Dear Prof, you have come storming back with a priceless lesson. One example of what makes this so valuable is the way you illustrate "musical gestures" by going to the score and outlining those gestures/chunks. All this plus mind maps! Thank you so much! Tom
This makes total sense and now I get it. I’ve always insisted on just playing the entire piece and expected to get it memorized eventually. Thank you so much for this!
Hi Doctor ! The way I learned . How to ply a piece by my self is first focus on Rhythm and second ply first a few bars and then go on the rest :that really helps me to understand the whole song
Thanks! I will give this some thought! What are your biggest challenges with regard to structuring your practice routine? Any particular kinds of tips you're looking for?
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Yes. I rarely have more than 30 to 60 minutes a day available for practicing piano. I'm making good progress with learning pieces but I'm really struggling to practice my scales and arpeggios in a systematic way. I just keep practicing them very randomly without really having any specific goals or milestones.
@@NimeuMusic Thanks for the clarification. I will think about this and see what I can come up with. I don't know if you've already seen it, but I made this video about a progression of scales I work on with my students - is this what you had in mind? th-cam.com/video/uHp-eWuIvCA/w-d-xo.html
I'm getting back into Piano after 18 years. I was intermediate player in college. I'm going to use this technique on my next few songs. It makes complete sense. Thank you! 🙏
Wow, I just loved this video and your method! Everything you said really makes sense. I used to struggle for 3-4 months just to learn to play a short 4-page piece (advanced level) without mistakes. It took me at least 2 years to really learn and play the first 3 Ballades and the first 2 Scherzos of Chopin. Now with your method, I was able to pick up the 4th Chopin Ballade, the 3rd Scherzo and several of his Etudes, all within 6 weeks. Of course, I still have a lot of work and practice to do, especially with the expressions, pedaling, timing, etc. But it took me such a short time to learn something that would have earlier taken me more than a year. All that you explained really makes a lot of sense and is 100% helpful. I would try play a whole piece one day, and then the next day I couldn't remember anything, it was just a lot of wasted time. Breaking everything down into tiny sections really helps imprint the notes into our memory. I wish I had been taught this method right from the beginning. Thank you so much!
Wonderful! I'm so glad it helped. Your reaction in this comment is similar to the reaction some of my students have had when I've shown them this method for the first time- they experience it as a breakthrough and suddenly they are able to learn pieces more quickly and efficiently. It is very helpful to have a methodical approach for the first stages of learning a new piece, so that you can get to the refining stages (what you mentioned: expression, pedaling, timing, etc) sooner and not struggle as long simply trying to retain the notes. Thanks for your comment, and good luck with your piano playing!!
So true. I am a beginner to piano. And I discovered this on my own. I am learning to play All of me by John legend. At first I tried to learn large chunks of the song at the same time say 10 bars. I played them over and over and still had a hard time remembering. But then I broke it down to one bar at a time and that helped tremendously.
Perhaps you should learn to play by ear, studying popular music, studying Harmony, how to build chords, chord symbols, so you would create your own arrangements, and not having to memorize each new piece. You only need to know the melody and chords, then, with the correct knowledge, you will play any piece of music you want. Because you will understand how the music is built, not having to depend on a sheet music. We jazz pianists learn harmony, chord progressions, chord symbols, so we don't need to learn a specific music, but the way to play all kinds of music, if you want. Instead of giving you a ready fish, we teach you how to fishing, it's the best approach to popular music 🎵🎶🎵🎶. 🎉❤
This was such a great video. Subconsciously I know what I need to do, but having you spell it out in such a straightforward and scientific way makes it really easy to understand how I should tweak my piano practicing methodology. Thank you so much.
Wow! Thank you for the video. This is pure gold and a lesson that everyone should re-watch multiple times to really learn it. Good repetition is the key! 🤓
"Practice in musical gestures" - what a useful lesson! And the summary at the end was really well organized. Thanks! And, welcome back to your house and your own piano - I love coming home after a time away, even when it's for otherwise fun activities (and remodeling isn't fun, though I'm sure you like the result).
Thanks! I'm happy that you found it useful - I work on this with my students a lot, so I felt like it would probably be helpful for other people as well if I made a video about it. Thanks also for the "welcome home" wishes - we are delighted with the result, although living 4 months without a piano was not my idea of a great semester. 😂
Thank you, professor. I'm a working mom and don't have lots of time to practice each day. I'm taking an hour lesson for hobbies each week. My teacher just finished teaching me a new song, Chopin op20 C sharp minor, in two lessons. I feel stressed since I can't play it smoothly after two weeks. I'm going to use your method focusing on a few more difficult measures. My reading and muscle memory are normally good, and I can memorize a new piece in a short time. I need to work on more accurate polyrhythm.
