piano learning journey.
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🕘 Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:30 Priority Number 1
2:57 Priority Number 2
6:30 Priority Number 3
9:10 Priority Number 4
11:37 Priority Number 5
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[Enesty871]

I can't stress the importance of Point 5 enough. I was constantly trying to learn pieces above my level, and that burned me out in the long run. Then I discovered Ludovico Einaudi, and alot of his pieces are quite easy to play and learn. And they are beautiful! So yes, after realizing that I also should "utilize" the progress I've made and just play great music, my motivation for learning harder pieces skyrocketed.

[Robin Huud]

Ludovico Einaudi is definitely a good place to start at... Like you said, it's fairly simple. He has a lot of repetitive shapes, that kinda helps, because it feels like an exercise, but it doesn't at the same time, if you get what i mean. I myself started with Ludovico too, specifically with Una Mattina. That's a beautiful piece, even more so if you have seen the movie. Good luck on your path :)

[Steven Dorsey]

I'm new to learning piano and sheet music. I've started using an ebook of "Adult Piano Level 1". At the same time, I'm trying to learn to play "Password" by Ludovico Einaudi, and "Comptin D'un Autre Ete L'apres Midi" by Yann Tiersen.

[Gladius]

This. I started off my piano journey with Chopin Nocturne op.9 no.2 and it took me SO long to learn it. I definitely should've started off with something more begginer friendly. I eventually learned it but I got burnt out from just learning one song.

[Mr Mysterious]

Same here. I can play Fourth Dimensions, Ascent Say 1, The Water Diviner, Nuvole Blanche, I Giorni without a Piano lesson. Now I am motivated to learn theory.

[a name]

@Robin Huud the first ever song I played on piano was Una Mattina too ♥️♥️

[me just me]

0:30 Practice and master chord structure 3:59 Absolute Accuracy Rule - Prioritize practicing correct notes before tempo, dynamics 6:30 Work with metronome 9:10 Practice sight reading 11:37 Set high goals but remember to have fun

[tbird81]

Thanks. Saved me a watch.

[Amer, Mo]

Do you know the piece name at 7:30

[Old Man MTB]

@Amer, Mo Schubert: Moment Musicaux No. 3 in F minor

[Ismael OUEDRAOGO]

Thank you ❤️

[WebX]

The "AAB" method was what my instructors taught me, and it's AMAZING the difference it makes. Focus on playing it right, no matter how slow you need to go, no matter how tedious it feels or if you think "I should be doing better than this". That doesn't matter. Focus on the speed and rhythm later. Here's why it works: When you play notes together, the neurons for performing that action fire, and stay sensitive for a bit. If you fail, they'll kind of connect together but it won't stick very well. But if you play it RIGHT, the satisfaction basically shoots through all the neurons that just fired, and it strengthens their connection by a lot. So the next time you try, it feels more natural. It just feels like the next thing to do. I like to practice this way at night, because it is when you sleep that it then cleans up and solidifies the connections and they stick around long term. The next day might need a bit of warm-up, but often after just one evening, it can feel natural the next day.

[Planetary Rendez-Vous]

AAR you mean. Absolute Accuracy Rule Or do you mean Absolute Accuracy Butchering

[Shenny Boi]

wow, thankyouu- this explanation makes so much sense to me, I often try for up to an hour getting a section of a piece played through correctly- when I can finally play the correct notes (at whatever tempo) then i’m satisfied enough to leave it for the next day, Then when I come back the next day I can almost always play the piece so much more easily!

[Nahkampfschaf]

Thats so weird. I never had a piano teacher (guitar tought), and i never learned any other way. It has to "sound" right note-wise. Otherwise i got frustrated. The speed wasnt important. Most songs still sound correct, if you just play them slowly. But they don't if you don't hit the right notes.

[varanoos]

Hey Webx, Are you interested in taking piano to the next level?

[Dan Brill]

Point #1 is so important no matter what instrument you're playing. I was a self-taught musician for years, and now at 52 I'm finally taking proper piano lessons in order to learn how to read better and improve my technique. I spent 8 years playing bass in a rock band too. The only way I was able to play without formal instruction is because I understood chords. I see the way my kids were taught music in school, mostly as woodwind players, and I knew they would learn better and faster if they understood chords. So many kids are handed a trumpet or a sax and are never taught about chords because they play single-line instruments. But understanding chords puts everything in context. I only wish I'd known this at 10 years old.

[Matthew Eizenga]

ABSOLUTELY

[MusicLessons4Keyboard]

Well said.

[Chloé Lewis]

Nice one! Anything thoughts on scales vs chords, are scale just as important?

[Planetary Rendez-Vous]

So how can I learn chords ?

[Aaron G]

Yep you can play broken chords on any instrument

[Just Say Nah]

Jaze Lee is the extra teacher I never knew I needed in my piano journey. Thank goodness I have found his channel early on. So much tips and suggestions that have benefited me and helped me to learn faster.

[TaoistDragon]

Same

[Jourdan Sarpy]

I've been playing piano for over 20 years and his beginner vidoes are great because I haven't had beginner piano lessons since the 90s. It's like an instant refresher for all of the things my child self forgot over the years.

[Learn Piano with Jazer Lee]

Thank you all for the kind words and support.

[grehy]

Same. I’ve learned more from him than my private teacher. Like chords: she never had me learn chords. She’d just hand me new music to learn every week without showing me ‘how’ to practice

[C L]

Exactly! I tell my daughter Jazer is her online piano teacher

[K_S Lyons]

A rule that I’ve set for myself when learning a piece is: if I’ve made a mistake at a specific spot 3 or more times, then I circle, write, markup my music at that spot. But if I continue to mess it up, this means it is in my muscle memory. So I repeat that single section 10-15 or even more times in a row, starting slow then speeding up to full speed. This really helps me flatten out the wrinkles in my pieces so to speak

[Xaforn]

The best example I was given for chords is each note is like a letter or syllable whereas chords are whole words or phrases so they are very important, because when you play correctly you are communicating correctly. Great points!

