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For the tick of doom, I was taught something like 20 years ago: have six-sided dice on the piano. When I think I've mastered something, I test myself: put a die on 1. If you play it correctly, tick it up to 2. If you play it correctly, put it up to 3. If you play it incorrectly, put it down to 2. If you're truly committed to this, then you're going to feel pressure and nervousness when you get up to 4 and 5, because you don't want to go backward. Being able to execute the passage up to 6 under this pressure and enough times in a row is a better indication of mastery than just "it feels pretty good." If you find yourself bobbling up and down in the 3-5 range, it's probably not as solid as you think.
Ahhhh, that's a good trick - I might borrow that, if you don't mind. Another good one is to video yourself: similar to the dice method, the slight extra pressure reveals problems in things you think you've done. Thanks very much for that!
The other issue is if you're going back and forth between two or three numbers, you're doing more harm than good because you're messing up roughly half the time. If this happens, stop, figure out why you're messing up, slow it down, and fix it.
You are never too old to learn to play an instrument. I had never played a reed woodwind until I was 44 when I picked up an inexpensive clarinet, and it changed my life. I practiced 30, sometimes 40 hours a week and within a year I was better at it than I was on guitar which I had played for 20 years. The keys to success are passion, practice, and patience. The nice thing about being over 40 when you're learning something new, is that you probably realized by now that talent isn't just something you're born with. Talent is the result of practice and when you hear somebody with amazing talent, what you're really hearing is their hard work.
Can you share how'd you feel starting a new one? Like, how do you feel about the tone, the sound, the fact that you had to suck for so long 😉 just by nature of learning something new. I think about this sorta thing often, my body has thrown a wrench into my previous plans to sing or possibly play guitar. It's hard to have things taken away from us
And their passion, their inner self. All my life I have enjoyed listening to all kinds of music, but there are very few who have that 'extra something'. I love the sound of clarinet, an instrument with a special language, what pleasure you must have. Congratulations on your achievement.
Congratulations from me, too! People can and do make great progress over the age of 40 (and beyond). As you say, it's the realisation that it comes down to effort. I've found over the years that a lot of musicians don't like being described as "talented", because they feel it belittles the sheer hard work they've put in.
@@shaunreich I couldn't even get it to make a sound at first. But that first day I was discovering vibrato and over blowing, and within a month I was making my clarinet sound like a saxophone, or a trumpet. My tone was constantly evolving and it was great hearing the progress I was making. Especially the first 6 months, your improvements are super noticeable and week by week you are constantly getting better. I remember struggling with the upper register, and then a month later I could play the upper register without the register key. Your'e always chipping away at perfection.
As a keyboard player, this popped up in my feed... But as a martial arts instructor, I realised that almost all of these tips apply to my students! So thanks very much, this is a useful list for both arts 🙂
Glad it was helpful, Gary! That's a really interesting angle, actually, and ties in with a lot of my recent thinking about these kinds of problems. I think there is a huge overlap between learning piano (or any instrument) and developing skill in any kind of sport or athletic activity. In fact, there's a huge body of research in the field of sports science which just hasn't been tapped into by musicians, even though so many of the problems and challenges are identical or near-identical. We've been pretty good at assimilating and using (and occasionally misusing...) psychological and neuroscientific research, but there's all this stuff sportspeople do, and the research into it, that could be really useful to us. I guess it comes down to the cultural gulf between the two fields. Anyhow, please do chip in with views from the martial arts world whenever you like, because I'll be very interested to hear them - even things like breathing and warm-ups and suchlike have huge cross-domain value.
@@BillHilton Hi Bill. I finally got round to noting down the jiu jitsu version of your video. I'm going to post a link to your video on our facebook page with the notes if that's okay with you?
