5 Things Beginners Must Know to Learn Piano Faster

Are you a beginner piano enthusiast eager to learn piano faster? There are a bunch of great books, courses, and videos that cover the basics. But that’s not the only thing you need to think about.

As a beginning pianist, it’s easy to get confused about where to start. 

While the journey to mastering the piano may seem like a long and challenging adventure, you can improve your playing quickly. With the right techniques and enjoyable practice habits, you will be playing beautiful music in no time.

In this post, we will share five fun and practical techniques for beginners to help you learn piano faster and stay motivated.

1. Develop Piano Muscle Memory with Engaging Exercises

Piano muscle memory is a crucial element in learning piano faster. It refers to the ability to play a note or a sequence of notes without conscious effort, almost like magic!

The trick is, there’s good and bad muscle memory. You must be intentional and careful about what becomes automatic. 

Say, for example, you’re practicing and you come to a part of a song where you frequently make a mistake. You get to that section, make that mistake, and start over again, only to repeat yourself by making the same exact mistake.

This is training your muscle memory into a bad habit, and this particular bad habit is called practicing mistakes.

Here’s the secret.

What you should do instead is stop right when you make the mistake. Practice that particular section in the music. Play it perfectly three times (Yes, three times. You can do it.), before continuing.

Don’t restart. Fix the mistake first, and then move forward.

This is how you stay in charge of what your muscle memory learns. Focus on playing slowly and accurately, and gradually increase the tempo as you get comfortable.

This will help your fingers learn the correct movements. It will also strengthen the neural connections between your brain and your muscles. This will make piano playing feel like second nature.

2. Train Your Piano Ear Like a Musical Detective

Playing piano by ear is an essential skill for any musician, especially for piano players. Not your knowledge of music theory, not your ability to read sheet music, but your willingness to listen and to learn. 

Think of yourself as a musical detective, deciphering the secrets hidden within melodies. Listen to genres that have a piano and don’t have a piano. Listen to genres that you don’t like. Listen to genres that you didn’t even know existed.

To train your piano ear, start by listening to simple tunes and trying to play them by ear. You can also practice identifying intervals, chords, and scales by ear.

This will help you develop a better sense of pitch and improve your ability to play by ear. Ultimately it will help you learn piano faster and make you feel like a musical genius!

An open ear leads to an open mind. That’s precisely the kind of mind you need to get good at the piano. (Or anything, really.)

3. Master Beginner Piano Technique with Style

Mastering beginner piano techniques leads to building a solid foundation for your piano playing. I know this isn’t the most exciting tip, but this is what separates a novice player from a good player.

Practicing piano scales and arpeggio piano is especially helpful because they offer a structure to work on technique.

I know musicians who don’t have a deep knowledge of music theory. Yet, their technical mastery is impressive. They are fast, strong, and flexible. It is clear that they are masters of their art. 

Start by practicing piano scales for beginners and focus on your piano posture, piano hand position, and piano scale fingerings. But don’t forget to add a touch of flair!

Check out this video I made here of 7 NEW ways to Play your Piano Scales! (so you can ACTUALLY improve!)

Practice playing with relaxed hands and fingers, and use a light touch on the keys. You can also try practicing piano finger exercises to improve your dexterity and control. This will contribute to learning piano faster and make you feel like a true virtuoso.

4. Create a Piano Practice Routine That’s Uniquely Yours

Developing a piano practice routine is essential for making progress and staying motivated. Learning piano as an adult requires finding the best method for you. Taking into account your individual needs and preferences is essential.

It’s not about how many hours you practice, but what you’re practicing that is worth your time. 

First, spend 5 to 10 minutes thinking about what and how you will practice. Focus on the techniques and exercises that you need to work on most. Also, include some fun songs to learn on the piano that reflect your personality. 

Set aside a specific time each day for practice, and stick to it as much as possible. It is so much better to have 15 good minutes of practice than an hour of mediocre practice.

Ideally, we all want a good hour. However, as a beginner, it may not be possible. And that’s okay. It takes practice to practice. 

Always aim for consistency over the length of your practice sessions.

Learning how to learn piano by yourself is challenging. You must be aware of how you learn, how you practice, what you’re capable of, and what you can learn in a certain amount of time.

Make your practice routine uniquely yours, and you’ll look forward to every session.

As you progress, there will be plenty of other things that haven’t revealed themselves yet. Take regular breaks to rest your body. Don’t practice for too long or hard, as this can lead to injury or burnout. 

It’s going to be awkward and clunky at first. This doesn’t mean you’re not talented. It just means you’re not good at piano yet. 

5. Count Out Loud and Use a Piano Metronome to Feel the Beat

Counting out loud while practicing is a fantastic way to improve your piano rhythm and timing. I can’t emphasize this enough. It helps you internalize the beat and ensures that you’re playing at a steady pace.

In addition to counting out loud, using a metronome for piano practice is another effective method to fine-tune your rhythm. 

I’ve seen students ignore their rhythm entirely, and they suffer for it. Either they make no progress, or they hurt whatever little progress they do make.

They tell me: “Oh, I play much better if I don’t count out loud.” Not true. Or “I can’t do it once again.” Not true.

You can do it. You just need to practice more. Or “It messes me up.” That tells me you’re not thinking about the rhythm at all. 

The reason why students don’t like to think about rhythm or count out loud is because it’s hard.

You’re thinking about both your left and right hand. And now you have to think about how those hands exist in time. To be fair, it’s a lot. 

Start by practicing simple exercises and songs while counting out loud and using a piano metronome. Gradually increase the tempo as you get comfortable.

Don’t ignore your rhythm and train your inner clock. Count out loud. Find a metronome or open up your DAW, (Digital Audio Workstation) and learn to play and record with a click. The best things in life require effort.

Get started

Learning piano faster is indeed possible with consistent practice and the right approach. Developing piano muscle memory, training your piano ear, and mastering beginner piano technique are essential steps to becoming a skilled pianist. Practicing with a metronome and creating a personalized piano practice routine will help you to progress. Enjoy playing beautiful music on the piano and become a great player.

So, let the fun begin. Here are two simple ways to get started.

1. Ready for Easy Piano Songs to Learn? Check out 3 Easy Songs in 1 Easy Lesson!
2. Sign up to Smart Game Piano and start learning with beginner piano courses and 600+ of your favorite video game songs.