I'm glad you've discovered the piano as a great source of enjoyment! And that is an excellent piece! Keep up the hard work- you can do it! Happy practicing! 😊
I also like your idea to analys the music. For example, this Chopin piece towards end is E major scale. I've learned all major and minor scales during my first year of piano lessons. Btw, I started learning piano from scratch at the age of 49 five years ago. I think techniques and piano theory are helpful if you can apply learning a new song. I currently use Czerny op740 for warmups. I love classic music and enjoy the beauty of each song. I have a stressful job and work with computer nine hours straight. Playing piano is great stress relief for me. I always play Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 1st movement each night to end up my day. I will continue to watch your channel to get good stuff.
Great tips for learners at any level. I've seen learners who quit after a year or 2. Wish everybody would learn pieces in small sections from day 1. Probably too late for those who already quit.
Very interesting video. Human memory is really amazing... In my opinion the true key is focusing in every single detail (and I mean theorical, acustic, sensitive, analytical, positional). And of course, analysing the score while first time reading is also essencial. I have been developing a new first time learning method and my conclusion is: if you read very slowly and pay so much attention to all these details you will learn a simple new piece in one day. The following days you can use to memorize the piece and to increase tempo step by step.
That's a great insight! You are so right - the mind is capable of so much, and we don't pay nearly enough attention from moment to moment. Simply by harnessing the power of our focus we can accomplish so much more, more quickly! Thanks for sharing!
I watch a Yuja Wang's performance than i (cynically) tell myself: "oh, wow, that one looks so easy and effortless that even i could play it in a day" .... so.... i print out the sheet, look at all the notes, key signature, time signature, etc... tell myself: "ok, everything is kinda "do-able", no biggie." Then I sit on my digital piano and.... 🤣..... HUGE MISTAKE! 😖😫🤣🤣🤣 PS. I've amounted an incredible number of scores and "easier" quarter way practiced/attempted pieces all over the place. Playing the piano is very rewarding but, by the time i finish learning a piece, I'm already sick to my stomach of said piece from so much repetition. I wish there was a better and faster way to memorize these damn little notes & symbols. When i lived in Brazil i took joinned master classes with the late & beloved Brazillian pianist Nelson Freire almost every year. When i tell you, there was nothing the man couldn't play. It was surreal to me. He could sight read & play an unknown piece to him, on the spot and in real tempo. I believe there's a documentary snippet of him and Martha Argerich (they're were very close friends and even lived together for a while) documentary on TH-cam. In it, she acknowledges this talent of his and how even she, is amazed at his ability to sight read anything put in front of him. Anyhow, thank you for this wonderful lecture & very helpful insights! 😊 🌻
Love this comment! Thanks for your stories. I know what you mean about so many repetitions being necessary that you get sick of a piece by the time you've learned the notes - that's sometimes a sign that the selected piece is at a level that's a bit too advanced for one's current level. Continuing to work on practicing sightreading can help (as you illustrated with your anecdote about Nelson Freire) and you might also consider choosing a few shorter pieces from a level where mastering the notes is not as challenging and then increasing to harder pieces over time, as you get more comfortable. Good luck - you got this! 😊
Great video, i think it was very useful to make my training more effective. I would've liked that you tried to learn a piece a new piece and show a tiny bit of how you would do the process.
retired and self-taught....i lean more to classical musics and i play about 3-5 new scores repeatedly one page at a time...for now, i want to develop my motor skills so i don't need to look at the keys...so far it seems to work alright for me
My teacher has been teaching me this way. So you first sought read the whole piece to see where you will find it difficult and what it basically sounds like?
I think your method works, but for even quicker progress with a piece, I think it's best to stay in a range of measures between 8 and 12 (which is what I do). That way you get a full musical phrase or idea so that your brain can understand the big picture of a certain section of a song instead of unnecessarily breaking it down even further and forgetting how it's supposed to sound when you piece it all together. The only exception I'd say is memorizing how to piece is supposed to sound. Let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you. Just realized: this only applies to me due to over a decade of reading music very, very well in ALL keys, rhythms, and tempos so ignore me if you're not good at reading music and listen to her.
