Trying to learn piano could be a bit disheartening if you focus on your playing for weeks on end only to discover that you don't appear to be getting anywhere. A lack of improvement is the single most common reason that folk quit learning to play the piano, this is above all true in youngsters. In order to improve at playing the piano here are a few ideas for your practice sessions.
Structure your practice sessions - Make a little routine for your practice sessions. This will be rather different for every person based on the kind of music they are learning and the style they are intending to play in.
The first action to take when you sit down to practice is to warm up. This is often done really effectively by practising scales and arpeggios which aside from warming up the fingers also serves in becoming comfortable at playing in all keys.
When you have done the warm-up you can then go on to playing your pieces. You may know where the difficult passages are in the pieces that you are learning. Go directly to these sections at the beginning of your practice sessions. Separate the hands and spend 1 or 2 seconds playing each hand on its own. First the right hand and then the other but do keep swapping over so as not to permit the other hand get cold. As quickly as you've done that for a bit you should then make an attempt to play the section with both hands together. Now you can go onto playing the whole piece and feel more comfortble when it comes to that tricky part you have just practiced.
Attempt to employ a metronome whenever you can, both for your scales and for any pieces you're learning how to play too if they permit it. Initially set the metronome at a slower speed so that you can practice the piece more correctly. When you've the piece more or less in order then you can over a period of one or two days begin to slowly notch up the speed until you are practicing the piece at its proper speed. You might even try setting the metronome at a faster tempo than needed just to get your fingers really accustomed to the piece.
You need to find out how to relax at the same time as you are playing. Relax your fingers, your back and actually your entire posture. If you're tense whilst you play then you'll find it much more difficult to manage your fingers and for your playing to flow. Doing this is a little like learning to ride a bike. At the start there are so many things to recollect and coordinate but at some particular point it suddenly clicks and it all fits into place.
Structure your practice sessions - Make a little routine for your practice sessions. This will be rather different for every person based on the kind of music they are learning and the style they are intending to play in.
The first action to take when you sit down to practice is to warm up. This is often done really effectively by practising scales and arpeggios which aside from warming up the fingers also serves in becoming comfortable at playing in all keys.
When you have done the warm-up you can then go on to playing your pieces. You may know where the difficult passages are in the pieces that you are learning. Go directly to these sections at the beginning of your practice sessions. Separate the hands and spend 1 or 2 seconds playing each hand on its own. First the right hand and then the other but do keep swapping over so as not to permit the other hand get cold. As quickly as you've done that for a bit you should then make an attempt to play the section with both hands together. Now you can go onto playing the whole piece and feel more comfortble when it comes to that tricky part you have just practiced.
Attempt to employ a metronome whenever you can, both for your scales and for any pieces you're learning how to play too if they permit it. Initially set the metronome at a slower speed so that you can practice the piece more correctly. When you've the piece more or less in order then you can over a period of one or two days begin to slowly notch up the speed until you are practicing the piece at its proper speed. You might even try setting the metronome at a faster tempo than needed just to get your fingers really accustomed to the piece.
You need to find out how to relax at the same time as you are playing. Relax your fingers, your back and actually your entire posture. If you're tense whilst you play then you'll find it much more difficult to manage your fingers and for your playing to flow. Doing this is a little like learning to ride a bike. At the start there are so many things to recollect and coordinate but at some particular point it suddenly clicks and it all fits into place.
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To learn piano effectively, the key to becoming a good player isn't just daily practice but a structured daily practice routine that suits you - check out the piano lessons for beginners page of the website.