GETTING STARTED

Like many things, getting started is always the hardest part – so here are a few tips to help you get going!

To get started with PIANO PLAYER:

1. Choose Your Tune...
Choose which tune you would like to play, a then choose an arrangement from Level 1 – 4 which you think will be challenging, but achievable!
2. Print off your music...
Download the PDF, and if you can, print it off (this means you can easily write on it when there are things that you need to remember). Have a pencil ready – and expect to use it!
3. Watch a YOUTUBE tutorial...
Watch the YOUTUBE tutorial for the piece and the level you have chosen. You can watch the video all the way through, but more likely you’ll want to pause it regularly, so that you can have a go!
4. Practise regularly...
Try and practice regularly – usually a short amount of practice every day is better than an hour’s practice once a week, but see what works for you.
5. Section by section...
Don’t try and learn the whole piece at once – focus on one section at a time, (or even smaller chunks of just a few bars!)
6. Practise slowly...
When you start, practice SLOWLY. It is far better to play slowly, accurately, and fluently (without unwanted gaps and pauses), rather than quickly, but with lots of mistakes.
7. Start hands separately...
If you are playing Levels 2 – 4, begin by practicing the right hand and left hand parts separately, before trying to put them together. Putting them together is the most difficult stage, so make sure you take it slowly, and don’t panic if you find it hard at first to coordinate the two parts.
8. Use all five fingers...
Make sure you use all five fingers when playing (rather than just one or two), and try and always use the same pattern of fingers. There are suggested fingerings in the printed music and the YOUTUBE tutorials. You don’t have to follow these if you find something else more natural, but try and be consistent.
9. Listen to the original...
Listen to the original piece (links are on the individual pages). Some of them were composed as piano pieces, others were written for a full orchestra play. Either way, the better you know them, the easier you’ll find them to play.
10. Learn the note names...
Even though the note names are printed in the sheet music for Levels 1 – 3, try and learn to read the notes from the stave – as this will help you learn new pieces more quickly.
11. Don't give up...
Don’t give up when you find it difficult – keep practising slowly, and focus on a small section – and don’t worry, even if you feel you’re going backwards! Little by little you will get better, and if you keep going – you’ll soon be able to play the whole piece!
12. Think about expression...
When you’ve learnt the notes, think about how you can play more expressively, by adding in:

a) dynamics (louds and softs)
b) articulation (smooth or spikey)
c) rubato (subtle changes in tempo / speed)
d) pedalling (see the YOUTUBE tutorials)
13. Do a performance...
When a piece is completed (or even a section), find someone to perform it to – or even make a recording of you playing it, and send it to your friends and family!
14. Progress to harder pieces...
Over time, try and progress onto more difficult arrangements, from Level 1 through to Level 4, and then beyond that to more challenging pieces.
15. Find a teacher...
If you’re serious about getting better at the piano, look into getting a teacher who can work on these pieces with you one-to-one. The YOUTUBE tutorials are a great way to get started, but they’re not the same as having lessons!
16. Have fun!!
Have fun! Presumably that’s why you started playing
in the first place!
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Here's a useful sheet to help you get going!