[Mona Kinnel]

I agree with focus on chords. I began on organ (contemporary style of music) at the age of 7 and was taught chords from the very beginning. I am so grateful my teacher focused on chords and their structure. Learning theory and chord structures was a game changer for me. I use the same approach when teaching piano and find my students have much quicker and satisfying results. By understanding basic theory and memorizing a few simple formulas for creating chords, any chord is easily executed. It also helps develop improv much easier. Yup…timing is everything! The metronome, tapping, or counting aloud is a must! It is this area I get the most resistance from my students; however, I try to stress the incredible importance of it to them. I am grateful for my teacher, back in the 60’s, teaching me this method as it has truly shown to be an asset to my musical journeys.

[Christine Pazdalski]

Hello Jazer Lee! Thank you for this video lesson and making it available to all! I’ve been doing all the mistakes you point out, trying to learn piano with KZbin tutorials that let me avoid the terror of trying to learn to site read sheet music again, like the soul crushing lessons from my middle school years which sent me riding my bicycle home in tears and shame…. Now i see why I’ve stalled in my improvement- thanks to you! Here you are endowing your students and subscribers with the very techniques and helpful methods you were deprived of. Thank you for your work, and your generosity! Play On!

[Learn Piano with Jazer Lee]

Thank you Christine! 🤓

[Calidastas]

Very good suggestion. Your tip to play perfectly at the expense of tempo helped me a lot (my teacher taught me this). One thing I would add to that is to play the correct rhythm but at a slower speed to maintain accuracy (so correct relative time between notes, but at a much reduced tempo). This added touch made things quicker for me. Also, I think that you should perform recitals - even if completely informal. Schedule even one friend to come and listen at a set day and time to a song you practice to perfection. The fear of embarrassment can focus your practice tremendously.

[rhinoceros]

In Synthesia you can also change the mode to note reading. So it's not only possible to use it in this note falling way. Which makes it pretty good to practice note reading I think (at least for me and at least for beginners).

[Geert Van Camp]

Exactly. Synthesia has helped me a lot. I never used the faling notes. When using it in note reading mode it points out any mistakes you make, which you might overlook when practicing on your own.

[E.T. styles]

Is this free? I have just been watching the falling notes lately on KZbin which is harder in some ways than reading

[Geert Van Camp]

@E.T. styles It's not free, but not expensive

[Jay Bowling]

What is Synthesia?

[Geert Van Camp]

@Jay Bowling a software application for the PC, Android en iPad

[EpicBanks]

I love your content as a beginner piano player I’m starting off with a mistake but also wanting to challenge myself with experience by Ludovico but I only started as a beginner for a month and it’s good for me to learn the basics and get into sheet reading to advance my skills.

[Jordan King]

I wholeheartedly agree Jazer with your fifth point about setting high goals but also remembering to have fun. A lot of people I imagine would go into a music lesson or lecture, setting themselves high goals and having laser focus (which they should don't get me wrong), but also forgetting that piano playing SHOULD be about having fun as well. I remember my last former piano teacher (miss you Rob) hammered that into me from the very first lesson. That and also the fact that he taught me pieces that I wanted to learn, which made it fun regardless and made me WANT to learn those pieces and also take it seriously.

[HeathenHammer 80]

Absolutely!! I thought the same thing when I was learning guitar. The most important thing is learning all the chords, their structure and moving between them. I figured it would work good for piano as well. I want to learn to play the songs on Conor Oberst’s “Ruminations”album. They sound fairly simple and I can already play some of those songs on guitar. I just have to adapt that ability onto a piano. Awesome videos Jazer!!

[joelngocnguyen]

Jazer, one year ago when I took up the piano, I looked up Piano tutorials and I came across yours, Your tips are just simply amazing, I really find slow practice, non-gambling, daily consistent very effective. They're not only for beginners, but intermediate players could also apply this method. From your Self-taught Beginner's Pitfall video, I got myself a teacher, and he just advised me the same tips you provided. I am now also quicker at sight reading. Now i'm practicing Chopin Nocturne Eb major, and maybe more difficult pieces in the future, thank you for the first step. You inspired me !

[Learn Piano with Jazer Lee]

So glad to be of help, Joel. Do update me on your progress. I'm with you all the way!

[aBachwardsfellow]

- and not only intermediate players, but advanced players as well. However most advanced players have already integrated these steps as a normal part of their daily routine - :-)

[Nivyan]

10:46 I'd like to mention that Synthesia has been improved considerably since I first started using it. Many of the concerns you name have been addressed, but these improvements might be less visible on social media due to their non-visual nature. Synthesia offers customizable visual note aids. So, when encountering an unfamiliar note, you get an immediate visual cue. Want to start simply by learning note names? Synthesia can display the name of the note on the corresponding bars. A particularly effective learning method is what I term the "guitar hero mode," gamifying the process of mastering a song. This is extremely useful for self-learners who might otherwise feel stuck or unprogressive. Synthesia offers an objective, tangible measure of your progress. But, I agree that relying solely on Synthesia or any single software isn't the optimal way to learn.

[Paul Montwill]

Jazer, thank you for these fundamental knowledge. I am buying my first 88 leys today and as I played a bit in the past I would to learn “River flows in you” someday. I love the song. I will be watching more of your videos! I am 42 but there are a lot of people who start playing at the age of 60 so it is never too late. 🎉

[jf]

Thanks so much Jazer! 😍😍Very useful and player friendly! I try playing 2-3 scales per week. Legato firstly and slowly, building up my confidence as you taught (instead of like car racing in the past! )

[Christina Brönnestam]

The Absolute Accuracy Rule is in fact a version of the best advice I have ever got about piano practice: never try to solve more than one problem at the same time. Which means that you should not bother about even tempo, rhythm etcetera if you still struggle with finding the right keys. So first you must get the fingering right, then you need to get the keys right - let it take as much time as you need.

