7 Things I Wish I'd Known When Learning Piano

[@jazerleepiano]

Which of these tips do you want more in-depth tutorials for?

[@jflau31]

Learn more music theory! Any tips for learning and consolidating music theory in our everyday practice session? Thanks~

[@victorrodriguezmelgar8844]

It would be great if you analyse pieces for the first time as you did in this video 👍 thanks for the tips

[@hast66]

To me, an issue is reading and playing (broken) chords and patterns. Any tips and recommendations would ge greatly appreciated. Thank you

[@CarlosMartinez-gr1rp]

I would like to know more on the topic of slow and mindful practice sessions. I reckon I practice on auto-pilot 80% of the time. Maybe you can develop more on that topic and how you recommend to start developing into more mindful practice? Session length? Breaks? Any techniques about breathing or body position / technique?

[@Em-gp1yb]

@@hast66 I used to have the same problem. The main thing that helped was just practicing loads of different music to get used to reading more. Another really important thing is to try and read the intervals between the notes instead of reading each note separately.

[@carlhiggs2608]

I've been playing piano 45 years and teaching it for the best part of 30 of those, so it's really reassuring to find someone so much younger than myself giving the same tips and advocating the same methods - several of which I actually learned more through teaching, than through playing when I was younger. Great video!

[@jazerleepiano]

Thank you Carl!

[@savvymarie7882]

when did you start? I just started played at 14 years old, and although I’m a bit discouraged, I’d definitely love to keep on going!

[@Forcedlaw]

@@savvymarie7882 I'm 30 years old and started about 6 months ago. Never too late to start a new instrument. I started with drums when I was a kid, then guitar in my 20's and now branching to piano :)

[@savvymarie7882]

@@Forcedlaw thank you that helps :) I really appreciate it

[@MinnueteCVP]

@@savvymarie7882 don't be discouraged mate, never too late, i'm 23 and started playing guitar a year ago, took me years of trying to actually just start, and now i want to play piano aswell, the start is very slow and takes time to get good but it's sooo worth it in the end.

[@relicofgold]

1) Learn more theory, 2) Practice until you can't get it wrong 3) Use less pedal during practice 4) Record yourself a lot 5) Follow the fingerings stipulated on the page 6) Practice more consistently 7) Practice slower and more mindfully

[@relicofgold]

Ty for your hearting my comment. I am 1) trying to be more consistent with my study, and 2) trying to be more positive and am deleting my negative comments. Could you please un-shadow-ban me?

[@22bsf6]

Wise people once said, ‘if you can play it slow, you can play it fast’.

[@Fanchen]

SACRILEGIOUS

[@xdaphodil]

*starts playing Flight of the Bumblebee*

[@iamnano4462]

Interestoui

[@matildanejbo1368]

OneSetViolin 😂

[@ezequielmartinez2825]

Yeah, only years later, but playing slow is key

[@jacksondavies1451]

I always hate it when I get really inspired to play piano, but then everyone in my house is asleep.

[@beeankha]

I have a piano and a weighted keyboard, keyboard with headphones is really good for when you need to be quiet. Also having to practice on a different set of keys means you don't just get used to your own piano, ime.

[@JulietFlowers]

Some acoustic pianos have a mute in one of the pedals.

[@ultimawerewolfbluephoenix9670]

Same my mom yells at me to go to sleep

[@FlikkieFloekieFlakkie]

word

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

You've heard of this new thing? It's called a keyboard...? Lol Don't forget the adapter plug for headphones...you need 3mm to 1/4 inch.

[@derycktrahair8108]

Brilliant teaching. Where were you 50yrs ago when we needed you? Your students don't know how lucky they are. Good man. All the best to you.

[@DrGrace]

You are probably one of the most methodical piano teachers on KZbin. Every single thing you said was well-thought and no cliche. I started following you a year ago. Welcome back😊

[@jazerleepiano]

Thank you! You have a great channel Dr Grace :)

[@miketurnbull4333]

As a piano teacher, I can say that most of what he says is cliched and well known - making it good advice in my book. I'd like to know if the percentages mentioned are arbitrary or based on any scientific studies though.

[@antimatter2376]

@@miketurnbull4333 the percentages are just exponential growth and decay, which are math things not scientific. Similar to compound interest

[@miketurnbull4333]

@@antimatter2376 Hi Jazer, thank you for taking the time to respond. My query was actually regarding the 80/20% 'brain power' figures that you mention in the 'Record Yourself More' section. Are those figures arbitrary or did you get that from a publication/source? With regards to the growth/decay figures - can you quantify what a 1% gain/loss looks like in practical terms? Many thanks, Mike

[@antimatter2376]

@@miketurnbull4333 Oh sorryyy, im not jazer :/ But what i can tell you is that he was probably making an estimation, since you really dont truly hear yourself when youre playing. If you listen to a recording of yourself playing, you will hear so much more. As for how the 1% is quanitifed, again it was just a random number to signify small improvement. You can almost certainly get one percent better daily. For example, if you play a piece at 100 bpm, getting one percent better is playing it at 101 bpm. Even with 200 bpm, a 1% increase is 202 bpm. As for a less quantifiable measure, take music theory. If you already know the chord types (major, minor, diminished, augmented, etc), getting one percent better might be to switch between two major chords 1% percent faster, or maybe you finally sightread a minor chord correctly after 100 attempts, a 1 percent improvement. Or even learning can be an improvement. One might say that just by learning what inversions are can be a more than 1% percent improvement. But this is all being distracted from the main point, which is to practice DAILY and CONSISTENTLY. Even if youre only improving by 1%. Hope this helps!!

[@user-ru7lo1vh5k]

Watching this after 10 years playing piano, nice

[@jazerleepiano]

😆😆😆

[@nguyenminhkhue7148]

Same...

