Piano lessons • Michael Hegarty
Tips for Learning Piano
Here I have included many tips and tricks for learning the piano. These tips will also provide help with practice, especially 'how to' practice. Below, you will find tutorials containing helpful hints, tips, and practice methods relating to various aspects of piano playing. While, naturally, some may prefer self-study at first, those who wish to book a trial lessons either face-to-face in Dundee or online can do so here.
If you would like to find out more about me and my piano teaching methods, check out the about page.
Tutorials for piano playing
Check out the tutorials below for tutorials covering many different aspects of piano technique, as well as tips for practice and tricks for handling various difficulties you may encounter when learning new repertoire.
Scales are the most fundamental skill that all tyro pianists must master. It is true, as some will tell you, that we rarely see a full scale in a real piece of music; however, the pattern established by learning scales are important for almost all music, especially that of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Furthermore, learning the 24 major and minor scales will also teach you the 24 keys and key signatures that form the tonal basis of all western music.
Being a good sight reader means not only being able to perform exercises at sight in piano exams, but also to be able to learn your favourite pieces independently. Part of becoming a well-rounded musician is being able to incorporate the understanding of written music, and interpret it, without the input of a teacher. The teacher is important at first, but no student begins their lessons on the assumption that they will always be reliant on the teacher to tell them what to do. True independence as a musician begins with sight-reading.
How useful are finger exercises for the developing pianist? There are differing opinions on their utility and effectiveness. Certainly, they can be useful in ensuring a good shape for the hand and sound piano technique. But are they the best method to achieve our goals? Read this article to find out more.
One of the most important factors in whether or not a child will continue with their piano lessons is ensuring that they have the right instrument on which to practice. In this article, you can find a series of tips and tricks aimed at helping you to choose the right piano for you or your child.
This article is for both students and teachers. For the student, it will provide some sense of the order in which subjects should be approached; for the teacher, it will provide the outline of a pedagogy for the teaching of elementary music theory.
The study of piano chords and chord progressions is often begun upside down. Teachers frequently begin by teaching specific progressions rather than building a strong foundation of basic knowledge and then progressing to more advance concepts in music theory. In this article, I advocate that we must build the foundation first, and only deal in specific chord progressions when we have finished learning the fundamental relations of music theory.
If you would prefer your piano lessons to take place online, rather than in-person in Dundee, check out this article. Here, we go over the correct setup for online lessons. In addition, we cover the best equipment we available to get the most from your lessons. So, this is the best place to start if you are thinking about starting piano lessons with us or with anyone else online. Examples and Amazon links are also provided.