That is a great suggestion! Learning a piece by musical phrases is helpful for understanding the form, major musical ideas, and how to properly shape phrases. Thank you for providing this additional, helpful perspective! 😊
![How to Learn a New Piano Piece Quickly [4 Steps]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ze5l54ePw6c/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Learn a New Piano Piece Quickly [4 Steps]](/img/tr.png)
![How to Learn a Piano Piece FROM SCRATCH [My 6-Point System!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VGkJoB_V1bE/mqdefault.jpg)
Watch next: How to Learn a New Piano Piece: 5 Preliminary Steps th-cam.com/video/wMJ8BVGXCOc/w-d-xo.html
Great video, well structured without rambling, padding or adverts. Thanks!
Exactly what I need! Thank you.
Your channel is gold.
Thank you! 😊
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd I agree very useful!!
Dear Prof, you have come storming back with a priceless lesson. One example of what makes this so valuable is the way you illustrate "musical gestures" by going to the score and outlining those gestures/chunks.
All this plus mind maps!
Thank you so much!
Tom
Thanks for your feedback! Glad to hear it was helpful, in particular the illustration in the score. Happy practicing! 😊
This makes total sense and now I get it. I’ve always insisted on just playing the entire piece and expected to get it memorized eventually. Thank you so much for this!
You're welcome! Good luck!
Hi Doctor ! The way I learned . How to ply a piece by my self is first focus on Rhythm and second ply first a few bars and then go on the rest :that really helps me to understand the whole song
Nice! Rhythm is really important - and it's good to practice in small segments when you're learning!
A very helpful video, thank you! A video on how to structure your practice routine as an adult hobbyist would be really cool too!
Thanks! I will give this some thought! What are your biggest challenges with regard to structuring your practice routine? Any particular kinds of tips you're looking for?
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Yes. I rarely have more than 30 to 60 minutes a day available for practicing piano. I'm making good progress with learning pieces but I'm really struggling to practice my scales and arpeggios in a systematic way. I just keep practicing them very randomly without really having any specific goals or milestones.
@@NimeuMusic Thanks for the clarification. I will think about this and see what I can come up with. I don't know if you've already seen it, but I made this video about a progression of scales I work on with my students - is this what you had in mind? th-cam.com/video/uHp-eWuIvCA/w-d-xo.html
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Thank you! Yes, this helps a lot. Now I have some clear goals with my scales.🙂
@@NimeuMusic Great! Glad to hear it. Good luck!
I'm getting back into Piano after 18 years. I was intermediate player in college. I'm going to use this technique on my next few songs. It makes complete sense. Thank you! 🙏
Welcome back! You are in for a treat! 😎🎹
Hey, that was some really good advice. I must work on this more !
Glad it was helpful! You can do it! 😊👏🏻
Wow, I just loved this video and your method! Everything you said really makes sense.
I used to struggle for 3-4 months just to learn to play a short 4-page piece (advanced level) without mistakes.
It took me at least 2 years to really learn and play the first 3 Ballades and the first 2 Scherzos of Chopin.
Now with your method, I was able to pick up the 4th Chopin Ballade, the 3rd Scherzo and several of his Etudes, all within 6 weeks. Of course, I still have a lot of work and practice to do, especially with the expressions, pedaling, timing, etc. But it took me such a short time to learn something that would have earlier taken me more than a year.
All that you explained really makes a lot of sense and is 100% helpful.
I would try play a whole piece one day, and then the next day I couldn't remember anything, it was just a lot of wasted time. Breaking everything down into tiny sections really helps imprint the notes into our memory.
I wish I had been taught this method right from the beginning. Thank you so much!
Wonderful! I'm so glad it helped. Your reaction in this comment is similar to the reaction some of my students have had when I've shown them this method for the first time- they experience it as a breakthrough and suddenly they are able to learn pieces more quickly and efficiently.
It is very helpful to have a methodical approach for the first stages of learning a new piece, so that you can get to the refining stages (what you mentioned: expression, pedaling, timing, etc) sooner and not struggle as long simply trying to retain the notes.
Thanks for your comment, and good luck with your piano playing!!
I really enjoy your lessons and I get a lot out of them. Thank-you, for doing these.