A tendency to race. Rushing through early classes might lead to later classes seeming unfeasibly hard, but allowing the earlier fundamentals to sink in will make the progress easier. Focus on mastering on what you’re doing now before rushing to the next technique. Lack of direction. We all get excited about new techniques and students often try to soak in as many instructionals & funky techniques as youtube will allow. But without guided progress, they will not be coherent, you will not get as many repetitions, and will not become ‘subconsciously competent’. It’s also worth noting that different practitioners often prefer different variations of techniques which, at the beginner stages, may prove counter-productive. The tick of doom. I often see in private and group classes the ‘got it, what’s next’ mentality. But all that’s happened is that you’ve progressed from ‘consciously incompetent’ (ie. you don’t know the technique) to ‘consciously competent’ (ie. you can do the technique if you’re thinking it through one step at a time). It it takes many repetitions to move that technique to being ‘subconsciously competent’ (ie. your body does the technique without you having to think about it). This is your goal, so push past the point at which you think you’ve mastered something and get your reps in. This is sometimes called ‘muscle memory’ and is what Bruce Lee was referring to when he said “I don’t fear the man who’s done a thousand techniques… I fear the man who’s done one technique a thousand times”. Don’t skip the drills. It’s tempting to skip past the movement drills and focus on sparring, but the drills will make you better at sparring as your body finds the most efficient way to move. It’s less fun, but utterly necessary. Not getting feedback. Make sure you’re either getting feedback from your coach, or videoing yourself to check details later with fresh eyes. A mistake repeated over and over can become ingrained and difficult to repair so get the habits right early. Inefficient practice. Plan your practice time to have a goal, whether it’s drilling old techniques, or new ones rather than training without a goal. Be aware of the ‘unknown unknowns’. When an instructor is teaching, he or she may sometimes assume some knowledge on the students part. A good instructor is happy to explain something they glossed over - remember, they may’ve been doing these techniques for decades and have forgotten what it felt like learning it for the first time, so watch out for stuff that isn’t obvious. Try not to over-estimate your weaknesses and under-estimate your strengths. Self doubt can hinder your progress, and older students often have learnt to have ‘grit’ and understand that commitment will always create progress. Remember you have strengths too… A black belt is a white belt who never gave up! Not doing enough reinforcement. Older students learn slower because they have less brain plasticity. But they also have the wisdom to realise that they shouldn’t be too hasty and it’s okay to repeat the basics until they’re properly bedded in. Thinking being good at jiu jitsu is about the number of techniques you know. Jits is so much more than techniques, and when things like understanding body mechanics, points of base, leverage, how to distract your opponent, relaxing at the right time, and breathing are important, a smaller repertoire applied well can be more effective.
One nuance I would add to “The Tick of Doom” is that self-learners are generally more driven to learn a piece that inspires them, and they might show more vigilance and patience in getting it right. Whereas the guided learner is more at the whim of a course or objective-based approach to getting a project done. Most people have the tendency to expedite the finish, but the desire to not be rushed is an important key to avoiding the Tick of Doom.
Excellent! Very valuable insights there, and I can't really add anything of value, so I've hearted in the hope people will seem them take them on board. Thanks very much indeed!
Sometimes the little scaled-down pieces in a course can demolish the door that opens the same music in a more complicated form. It is possible to play a piece by Chopin? Heavenly!
I was getting frustrated with my progress on piano, so I took a break and found this video - which made me realize that I'd jumped ahead much too far without properly honing the essentials. I've now settled down to working through lesson two of your course, and already feel like I have a better understanding of where my skills are really at, and what I need to focus on to get better. Thanks for helping set me straight, and for the incredibly useful course you've put up!
The part about having the unique learned ability of grit as an adult actually made me tear up and feel powerful. Having recently turned 24, you reminded me of how much I've progressed and i am grateful to you!
I just want to say THANK YOU ! I don't think people, including myself, thank people like you enough for taking of their precious time to share their knowledge with us. Thanks so much again!
This is insightful and has many parallels to teaching oneself a foreign language (I'm a linguist and have studied and also experienced this). In particular, one has to avoid the "tick of doom" and continue practicing on easy material (we call it "comprehensible input") to reinforce the foundations while also pressing on to new material. And I suppose grammar study is the equivalent of scales -- can't do without it!
Thanks Michael! I actually thought about including the parallels between piano and language learning in this tutorial, and it might appear in another one sometime soon (my wife is a linguist and my first degree was English, so we discuss language a lot in these parts…). You’re exactly right, though, because grammatical structures learned thoroughly in the same way one learns eg scales really stick with you: I can still chant German article tables that I first learned when I was 13, in 1987 or thereabouts. Der die das die den die das die des der des der dem der dem den…!