[Mirazhe Vith]

Great advice! Early on I had to depend on ear because as a kid the only music sheets I had access to where these really complicated pieces that my Grandmother had when she was well enough to play. Once I started really dedicating myself to learning sheet music I was able to start breaking down the bits. AAR is really really good and sometimes you find a piece of music is just as interesting at a slower pace. I remember trying to tackle a piece of tchaikovsky when I was 12 and found that a slower rendition brought a bit of a more enigmatic feeling which just became fun.

[Morgan Schmidtke]

Love this! I am a flute player and vocalist who dabbled in guitar and piano. I always approached the piano intuitively because I never had time or money to formally learn it with lessons. I would say that he is EXACTLY right about hitting a cap. I could play more beginner/intermediate pieces but then when I went to sit down and learn a new one I had to read each note individually and it took ages. I always knew chords was my next step and I’m so happy that this validated that! Gotta learn those building blocks if you are going to be a smart piano player! I’ve been interested in getting back into it and this gave me a great starting point! Thank you!

[MsLisaMonsterken]

Great tips! I already practice the AAR (playing parts correctly 7 times in a row) and it helps a lot. Now I want to focus on learning the chords to detect patterns. If you have any recommendations please let me / us know!

[Derrick]

Learn all triads and inversions. Learn all seventh chords. Learn common cadences and chord progressions. This has helped me a ton and I haven’t even nearly learned all my triads, triad inversions, and seventh chords. It really takes a long time but every thing I’ve learned about those and practiced I’ve been able to apply in all areas of piano from sight reading, improvising, and the chopin waltz I’m learning. 2 year player here. I’ve been obsessed with efficiency in practice sessions. It’s payed me so well and I’m happy I have been practicing efficiently. I am a motivated learner so this helps and you may not be able to do everything I said. That’s ok

[Donaciano]

I would like to have some specific stuff for this too! Thank you, Jazer for your videos!

[Dave Conway]

Not following the "AAR" is a mistake even professional pianists make. When you're learning truly difficult music -- late Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Scriabin, etc. -- you simply cannot learn it by glossing over it at tempo a dozen times, a hundred times, a thousand times. There is no other option than making sure you know every single note, how your fingers are getting to them, and where your fingers are going next, and it requires that really slow, focused, thoughtful practice that Jazer's talking about here.

[Richard P]

Jazer if I had a piano teacher like you many years ago I never would have quit. Now I've come back to the piano. Thanks for the solid guidance.

[Amirshayan Moghtaderi]

It's never too late to start over again; I wish the best for you.

[Mariarocks84]

I really love this list! I’m a bass player and taking lessons. I am in the mist of using all these tips on your list. I am using my midi controller to better understand diatonic triads and scales on my bass. It would also be great to learn how to construct a melody on my midi controller. Thank you for the video 😁

[TrianglePiano]

Thank you, this is sooo on point! I've been struggling with piano for years barely ever progressing. I had issues with nearly all of these except for rhythm, and Synthesia was a huge disservice for me. But just recently I found a teacher, and what she emphasizes is exactly those things you mentioned in this video. So happy to know I'm on the right track now!

[Rebecca Hardman]

Love your videos, Jaze! You deliver the information so clearly, provide excellent examples, and help to motivate to keep learning and learning better!

[Deaflepuff - Abby]

I totally agree with the whole 'chord recognition' and point 4 is the synthesia aspect of piano. I couldn't understand how people would 'learn' from that. I prefer sight-reading as its more accurate! Also, to recognize that mistakes happen and you learn each time you practice, be patient! I love the point 1 where it discussed AAR. Its so true, its taken me so long to be calm and slow.

[HeathenHammer 80]

Another great insight Jazer!! The AAR method seems like a far better way. I am definitely guilty of gambling when learning the structure of a song. I find it harder to gamble while playing a guitar, but I’m horrible about it on piano. I will rectify this immediately

[JustARandomKeyboard]

Been playing for 9 years, and I must say, everything the video creator says is true, I was lucky to be taught by my uncle who follows these rules, this video is very informative and I will refer my students to this video in the future.

[Explore with Geoff]

Really great information, thank you. I tried to learn piano for over a year but many months ago now, I gave up. I was improving but found some things so frustrating. It's nice to see though that I was pretty much doing all the points you made, but I still struggled. My main problem was doing different things with each hand - I know, it's a common problem, and I used to work on various methods to practice that (I've watched your video about that). One main issue I have is related to space and privacy, but unfortunately no amount of lessons can help with that. :) I need to work something out though as I miss playing so much. Just a simple but interesting chord can give me goose bumps. I'm convinced I have some sort of magical connection with music and I hate that I cannot play well enough to release it into the wild! I feel like the capability is inside me screaming to come out, but there are too many barriers.

[David Allyn]

I totally agree on the 5 with a single caveat - the order of them can't be rigid. I think we need teachers need to remember to separate out two concepts 1) "Playing piano" to learn to perform music that other people have written for piano; or 2) "Playing piano" to learn to master a struck stringed instrument for your own expression. I believe they are two very different approaches to learning to play piano, and they will both get you to exquisite piano playing both as a performer and a master of the piano. There are plenty of piano players that don't play (and could care less about playing) Chopin Nocturne in Bb or even Beethoven's Fur Elise. I know really great jazz artists that only speak in chord structures to each other and don't really sight read. They live in a world where their only metronome is another instrument. In those instances where a beginning student only wants to learn jazz or pop. You must start with how the piano sounds along the keyboard (e.g. how does the piano sound 6th over 2nd in every position?; what sounds are good for what emotion). If you start inserting AAR and don't leave room for impromptu "happy accidents" that some students learn best by, a lot of students will get bored and stop practicing. Especially if you insist "...we have to learn this first..." Also, I think we need to figure out "how" people learn. For example, I'm dyslexic - this has plagued me my entire life. And, believe it or not it translates to sight reading music, because I often mix up what line I'm reading the note on. And, ultimately, I just learn with my other senses way better than seeing symbols on a page (i.e. hearing, feeling the piano through the keys, etc...). My only #1 rule that you need to do first and foremost - "You must push down keys on the piano every day for at least 15 minutes - I don't care what you play -- just PLAY" The rest will naturally fall into place when the student is ready.

