Why Sight-Reading Is So Hard for Adult Piano Beginners Sight-reading can be one of the most frustrating parts of learning piano as an adult. You may know where the notes are on the keyboard, understand the basics of the treble and bass clefs, and even be able to play several pieces quite comfortably after practising…

How Many Piano Pieces Should a Beginner Learn at the Same Time? When I started learning piano, I thought the best approach was simple: choose one piece, practise it until I could play it, and then move on to the next one. It seemed logical, especially when even one beginner piece could take quite a…

Why Beginner Piano Pieces Are Harder Than They Look When you open a beginner piano piece, it can look surprisingly simple. There may be only a few notes in each hand, an uncomplicated rhythm and perhaps a basic chord or two in the left hand. At first glance, it can seem like something you should…

Ferdinand Beyer: Why His Piano Method Is Still Useful for Beginners When learning piano today, it is easy to assume that newer teaching materials must automatically be better. Modern methods have many advantages, but some much older teaching material can still be surprisingly useful. One example is Ferdinand Beyer, a German pianist, composer and teacher…

Why Czerny Is Still Worth Practicing as an Adult Beginner When I first came across the name Carl Czerny, I associated him mainly with exercises: pages of notes designed to make your fingers move faster and more evenly. That didn’t sound particularly exciting. As an adult beginner, there are already so many things to learn.…

Adult Beginner Piano Mistakes Every New Piano Player Should Avoid Learning the piano as an adult is an exciting and rewarding experience. Whether you have dreamed of playing since childhood or recently decided to try something new, it is never too late to begin. Adults often bring patience, discipline, and a genuine love of music…

The Science of Memorizing Piano: Why Patterns Beat Repetition “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice builds understanding.” One of the biggest misconceptions among beginning pianists is that learning scales, chords, and exercises is simply a matter of repeating them hundreds of times. Many students sit at the piano, playing the same scale over and over,…

Carl Czerny Practical Method for Beginners Op. 599 No. 11 is one of the most useful studies for developing a solid piano technique. Although it is written for beginners, it teaches skills that every pianist will continue to use throughout their musical journey. If you are teaching yourself to play the piano, this exercise is…

How to Learn Piano After 60: It’s Never Too Late to Start Many people believe that learning the piano is something you need to begin as a child. While starting young can have certain advantages, the truth is that you can learn piano at any age—including after 60. In fact, many older adults discover that…