[@jeremythomas4744]

Watching after 9 years lol

[@shiinjoy155]

watching this after I sold my piano

[@user-ru7lo1vh5k]

@@shiinjoy155 lmao

[@FinsaneLorist]

01:56 This piece of information is really good: that when you play a piece that you have played many many times over, you don't play it from the sheets, you play it from your head and muscles

[@TheSteveGainesRockBand]

I think he was saying something else. I think what he's saying is that when an experienced player plays sheet music he has never seen before, he will recognize groups of notes that they have played many times in other pieces of music and it will be easy to repeat those phrases even though the song is new. The same thing happens when we are reading sentences. We have seen the words before, and even phrases of words, so we don't study each letter on the page, we just recognize the words or groups of words and fly through them quickly. But your comment is also true. After playing a piece many times, you won't have to study each note; your brain and hands will remember the familiar passages and the movements you need to make. But the songs may not be committed to memory. I can't play a single song from memory, but when the sheet music is in front of me I begin to remember the passages and the movements I need to make. I don't want to memorize the songs. I want to keep improving my sight reading skills to open up all songs to me, just like I don't want to memorize a book.

[@bigeral6436]

@@TheSteveGainesRockBand mucho texto

[@TheSteveGainesRockBand]

@@bigeral6436 No voy a traducirlo.

[@bigeral6436]

@@TheSteveGainesRockBand no debes, sé inglés, sino que no esperé que el texto fuera tan largo, una re pajaaaa

[@marinacano4057]

100% i barely know how to sight read so i sight read a part once learn it by heart and so on for a whole piece and never read the sheet music again and because ive played the piece so many times without sheet music i dont even have to really think about what im doing with my fingers.

[@guykoppi2525]

I hope I’m not totally alone in this: My posture makes a huge impact on my playing. In difficult passages, if I become aware of my posture, I realize I’m hunched over the keys. I know I would benefit from an observer/teacher (I’m self-taught) prompting me to sit up straight when I lose my self awareness!

[@lolmanboss]

Like Beethoven 🤣🤣

[@DonBernhard]

Look into the Alexander Technique. Musicians benefit greatly from it.

[@marshwetland3808]

Observer - your cellphone.

[@bobcarp1239]

Once I started thinking "Chords" rather than "Notes" things got much easier....

[@jimmyponds5504]

Thinking "Chords" rather than "Notes" is what I NEED to do BUT I really need to learn chords.

[@jimmyponds5504]

@12 34 Not sure if your comment is "encouragement" or "sarcasm." Ha Yes, I need to begin recognizing/becoming more familiar with chords. Have never been really "taught" that system; taught mainly by note reading. Even while using "adult" methods books, my teacher(s) has/have not emphasized that I should be recognizing chords, even if the book, such as "Alfred's Adult All-In-One" includes the information. I guess I have been "afraid" of learning chords for fear it would result in learning "hand placement" on the piano instead of recognizing/transferring the notes to chord recognition. I know just enough theory to make me dangerous to myself on the piano! ha I guess this is where more "practice" is needed in building more musical self-confidence.

[@jimmyponds5504]

This is/was a good presentation! Where did all the replies go? haha

[@jimmyponds5504]

​@12 34 I agree with everything you say but, at the same time, I have needed instruction(s) to "see" the relationship(s) between notes and chords, something that I feel that I have missed in my several on/off years of taking piano. Perhaps, I am too hard on myself; I may know more theory than I realize, but when I attempt to put that theory into practice, there is MUCH hesitation (pre-primer?) and I may sound like an orchestra while warming up!! ha I have learned/am learning the scales; ugh that F# Major!! ha; however, I feel that learning of notes/chords relationship is being accomplished by "osmosis," and not by thorough teaching and/or application. haha I'm not giving up. Right now, I don't have a personal teacher (I stopped taking lessons again), but I am trying to keep my "theory/application" brain in note-worthy order!! ha Maybe the music teacher will "take me back" as a musical prodigal son. ha I know: proper practice is "key" to applying any instruction. I am "working" through the book "Practical Theory Complete; a self-instruction music theory course" by Sandy Feldstein, recommended to me by a music professor friend. Thanks for your comments!

[@gunhasirac]

@@jimmyponds5504 I’m not even beginner in music but what you described is a common thing in learning a lot of things. It’s always easier and comfortable to do things the old way. The better way or more efficient way is better only when you master it at the same level as your old method. Riding a bike is faster than walking, but if you cant ride it you can’t even move. Good luck on your journey.

[@TheDessez]

Clarity/Less pedal and muscle memory/same fingerings made sense to me. Thanks for calling me back to the basics!

[@jazerleepiano]

Happy practicing!

[@mimiomar9519]

Self-teaching myself for 3weeks now and have never missed a day of practice. I see myself improve everyday, much more than I expected

[@raylubin]

Congrats to you! I'm doing my best to commit to daily practice as well and I'm already surprising myself with my ability to improvise

[@mimiomar9519]

@@raylubin keep it up, im surprising myself every. Im in my third month

[@crrc77]

Any advice for absolute beginners what to start with first?

[@mimiomar9519]

@@crrc77 uhh try hard to do some music theory so that you can keep up with the music terms in tutorials and explanations you seek

[@aangeli702]

How's practicing going?

[@unclemick-synths]

Playing slowly is so important. When I started playing bass guitar as a teenager I noticed that playing fast means being up against one's physical limits. Backing off from those limits means the parts that rely on the limits fall apart because it was the "bump-stops" that kept the notes in place, not skill.

[@jazerleepiano]

Rock on!

[@mercygabriel9687]

Wow this is amazing and helping indeed. I am doing self_ study and this I find it helpful . Continue helping and God will continue to bless give you more knowledge and wisdom .I appreciate your gift

[@tomarmstrong1281]

Your students are very fortunate to have a good teacher. The rest of us are fortunate that you share your teaching skills with the world.

[@georgesealy4706]

I definitely relate to the music theory suggestion. I started learning piano at 5 years old, and I continued with piano lessons through high school. I made progress, but it simply wasn't interesting to me. I had too many other interests. However, it was later that I learned about music theory and it opened up an entirely different viewpoint, which WAS interesting. It wasn't classical music that I played, I played popular music. But armed with music theory I was able to create variations and solos on the popular pieces. I improvised. It was so enjoyable to do. I wish my beginning teachers would have taught me the background of music instead of just saying "play this or play that." I know that I would done better and made faster progress. I could have analyzed the pieces, which is my nature. You just look at music differently as you showed with your examples. It's also more fun, at least for me.

