Many of us are strapped for time, but want fast results. When it comes to learning the piano fast, there are a fair few things to consider and unless you’re putting large amounts of effort into your technical understanding, learning too fast can ultimately be incredibly detrimental to your overall playing and enjoyment of the piano.
For those who are looking to learn piano fast, we’ll analyse the best ways to improve the efficiency of your learning and also a few tips to help you get the most out of your practice time. In this article, we are going to discuss how long it generally takes to learn the piano in a very short time.
Firstly, to help set some context however, it’s crucial to note that piano is a skill that takes years, if not a full lifetime to learn and not something that should be rushed unless you want rushed results. Another thing to note is that people learn at different rates, for some the piano may come naturally, for others it can feel like a real grind at times, both are fine but it’s important to not compare your learning to others.
Chances are that if you’re reading this article, you’re not happy with how you are progressing or you feel like you can be doing more, here are several factors that we think you should understand before starting to learn the piano. These things are important if you are conscious about the amount of time you are investing into the piano while learning piano. If you haven’t already, we’d also recommend reading our guide to the best ways to learn the piano here.
Time
The first (and most restrictive) factor that most of us face when trying to learn the piano is time. Time is an important factor while analysing your success as the more time you can invest, the more you’re likely to improve. So, to learn piano fast, you must have time to practice daily.
Even just 10-15 minutes is better than nothing at all, many fall into the trap of thinking you have to practice for hours on end every day, but this will more than likely be detrimental to your learning as you’ll stress yourself out, fatigue or even damage your hands.
Specify a set amount of time each day that you essentially block out purely for piano practice, this can be as little or as much as you like, but during this time, you won’t allow for outside interruptions to get in the way of your learning. To optimise this time, we’d also recommend reading our guide to structuring your piano practice here.
Make It Slow
When it comes to learning the piano, the adage of "Slow and steady wins the race." holds up.
This is a golden principle to follow while you practice your piano. The best method of piano learning is playing slowly. Your fingers must be compatible with the keys of the piano and you should feel fully comfortable when around them, just feel the keys and consider them to be a part of your body. We’ve touched on this in our guide on adding more expression into your play.
Only after achieving precision with your play should you add increased speed and tempo.
Consistent Approach
As mentioned, consistency is key when making learning effective, quicker and more satisfying. In any field of life, consistency is the best thing to have in order to see results. We’d highly recommend making a timetable to follow for your daily practices and take the decision making out of your practice. Instead of just saying “I’ll do some practice after dinner or work.”, set yourself a time “Between 6:00PM to 6:30PM I’m practicing my scales and arpeggios.”
Positioning & Posture
Correct fingering and apt piano posture is an important factor while practicing. Don't lean on your keyboard, as this can cause backbone problems. Align your neck with your spine. Try to develop precision, once you’re fully comfortable with a piece, see if you can play it with your closed eyes as well.
Another top tip that many beginner pianists get wrong is to not lock your wrist at any point. Instead, move the wrist with your fingers. Don't make your fingers flat but bend them to bear the striking on their joints. It's also important to place your feet on the ground so that your overall body stays balanced.
Feel The Composition
Adding emotion and feeling into your compositions is a great way to feel more attached to a song or piece. This is a great approach to learning the piano fast. You must focus on the notes and feel the sound of those notes as you inhale the music. This can be easier for you if you love to play the piano or have any musical background.
Work On Your Weaknesses
Many who look to learn the piano fast often fall into the trap of ignoring your weaknesses. If you’re not amazing at theory, that is what you should spend your time on instead of ignoring them! It is important to know your weaknesses before you sit down to practice, there’s no point learning something you’re already good at! You should analyse which passages you find difficult to play and which things give you a tough time while practicing.
When you know your weaknesses, you are ready to overcome those weaknesses. Just practice playing those notes again and again, and then when you do get them down, it will feel all the sweeter!
Follow The Standard Curriculum.
It's very important to have a curriculum designed to achieve a specific purpose. We’ve covered this somewhat in our guides to the ABRSM piano exams, but these books and exams are highly structured to encourage the fundamentals of learning.
Follow any music theory book throughout your learning. Moreover, you can arrange private lessons with an instructor or teacher if you feel you need them. Practice with individual fingers to get the feel of the keys.
It is better to divide your composition into several small parts and work on those parts one by one. This will help you in finding your mistakes and give you a chance to correct those mistakes.
Use Of Technology
As the world is progressing, it is necessary to run with the speed of the world. Technology is replacing humans in every field of life. We can use the internet and other technologies to enhance our learning.
There are many tutorials and applications which help to learn the piano more effectively and quickly. Moreover, you can also use modern gadgets to learn the piano. Read our guide to the best apps to learn the piano here.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section we will answer some FAQs to clear your mind further.
How can I teach myself to play the piano?
You can teach yourself to play the piano as anyone can learn piano in this modern age. You have an entire library of knowledge in your pocket via the internet. If you cannot find a teacher to help you play the piano (we’d be surprised if you can’t), just search on the internet for a relevant tutorial video. You will get thousands of tutorials to help you out in teaching piano.
Is it possible to learn the piano quickly?
Everything is possible if you have enough courage to make an effort, however again, piano is a learning experience and not something that you should be looking to rush.
Having past experience can be helpful for those returning the piano after a while, but ultimately piano is more about the journey than the end result.
Final Words
Instead if thinking “I must learn the piano fast”, hopefully this article has helped you realise that a far better approach is to instead think “How can I make my piano practice more efficient?”
More mindful practicing, taking a practice session regularly, practicing mistakes, and intense total concentration are all methods of improving the efficiency of your play. If you try to play quickly, you will make mistakes repeatedly. So it pays to slow down and try to develop deeper understandings of the music and notes you’re playing.
But most importantly...have fun with it!