[Susan Z]

You are an amazing instructor! Thank you for these great tips - much appreciated

[Alan StandsAlone]

Fantastic content and channel. In regards to Synthesia, I always make sure I have the notions displayed so that it helps me in learning how to read the notes that are falling to the keys. Thank you for taking the time to record, edit and posts these great videos.

[March Hare]

growing up playing clarinet, I have to say that chords is something I've never had to learn and has been a major struggle, I totally felt the sight reading bit, chords build so much of music that I don't have experience with. Learnings chords is a struggle but really makes a huge difference as I learn piano.

[Niilo Hynninen]

Just in two videos you've shared everything needed for a beginner. In this video you give the AAR method (that practically incudes those four remaining things for a beginner to concentrate) and in the other video you give the curriculum (7 pieces to learn in first three years). I'm closing my first week and while I'm toddling you have pointed me a course and given me a map. Thank you very much!

[Spanky InDaHouse]

W o O w ! Jazer, I noticed the more relaxed delivery in your teaching videos. You've taken the time to identify and relate to your subscribed audience and I love it. Yes, that's me the senior, self taught partner in your audience speaking. I am at the 1.7 year mark in my self taught journey and, just now, "clicking" on how the chords relate and create a foundation for the musical piece I'm playing. I now, in most cases, know the next key or chord that will fit in the piece I'm playing when I lose my place on the sheet music (laughing). I sight read all my pieces and I add a new piece every month. I have progressed on to more complex songs and find sight reading allows me to understand music theory. Thank you for your hard work. You are appreciated.

[Melissa Moore]

Great video! If I can add one thing it would be that I encourage all of my students (beginner and up) to be able to use their left foot to keep the beat. It really helps them to develop the coordination in their bodies and when you weave that skill in with the metronome their sense of subdivision is much more advanced earlier on.

[Elaine Potgieter]

Oooh, this is a good one! Thanks for that!

[Melissa Moore]

@Elaine Potgieter glad I could help!

[Rylan Park]

Just want to say, I've been studying music for 12 of my 20 years on this earth. I started with violin for about 8 years before I expanded to guitar and eventually singing and piano. Violin became part of my nature and I didn't have to think too much about theory or the little things to play. My older brother played guitar all of my living years so when I picked it up It was like second nature to me. Moving onto singing and piano, I met a wall of learning and plateaued with my learning in these domains due to my prior knowledge inhibiting me to some extent. This video really helped me conceptualize things in a palpable way in relation to my prior conditioning in music. Immediately I found myself improving in both singing and piano due to these tips that can benefit any aspiring musician. Thank you for this video, and I could not recommend it more to both new piano players, and new musicians in general. You have earned my subscription with this video alone, and have proven you are better than most teachers I have paid in the past to improve my videos.

[Paolo]

Thank you Jazer, your videos are incredibly rich in content, very clear and very well edited. Could you recommend some methods you consider functional for studying chords? Thank you very much

[Maile Frazier]

Great video! I'm a piano teacher and as soon as he mentioned each point it was like, "Oh! Yes that's so true!" Helpful to have a concise list of things I can help my students focus on. Thanks!

[John Crawford]

Point 1 is very important. I started as a guitarist. A lot of times when you’re learning to guitar there is a great deal of emphasis on chord structure. It made a great deal of difference in my awareness is going on when I began studying the piano.

[catlady9123]

Absolutely on the sight reading! I'm semi self thought (learned musical theory in school, but my parents couldn't afford piano lessons). I relied heavily on learning by ear and I would write my notes on the music sheet (knowing it was hindering me, but I was a dumb/stubborn kid). I'm finally getting back to piano after 20 years and I absolutely refuse to write the notes and yeah, I'm having to pick them apart 1 by 1, but I know I'll get there. I was always stuck too in the past with a 61 key keyboard (still have that now) which is EXTREMELY limiting, finally getting a 88 key piano tomorrow at 40 yrs old and I'm as excited as a 5 yr old on Christmas day!

[Sinn]

Good exercise to practice sight reading is to see it as a sort off fun to just play random song once while your working on more demanding pieces. This way I got a productive distraction that requires me to focus again. In addition the quick switch from one piece to another trains your adaptability.

[stan_sprinkle]

As a guitar player for 30 years who started picking up piano in the past year, chords were indeed everything. I know heaps of songs on guitar and it was pretty simple to translate that to piano

[David McLintock]

I've just said pretty much the same in another comment. On guitar, chords are everything.

[Ultrasonic Rainboom]

As someone who's been playing the piano for over 10 years, I can say that ever since I taught myself chords years ago, piano became a lot easier and a whole lot of fun! I think it's a crime that they don't teach you chords in regular piano lessons at schools. I took three different piano classes and every one only taught me how to read music, when learning chords should be the most important thing. If you don't know chords, you can't improvise well, make your own songs, and you'll always be afraid of hitting the wrong notes when if you know chords and the key signature of the song, then you can know what notes to play without having any fear at all.

[Faye Cummings]

I'm in the same boat.. I know you're right and I can't find anyone to teach me chords either... I'm gonna have to do it by myself.. I play decently but I know I lack this understanding.