[@PatriceFitzgerald]

Great tips! I only started playing a little over a year ago--after meaning to for decades. So I'm trying to make progress by practicing frequently and carefully. Next weekend will be my first ever piano recital. I'll definitely be the oldest person in the recital, but I'm having a grand time learning!

[@jazerleepiano]

You are inspiring, let me know how the recital goes :)

[@ohwell6364]

Way to go! Hope it went well

[@salchichon4198]

How did it go?

[@biyancuh]

How’s it go? :D

[@giveitupforbeabadoobee]

i'd know the update!! :D

[@Mimi-mg3il]

This video was very informative, thank you! "Practice is not for performing, practice is for practicing..", I'm gonna keep this in mind 😊

[@jazerleepiano]

Rock on Mimi 😊😊

[@tweedmouth21]

Hi Jazzed, I have been learning piano for 6 yrs since I retired. I have made great progress to date by practicing an hour every day. I've just happened upon your tutorials. They make so much sense and your presentation style is brilliant. Can't wait to incorporate your ideas and wisdom in my daily practice. Many thanks.

[@tweedmouth21]

Jazzer I meant

[@jazerleepiano]

I'm so happy you are learning piano since retiring. I hope you have lots of fun and progress. If I can be of smallest help to you I would be incredibly honoured 😊

[@tweedmouth21]

@@jazerleepiano Thanks for your reply Jazzer. You did a great video on practicing scales. Something similar on arpeggios would be useful to your followers. Best wishes for your inspiring passion. Greg

[@ceceliahauser6790]

Piano teacher here. I really enjoyed this video, always telling my students these EXACT things: Consistent fingerings for easier memorization, clarity which is also related to mindful practice of examining posture, hand/wrist/elbow/finger postions, and areas of tension (also helps to video oneself for these) as well as covering it with too much pedal (or volume or speed). Sharing this my students!

[@Ratlins9]

Thank you, as a beginner, I see the wisdom in your tips. My favorite is “ practice a song until you can’t get it wrong.

[@paphinvithartono2637]

mate u r so underrated! great video! 4. I find recording myself playing very helpful because aside from being able to spot mistakes, recording adds pressure -as if someone is watching over you. This pressure can really change how you play and it is important that you can handle this pressure well!

[@jazerleepiano]

Good tip Paphinvit! Recording adds pressure to our performance, which is a great thing for preparing for performing.

[@planetary-rendez-vous]

It's fine if you intend to throw the recording anyway so the pressure is lessened Until I want to share and get pressured...

[@nsejita]

Ugh I know!! I tend to black out and forget even the name of the instrument the moment I have some sort of audience, including a camera recording. So annoying, because I love to play for people, but my brain just fizzles at that point.

[@taniacummings9207]

@@nsejita YES!

[@joecrosby3933]

I’ve got to try recording!

[@weiyaxiao5954]

I learned violin for ten years and now I try to start piano. Honestly, I feel very relatable for all these 7 things, both on violin and piano lol

[@samn6760]

Wow me too! I love violin so much but wanted to try piano out -- out of curiosity what learning resources r u using? Are you self teaching urself?

[@weiyaxiao5954]

@@samn6760 I started just around a week ago. Initially, I would like to cram canon but I found it pretty harmful without all the fundamentals, so I start playing scales to get to know some fingerings and follow John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course Book. Do you have any suggestions? Keep practice :)

[@samn6760]

@@weiyaxiao5954 yeah thanks for responding! I’ll check out that book - I’ve been using Alfred’s Adult beginner book, but then half way I got bored and decided to jump to the songs I wanna dive into (anime stuff, kingdom hearts, etc). Once I learned how to read both hands after about a month of using the Alfred book, I can read sheet music for basic songs well enough, so that’s what I’ve been doing. Not worrying about the classical approach to playing piano, I’m just playing thru songs since I’m impatient. I’m also exploring the option of playing by ear, since I like doing that on the violin but I find it difficult on piano. I did the Suzuki method in school for violin, but I don’t wanna read thru a book for piano, buuut I’m sure I’ll come back to Alfred’s, especially when I hit a point where I realize reading sheet music of random songs i like to listen to won’t help me in the long-run.

[@weiyaxiao5954]

@@samn6760 yep thanks!! I will also check out the book. I also did Suzuki for my violin, and I might also get bored to start all over again on piano haha. I think I watch more piano tutorials or music theory videos online than reading books. Currently I kinda mix fundamentals and canon during practice. I wish I could play one nice (probably classical) piece one day :)

[@marianmartinez1494]

I'd like to mention I tell my kids reading music is like a jig saw puzzle.Once you can see where the pieces are you can put them together.Also forgive yourself when you make a mistake.I show them professionals on youtube stuffing up, this happens it's life, who cares just keep going and create a beautiful picture.Enjoyed your video.Also have empathy I remember thinking it was impossible to read two clefs, eventually the penny drops.ENJOY!!!!! that's what music is all about.If you get frustrated go to something that really cheers you up!

[@JohnLeslie68]

Glad I found you. I’m a beginner at 68. Love piano and organ. I’ve taken about 7 months of private lessons with a teacher. But will continue on my own in a few weeks. This is only playing for fun for me. I’m sure with your lessons and practice and time I’ll get this down. I’ve come a long way in 6 months.

[@BewareOfKillerPie]

The whole learning chords/scales/patterns for sight reading makes so much sense and also explains why after 10+ years of playing classical my brain short circuits when trying to sight read jazz because all the chords are so foreign

[@jcmoreutube]

Thank you. I’m a 63 old beginner and this is very useful.

[@cherryzhong7161]

I'm same as you, I'm 61

[@mohdfuzi5585]

I'm 64 j

[@Sydney-zq7cx]

I’m 13 ;-;

[@timmorgan6298]

This is exceptionally helpful. I went to a semi-specialist music school and was not taught most of these things. I have figured them out myself over the years, but it's great to hear them reinforced. You will help so many people with this!

