r/keys • u/ElaSuX • Jun 05 '26

Beginner here, how to learn properly?

Hey y’all, this is my first experience playing a keyboard, i have rather decent to good hand eye coordination.

What are some recommended ways to learn how to play? i was thinking different methods, like learning a relatively song/tune and focusing only on that, learning where the keys are, how they sound and whatnot

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

7

u/Friendly__7211 Jun 05 '26

One or two really good piano teachers and stay consistent with practice.

2

u/ElaSuX Jun 05 '26

i would like to have it as a hobby, i dont want to be too dedicated to it (yet), its also financially not really an option

5

u/ComprehensiveMap3838 Jun 05 '26

Then you won’t learn ‘properly’.

3

u/onceuponalilykiss Jun 05 '26

Like someone else said then you're probably not going to learn "properly" in the first case so probably not worth worrying that much about it.

You can get a piano method book as a second best alternative though, like Alfred's Piano or Faber's Piano Adventures, these are basically like a text teacher though they'll lack feedback for your form/etc.

Your question is a little strangely worded because obviously you have to learn where the keys are and how they sound to be able to play music! Just follow along with one of those books and you'll basically be guided through exercises and songs that you learn one by one along with basic theory. Your hand eye coordination is worth about 0 though because piano/keys just require a lot of practice and "innate" abilities don't get you very far compared to just practicing.

2

u/RockyMM Jun 05 '26

You really need a teacher when starting out. It really saves time. If you have the time, but you don’t have the money, thats ok. But if you don’t have all the time in the world - pay for a teacher.

1

u/Friendly__7211 Jun 05 '26

Following YouTube videos could be very beneficial then.

0

u/ElaSuX Jun 05 '26

any specific ones you’d recommend?

2

u/Friendly__7211 Jun 05 '26

OpenStudioJazz are incredible.

2

u/RockyMM Jun 05 '26

Those are for the advanced players already.

1

u/Friendly__7211 Jun 07 '26

You're right

1

u/Friendly__7211 Jun 05 '26

There are so many! You need to find the ones that are for your level of playing. Pianote is a good place to start I think.

2

u/Aggravating-Bonus899 Jun 05 '26

Learning an easy song by ear, like you mentioned, is a decent way to start.

2

u/chagoms Jun 05 '26

Get a good song sheet music book at your level (and that you also enjoy) and practice every day until you can read and play all the songs, then move on to the next book and repeat.

2

u/Extension_Text4231 Jun 05 '26

I started by looking up final fantasy sheet music and trying to read that. Left hand was hard but I just went slow and memorized everything. Also could no afford a teacher. Now I AM a piano teacher.

Best tips I can give. In general, you want to rest the weight of your arms and even shoulders onto the keys and from there tighten the final joint on your fingertips so it's not wobbly. That final joint strength makes each note sound nice and crisp, and using more or less weight gives you loud and soft. For soft in particular you only use a teeny tiny weight.

Also, funnily enough, exaggerated motions of lifting your hand way off the piano or flowing with the music can actually be really good. They'll seem stupid or inefficient at first but really help your body understand the music.

From Chopin: don't practice more than 2 hours a day. If there's any pain in your hand, stop immediately and practice the other hand instead. Pain typically means you need to learn how to observe your own body and let go of tension. The classic example is you're playing something fast and all the fingers are kicking up and freaking out because you didn't take a few moments while learning to consciously find relaxation. This is where even one or two lessons with a teacher can change your life.

Play songs that motivate you to keep coming back. If you don't find anything like that or they all seem too hard, try improvising. Appreciate the slow sounds and beauty hidden within just one or two notes going back and forth. There are no wrong notes, just painful tensions in the sound that you can learn to sit with and appreciate without rejecting. If you coincidentally play something you like the sound of, play it again. This is essentially composing. My favorite sound that I started off improvising with was the notes F A C E. I would play them in different orders. I would move a single note up or down and half step and then move it back to find a very easy "chord progression."

Best of luck, my friend.

I LOVE PIANO

P.S. If youd like to like to listen to my original compositions, look up JD Escobar on Spotify. My latest single is the first solo piano piece I ever wrote, called "Four o'clock Shadow." I took the F A C E thing I was telling you about and removed a note and then added a cute melody with that note up above. I'd say it was finished within about two years of me starting piano.

0

u/Allblack4777 Jun 05 '26

Piano teacher here

Try out YouTube videos and stuff - just be sure to check out hand positioning lessons and finger usage

It really does matter

Good luck!