I looked on in disbelief and admiration. What resourcefulness. Unfortunately, the moment of awe came to an end and I had to correct the innocent one. There’s never a dull moment in this profession.

The thing is, your avarage amateur can get a decent sound on a piano pretty quickly, and play it in tune. Other instruments take years to master enoough to get a sound that won’t peel paint off the walls. Another reason is that piano keyboards are not that expensive anymore. For a few hundred dollars you can have a new keyboard in your own home and start to learn piano on your time. You don’t need to go out and buy a grand piano.

If you would like to see some piano keyboards you can check out our Amazon store for some ideas and prices, then you can go and start to play some piano songs. Believe me it is fun and much easier than you think!

I love sports and did not hesitate to play them in school. I still do. However, I did not join the wrestling team in junior high. I wanted to, but finger and elbow injuries were common occurrences on the particular team that I wanted to be a part of.

I would caution pianists that basketball and volleyball should not be avoided, but play with alertness. Even simply jamming a finger is painful and can put a musician out of commission for a few days.

As for racket sports, some pianists like tennis and some complain that it makes their wrists stiff. My personal opinion is that if your wrists are strong to begin with, tennis is fine. The stiffness arises because a significant amount of strength is required to hold and execute shots with a tennis racket. You are, however, building muscle which is, in fact, good for your piano playing.

Sports require a common sense approach. Do I play tennis? Yes I do… quite often in fact. Would I play tennis intensely just a few hours before a concert? I probably would not as I’d want my forearms and wrists ready for action in a recital, not at the stage where they’re recovering from a tiring event.

They can be. Here are three different types of private lessons:
1. Piano lessons from a music school.
2. Piano lessons from a teacher that travels directly to your house.
3. Piano lessons from a teacher’s home.

In a school, you can get a mixed bag of teachers, ranging from students to professionals. Prices are usually mid-range. The school does not want to turn off its customers, but they have to pay their employees and make a profit. Fees vary depending on the teacher’s experience.

The traveling teacher is often a little less expensive, as these types of teachers usually are trying to build a client base. You may be charged a traveling expense, but usually prices are still a bit cheaper.
Private home lessons are the most expensive. They are also the most rewarding, as the environment that you are learning in is usually aesthetically pleasing, and the teacher most likely has a ton of experience.

No matter which route you take, make sure to ask for references and take a teacher whom you feel comfortable with personality-wise. Shop around for at least three teachers before choosing one (much like you’d shop around for a general contractor).

Of course, there is a fourth route to take: online lessons. They’re very economical but not as personal, although good sites offer a lot of useful information.

I remember that when I was in high school, my teacher used to have me sight sing my music. I would sit on the bus and literally say every note that was written on the page. You can do this for both treble and bass clef. You can also practice your rhythms by simply clapping them out. If you can have a metronome when you do this, it would make it even better. Just don’t annoy your friends, family and neighbors too much.

Listen to your favorite radio station and try to identify different interval distances. The more that you do this, and relate it to the notes written on a page of your music, the better your ear will develop.

Why not try and learn some history by reading about famous composers and pianists. As long as you are studying the instrument, you might as well learn every aspect of it.

One of the final things you can do is to read some theory books that explore scale writing and harmony.

I could go on and on. Musicians have to develop a curious mind with respect to their profession. Provided you have reliable sources and resources, you can find out so much useful information on your own.

Point number one and two are especially crucial in a pianist’s development. The faster you can identify notes and rhythms, the better you will read music.