[@ruthannamcalister1712]

Thank you for these comments Jazer Lee! These are things I say to my students every week, but I am excited to present them from you, so that they can see it isn't just my own demands as their teacher!

[@jazerleepiano]

That's awesome Ruthanna, let's spread the message! 😝

[@diane2731]

Im 68 and learning/playing piano. This is the 2nd of your videos Ive watched. All of the tips are great. I like tip on theory as it is a mind body connection that builds a strong foundation. Practicing without the pedal also helped me to focus on what Im trying to learn. Practicing consistently is key. Sometimes I practice certain sections for 15 min, leave go do something else and comeback. This helps me to improve my focus and avoid frustration. Thank you for sharing your experience 😊

[@elroySF]

All of these points were excellent! Thank you.

[@jazerleepiano]

You're so welcome! And thank you for the support!

[@nelladewaal1]

Great vid! I would add another reason for practicing slowly: your brain makes neural pathways when you play correctly - and incorrectly. By playing slowly and correctly, you instruct your brain and reinforce the neural pathways and remember correct playing with a firm pathway!

[@jazerleepiano]

Good stuff!

[@melon4738]

Good to know!

[@carr0760]

I always tell my students to only play as quickly as they can successfully manage the weakest part of the piece. Otherwise the parts that you're good at keep getting better but the parts you struggle with simple stay the same. If you slow down, the weaker sections will catch up, and then you can proceed. And yes, of you keep playing the mistakes, you'll learn them. Muscle memory isn't just for the good stuff!

[@MaltesersEqualLife]

I love how you explained what goes through your head as you play a piece, thank you! I've wondered that for years, and how someone can read all those notes so quickly. I need to learn some chords!

[@cathy_edmunds]

Solid gold advice, all of it, but especially #1. I'm going to recommend this to my pupils so that I can say, 'You see? It's not just me who thinks you should slow down.' I try to get them to care about each note, to give each note some quality, rather than rushing into an 'impression' of the music (complete with a nice blur of pedal, naturally).

[@jazerleepiano]

Preach it Catherine!

[@orientalfrogeatingrocks]

Thanks for being so helpful, it's a blessing for people living in third world countries where a musuic teacher is hard to find or afford.

[@vanessadavismusic]

Great advice! Thank you! I relate the most to #7 - theory. I grew up taking written theory, but as a pianist, so much emphasis was put on memorizing all the notes. I wish that more emphasis had been put on recognizing patterns as a pianist - such as scales and arpeggios. Too much emphasis on note-names can really slow down the sight-reading process! Now that I’m a teacher, I still do flash cards with the kids, but we spend time going through each song and identifying intervals, scales, triads etc, before they even play the song. That is my biggest tip! You outlined this very well.

[@erickquiroz3776]

Which book would you recommend??

[@vanessadavismusic]

@@erickquiroz3776 I grew up in Canada, so I learned the Royal Conservatory of Music Curriculum.

[@menevetsny]

@@erickquiroz3776 There are lots of online courses, you can free trial most of them, I find video is better than for this kind of thing video also includes reading, they usually incorporated bits to read. Udemy, Lynda, KZbin channels, etc ...

[@planetary-rendez-vous]

Okay identical fingerling is a really good idea. For difficult passages it's useful to create fingerings too if it doesn't exist. Noted.

[@piktormusic2538]

Agreed. As I get older, I realize more and more the importance of working out, noting and practicing consistent fingerings. Developing that clarity pays off even when I am improvising...at least most of the time.

[@hiphop4eva374]

Can I ask for the source of your profile picture? It looks rly nice

[@mariecohen3052]

Fingering I would agree although if you have very small hands (I have tiny hands) You gotta keep in mind who wrote the fingering and for whom Also agreed to keep playing notes with consistency in the fingering A must

[@yoshi-ie6th]

@@hiphop4eva374 its megumi photo

[@KingNedya]

Me who learns pieces from black MIDI, which doesn't have fingerings:

[@martinlang5139]

You're absolutely right. Fully agree with your advice. Thanks for sharing.

[@jazerleepiano]

Glad it was helpful!

[@angeladavis891]

wow, you're so right, I practice the part I find difficult over & over till I get it right, then again some, then play the bits that come before & after....until I can do it all the way through....it may take several days but it's SO satisfying to play the whole piece through flawlessly....it raises self-esteem for a start! I've just started learning again after 25 years away, & it IS like riding a bike, if you've done it once it can be remembered....

[@georgiannapappas1938]

All of the suggestions are excellent! When I was a kid and teen, I wasn’t rigorous with learning fingering. Despite that, I played pretty well, and learned a lot of pieces. Decades later, when I go back to play those pieces, and I find myself making mistakes in the same places I did years ago, it’s always because I was not using the recommended fingering. Happily, I’ve been able to fix those spots! Anyway, I teach lots of students and I’m rather strict about fingering and counting. You didn’t mention counting, but I’ve found that insisting that a student count out loud during the learning process really improves their rhythmic ability.

[@joeltanen]

I am 65 and just starting my 3rd year with a great teacher. I learned music theory in college and really enjoy it. I like the listening tip as that is important. I did not hear about relaxing the hands and arms and shoulders. Good video.

[@thomasgiesinger8542]

Thank you so much for your videos. I started picking up the piano again a year ago after a pause of 7 years. I always played pieces way above my skill level, so I stepped down a difficulty and reduced the speed a LOT. That did wonders to my progress. Your videos help me improve my practice sessions greatly.

[@GaryGCreates]

Love your style. Calm, cool, and collected while delivering really useful information. Thanks so much!!

[@shirsN]

It it because of your 1st tip that i didn't give up playing. I could play even hardest pieces when i started playing them slowly. As i was able to build muscle memory foe them

[@wrAIth-AI]

"He's been playing for 18 years." 👀 "But how old is he?" 20

[@introvert211]

Is he really, or is that a joke?

[@brib1038]

He sounds like he's at least 24 or 25-yrs old.

[@ChristineEverth]

He looks like late 30s asian.

