Do you practice piano with lots of enthusiasm but have times when the music’s not “coming together” like you want it to? If this sounds familiar, here’s my advice: Slow down, “chillax”, and GROOVE!
Slow down: Your hands (and brain) need time to get used to new patterns, rhythmic combinations and chord patterns. Even if you’ve gradually built up speed on a particular piece, make sure that you still play it slowly on occasion. You’ll play consistently better and the music you learn will stay with you longer.
“Chillax”: (I LOVE this word, which is a casual combination of “chill out” and “relax”.) Don’t be in such a hurry to play a piece fast and furious. Let it breath at slow tempos and it will breathe when you play it fast as well.
GROOVE: Learning piano music demands that we pay lots of attention to note-patterns and technical issues. But all music has to groove in one way or another. By all means, play those amazing right hand runs. But at the same time, support it all with a grooving left hand part and you’ll have the best of both worlds!
Do you like John Legend’s piano playing? Here’s how to play piano in his style.
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