I'm so glad! You're welcome! 😊
A very well structured talk 👍
Thank you! I'm glad you think so! 😊
So true. I am a beginner to piano. And I discovered this on my own. I am learning to play All of me by John legend. At first I tried to learn large chunks of the song at the same time say 10 bars. I played them over and over and still had a hard time remembering. But then I broke it down to one bar at a time and that helped tremendously.
Thanks for the suggestion! Agreed that this is a common issue pianists face. I'll add it to my list of topics!
Perhaps you should learn to play by ear, studying popular music, studying Harmony, how to build chords, chord symbols, so you would create your own arrangements, and not having to memorize each new piece. You only need to know the melody and chords, then, with the correct knowledge, you will play any piece of music you want. Because you will understand how the music is built, not having to depend on a sheet music. We jazz pianists learn harmony, chord progressions, chord symbols, so we don't need to learn a specific music, but the way to play all kinds of music, if you want. Instead of giving you a ready fish, we teach you how to fishing, it's the best approach to popular music 🎵🎶🎵🎶. 🎉❤
This was such a great video. Subconsciously I know what I need to do, but having you spell it out in such a straightforward and scientific way makes it really easy to understand how I should tweak my piano practicing methodology. Thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
I love this channel. Thank you Dr. Boyd.
I'm so glad! It's my pleasure! 😊
This is helpful in working with my kids on their music assignments between lessons. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for your help, you’re a great teacher!
You're very welcome! Thanks for your kind words!
Wow! Thank you for the video. This is pure gold and a lesson that everyone should re-watch multiple times to really learn it. Good repetition is the key! 🤓
You're very welcome! Glad you liked it! 😊
"Practice in musical gestures" - what a useful lesson! And the summary at the end was really well organized. Thanks! And, welcome back to your house and your own piano - I love coming home after a time away, even when it's for otherwise fun activities (and remodeling isn't fun, though I'm sure you like the result).
Thanks! I'm happy that you found it useful - I work on this with my students a lot, so I felt like it would probably be helpful for other people as well if I made a video about it. Thanks also for the "welcome home" wishes - we are delighted with the result, although living 4 months without a piano was not my idea of a great semester. 😂
Very glad I found your channel Kate, love your work and very much enjoy watching, had to subscribe ;)
Greetings to Indiana from Bavaria ☀️
Thanks so much! 😊 Welcome aboard! Schöne Grüße an Bayern aus Indiana!
Thank you, professor. I'm a working mom and don't have lots of time to practice each day. I'm taking an hour lesson for hobbies each week. My teacher just finished teaching me a new song, Chopin op20 C sharp minor, in two lessons. I feel stressed since I can't play it smoothly after two weeks. I'm going to use your method focusing on a few more difficult measures. My reading and muscle memory are normally good, and I can memorize a new piece in a short time. I need to work on more accurate polyrhythm.
I'm glad you've discovered the piano as a great source of enjoyment! And that is an excellent piece! Keep up the hard work- you can do it! Happy practicing! 😊
I also like your idea to analys the music. For example, this Chopin piece towards end is E major scale. I've learned all major and minor scales during my first year of piano lessons. Btw, I started learning piano from scratch at the age of 49 five years ago. I think techniques and piano theory are helpful if you can apply learning a new song. I currently use Czerny op740 for warmups. I love classic music and enjoy the beauty of each song. I have a stressful job and work with computer nine hours straight. Playing piano is great stress relief for me. I always play Beethoven Moonlight Sonata 1st movement each night to end up my day. I will continue to watch your channel to get good stuff.
Thank you Prof, I learn a lot from your tutorials. You are an awesome Teacher. thank you
Thank you! 😃 Glad you're here!
Really useful video- thank you
Glad it was helpful! You are so welcome!
Thank you. This helps me very much.
Glad it was helpful! 😊
Wonderfully explained! So far I've tried this and it feels as though I am making faster progress!
Wonderful - so glad to hear this! Good luck!
Great tips for learners at any level.
I've seen learners who quit after a year or 2. Wish everybody would learn pieces in small sections from day 1. Probably too late for those who already quit.
Well said! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing video information!
I think, we should be add the harmonic análisis of the pieces. It helps to you to memorize. Thank you!
Definitely! Thanks for mentioning that!
🎉A great LESSON indeed !!!!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
Very interesting video. Human memory is really amazing... In my opinion the true key is focusing in every single detail (and I mean theorical, acustic, sensitive, analytical, positional). And of course, analysing the score while first time reading is also essencial. I have been developing a new first time learning method and my conclusion is: if you read very slowly and pay so much attention to all these details you will learn a simple new piece in one day. The following days you can use to memorize the piece and to increase tempo step by step.