[@ChristineEverth]

Or maybe early 40s

[@darrinsiberia]

@@ChristineEverth late 30s? mid 30s mayyyyybe

[@clearhythm1]

This is an excellent video, and what crystal clear articulation on your playing! I've been reflecting more on the value of theory, and wanting to integrate it more into my playing. I think there is some resistance in me, since even though I have some theory training, I feel like "analyzing" a piece takes a decent amount of mental energy that I'd rather devote to "practicing". I realize this is just an internal block and my practicing will be easier once I get over the hump and sit down to analyze the piece. This video helped remind me to do that, so thank you. I am curious though how you convince yourself to do some things you resist like analysis (in my case) or repetitive fingering exercises to get trills or other difficult stretches. Thanks for sharing!

[@cyruscastillo5498]

Thank you Jazer it will help me practice. Thanks again from 🇵🇭

[@ChrisBach1138]

Jazer, I taught myself to play guitar when I was 13 and I fell victim to literally every single one of these potential pitfalls. Piano is a clean slate to me, I'm not going to bungle it again. This vid was a huge help towards that goal, so thank you.

[@jimminett1293]

Jazer, I just discovered your lessons on KZbin and find them most informative. I particularly like your plain spoken-ness, and addressing important details to improve playing. I will integrate them into my daily practice session, and am confident it will help to more quickly, and correctly, improve my playing. Thank you, Jim M

[@yskwong]

One thing my teacher taught me when I was a kid was:- Practice very slowly, repeatedly till you make no mistakes. Keep practicing. Once you've perfected it, then practice it at the fastest speed possible, way faster than the piece is intended for, keep practicing till I make no mistake. The reason she told me to do this is so my mind/brain would be way ahead of the actual speed/timing of the piece, and when I do my performance/test/exam, I'd be able to play it more comfortably. Then go back to the actual speed the piece is meant to be, and develop characters and colours for the piece, and I realize the piece would be so much easier in the end. I've managed to pass all my ABRSM tests from Grade 3-7 with distinctions, but my Grade 8 was only a merit, because my sight reading brought me down. Anyway, I've just started playing the piano again last year after the pandemic lockdown begun, and I'm using a lot of your materials to learn, and to refresh my learning experiences.

[@elenaspano5067]

i’ve been playing the piano for 8 years and i relate to everything you said in this video! although i still have some of this “bad habits”. i’m definitely an abuser of the pedal and i sometimes change fingerings (but that’s because i have super tiny hands and most fingerings you find printed out don’t work at all with my hands). but yeah, with time and experience you realize many things. also, i have been playing the violin for 4-5 years and the guitar for about a year and all these “tips” apply to those instruments as well.

[@jazerleepiano]

Thanks for sharing your story Elena, inspiring!

[@elenaspano5067]

@@jazerleepiano of course. thanks to you for making this kind of videos and being realistic!

[@tilkifox7918]

Actually there's nothing wrong with changing fingerings if you have one that's more suitable for yourself

[@helenacarolino8923]

Thanks for the tips! I learned a lot from you. I've been playing the piano for almost 11 years already. Until now, I'm still playing like a beginner. I'm very slow when it comes to reading the notes.

[@jazerleepiano]

That's great!! Keep practicing, you will be amazing Helena!

[@robertaeileensmith1301]

I am grateful for your light hearted, honest teaching, Jazer. I saw patterns in classical music I didn’t understand and wanted to know harmonic relationships between notes. Learning music theory this late in life is still exciting, but slow; however, being very patient and enjoying the journey is worth the eye opening experience. Delving into a used college level textbook and workbook make me realize how much more I need to know in basic music theory. For instance, I am beginning to experience the purpose of knowing the nomenclature of the many scales and how to practice them. Apparently this is at least a 2 year journey, according to the text.

[@annemoulder3683]

I’ve be playing for 30 years and I absolutely agree with adding speed as the last step. I learned a lot from the other tips that I will use in my practice. Thanks for the video!!

[@richardcabrejo532]

I like every one of them! I started out like that when I was younger, I find my self slowing down a lot to learn it better. I'm 62.Good tips!

[@jazerleepiano]

Right on!

[@amytougaw5097]

Oh nooo....I relate to all of them! I just started basic piano lessons and I do every one of these in practice. Ugh!! Thanks for pointing these out so concisely and informatively. I just subscribed!! Looking forward to more tips!

[@jwlansdale]

Everything you said is spot on. At least 5 on the list are things I say every day to my students.

[@guymiklos9245]

Tip #1 was really helpful, thank you. It is so tempting to forge ahead. A pianist I used to live with, told me a useful practice method is double playing every note, done in sections of two or four bars at a time before reverting to normal playing. He said it always helped him retain the muscle memory of the fingering.

[@133breezy]

Thanks, Jazer. I needed this. I have been a self-taught player most of my life, having runs of doing practice then big gaps of not playing at all and I feel like I am actually getting worse. I'll step back and follow your rules here and do some quality practice. Appreciate the video and your style of teaching, awesome..

[@seanferguson5460]

Jazer, I wish I had found your channel a long time ago. I've wasted my pandemic so far and I think my improvement is closer to the 0.03%.

[@jazerleepiano]

Hope these tips can help you from now Sean!

[@nancywebb1845]

I needed to see this video. Even though I've been playing for a few years, I still make many of the mistakes he listed.

[@TheOriginalCoda]

Subbed. As someone who plays Drums and Guitar, I can say that most of what you said not only applies to other instruments, but anything else you want to learn and get good at. Also, "Practice doesn't make perfect" it makes Permanent, it highlights your point about going slowly and with the right fingerings. One doesn't want mistakes to become permanent.

[@babyzorilla]

Thanks!

[@jazerleepiano]

Thanks for supporting!

[@stefanstern7851]

I have been teaching piano for over 20 years. This is good advice! Music theory and practicing slowly with quality are often neglected by many instructors

[@aalegalfocus]

This is motivating me to get back to practicing more even though I've barely played the piano in years. Thank you!

[@jazerleepiano]

Go for it!

[@leibnitz0030810]

Started learning Mozart alla turca more than a year ago and still can’t play it without mistake....it’s because I mess up 99% then stop when I get it right. Thanks for the tips!