You have nailed the essence here. I've been recording my self-learning progress for 4 years now and I can say with confidence - EVERYTHING you say is true and I think it is just happening to everyone. When I started I assumed I would be playing "decent simple jazz" in 2 years. Well, I'm into 4th year now and I know I still need some 2 years to reduce tensions feel comfortable and not think about "theory" while playing. Kudos to everyone who starts after 40! I have utmost respect for such people because I understand what it takes. Thanks Bill for all the hard work you are doing!
You’re welcome Adrian, thanks for the kind words, and kudos indeed to everyone who starts after 40! I feel very strongly that too many older learners get disheartened early on and drop out unnecessarily - if we can reduce the number that do we get more people having more fun playing the piano, plus all the other benefits that it brings (cognitive health, mental health etc etc etc). So I plan to keep plugging away on this stuff 😂
I’m an after 40 learner. And I decided to learn it when I saw some after 60 learner doing it. I thought, well, in 20 years I would probably play better. It’s never too late! 🙂
@@limavalepy I chose jazz as my "mission impossible" and I'm sure now that 10 years of sustained effort is enough time to be able to play anything and any level. All is relative though. Bear in mind that all the masters also played simple things. Music is not about virtuosity and showmanship. At least for me - it is about expression of what is inside me and only me. This is how I understand those things 🙂
Amazing video, and amazing tips! Fascinating that the non-piano specific tips seem to be nice advice when extrapolated to approaching learning most skills in life.
Glad you found the tips useful! It's interesting how music lessons can reflect broader life skills, isn't it? Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Number 8 and 9 put me in a spell of depression for the past months. I'm finally out of it before new years and I've gotten more consistency with my playing since then. So now I run into your video and it's all of the things I needed to hear. I'm thankful for the algorithm god for making your video pop up. I'm even more determined this year to finally be back to an energized state of wanting to further my piano skills.
Good to hear it helped, Laura - I hope the algorithm god keeps smiling on you in 2024. Needless to say, if you run into any problems or have any questions, just give me a shout!
I am almost 63 years of age and I started learning piano just two months ago. I am not self-taught; I have a teacher and I regularly take classes, but I can immediately relate to every one of your points. Thank you for making this video, it makes me aware of 10 potential pitfalls in my piano journey.
I started your beginner course two weeks ago, now im in ep 7, thank you for doing these free lessons, it is helping me a lot. Im from Brazil and learning english and music at the same time is such a great experience, thank you so much Bill Hilton 🙏🇧🇷.
You're really welcome! I've had several really dedicated learners from Brazil, including one guy who started the course using a hand-drawn keyboard on a piece of paper. Glad to hear you're getting through the course: let me know how you get on, and if you run into problems!
@@BillHiltonlearning in a piece of paper is madness, but im sure he got that. and yes ill write my problems and my evolution down there, hope you see it later.
Thanks Bill for the video. Good to see you in the garden! I think your 10 suggestions are very pertinant. Another problem I’ve only just identified after feedback is that I wasn’t playing in time. I now use a metronome and try to count out loud - big improvement. Also play slowly and accurately. I’ve found your videos really helpful during my piano journey. Thanks again. About to subscribe to Patreon. Regards Peter
Very interesting video and there are certainly a lot of gold nuggets if you watch this through the end. Personally I found the better way to get past 'the tick of doom' is to practice differently. So as an example: You know a lick or riff, now play it backwards, play it in groups of 3 or more notes, play it slower, play it to another meter, transpose it, and so on. This is method is better than, practice it another 30 times, and you internalize the lick or riff much better, plus it's more challenging and fun!
I love the fact that I stumbled upon your channel! I have been playing guitar for decades. After getting a piano for my son, I started building chords on the piano myself and it "clicked" for me how they are actually built. After some contact with the piano, I can look at a chord name and immediately play it, even a complicated chord is fine. I was thinking of learning it even more deeply and am really glad that someone is giving us so much insight into this learning experience.
Thank you, and I'm glad you like it! I've been doing this for more than ten years now, and I've really come to realise in the past year or so that covering the learning experience (and the learning _process_) is as important as dealing with all the technical stuff. So there's more like this to come!
