Tradebit Tips for learning piano theory
Whether you have been playing piano for years or you are a beginning piano player, you can definitely improve your musical technique by studying music theory for piano. When you play any musical instrument you usually begin with some lessons. Perhaps your first lesson was even free. You will have learned about the major and minor scales, chord intervals, use of rhythmic time and key signatures, inversion of chords, how to sight read notes from sheet music, and other basic terms for learning the piano.
Resources at your fingertips
But if you want to take your playing to the next level as I'm sure you do, it's often a good idea to use other resources as a new introduction to better yourself at your practice. Advanced piano students know that practice isn't everything. Their teacher can teach them a scale or help them read a chart, check their finger positions and technique for different inversions and make physical contact with the keyboard to show just how a tone should be played. But what a teacher can't necessarily do is give you insight into the harmonic system, taking your performance understanding from beginner to pro. The concepts reserved for a book or a course about music theory are melodic exercises and score analysis that have to be practiced in the privacy of your own home, not necessarily in a piano class or in front of teachers.
Take advantage of what's out there
For beginners, teaching yourself music theory using just an internet site and theory websites can be daunting. There are many great sites and there are many really not so great sites that are available in the circle of music theory offerings. One website might offer concepts using just performance videos to download or watch to make it easy with no text, just learning by example. Teaching yourself what's best to do in terms of form may not be so simple though. If you want to make sure that you are really doing what's right in terms of technique, why not consider an eBook with audio and text guides to the music theory that you're truly looking for? It's more than just complete key signature study and complete fifths and open chord work. You want to find what's best out there and this website has something on order made exactly for you. Visit our music theory pages, newly updated for 2013, to view the list of piano theory series books and you to can begin to chart your improvement immediately.
Some tips to get you started
The following are a few tips if you're using the internet and video and audio offerings as your major learning center. If you are looking for sheet music to improve, make sure that the copyright is protected as a policy and that you have a legal right to download it. If you are looking for free lessons to learn how to play, listen with an open ear to what's right sounding about a video tutorial or whether it can lead you astray in terms of technical information.
Consider private lessons
If you're looking for the stuff of the masters and making the grade for piano playing, look into private lessons in addition to your own self study. There is nothing like a second ear to guide you while you learn the right note, play in all major and minor keys, and pave your way to mastering piano technique and theory. When you take your first lesson, whether it's on piano or guitar or any other instrument, you're in charge of what's being taught. Make sure that you don't sign away your rights to playing only classical or only jazz piano with a teacher who has a different agenda than you do for their students. Try to stay on the same page as your teacher but also let your concerns be known if you have any issue with the teaching style or policy.
Enjoy learning the piano
Finally, the piano and taking piano lessons should be something enjoyable, not just taking a lesson and practicing chords, scales, and intervals for 45 minutes per week. When you approach this instrument, you should grow to love it, the sound of the instrument, and the true feelings of joy when playing the music that you love.