[@ninames]

Practice in very small chunks in order to play them with no mistake for many times, slowly but with the same precise, sharp and little movement as it were fast

[@nineboneable]

I have had some music theory training mixed in with piano lessons in college but couldn't name all the chords used in a piece to save my life. I do approach new music such as that Mozart piece you played by playing the groups of notes as chords to hear the sound of the music progression, then I fight with my muscles to make the notes sound out individually. An organist told me to paly it backwards. After you have played from the beginning to the end and have some familiarity with the music, play the last measure, then play the last two measures, then play the last three measures, etc. until you get back to the beginning. You are still playing it slowly, correctly, and mindfully. This is especially helpful if you have a difficult passage, usually at the page break at the top of the next page. My other quandary is I read the key signature and it has an A flat in it but when it comes around to that note, I play an A natural (sight reading). I hear it and recognize it immediately. The flip side of that is the composer throws in an accidental and I play it per the key signature in spite of sight reading. I also try to play the chord progression: I, V7, I, IV, I, in the key signature before I try playing the piece to get the key signature sound in my head.

[@amirshayanmoghtaderi5840]

Your points are super important, especially when you say to take your time and not rush your practices; thank you so much.

[@CarlosMartinez-gr1rp]

Thanks for your insights: pure gold. Keep up the good work!

[@jazerleepiano]

Much appreciated!

[@thepianoplayer416]

Audio picks up the wrong notes, phrasing & sound related issues. Video picks up problems with hand position & posture. Years ago somebody in the family took the first & last violin exam and barely passed. She never made 1 recording in the 2 years of music lessons and started recording 2 weeks before the exam. Rather late. For more than a year, playing was more trial & error than listening and analyzing all the things that need to be improved. The 1 thing I do differently since starting piano is making regular recordings. Some people think they don't have any talent for music but probably many people are not practicing properly.

[@cjimcook]

"Audio picks up the wrong notes, phrasing & sound-related issues. Video picks up problems with hand position & posture." Interesting way of putting it. Never tried either. I grew up in an era (1960s) where recording yourself was actively discouraged. Times change.

[@King-balloon]

Been playing for 3 weeks now didnt think I had what it takes to play an instrument I couldn’t do a a simple 5 key scale 3 weeks ago my fingers literally didn’t have y to w movement Now I can do most scales competently up and down and reasonably fast aswell 100-110 bpm I’m learning music I can play a few songs I can play arpeggios my finger dexterity is ludicrously good compared to when I started. I’ve actually fully amazed myself I practice one hour a day that’s it I use Hannon and The rest is mostly stuff I’ve picked up off you tube I can’t wait to hear myself In 6 months the excitement is too much Just wanted to say if you got the time ju at try it it’s amazing how quick you pick it up I learn something new everyday and my skill is noticeably better each day to So if your thinking about starting but are hesitant because of the skill stop thinking and do it, If I can you can

[@kristinasullivan8198]

So many people confuse talent with training! Just like learning a language, it takes time to do music well, on any instrument.

[@thepianoplayer416]

@@kristinasullivan8198 A while ago I met a Suzuki teacher. The philosophy behind Suzuki is that every child has the "talent" for music and can be nurtured to be musical. The end of the day, those with a keen interest in music would succeed.

[@bnataliya]

Metronome! It's good to use a metronome, sometimes.

[@tilkifox7918]

Most of the time, yes. For baroque/classical pieces, and some 20th century pieces also

[@enriquenietojr5452]

Thank you for the free lesson and i am a new piano student, and i was having those thoughts of learning bad habits. I was very happy to see your video i am not able to afford an instructor so i was concern with the idea of learning bad habits. Which you cleared up for me.

[@CC-gv6us]

Quality advice. People resist playing slowly but classical music is just about training the subconscious, and you'd be surprised how effectively that can be accomplished at speeds that seem almost absurdly slow (to begin).

[@spartan456]

I've been self-teaching for a little over 7 months and I was surprised to see that most of this is stuff I have already been doing, albeit without realizing it. I'm still very new to learning music theory (although I know a little bit of terminology), and in fact, I still struggle to read sheet music (although I am working on learning that). It's truly amazing just how much of it is pattern recognition. Once I had the basics of navigating the piano down, I started learning a few chords. After I had a dozen or so chords memorized, I started experimenting with how to play them. Not just playing them in their original form, that's boring. Music has always fascinated me and I love anything that allows me to be creative. So I went nuts with it. What happens if I leave certain notes out? What if I add more notes? What happens if I change the root? What happens if I arpeggiate this chord? How would it sound if I played the root in this octave, and the rest of the chord in a higher one? What if I play long chords in my left hand, and use notes from a higher octave to arpeggiate on top of that? I just noodled around for days doing stuff like this, and had a total blast with it. Eventually, this lead to learning some actual songs. I couldn't read sheet music still, so I just made my own sheet music. I'd look at a MIDI for a song, find a part that looked like something I could realistically play, break it up into chunks and write the note letters down in a notebook. I did this with lots of different songs, specifically choosing sections that looked like things I could actually learn. Within a few days I had every note name and its position on the piano burned into my brain, and also had a few simple measures memorized. Then, I started figuring out how to play things in different keys. I initially did this because I was often too lazy to write up new pages of terrible sheet music for something I wanted to learn. I also figured there might be a nice benefit to relying on my ears to transpose something I could already play into a new key. There was. I was screwing around with doing this on one song, and something about it sounded VERY familiar, but I couldn't figure out why. After a few more minutes, I looked up a piano arrangement of the song that reminded me of, and I was right. I listened to it a few dozen times and to my surprise, I figured out how to play it, entirely by ear. The only reason this was so easy for me to do was because I had already familiarized myself with the key that particular song was in, and it just so happened I played a portion of the exact right combination of notes to trigger my slowly developing relative pitch. After that, I started learning more stuff by ear. I would only ever consult a MIDI, or look up a performance of the song where I can see the hands of the pianist, when I was at my wits end and just could NOT figure out what the next note is. I also only tried to do this with stuff that was pretty straightforward and simple. No crazy wicked fast classical pieces, I haven't even touched anything like that yet. But what used to take me hours of listening and noodling around now takes me less than an hour, and my ears have gotten better and better. When I think I've got it right, that's when I look at music for it. Of course, there are some errors here and there. Chords still give me trouble but I often always get the root and thirds right. Melodies might give me some trouble if there's some interesting stuff with them, such as multiple notes at the same time. But it's easy enough to implement the corrections once I've already gotten 90% of it figured out. Now something I really like to do is take the right hand part of one song, and combine that with the left hand part of a totally different song. I figure if I can work out how to make two totally different components mesh together rhythmically and harmonically, I'm probably developing a lot of very important skills, even if I don't fully understand what those skills are yet. And all of this progress is because I just started recognizing patterns. Not just in what the actual musical notes are, but in how they actually sound, too. It's really incredible how it all works and it blows my mind. I can not wait until I finally wrap my head around sheet music and music theory in general. Oh yeah, and slow practice is the way to go. It's one thing to just mindlessly tap on the keys, it's another thing entirely to deliberately and methodically bring out the exact kind of tone you want from each and every note. There was a very brief moment after I first started where I thought I had to play stuff at the right tempo, otherwise it wouldn't be right. I am so freaking glad I got over that as quickly as I did. It's so much better, not just for your own development but also _in how you actually perform_ to take it slow. If it doesn't sound good when you play it slow, _figure out how to make it sound good_ while playing it slowly. I think that's where the real key lies in doing slow practice. Because if you can figure out how to make it sound great slowly, you can eventually figure out how to make it sound great at tempo. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk, and thank you for posting this video. I think I'm on the right track and that helps a lot when you are a self-learner.