That's a great insight! You are so right - the mind is capable of so much, and we don't pay nearly enough attention from moment to moment. Simply by harnessing the power of our focus we can accomplish so much more, more quickly! Thanks for sharing!
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Really appreciate your comment. Greetings !
Just found your channel and im loving it! Can you make a video about song propositions for begginner, semi-intermediate student etc?
Great suggestion! Thanks for this idea!
I watch a Yuja Wang's performance than i (cynically) tell myself: "oh, wow, that one looks so easy and effortless that even i could play it in a day" .... so.... i print out the sheet, look at all the notes, key signature, time signature, etc... tell myself: "ok, everything is kinda "do-able", no biggie." Then I sit on my digital piano and.... 🤣.....
HUGE MISTAKE! 😖😫🤣🤣🤣
PS. I've amounted an incredible number of scores and "easier" quarter way practiced/attempted pieces all over the place. Playing the piano is very rewarding but, by the time i finish learning a piece, I'm already sick to my stomach of said piece from so much repetition. I wish there was a better and faster way to memorize these damn little notes & symbols.
When i lived in Brazil i took joinned master classes with the late & beloved Brazillian pianist Nelson Freire almost every year. When i tell you, there was nothing the man couldn't play. It was surreal to me. He could sight read & play an unknown piece to him, on the spot and in real tempo. I believe there's a documentary snippet of him and Martha Argerich (they're were very close friends and even lived together for a while) documentary on TH-cam. In it, she acknowledges this talent of his and how even she, is amazed at his ability to sight read anything put in front of him.
Anyhow, thank you for this wonderful lecture & very helpful insights! 😊 🌻
Love this comment! Thanks for your stories. I know what you mean about so many repetitions being necessary that you get sick of a piece by the time you've learned the notes - that's sometimes a sign that the selected piece is at a level that's a bit too advanced for one's current level.
Continuing to work on practicing sightreading can help (as you illustrated with your anecdote about Nelson Freire) and you might also consider choosing a few shorter pieces from a level where mastering the notes is not as challenging and then increasing to harder pieces over time, as you get more comfortable.
Good luck - you got this! 😊
This video saved my life😂Much appreciated!
I'm glad it helped! 😊
Great video, i think it was very useful to make my training more effective. I would've liked that you tried to learn a piece a new piece and show a tiny bit of how you would do the process.
Great suggestion! I will add that to my list of video ideas - thanks!
Very nice, but I think many students do try to read too much of their textbooks and just remember it all. It's not only music students.
Great content, love your videos!!
Thanks so much! Glad you're here! 🎹😊
awesome advice =)
Thanks so much!
retired and self-taught....i lean more to classical musics and i play about 3-5 new scores repeatedly one page at a time...for now, i want to develop my motor skills so i don't need to look at the keys...so far it seems to work alright for me
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
My teacher has been teaching me this way. So you first sought read the whole piece to see where you will find it difficult and what it basically sounds like?
That is one good technique. Once you discover what those difficult spots will be, practicing with "chunking" will be an effective way to learn.
I think your method works, but for even quicker progress with a piece, I think it's best to stay in a range of measures between 8 and 12 (which is what I do). That way you get a full musical phrase or idea so that your brain can understand the big picture of a certain section of a song instead of unnecessarily breaking it down even further and forgetting how it's supposed to sound when you piece it all together. The only exception I'd say is memorizing how to piece is supposed to sound. Let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you.
Just realized: this only applies to me due to over a decade of reading music very, very well in ALL keys, rhythms, and tempos so ignore me if you're not good at reading music and listen to her.
That is a great suggestion! Learning a piece by musical phrases is helpful for understanding the form, major musical ideas, and how to properly shape phrases. Thank you for providing this additional, helpful perspective! 😊
Sensory memory😭 AP Pysch really pushing it rn
Brilliant! Where have you been all my life? 🤣
This is excellent! I am sending it to all of my high school piano students. 😀
Wonderful! Thanks so much! Love your channel!
Watching this has given me new wheels.
Glad to hear it!
I hope you teach this techniques to your beginners. You do , don’t you??
It's a good method for beginners but I don't work with beginners anymore. 😂
These videos would be a lot better if all the irrelevant words were left out.
To much talk…
Thank you.
You're welcome! ☺️