They say It isn't easy to teach an old dog new tricks. I'm over 60 and it's even more challenging when you have an old dog trying to teach an old dog new tricks! I've been using your tutorials for over two years and they have been so helpful. You are a clever guy and an excellent teacher and I greatly appreciate having free access to such high quality instruction
@@trantrungnghia9642 Sadly, reality forces you to make some compromises. The worst is when a passage needs more work but you notice that each repetition is worse than the last. You have to stop and revisit later as simply continuing will make it worse.
Actually I start by practicing so slow that I get it right every time and because the muscle memory is ingrained it's much faster then practicing fast until you get it right.
@jack-ju1ft That is ideal. Still, I run into some things where I have to make decisions on fingering. So I try the various options a few times and want to make sure I don't choose one that won't work at performance tempo. Then the repetitions are about making sure I actually follow my chosen fingering.
Regarding number 3, I've heard the difference between amateur and professional musicians is that amateurs will practice until they get a piece correct, while professionals will practice until they can't get a piece wrong.
Yes indeed, Jack - that's a fairly common expression! You need to be a bit careful, though, because it can lead you down a rabbit hole of perfectionism that leads to diminishing returns, and spending time trying to achieve the final 0.1% of perfection on one piece which you could be using to achieve the 80% of "good" on another. (Also in my experience pros have definitions of "wrong" that vary by context: for a concert violinist in the recording studio, there can be no "wrong" at all; for a piano player in a jazz club a lot of "wrong" won't even get noticed by the audience, so the goal is to practice so you can reliably produce something musical and listenable, but not necessarily technically perfect).
So many of these mistakes resonated! I am self teaching and I have gone 3 weeks now. Reinforcement is my issue and many times I simply focus on getting the note correct that I ignore the tempo. My son, Alex, has gone off to university and I have always wanted to learn and play the piano and it's great company. You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.
You're welcome, Debbie-Ann, and thanks for the kind words! Let me know how you get on, and also if you have any questions. It sometimes takes me a little while to reply (I get a lot of comments...) but I always do!
As a decent guitar player who started playing piano 14 years ago at age 55, I am pretty much familiar with your suggestions. Another thing that has cost me a lot of time on the piano however is that when I started, knowing a lot of music, I decided I would play only what I wanted to play. I started with Maple Leaf Rag and taught myself to read the sheet music. I got the notes under my fingers in a couple of months but I had problems getting a good sound. But I persevered. And persevered. And persevered. What I should have done was to also study other things. When I finally started doing that the Maple Leaf Rag actually got better. Eventually I finally got books to learn scales. When I don't feel like attacking the fine points of music, I can always plug myself into scales. And finally, metronome, metronome, metronome. Wish I would have started all those things sooner!
I really need to work on number 5. I’m mostly self taught on piano, but had classroom lessons on different instruments and music theory. Since I regularly play with normal people listening I get an abundance of positive feedback. But, I haven’t sat down with an expert to get more constructive feedback in over a decade. And even then it wasn’t really a “Here’s how you can get better” it was just “You passed the class/test”
Half the challenge is finding the right kind of expert, Jonathan, because good musicians often have trouble seeing things from the perspective of learners. An actual experienced teacher is probably your best bet, and even then it helps if it’s someone who is used to teaching adults and doesn’t just approach them like they’re big kids, if you see what I mean. But if you can find such a teacher and actually physically sit down with them at a piano, you’ll find it makes a huge difference. Just last week I played some bits of Bach and Brahms for a friend of mine who’s a much, much better classical player than me, and got twenty solid minutes of really invaluable advice that has already improved my playing. So it’s definitely worth bending over backwards to sort out. Let me know how you get on!