[@jazerleepiano]

Nice reflection spartan, keep it up :)

[@bigbuggie5]

I wasn’t taught Music Theory with my piano lessons and I’m not a good sight reader. I wish I did.

[@Nitzpitz]

Same here, but I found a wonderful early 20th century method for learning the piano from scratch and it helped a lot. Tip: start at very beginning, a very good place to start (thanks Sound of Music). I can now read music so much better and hardly ever look at my fingers anymore.

[@dincerekin]

Everyone has weaknesses, just work on them!

[@anapoda3081]

@@dincerekin indeed, frankly it's not that hard to improve at sight reading.

[@unclemick-synths]

Esther, rhythm exercises really helped my reading. Now I see groups of notes as words and I only have to worry about hitting the correct notes even in quite complicated jazzy phrases.

[@taniacummings9207]

Do a sight reading every single time you practice. I buy old "easy" books at music sales, trash and treasure shops (house clearances), even children's books. Always sight read one or two grades below your ability. Warm ups, scales/arpeggios/exercises, sight reading, repertoire. That's my order of practice every time. Keep a practice diary and record your progress. Write the date in pencil at the top of the piece when you sight read. You can come back to it again in 1 or 2 years because you won't remember it, it will still be "at sight". Always play a second time to see where you went wrong and correct it. The first play should be straight through, no figuring it out just keep going. I love sight reading, I discover new pieces I like that I can learn easily and I like to do different things, it's easy to get stale or bored working away at the same pieces every day. I;ve picked up these tips off you tube and comments. Good luck.

[@MegaMech]

What's really fun. Learning a Bach fugue using an urtext edition with no fingerings. Good luck!

[@jazerleepiano]

😆

[@nancyparish832]

So true! Learning to do without my "in person" one on one teacher has been difficult! So many online teaching speak to the "Play songs you love today!" I was taught music theory and fingering. She ALWAYS said, "slowly" - best advice ever.

[@richardhewitt7826]

Seven very worthwhile tips on practicing - I will start today with all of these. The advice about skipping the pedal is priceless - that device overuse covers up a lot of sinful notes! So far I have failed in all seven so today is a new start.

[@raymelfabian3749]

6:37 thats Chopin right there lol. I just loved how random it was!

[@jazerleepiano]

😝😝😝

[@flotrz444]

Yes. It's the Torrent Etude,right?

[@cjimcook]

"That's got to be one of the worst things to hear in a concert" - I can barely discern the difference. Sigh. So, tip #8 is this is why we have professional teachers to identify and point these things out. Teaching.

[@IvyWillowMusic]

If I were to try to explain the difference, it would be that the first time around, not only did you hear the movement, but you actually clearly heard every note. The second time around, you still heard the overall movement, butthenotessoundedlikethis. There was no clarity or distinction between them.

[@obiu8247]

The fact that you can discern the difference is a great start. That means, your brain is processing that something is off, but you don't quite know how to describe it. The best way I can explain it is that the length of time in-between notes is not consistent, and close to the end of the piece, you hear a little (though brief) lag between the last...I'd say, four notes? Most of the time, music is about timing and expectation. If you listen to a song enough times, your brain is wired to anticipate certain periods of silence, and when that gap is either too long, or too short, you're like, "Wait. That doesn't sound right". It's not that the notes were wrong. It is just the spacing between notes was not consistent. I hope that helps.

[@bennemann]

I've been playing amateur for 10 years and I could barely hear the difference at first either, but then I realized the timing between the notes was not consistent: he would slightly speed up and cram certain notes together, then play a few correctly, then cram them together more again... so it sounded slightly messy. I also had the impression he was sometimes failing to play a note at the end of each time his hand goes up (rightwards) (think of playing a C major cadence but only from C to B rather than C to C), but that impression might simply be due to the wonky nature of the playing rather than him actually failing to play the last note. Like he played and released it too fast to register.

[@h4nio575]

Ive been playing for 8 years and i heard the difference instantly

[@evelynsaungikar3553]

Try playing it back at half speed.

[@Prime-115]

yoo i just realized you upload 2 videos also some days ago welcome back sensei

[@jazerleepiano]

Thank you!

[@davivify]

One reason we practice scales and arpeggios - because so much of that appears in classical literature. Like that Mozart Sonata. I don't think you need much 'theory' unless you're writing/composing/arranging. As far as practicing enough so that I'd never get it wrong, that length of time tends towards infinity. I ALWAYS flub, regardless of how much I practice. it does tend to decrease over time but it never really goes away. As for fingerings, I would start with the written fingerings (if any), but adapt them for what works best for me. Nobody knows your hands or how they fit on the keys better than you. Just make sure your choices are well thought out. I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with your NUMBER 1. In fact I try to take a Zen approach. I try to enjoy the process of practicing for its own sake, as crazy as that may sound.