[David McLintock]

I learnt guitar first, self-taught, and the only thing I was interested in were chords, and looking back I remember being baffled how so few chords were generally used out of all the possibilities. I used to randomly put my fingers on the guitar then try to put a chord name to what I was playing. I was wrong a lot of the time but it taught to just put any spare finger somewhere to see if it sounded good. I'm slowly learning piano, keyboard now and the chords are just so much more obvious on a piano.

[Ali Moammeri]

I just started my piano journey and your videos are so useful and inspiring, thanks!

[Brandon Kalusa]

Just started piano in October with a small background in music. The metronome is huge especially if you aren’t able to correctly play at the correct tempo. These are so good. My piano teacher also teaches all of these concepts.

[Eve]

I played guitar for 6 years and violin for about the same and I can say these tips work for all music, I started learning piano due to my hands degrading due to illness and got a midi keyboard to try and play music still without the hand strength I need for strings. The AAR method you talked about is definitely helpful though, I found myself developing a similar technique while playing other instruments before I found this video and can attest to slowing down and just making sure your fingers are landing in the right place. Gambling is bad because it doesn't reinforce muscle memory, whereas muscle memory has no trouble changing speeds or even rhythms.

[TYPianoland]

Thank you so much for sharing these invaluable tips...I will definitely prioritize them in my teaching journey 🎉😁

[mickmister]

I took piano lessons when I was very young, and so have a basic understanding of how sheet music works, though I've since focused more on theory and improv skills, not focusing on sheet music. I've recently been wanting to get better at reading sheet music, to continue learning new ideas. Your 4th point has inspired me to get more involved with sheet music, and more specifically with sightreading. Do you have any advice on a path I can take from my current state? I think starting with easier songs mskes sense, as your video mentions. Any tips on books to use for easy difficulty, and growing from there?

[Kelly Palmer]

These are incredibly useful tips, thank you so much for sharing!! I wish I had you as my piano teacher 30 years ago 😊

[Nina P]

I think you're spot on with point 3. I learned to play music while in marching bands as a kid and I think the act of marching while playing really helped with keeping rhythm.

[drmichaelshea]

I couldn’t agree with you more strongly. I was a woodwind player when I was young. I learned playing one note at a time. When I began to learn piano, music became a whole new discipline. Chords ARE everything, and learning to “hear” what is coming next is also critical.

[Pagan Athiest]

im just starting out with piano but i've found that given my other music experience it comes fairly naturally to me. all throughout school i was a vocalist so scales and chord progressions are basically a second nature to me, that being said like you said i learned to sing by ear and although i can understand a piece vocally its basically nonexistent when it comes to piano. probably the reason in highschool although i was the oldest bass the position of section leader was given to somebody else because using a piano as an aid was a big help for us learning pieces. its interesting that you pointed out the synthesia aspect being limited as well because im running into an issue where i find that the piece im specifically working on would be much easier to comprehend if i could translate it from sheet music to piano lol. i should also meantion that my other musical background consists of guitar and bass so its very much watching other people do it to understand it or tabs but we really dont do sheet music in the guitar world lol

[storm1968eu]

5 really great tips. forget the myth about talent and whether you have it or not. becoming a decent/good/great musician is all about hard work, smart learning methods, a music teacher/coach with excellent educational skills, and keeping the journey both fun and exciting.

[Amanda Turner]

Yes! The idea of people just having "talent" is this sense of "that person can do that but I could never do it," which is a really sad way of looking at just about anything. Just like learning to do anything, it's a skill that is built over time and repetition (and also a lot of theoretical knowledge). This can be acquired by anyone if they are willing to put in the time and work.

[Nino]

My aunt never took lessons yet always knew how to play

[erlsperls]

Thank you SO MUCH! As a piano teacher, your tips are great for helping me with my approach to everyday instruction. 🙏🙏✌️❤️

[erika eve]

love this video, i especially agree with the first point about chords. music just makes more sense when you have an understanding of chords. when i first started learning music, there was not a focus on chords, just singular notes. i couldn’t understand the “bigger picture” through that practice

[Khaja Ahmed]

Focus on chords seems like a great tip. Love the Absolute accuracy idea also. Will try a metronome and see if that help. Will work on sight reading also. Need to learn to shoot for higher goals and have more fun.

[Gleeb]

Your channel is so helpful. You explain things really well. I've been teaching myself for 2 years but recently made to decision to get real lessons. I'm loving it. I've learned a full song now instead of procrastinating and just learning bits of songs. I will keep watching your videos to improve. Thanks.

[Stellaria]

Yes - I learnt piano for years. Got up to grade 7 & played very averagely because I didn’t master those techniques. I played mostly by ear and didn’t ever master the chords or reading music fluently. I would learn a piece to about 75% fluency and never quite master it perfectly. A bit frustrating and I gave up eventually. My son is now starting to learn and I want to teach him the importance of these principles so he can become better than I was!

[Robbin Block]

I'm a very, very beginner, having practiced for about 5 sessions so far. Your video was super helpful and makes me think of things people should have told me when I was first learning tennis. Tomorrow I search for a printable sheet of simple chords.🙂

[Олег Горбань]

I'm also a self-taught beginner in the piano world, with only a few months of owning an instrument. But i have some prior experience with guitar (also not a pro but had some formal learning). I can say that all 5 of these tips are really useful. But if you are really just starting - tips 2 and 5 will give you greater boost in a short run. They will help you to "grasp the feel" of actually playing music. Then you can add others as well as long as you start to feel more comfortable. As an example - as my first piece I chose Moonlight sonata's first movement. Because 1) it's a beautiful composition 2) it is easy enough to understand, has traceable structure 3) it has pretty difficult parts for the beginner, but they don't feel impossible. I didn't try to learn it all in one go, but I'm slowly mastering it piece by piece. Now I'm a little bit stuck in the end part of it where you have polyphonics in your left hand, which is hard for me. But while i learn it I also spend a decent part of time in front of piano on just trying interesting fragments from different musical pieces (mostly non-classical and often far above my current level). This lets me enjoy the sound I can get and also helps me see a progress in my skills. Like several months ago a sequence of several complex chords would make me sit with every note and now i can get a basic hold of them in just a few iterations. When you do one piece only and for a long time, especially as a newbee, it's pretty hard to see just how much better you become in general. BTW all these tips are 100% applicable to ANY musical instrument.

