How to Self-learn Playing the Piano

The piano is a fascinating and unique instrument, and playing it can be quite enjoyable. You might have thought that mastering the piano without spending a lot of time or money on expensive courses was hard to believe, but that’s not always the case. Even if you know very little about musical notes, keys, and chords, with plenty of practice, you can teach yourself to play the piano.

Find a piano or digital piano to use. If you don’t have one at home, you can borrow one from a friend. The beauty of learning to play the piano is the pure sound produced by the strings. A piano also consists of 88 keys. Digital pianos lack these characteristics. Keep these things in mind when making your choice.

• Depending on the type of piano (upright, baby grand, grand), acoustic pianos are generally more expensive than digital pianos, but you can rent them from some piano stores.
• Tune the piano so that you can practice accurate note recognition. Older pianos are often out of tune, especially if they haven't been used regularly. If you haven’t played for many years, or if you’ve recently moved your piano, you may want to tune it properly before doing anything else.
• If you can't find an acoustic piano, a digital piano is a great alternative. They're relatively affordable, require no tuning, and come with a variety of sounds and features to improve your musical quality. Plus, they are portable and take up little space. A digital piano is an excellent tool for beginners. You can start with a digital piano and later upgrade to an acoustic one.
• Choose a digital piano with built-in lessons. These special instruments guide you step-by-step to help you learn songs more quickly. They usually come with books and videos to teach you musical notation.

Sit at the piano or digital piano and begin to familiarize yourself with it. Play around a bit and learn to recognize the middle register (the area in the middle of the piano), flat tones (the black keys on the left side), sharp tones (the black keys on the right side), low tones (bass), and high tones (treble). Listen and pay attention to the differences in each tone. Continue practicing until you can distinguish them.

Learn the keys of major chords. You'll need to learn the keys of major chords to recognize the sounds you hear. Some people do this by learning the notes of major chords and numbering them. For example: 1 is C, 2 is D, 3 is E, 4 is F, 5 is G, 6 is A, 7 is B, and 8 is C. Keep in mind that 8 and 1 are both C notes, but one is higher and the other is lower. C note 1 is middle C.

• Once you know how to do this, you can number the notes in a song instead of remembering them by letter. For example, the notes in the song "Mary Had a Little Lamb" are: E - D - C - D - E - E - E. The notes would be numbered as: 3 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 3.
• If you don't understand music theory, you need to try learning on your own.

Learn chords. Most songs are built on variations of chords. You’ll hear songs in different keys, but the chords are created in the same scale. Recognizing the notes within a chord is essential when you’re trying to play a song by ear without sheet music. So, start by learning the basic chords and where they are located on the piano. Play them and familiarize yourself with the sound of each chord so you can recognize them by ear. Even if you don’t know the name of a chord, you should still recognize what it sounds like. You should also be able to identify when a chord is in a low or high register, helping you locate it on the piano.

• The C major triad (or C major chord), which consists of C, E, and G, is one of the simplest chords to learn. Play this chord in middle C first (using your right hand to play 1, 3, and 5, and your left hand to play 5, 3, and 1), and then move it to other octaves on the piano, keeping the C note as the lowest note.

Pay attention to chord patterns. All songs are built upon musical patterns. Chords often repeat in a rhythmic and predictable way. If you can recognize a pattern or chord cluster, playing the song you hear will be much easier. You'll also learn about chord progressions. This helps you understand how melodies and bass lines are formed, enabling you to create your own compositions.

• Learning basic music theory helps you analyze these patterns, allowing you to build a solid foundation for playing the piano by ear or even improving the music you create when playing the piano!
• You can find a ton of music theory content on websites like YouTube, MusicTheory.net, or in books at your local library.

Mastering the art of humming. Humming helps you feel the song. Once you’re familiar with the song, you’ll be able to recreate it on the piano. In other words, hum the melody, then sit at the piano and play it. Once you know the chords and notes, you should be able to mimic them without needing sheet music.

Check finger placement. To play the piano properly, you need to know which finger presses which key. The best way to learn this is to master the basics of finger placement from beginner piano books. Each finger is numbered. For example, the thumb is number 1 and the pinky is number 5. These books will guide you on which finger to use for each note.

Practice regularly. Listen to songs and then practice humming the melody to see if you can recreate the tune on the piano or digital piano. You can also choose a song you like and apply the techniques you've learned, trying to play it without sheet music. Becoming a skilled pianist requires a lot of practice. You'll need to practice at least three times a week.