[@oBseSsIoNPC]

there is a huge value in the information contained in this video. Thank you, well put together and thought out.

[@TheScoobysteve]

People say 'I want to learn piano' but what they really mean is 'I want to be able to play the piano'. These are wildly different things.

[@amycook538]

No truer words were ever spoken! No one wants to sit down at the piano every day and practice!

[@jamescps8799]

My biggest regret is not focus in time & rhythm accuracy and consistency.

[@arthouston7361]

First, the new ideas were, "practice until you can't stuff up," and "record yourself more." I don't record myself at all, because I am still at the beginner level. But, I can see the value of doing so later on. I am already struggling with making myself practice more slowly. I have to keep telling myself that this is not a short procedure....it's a journey.

[@jirahbariguez1391]

I stopped playing for like 5 years after getting good at it and now I’m starting all over again and these would help me a lot. Thank you

[@richardgoldstein5600]

Thanks

[@jazerleepiano]

Thank you for the support!

[@jerenriquez3097]

Ironically, sometimes there are passages that I could play more correctly if I play them faster, and I screw it up more if I go slower. I have no explanation, and it doesn't always apply, but there are those passages.

[@JC050980]

Because when playing slowly you're not just relying on muscle memory and apparently very consciously playing the notes brings up additional difficulties. This is a good indicator though that these passages need some more studying, since you have a big chance of running into problems when playing on different instruments than your own. Speaking from experience here.

[@sandramohring2209]

I agree - It’s odd, too.

[@ruthterry3908]

@@JC050980 From my own experience, I completely agree with you here.

[@tilkifox7918]

That's because you're relying too much on muscle memory to play those passages, and you aren't actually aware of what you're doing, what notes you're playing, and why you're moving your fingers in that order.

[@randomrick]

i only have one thing. don't stop playing the piano at the age of 12 after playing for 7 years so you won't regret it 20 years later.

[@lanayashina]

omg SAME!

[@randomrick]

i still regret it

[@lanayashina]

@@randomrick me too, left a void in my soul 😅

[@randomrick]

@@lanayashina yea :(

[@Judasz696]

Still regret it but making my way back

[@CytheriaXylia]

Him: Scales, key signatures, arpeggios Me: overwhelmed

[@laurahuusko6377]

Thank you so much. I just began studying piano as an adult 3 months ago and find myself doing many of these “don’ts” you point out. This was very helpful to hear from you, with great examples.

[@musichomework]

I picked up guitar last year out of curiosity. But when I realized I wanted to do more, I started 7) music theory to predict what needs to be played and improvise 6) practice until I have "correct" muscle memory 5) don't use pedals and distortion to mask mistakes 4) record myself to notice the aubtle details that need to be improved 3) Consistent hand shapes n fretboard 2) practice consistently - obvious 1) play slowly -. This is the hardest one....when I play slow, I actually make more mistakes.... There's one more thing that is so important....using a metronome or drum track.... When I started using one, I realized just how terrible my timing is......

[@giotapantel6736]

I started playing the guitar at 13 and at the age of 16 i started playing the piano all alone without teacher. Everyone admires me when i am playing the piano because i am in advanced level without teacher just because i have chords in my mind because we use them a lot in guitar😅😋

[@Mia-fg2ik]

Knowing chords doesn’t make u advanced lol

[@luigimolchundco4910]

@@Mia-fg2ik True, but actually using that knowlage can go a long way in helping to learn more advanced pieces.

[@Mia-fg2ik]

@@luigimolchundco4910 they tried to use it as a claim that they’re advanced. Which is not true cuz chords are like below grade 1 level. Also it’s spelt knowledge lol

[@giotapantel6736]

@@Mia-fg2ik A year ago i took lessons at the piano for 9 months and i managed to pass the exams of Grade 8 of trinity college of London. I think Chords of Guitar helped me a lot and Grade 8 is an advanced level. I have to mention that i had never taken piano lessons before. Only for nine months and my chords practice helped me a lot 😉

[@Mia-fg2ik]

@@giotapantel6736 trinity is for casuals ;) abrsm is for more serious players. besides, knowing chords is literally theory, not practical. whilst theory ties into practical, principles of guitar and piano are different. please stop being so egotistical, you’re making us musicians look like we’re full of ourselves.

[@user-lt3yb4fm6q]

And this is why we played Czerny exercises even when it totally sucked...😂

[@Johnny_sims13]

omg my piano teacher has me studying Czerny right now 😭😭😭

[@user-lt3yb4fm6q]

@@Johnny_sims13 it's terrible, right? And you're bored out of your scull thinking 'do I really have to do this??' But I can tell you from personal experience that it will make your life so much easier later on. Every minute with Czerny will be worth it, I promise. Take your time to get it totally precise now, see it as an investment in your glorious future as a pianist 😉

[@tilkifox7918]

@@user-lt3yb4fm6q I would rather do Czerny than Hanon. And rather Hanon than Pischna. go look it up if you don't know about them haha. Not sure if I spelled that correctly though.

[@PeiyingpanPiano]

I'm a piano teacher and have been teaching for over 20 years, and totally agree with what you've said, I tell my students all 7 of these almost every week before I saw your video! :) Keep up the good work!

[@rogercarroll2551]

Such good advice from you. I use the word "study" rather than "practice" for myself and my students. "I studied the piano for my usual hour and a half today." Practice takes on the meaning of doing something by rote over and over again; study means to analyze and dissect and LEARN something from what you are doing at each and every work session at the piano.

[@cipher2508]

So KZbin algorithm DOES sometimes recommend worthy content

[@lonniehardy3985]

excellent ! You have cleared up a mystery for me. For many years, I've been asking why great pianists spend so much time on theory, chords and scales. Now it is clear.

[@sujayanarula3913]

Totally agree with you 😊 Musical pieces can be created with different tempos so playing accurately is the key to play any tempos at a later stage.