[Robbin Block]

@Олег Горбань Thanks for your detailed response and tips. Any recommendations for a good beginner book to learn some songs?

[Олег Горбань]

@Robbin Block you're welcome 😁. I can't help with your book choice though, because I'm neither a pro nor train with a teacher. For classical or complex melodies I just google for sheet music or synesthesia videos from KZbin (but as said in a video last option can be harmful for complete beginners as you don't see the structure behind "falling notes"). And for simple songs I just do my best to pick "by ear". But that works for me because, as I said, I have some background on guitar. So I have some theory basics like chords already in my head. If you are a complete beginner in music, I'll advice to find a teacher for the first few months at least. Most of teachers can access your level in a couple of sessions and they will already have some pieces prepared for different levels.

[Robbin Block]

@Олег Горбань Thanks again🙂

[Anna Aira Hála]

7:08 YES!! That's great! Feeling the rhythm is so important! I've never understood why some teachers will have their students count alone as you're not actually teaching rhythm by doing so

[OceanChild7]

Not following the rule 5 is what drove me away from loving to learn music when I was a kid. I always was given only classical very complex sheets and I didn't even think it can be taught differently. I'm only now rediscovering the joy of piano playing now, 15 years after I finished musi school lol. These are very helpful, thank you so much for these simple rules!

[Elaine Potgieter]

I really wish I had taken more note of point 2 early on in my piano learning years. Once I did start to implement it the results were amazing. I realized that practice doesn't make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect. If you played it wrong 10 times, you have to play it correctly more than 10 times. Sight reading, funnily enough, was my best thing because I was lazy and didn't practice enough so I spent half my time sightreading stuff I should have known already, lol. Must have driven my teachers crazy but it developed into quite a handy skill mostly by default.

[Alan Paterson]

Love what you're teaching here and I'm subscribing! ... I like your attitude:-) A very important note about sight reading .. Impress on the student to Always keep the eyes on the sheet music .. Even when it is memorized!! ... because doing so gives you the time to inspect all the intricate nuances .. dynamics .. markings etc etc while playing because you are relaxed .. and this will also give you a much better interpretation! .. another bonus is there is never one second of wasted time when playing through your well practiced pieces! .. and with this approach your skills get better for learning your next piece ... trust in this method because it develops muscle memory .. and the more you do this you will begin to learn the art of Tonal Vision ... Re: Beethoven and all the other great masters

[Dave Parsons]

I love your content, it's spot on for me and where I'm at. Demistifying the process of improvement is so valuable for everyone!

[ItsUmbreon]

Hey sir, First off, thank you very much for the video. I greatly appreciated your insight, and I believe it was very kind of you to share it on a public forum like KZbin. Regarding Synthesia: I agree with you completely in that using Synthesia as a replacement for sheet music is a terrible idea; however, as a retro video game nerd, I personally believe that Synthesia is a tool of DIRE importance in gaining access to a composition (and subsequently learning the composition).... But ONLY in that someone can use Synthesia pieces on KZbin in tandem with sheet music editing/creation software such as MuseScore or NoteFlight (or even pencil and paper). My normal process is to find a piece I like, then transpose the Synthesia version over to traditional sheet music, which I can then use for actual practice. I'm not sure if my results are typical, but I feel like once I finish editing a piece and printing it out, I not only have real sheet music to practice with, but I kind of feel like I have a better idea of what's coming, because I "made" the composition. I know I'm just a faceless/nameless nobody on the internet, and no one will probably ever read this; but on the off chance you happen to stumble across my words, thank you again, and thank you for suffering my company.

[Leslie Curran]

All excellent suggestions I learned piano years ago, the traditional way and only within the last 20 years have I thoroughly learned theory which has changed everything. I wanted to add that repertoire and memorization are all important. Set a goal for five memorized pieces and then another set of five and every so often go through those and play them and don't let them fade away. With the addition of being able to improvise because of theory and understanding that all music is built on that same theory with repertoire and memorization and everyday sight reading, One can make progress.

[Janna Slaboden]

Yes yes yes yes and yes. Thank you for articulating these so well I have often thought of the same things, but was never able to put it together this coherently. I share this with all my students.

[Adrian Metzler]

Chords were the first thing I learned on guitar and when I transitioned to piano, I did the same. It’s made learning song or adapting the ones I knew for guitar insanely easier. It’s allowed me to be able to move anywhere on the keys too.

[Touchdown 101 shorts]

Me too.. like wow!

[Elliott Munger]

This is interesting, namely the part about AAR. As an amateur musician I am always under the impression that playing in time and becoming used to playing through the mistakes is important. I have not thought so deeply about the mechanical process involved.

[MissCaraMint]

You should only play through a mistake when you are say playing a concert, or maybe in a group practice. Basically a place and time when playing in time is the first priority. When you are practicing home alone though it is important to practice the mechanical aspect. Slow it down and go over it untill you can play it just a little fater, and then a little faster again, and at some point you will be playing in time, and with the right notes.

[Samuel]

@MissCaraMint Saying you're going to play differently for a performance than during practice is a recipe for disaster. Playing through mistakes (and keeping rhythm/time at all costs so you do not get lost) is a skill that also needs to be practiced regularly. Both practice methods should be done regularly. Spend half the time really focusing on the notes, and half the time playing in time (with a metronome) and playing through mistakes.