Learn a few basic facts about the piano. A piano has 88 keys in total. The white keys are called natural keys because they produce natural notes when pressed. The black keys are called altered keys because they produce sharp or flat notes when pressed.

• There are 7 natural notes on the piano: C, D, E, F, G, A, B.
• There are 5 altered notes per octave, and they can be either sharp or flat.
• Learn the names of the clefs for the notes on the left and right sides of the staff: Bass clef and Treble clef.

Use instructional books. Since you don't have a teacher, let instructional books be your companion. Many books are available at both music stores and general bookstores, teaching you how to read sheet music, practice scales, learn chord clusters, and play simple songs step by step.

• Make use of multimedia tools like DVDs. Videos on YouTube are also a valuable resource. If you're someone who learns well through visual aids, these tools are perfect for you as you can watch the instructor play the music firsthand.

Learn the musical notes. You will need to know where the notes are located on the piano, what they sound like, and how they are written on the staff when reading sheet music. To do this, you can create flashcards to help recognize the notes on the staff. You can also buy stickers and place them on the keys to learn the note positions. Additionally, there are beginner books that teach you how to read musical notes.

• Start by familiarizing yourself with common chords. Begin with major chords and then move to minor chords.

Learn finger placement. Use instructional books to understand how to play the notes correctly. Proper finger placement is just as important as learning the note locations on the piano. Without practicing the right technique, you will face challenges when playing scales up and down.

Practice scales. Playing scales helps you get accustomed to the notes and their sounds. If you're learning rhythm, playing music while keeping time will help you learn the note positions and how they are notated on the staff. Practice scales with one hand at a time, and then combine both hands.

Learn a few simple songs. Read the instructional books and carefully study each lesson. They will teach you how to play simple songs and help you master finger placement techniques. Practicing simple songs will also assist in memorizing note positions and improving your timing skills. Start with C major and then move on to minor scales and get comfortable with them.

• When practicing a song, begin by playing the melody and bass lines with each hand separately. Once you're comfortable, try playing with both hands together.

Practice, practice, and practice. Learning the piano requires a significant amount of practice. Play while reading sheet music to improve your rhythm, finger control, and overall playing. Set a practice schedule of about 3 to 4 times a week, with each session lasting around half an hour. Don't move on to the next lesson until you've fully mastered the previous one.

Find a Tutor. Learning to play the piano is costly but it is also the most effective way to master music. A skilled piano teacher will not only help beginners but also teach you the fundamentals accurately. Hiring a tutor helps you avoid bad habits that might take a long time to correct later on.

• Study music theory, sight-reading, and practice playing the piano with a tutor.
• Have the tutor check if you remember the positions of the notes on the staff and piano.
• They can also help you reach specific goals, such as mastering a favorite song or developing improvisation skills.

Decide on the Frequency of Tutoring Sessions. Since your goal is to self-learn the piano, you might not need frequent sessions. Meeting just once a month to assess your progress or to ask any questions is usually enough. For example, you might ask if you're playing a song at the right tempo.

Practice Regularly. Again, regular practice is key to learning the piano. People who hire piano teachers tend to practice multiple times a week. Therefore, aim to practice 2 to 3 times a week or even every day if you can. Set a goal of at least 2 practice sessions per week, each lasting 30 minutes, but remember to take breaks to review notes and sight-reading skills.

• Your tutor may offer specific advice on how often to practice and how to get the most out of your sessions.

• Even if you're determined to press on, try not to engage the piano pedals while playing. This will make the sound clearer, allowing you to easily spot mistakes, which will help you improve much faster.
• If you're playing an instrument in a different key (for example, B-flat major, E-flat major, or F major), you may want to learn how to transpose keys to play a piece originally written for that instrument on the piano while maintaining the correct pitch. B-flat major is probably the easiest since the notes don’t change positions much. You just need to shift one note to the left, except for C and F, which are transposed to the positions of B-flat and E-flat, respectively. You can find help online to transpose keys for instruments. Knowing how to transpose opens up many opportunities as you'll be able to play any piece on both instruments.
• Play the melody with your right hand and avoid playing the melody with both hands. At first, playing the melody with both hands may seem easy, but later on, you'll regret making it a habit that's difficult to break.
• Make use of books and videos as resources.
• If you find that learning in person with a teacher at their home or in a studio isn't effective, consider joining an online course or finding a teacher who offers remote lessons.