The Beginner’s Guide to Playing Piano

When you start your piano lessons in Belgravia, it’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed if you’re new to the world of music. Adults across the country are choosing to take up piano lessons for its countless health and wellness benefits. For instance, playing the piano can improve your memory and prevent memory loss. While your piano teacher in Belgravia will be there to help, it’s a good idea to know the basics before you go for your first lesson.

We’re sharing our ultimate beginner’s guide to playing the piano – covering the basics that everyone should know before their first piano lessons in Belgravia. This guide includes basic techniques and terms that your Belgravia piano teacher will want you to know.

The basics – scales and chords

The first two things you’ll need to know is what a scale and chord are. A scale is a group of notes that are arranged by ascending or descending order of pitch. The two basic types of scales you should remember are major and minor. Most scales will consist of seven notes.

The most basic and common scale is C major, which has 7 notes. Within a C major scale, you’ll find the notes C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

A chord is a set of notes that you play simultaneously. Most chords have three notes, meaning you can build chords by playing every other note within a scale. Chords help you to get comfortable with the note names on the piano.

What you should buy before your Belgravia piano lessons

It’s a good idea to pick up a few basic piano books to get started. Amazon is full of budget-friendly options. Your piano teacher in Belgravia will also be able to recommend specific books for you to use.

Just like being in school, you’ll have homework to do after every piano lesson. Ideally, you should establish a routine that gives you time to practice your piano music every day. You can start by learning the basics, including scales and chords. Practising every day allows you to develop your technique and become more comfortable and familiar with playing the piano.

Practice makes perfect. If you can’t afford to buy a piano, a keyboard is an alternative that is usually at a more attainable price point. In addition, we also recommend downloading iPhone and Android apps to use alongside your piano lessons in Belgravia. Most of these apps are free, although you can get optional paid-for add-ons.

The 10 key terms you need to know

When you start working with a Belgravia piano teacher, you’ll learn dozens of new terms. You may have heard some of these words in passing before, but you must know what they mean. We’re rounding up the 10 most common key terms that you’ll hear during piano lessons in Belgravia.

1. Allergo– play the piece quickly
2. Andante – play moderately slow
3. Crescendo – gradually increase the volume
4. Decrescendo – gradually decrease the volume
5. Forte – play the piece loudly
6. Piano – play the piece softly
7. Largo – play very slowly
8. Legato – play smoothly, connecting the notes
9. Moderato – play at a medium tempo
10. Staccato – play the notes short and detached

Your posture during piano lessons

Growing up, you were probably told to sit up straight and work on your posture. When you’re playing the piano, your posture is part of your technique. For the correct posture, you want to sit at the front of your piano stool, placing your feet firmly on the floor.

Your elbows should be slightly in front of you as you’re playing. If your elbows are at your side, it means that your stool is too close to the piano. Don’t forget to sit up tall, while keeping your arms and shoulder loose to avoid being stiff. Over time, this posture will start to feel more natural.

Understanding your finger numbers

While you’re playing the piano, your Belgravia piano teacher will be using specific numbers for each finger. One of the first things you want to learn is these numbers, which will quickly start to become second nature.

• Thumb – finger number 1
• Index finger – finger number 2
• Middle finger – finger number 3
• Ring finger – finger number 4
• Little finger – finger number 5

In other words, the numbers start from your thumb and go up towards your little finger. It’s as easy as that!

How to position your hands

Just like your posture, your hand positions are just as important. At the beginning, your thumb and little finger may lay flat. Learning to keep your fingers tall can make your technique better, especially at the beginning of your piano lessons in Belgravia. In other words, while your arms and shoulders should be loose, your fingers will be firm.

As you become more advanced, your Belgravia piano teacher will start to teach you new hand positions to change the sound of the piano. You want to get your hand positioning right early on as you can damage your hand or wrist by using the wrong position.

Your hands should be resting in a semi-circle shape on the keys, keeping your hand level with the floor. Ideally, you want to avoid dipping your wrist downwards or allowing your hand to become too tight.

Booking your Belgravia piano lessons

In conclusion, these tips will help you go into your first piano lessons in Belgravia confident in your abilities as a piano player. For any piano player, these are the basic principles that you should always keep in mind. Your posture and hand positioning will make or break your performance.

You can start your piano lessons in Belgravia today by getting in touch with us at info@kensingtonpianolessons.com or by calling us at 020 3745 2868. You can also book your lessons with a Belgravia piano teacher directly through our online booking page.

The Beginner’s Guide to Playing Piano

The basics – scales and chords

What you should buy before your Belgravia piano lessons

The 10 key terms you need to know

Your posture during piano lessons

Understanding your finger numbers

How to position your hands

Booking your Belgravia piano lessons

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