[MissCaraMint]

@Samuel By the time you get to the stage where you know the piece then you are past the point of making these sorts of mistakes. That's the point at which you start really practicing for performance. They are different phases of practice. We are not talking about practicing for performance though. We are speaking about practicing.

[Samuel]

@MissCaraMint All practicing is practicing for performance. And learning the skill of pushing through mistakes is not something that is quickly acquired. If you only allow yourself to practice pushing through mistakes after you have fully mastered a piece, you will never get good at it. Especially when you have to sightread at a performance.

[MissCaraMint]

@Samuel No it is't. You need to break it up in order to practice the difficult parts. Otherwise you waste too much time on the easy bits and don’t spend enough on the hard bits. The techniques you learn when going slow are also good for sight reading, and practicing performance makes you able to instinctively know to carry on even if you do make a mistake. These are practical things I have learned from having played for over 20 years, including some as a professional musician. Learn the piece first. Spend time on all the difficult bits. Then play it through slowly. Practice that speed until you are sure there are no mistakes, then go slightly faster until you can do the new speed without mistakes, and then faster until you reach the intended speed.

[manu777tube]

Excellent video. I'm starting the piano after years and years of guitar but I think your advices are also very good for the guitar :)

[W B]

Same here

[Lawrence Taylor]

I started watching your videos before I started playing piano. It's after watching one seven months ago I bought a piano and have two beginner method books. This video came at a good time for me since I'm trying to move onto the next level. I couldn't agree with you more about chords and sight reading. But then I realized that I've been doing AAR from the very beginning. I'm not a good piano player, but I rarely play the wrong note, and I have to thank you for that. Merci beaucoup for that tip, since I've taken it to heart.

[《安曇》あずみ]

i just wanna say, i recently found your channel when trying to continue the piano. i stopped playing after my dad passed away 5 years ago, but honestly it was one of the only things that gave me enjoyment in life. ive realized that my life has been really lacking without it, and im pretty tired of living like that. so ive dusted off my piano and i think im ready to further myself with it, properly this time. Thank you for your videos, and for all the effort and care you put into them!

[Peter Charron]

So right about chords. My early piano training was all about sight reading. Like touch typing, no concepts. Then I picked up a guitar… a chord based instrument. It changed my piano playing

[Joan Lin]

Nice video! Point 4 is interesting because when i learnt piano I heavily depended on sight reading (from the numerous times when i didn't practise prior to my piano lesson so i would be sight reading during the lesson), as a result I didnt memorise the music and couldn't play much without sheet music. Now I'm training myself to play by ear.

[Selina]

chords truly are magic! i can't say i am much into the chord progression on a concious level. a chord on its own can add so much depth and fullness to the music. i am no piano player, i just compose with software. i also seem to have a waayyy different ear to most concences and people. it's genuinely fascinating! i can also recommend the usage of dedicated keys like c-major that they mentioned. if you don't have a good ear for the "right" sound yet, try to look up or even learn major and minor key scales. i hope it's applicable for piano. i might try to go back and play the piano

[Michael Varney]

Dancing has given me an amazing sense of internalized rhythm that has helped me greatly in learning my instrument (guitar). I use a metronome more to push my comfort in technique rather than learn rhythm… knowing that I have a fixed period of time helps me focus. But once that has been smoothed out, no need for the metronome for performance.

[Barbara Leidich]

I love this video! Luckily I had a teacher who covered all of these points and I pass them on to my own students. One comment on point 3 (metronome): I learned this years ago from another teacher. If a student is having trouble with the rhythm in a particular measure, tap the rhythm gently on the head (warn them first!). Works like a charm and I think it's better than tapping the shoulder for a problem measure or two. Shoulder tapping may be better for an entire piece. For rule #2: Absolute Accuracy Rule. My teacher used the "add a note" technique for a difficult passage. Play one note, than add one note, etc., until you get through the entire passage. I have found in teaching that covering the notes that follow helps the student to focus better. My rule is you have to play the passage correctly 3x in a row. If the student messes up on the 3rd try, then she/he has to start from scratch. It's a tedious process that teaches discipline and by the time the process is finished, the student can play the passage. The challenge is getting the student to follow directions!

[Wade Calvert]

Loved the video. Kinda hit home on the last point got burned out of music in college and just getting back into it again after 10 yrs away. As to point one though. In high school i joined in the jazz band on piano and told my piano teacher about it and they gave me a lot of chordal pieces amd taught me the basics of music theory and got really into Romantic Era of music. I remember it was always funny in Piano studio in college. Id be blown away by the other students playing all these crazy Bach/Beethoven/Mozart pieces i just could never seem to get a grip on. Then see the look on their faces while im playing Rachmaninoff and Chopin chordal stuff like it was nothing while i know they struggled nonstop on the chord stuff.

[rwoodw0904]

While I had pieces assigned to me by my private teacher to play, when I was in a bad mood I would print out sheet music of music from my favorite shows and learn that for fun. This kept it fun for me, and also served as a great sight reading exercise without realizing it!

[Lunar Shadow55]

Number 2 makes a lot of sense. Practice the right notes before you work on speed. It is essentially speed running in gaming where you need to learn the method that gets you to your goal faster before you do it all in one.

[Heath Gearon]

5 Concepts Piano Beginners Must Understand To Learn Fast

[Heath Gearon]

Many times I wish I had a time machine and have a redo of my piano lessons. Now that I am a piano and music teacher, I have come to realise that I have missed out on important aspects in learning the piano. In this video, I shall talk about these items that you should prioritise and use them to improve your piano learning journey.

[C O N S O L A T O R]

I don't know if I was wrong for learning riverflows before anything else. I just learned to play it because I loved the thought of being to play it even without the prior knowledge of the basic piano chords, musical sheet reading, seperation of your left and right hand, music theory etc. Now, here I am with no knowledge of the basics but capable of playing riverflows.

