How to Get Better at Piano Playing: A Lesson

Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. The subject today is about how to get better at playing the piano. There are so many things you can do! Of course, everyone would say, "Practice!" That's obvious. How to practice is a whole other subject for another video. I know people who practice incessantly and don't get anywhere, because how you practice is key. But as I said, that's a whole other discussion. Today we're going to talk about other things aside from practicing, which is the obvious thing.
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[@douga8296]

The point about immersing yourself in music is great. We sometimes forget to take time to do what we love.

[@beaumuse7890]

Mr. Estrin, thank you so much for the work you do through KZbin. I used to take lessons quite frequently, but after my parents passed away, I haven’t had the opportunity to afford more. Through this channel, you have taught me the value of online learning. Marvelous resources, such as this very video, that are free! Again, a heart felt thank you for all you do.

[@DrQuizzler]

This was a lot of fun, great suggestions and GREAT stories!! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who sneaked into places to practice on "nice" pianos, and who routinely got kicked out of places in the process. I'm going on record here that I never resorted to B&E, low key or otherwise. If I jiggled the door handle and the room was locked, I moved on, and if all I could get into that day was a dank practice room with a Grinnell or a Kunkle upright, so be it. Of course, I DID manage to get myself banned for life from a whole university campus while preparing for a piano competition, but that's a story for another time. Great video!!

[@martaromarate5372]

Robert,you are wonderful..🎶💞👌

[@francesy.6642]

So true... I am a piano teacher myself for 20 years - and everything you said is gold! In fact, I am sending this to some of stubborn students who can't take my word for it, maybe they will follow if they hear it from you. Happy New Year. Thank you so much for the time and effort to do this video

[@aBachwardsfellow]

lol - SO TRUE! It seems to be a universal law -- something about " ... a prophet has no honour in his own country". This site is a great one to send them to - I hope it works for you ...

[@francesy.6642]

@@aBachwardsfellow that's very nasty of you to say

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@@francesy.6642 - my apologies -- except ... I'm not quite sure what I'm apologizing for - could you please explain? Seriously - I have no Idea what I said that was "very nasty" - unless you're saying that jokingly. Please let me know - I wouldn't want to make the same mistake again ...

[@aBachwardsfellow]

​@@francesy.6642 - I'm still not sure what it was I said that was "very nasty" -- could you please explain? The expression I used (" ... a prophet ...") is generally used to illustrate exactly what you were saying, which is that, in general, people are sometimes more receptive to hearing constructive criticism from people they don't know than they are to hear it from people with whom they are familiar. Does that particular expression have some specific meaning to you that is "nasty"? I'm not aware of any (I even "googled" it - could not find anything ..) - I'm really curious why you said that ...

[@stepheebee]

Hahaha I love that you "used to" break in to play the piano with your ID. Hysterical!

[@classicalroach]

Your tip about wearing Hawaiian shirts was spot on. Since I started I’ve never played better. NEVER going back to polo shirts!!!

[@roxiebot7482]

Please do a video on effect practice. I've been taking private lessons for about 3 1/2 years now and I've never been taught how to practice effectively.

[@LivingPianosVideos]

These videos should help you: kzbin.infosearch?query=how%20to%20practice

[@donnaleflore94]

Thank you, happy new year!

[@omarjanudin]

Hi Robert, greeting from Malaysia.. I m a piano beginner..thanks for the videos..

[@rafaelgomez1989]

*** LOVE EVERY TIME A NEW VIDEO SHOWS UP..THANK YOU ROBERT & HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

[@LivingPianosVideos]

Happy new year to you too!

[@aBachwardsfellow]

As usual, another EXCELLENT, very comprehensive session that practically covers the entire spectrum of playing the piano! * * * BEST WISHES * * * to you and yours for a BLESSED New Year!

