Learning piano theory does not, and
should not, be an intimidating experience. Taking the "all or nothing
approach" can easily discourage the beginning piano student who is
anxious to play piano. Understand this: it's not necessary to know
everything about the rudiments of music before playing piano! Ideally,
understanding more and more about music theory as you progress will be
something you want to do, because the more you know, the more things
make sense.
This poses a question: is it possible to
excel with learning if you know next to nothing about music theory?
The answer: yes. We can equate the piano learning experience to a
baby who first begins to try to talk. Do you remember when you
were a baby? Probably not:) But you tried to mimic what you heard
with unfailing enthusiasm. You never judged yourself.
After some time, your words started to make sense to the adults in
your world. You talked, they smiled, and so did you.
Here's what's important to digest: you
talked long before you could read or write, didn't you? Absolutely!
The average child doesn't even begin to read or write until about five
years old. But you certainly knew how to communicate before you were
five, right? You bet you did!
The same is true with learning piano. You
can play piano by ear, mimic what you hear, experiment, and have a
whole lot of fun in the process. It's just that when you get curious
enough to learn about the fundamentals, it's kind of like seeing the
puzzle come together a little more completely. But, as you might have
already experienced, putting together a puzzle can be fun without ever
finishing it. Learning the piano notes
(names of the piano keys) is certainly something you want to do,
though this doesn't take much time at all. Once you do this, learning
piano chords can be your next step, especially if
you are interested in learning how
to play by ear - which is lots of fun! Learning piano scales
can be a part of this process, of course, but keep in mind that
learning all the piano rudiments is not at all crucial to your jumping
right in the game. Learning your major scales is
certainly a good start.
Key point: if you want to learn piano,
then by all means pursue it. Get involved. You will be so glad you
did, especially if you take a light enough approach to it all. Don't
judge yourself. Treat it like a learning adventure, which it is. Have
tons of fun!
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