[Burke Hendrickson]

Point 3: I’ve had someone say I couldn’t keep time when instead I was just trying to think of the next keys or chords which slows me down and therefore appears as if I can’t keep time, so there’s a difference. Therefore, I’ve learned to not play for anyone unless it’s something I know flawlessly and not something I’m still learning. Save the rough pieces for the keyboard and headphones at home cuz people be judge mental af.

[Rick Sparber]

A follow up: I have been practicing piano for a month now and have a private teacher. I practice 50 minutes, twice a day using my Soundbrenner Pulse secured to my ankle. I barely notice it yet my beat is now right. It used to be all over the place. Well worth the money IMHO. Thanks Jazer. And yes, I always focus on accuracy first and later increase my speed. I’ve also found value in the iOS app Notes Teacher. It is very good for free but provides many enhancements for a one time charge of $2.

[Amanda Turner]

I agree very much with point 2. For point 3, I don't disagree at all, but something I do with my students is have them practice counting with the metronome but without playing. This is to learn to feel the beat with their body without having to add the coordination of playing something. THEN I have them practice counting on their own, and make sure it's steady and play the piece (in sections like described in point 2, if necessary) while counting out loud, and preferably moving in some way (with their core body). We can feel the beat naturally if we focus on it. Metronome is a great tool, but I always found it more distracting and not helpful; although that was because my first teacher never explained anything about how counting works, in the first place.

[bec housley]

AAR: I teach as Form, Distance, Speed. Something I learnt from running and realise it applies to almost anything you want to do in life! Form: for running it would be moving your body correctly - hips, legs, arms etc. For piano it is getting the correct notes, then rhythm. Distance: for running you wouldn't run a marathon straight away - build up distance gradually. For piano focus on small sections - a phrase or even a bar at a time. Hands separately first if necessary. Speed: In running your speed will only increase once you have worked on form and distance. The same is true for piano. We expect so much to be instant these days. If we realise we need to put in a lot of time and effort , we will be happier with the outcomes and realise that it was worth it 🎹🤩

[LinkfiedProductions]

I was so lucky to have my piano teacher teach me the correct way to practice and how slow I should take a first play-through of every piece. These tricks are the reason I could play Fur Elise in 2 years!

[Lin Young]

I found this young man extremely intelligent. His accent (British? Australian?) is sweet and clear and his speech is flawless. His fingers looked like dancing on the piano keys when he played samples. His theories on learning piano are classical yet personable. I wish he were my daughter's piano teacher when she was young. Of course he is probably younger than my daughter 😅❤

[Tony De Smet]

Thank you for this nice video. I must say it feels intimidating to watch you play so well. You aim to help us to learn playing the piano, but at the same time you show us that we can never reach your level. Even when you demonstrate playing like a beginner, it is obvious you are superb at the keys. Really impressive! Anyway, greetings from Belgium! (I bet you don't know where that is, do you? 😋)

[Aimi]

I love how Jazer is being thoughtful mentioning C major is played with no flats and sharps (timestamp 1:57) and this video is definitely what beginners would watch and find very helpful. thank you Jazer. keep the good work

[Tapiwa Maketo]

Hello this video was helpful thanks you can you help me do sight reading and teaching me some piano at a personal level

[Helunky]

Synthesia definitely limited my ability to play piano. I just hit a wall, I was never able to finish beautiful pieces and they took ages to learn even a little bit. I'm 27 now and I've been trying playing piano for a very long time but just never delved into learning notes because I thought synthesia would do the job too. Thanks so much for your video, it helps a ton!

[Sasalka]

In my experience, synthesia makes it easier for me to learn a very hard piece faster, but it made me loose the ability to read notes as I did before, I don’t know whether I should quit synthesia and study from sheets, or just keep doing what I did..

[Rodrigo]

@Sasalka Quit synthesia as fast as possible. Nodoby should rely on apps or softwares to learn a musical instrument. Push yourself to learn from sheet music and you will see a big improvement in a couple of months.

[Mehar Mira]

Excellent video! I learnt harmonium and not the piano and I play with one hand only, only melody, but I can play any melody by ear under seconds. The purpose of me learning the melody was to train as a vocalist for Indian classical. However I’d love to play like a pro. This video had helped a ton on where to get started. I have overlooked the importance of sight reading and chords until now but I am ready to be a beginner student and learn it the right way.

[Michael Farmer]

You could probably make an entire video on the science behind the 2nd point of playing the correct notes at the slowest speed possible. You're building muscle memory correctly rather than having to break lots of incorrect note habits later on.

[IPlayPianoSometimesForFun]

Love your videos man. You've given me many of the tools that help me the most when I'm learning new pieces

[Learn Piano with Jazer Lee]

I'm glad, Dominic. Keep practising!

[Daph Punk]

Thanks for these amazing tips !!! Personnaly, I was a drummer for like 5 or 6 years and then I wanted to play the piano, your tips helped me a lot !!!

[Brian Walsh]

Thank you for giving due emphasis to these 5 fundaments of playing piano. I love my massive chord book, which a dictionary that keeps on giving. Much appreciated!

[Bon Jovi]

Thank you very much. I wasn’t making the progress I thought I should then I tried the aar. I took a tricky piece of Mozart and just walked through the notes really really slowly. Within a few minutes I was able to play it very slowly but correctly. I then went back to familiar piece that I couldn’t quite crack and repeated the process. Again, within a few minutes I was playing it without mistake. Fantastic

[Ralf P]

Thanks for the hints. I have bought a stage piano and had tried to come further for very long, sticking on a learners book. After a rather quick progression i stuck in boredome at a kind of a plateau. Now i gave it a try to learn longer songs, that sound good and have only some difficulties i have to manage. I think your tips are very useful in this phase.

[Greg Harradine, Composer]

You really nail these vital topics, Jazer. Thank you! I will be sending my beginner students here!