Let’s just get one thing out of the way first – there is no cure for piano performance anxiety. Instead, when it comes to performance anxiety, it’s best to focus on two things: Diminishing your performance anxiety as much as possible Strengthening your ability to play well EVEN when you have anxiety or distractions You want to be able to increase your confidence as well as your ability to play… continue reading
Every beginner piano player struggles with playing hands together. This is one of the most frustrating, mind-numbing feelings you have when you’re just getting started playing piano and it’s also a big reason why so many beginners quit. If right now you’re struggling to play with both your left hand and right hand together you may be thinking “My mind just isn’t wired to play hands together” or “I’m just… continue reading
Have you ever wondered if you’re making the most of the time you spend learning piano? If you’re efficiently practicing piano so you can make more progress in less time? I never really thought about this before until one day when I accidentally recorded myself during a practice session. Seriously, I happened to be recording one day while I was practicing, but to my surprise, it turned out to be… continue reading
I get a lot of people asking me two simple questions: 1. Can I learn piano on a electric keyboard? 2. What’s the best keyboard to get? Here’s the answers: 1. Yes, absolutely! BUT you have to make sure you get the RIGHT type of keyboard. More about that below… 2. That’s a little more in depth. It really depends on your budget and your goals. But I’ve created a… continue reading
My piano teacher in college had the same old routine every piano lesson. He was a busy guy. So as I was warming up with my scales, he’d be checking over his emails, scheduling his appointments – his eyes glued to the computer. But today would be different. He didn’t know it yet – but I was about to blow his mind. It was my first lesson back after summer… continue reading
I want you to try this. It sounds weird. You’ll look like a fool. But just try it. Go outside cross your arms in front of you and run as fast as you can. I just did this before writing this post… My neighbors looked at me like I was an idiot XD Here’s the thing… no matter how fast of a runner you are, no matter how strong your… continue reading
I feel dumb. Why? It took me sooo long to notice this ridiculously obvious thing… It’s right in front of your face, but you may not have noticed it. And it leads to the “Over-Under Technique” – Probably the second most important technique to all your playing… Anyway. So I had trouble for a long time with my pinkie (as a lot of people do). It always seemed so weak.… continue reading
To become a great, well rounded pianist, there are three main facets you need to develop: the Physical, the Mental, and the Emotional. All three are equally important, and to max out your potential as a pianist you should work on all three. Everyone has one or two that they excel at naturally, and one or two they really need to work on. Know what type of person you are.… continue reading
Technique is HUGE. I honestly think it is the most important thing to develop as a piano beginner. If you have good beginners piano technique, the rest (expressiveness, sight-reading, ext.) will follow. And it’ll lead to the more advanced techniques like playing crazy fast arpeggios ;). Before I go into detail about the 5 finger technique, I want to talk about a mental shift, a different way of thinking, that… continue reading
What’s up everyone! Today I’m going to tell you about of of the most important piano exercises for beginners. It’s that one fundamental exercise everyone should know. When I started using this drill, it fundamentally changed the way I played. It was the first and most important piano technique I learned in college. Let me quickly tell you my story about The Miyagi Technique. My piano professor in college is truly… continue reading