[@patrickwall8517]

I agree that playing everyday and playing with musicians is important. One thing that playing with musicians will do his help develop your ability to stay in time, tempo, and beat. This is important because not being in time, in tempo, or being off beat will stand out in a performance more than hitting a bad note or chord. One thing that you should do when you practice is to spend a fair amount of time in some of your sessions working on your weaknesses.

[@JitinMisra]

lovely video. I enjoy your passion.

[@mariecohen3052]

Thank you again so much for all your advices. it is an immense joy for me to hear your personal opinion I love piano so much that I decided to initiate young friends of mine at playing and guiding them to start with all the important instructions that no one ever told me I had a piano teacher back when I was 11 he would play almost the entire time of the lesson because he was not capable of teaching Another one of my teacher for whom I had tremendous respect and was willing to take the bus (I was 12)to get to her apartment in Dijon FRANCE, now with all I know I can tell she made me lose my devotion, my motivation. I lost interest Then 50 years later I started again playing and I do really enjoy and appreciate practicing everyday and playing for my 2 girls and their friends Or whoever comes over. Now I have been playing on a Yamaha DGX 660 and I am wondering if it would be a good idea to move up to a great piano. I essentially play Bach. What about a Charles Walter ?

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Maestro 🌹🌹🌹

[@king.enpassant]

Play what you love, love what you play.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

- and play it WITH love ... :-)

[@mechellturner3915]

I had a teacher who sang with my lessons, unfortunately, she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. With My first and last teachers, I learned a lot more!

[@achaley4186]

Excellent advice! Happy New Year! 🎄😊🙏🏼❤️⭐️

[@HWLee-vu4hv]

Very good! You forgot to mention to watch Your channel for inspiration :)

[@gabelitvin1799]

Thank you so much for putting all this excellent piano learning material out there for everyone to benefit from! I am reading On Piano Playing by Gyorgi Sandor and am wondering if you might be able to take a minute to comment on his admonition NOT to bring thumb under hand for scales and arpeggios, and instead have the thumb travel alongside the hand while shifting the the hand position to align with the fingers as a continous processs to bring each finger, including the thumb, over the key at exactly the right position relative to the hand. I've tried this and can see a lot of advantage to this and intend to try to adopt this as part of technique. However, Sandor's advice to entirely avoid thumb under if taken to extreme would seem to make legato pretty much impossible without some pedal assist because of the millisencond delay that occurs before the thumb gets to the next key after finger 4 or 5. Avoiding thumb "tucking" under the hand certainly does feel more relaxed, but I'm thinking there is a middle ground here. If there is just enough hand shift to minimize moving of the thumb under the hand that seems to produce the best result in terms of relaxation as well as legato without having to use the damper pedal. I have to say this is very hard to get just right because the hand adjustments are very subtle, but it seems to work very well when I do manage to get it right.

[@Revilokab]

I want to get a piano teacher but feel it is important to find the right one for me. I’m happy with my progress leaning on my own but feel I could definitely benefit from a good teacher.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

- definitely! A good teacher can see and sense things about your playing that you cannot while you're focused on playing; also they can organize and plan your growth and development based on your strengths and weaknesses ... (btw - there's a *very* good teacher making these videos - you may want to check him out ... ;-) )

[@LivingPianosVideos]

You are welcome to contact me for information on this subject: [e-mail]

[@Daniel32396]

I've whistled tunes my whole life. I think that prevented me from being tone-deaf.

[@southpark5555]

5:30 ---- true! Any opportunity we have to play music with other musicians ---- even if they aren't better than you --- can learn something.

[@pathaze4299]

This may sound ridiculous, but what helps me not to be distracted or AS anxious of making a mistake....is not thinking about it. Just let muscle memory take over. Also can’t read music at all whatsoever lol. I’m all by ear. Taught myself to play when I was 15, and I’m 21 now. Definitely I’ve gotten a lot better over the years. But still I’m no master pianist like yourself. I’d say I’m around average, maybe a smidge over.

[@beatlessteve1010]

I take almost all your suggestions about immersing myself in music...I'm constantly watching old Horowitz( I read the Plaskin bio of Horowitz) or the Bell telephone hour especially when Joseph Hoffmann played..also contemporaries I love Kissin, Lang, Wang, and especially Valintina Lisitsa also Tiffany Poon has really made some great documents on her journey....that part of learning I have become an expert on ... unfortunately the hands on practicing has not been very good at all...it is like there is a barrier blocking me from making progress..I think of it as fat in the brain or too much drugs in the 90s

[@southpark5555]

That's fine. It just all depends on where you want to get to. It is known that not all people are made 'equal'. Some people have special abilities and processing powers ----- born with something 'special' or extra special, which - on top of hard work ----- can do special things. For example - Rob is very special, and has special abilities. Even though we might not ever get to their level ---- in terms of ability ------ progress of some sort can still be made - by continuing to learn and push, and to listen to their recommendations.

[@aBachwardsfellow]

Robert - do you have any suggestions, or perhaps previous videos that give a comprehensive approach to learning intervals? I'd like to know how to learn to recognize intervals by ear, sing them, play them, and recognize them on scores - both melodic (ascending and descending) and harmonic. I'm sure you must have covered these at some point. Thank you in advance!

[@LivingPianosVideos]

That's a great idea! I will do a two-part series, 1. How to Figure out Intervals, pt 2. How to Recognize Intervals by Ear

[@aBachwardsfellow]

​@@LivingPianosVideos WONDERFUL!!!!! Thank you so much Robert! I'm very much looking forward to seeing those!. I've started off just working with the intervals in C major starting from C: C - D (M2), C - E (M3), C - F (P4), C - G (P5), C - A (M6), C - B (M7) and C - C (octave). But then going through C major starting on other notes one encounters all the other intervals: E - F and B - C (m2), D - F, E - G, and A - C (m3), F - B (Aug4/dim5), E - C (m6), G - F (m7). I seem to have trouble keeping those mnemonic songs straight for several intervals. I can hear the difference between M3 and m3, P4, aug4/dim5, and P5, and I seem to do ok with discerning m2 from M2. The more difficult ones are the M6 and m6 , and M7 and m7 -- may be it's just a limitation of my ears ... ? I would love to be able to recognize on a score and sight-sing all of these intervals .

[@nathansilva6979]

The eye roll after people who will forgive you caught me off guard.

[@billligon4005]

I have heard that if you have a cold or COVID and getting better, that practicing the piano can slow down your complete recovery.

[@licoricestic]

sometimes even playing on bad piano can be a fruitful challenge

[@vic6695]

My teacher is trying to get me to play without my headphones so much. I’m 64, and I know I should know better, but my confidence level is just not there. In fact, he even suggested that I should play in a recital! Yeah, me and a bunch of 8-10 year olds playing circles around me…

[@aBachwardsfellow]

- I often practice with the volume turned way down so I can play "assertively" (good for developing strength) without blowing myself and everyone else out of the house. Try it -- just turn it wa-a-a-y down -- it will be better for you all around, and as you get used to it you can gradually bring up the volume. And -- just enjoy the journey, and you'll find you're getting closer to the destination sooner than you thought -- nevermind about those 8 - 10 year olds passing you on the freeway ... ;-)

[@vic6695]

@@aBachwardsfellow Thanks very much, I'll try that!

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@@vic6695 (btw I'm 72 - we're in this together - hang in there! Best wishes ... )

[@vic6695]

@@aBachwardsfellow Will do, same to you. Happy New Year

[@aBachwardsfellow]

@@vic6695 Happy New Year to you too! Be sure to post a video or two once you start getting the hang of it - it's a fun goal - does not have to be "perfect" or "the best" - just *your* best.

[@pedersackheim4913]

This Video, just like the others you made, deserves the highest praise!