I've been self-teaching since late 2020, with about a year of in-person lessons from a teacher sprinkled throughout. There are many great points in this video, but I'd also like to share some of my own experiences and what really helped me. The biggest piece of advice I can offer to any beginner is to _be consistent._ There's a reason piano teachers often tell you to practice 15 or 30 minutes every single day. It's easy to maybe think "oh, well if I just practice for 2.5 hours once a week that's just as good." No, no it isn't. Long practice is fine! You should do long practice if you believe it will help you! But you also need to have consistent reinforcement, every single day, of things you've learned. There would be times where I'd be trying to pick up something new one day, probably before even going to bed, and after 30 or so minutes I just can't wrap my head around it, can't get my hands or fingers to listen to me. No matter what I do I just can't seem to get it down. I could sit there for another hour until I get it, but that doesn't mean I've even learned it. So after that half hour, I just say screw it, and go to sleep. The very next morning, I go to practice that, and suddenly it is much easier. It's still not perfect, but I can _hear and tell and feel_ that it is beginning to make sense. Consistency is super important. It's not so much about how _long_ you practice, but how often you reinforce that. Some days when I have nothing going on, I may practice something for half an hour, go do something else for several more hours, then go back to the piano and try it again. The point is, you need to be consistently learning, and this doesn't necessarily mean playing stuff you can _already_ play. It just means focusing on the things you know you struggle with. Additionally, in terms of scales and exercises, I ended up developing many of my own inventions and exercises. I mostly did this by taking things I could already play, and coming up with new ways to play them. A very common thing I like to do is try combining left hand chords or arpeggios from one piece, and figuring out how to combine it with a right hand melody for something entirely different. This takes awhile, and often requires me to figure out (by ear) how to transpose the different parts into different keys so they work together harmonically. But this specific approach to traditional exercises trains _many different aspects all at once._ You should still absolutely play scales, go through the traditional exercises too. But don't be afraid to get creative and noodle around. The exercises I developed is what actually helped me develop my ear, I also developed a very good sense of rhythm (as I often had to mish mash things of different rhythms together), and I learned of intervals long before I even knew what they were. I started to notice loads of patterns, the relationships between notes, etc and realized I can use that to figure out how to play things by ear. By the time I started taking lessons, there was a surprising amount of beginner stuff I already knew. And what's crazy is, this even translated to learning sheet music. I was sitting there painfully trying to read things note for note, and then I said to my teacher "wait a minute, it's not really about the notes, it's more about the gaps between them, right? that's how people get really fast at reading music, isn't it?" and she said "yeah actually, you can just see the gaps and know how far apart they are." Another very important thing is to break the stuff you learn down into chunks. Before I even knew what phrases were, I was already doing this instinctively. When learning something new, whether by ear or by following sheet music, I would always chunk it by phrases. By doing this, you can break away from the habit of playing from the top when you hit a mistake. I would learn a phrase, then learn the next phrase, and then play just a bit of the end of the first phrase to get used to transitioning into the next one. Instead of hitting a spot that might be hard and force me to restart, I would just instinctively restart on where that error occurred. Surprise surprise, this was almost always in the transitions between phrases. This was also something my piano teacher was surprised I had no trouble with. When I would hit an error, when I'd anticipate I was just about to hit the wrong note, I'd stop and hit the right note. If the timing was off, I'd start over that one singular bar and repeat it until the timing was right, etc.
This is brilliant - thank you very much indeed for taking the time to share it. I can go on about this kind of thing as long I like, but when people hear it from fellow learners I think it really hits home. Much appreciated!
@@cyrusthe0ther795 I'm not so sure about that, I by no means would say I am more or less talented than anyone else. It's just practice. LOTS of practice, even if it's ineffective, is still better than NO practice or not enough effective practice. Some may argue otherwise, but I disagree. The first time I started self-teaching, I got a cheap 4 octave MIDI keyboard. The goal with this was to see if I could even get my hands and fingers to listen to me. By day 2, I was able to play broken chords, play quarter note chords in the left hand and half note chords in the other, and I even developed a simple progression to go along with it. Technique was awful, I just kept my fingers locked in one position on both hands, and moved the hands around to the spots the needed to be in for those chords. The point is, I was able to reach this after many many hours of literally doing nothing but playing, finding things to play, and following some exercises here and there. Ineffective practice? Yes. But I think this gave me a much better start with the piano than if I started with formal lessons from the get-go. Another thing I want to mention is the...I guess insincerity of popular piano videos on TH-cam? People see things like this, especially "progress" videos, or see things like "I learned this in 3 days", and they think they may be able to do it too, and don't at all get a real picture of the sheer time investment. The hard reality is, that person who said they learned something in 3 days? They're technically telling you the truth, but what they didn't show you were the dozens of hours of slowly learning and memorizing it, in addition to the 67 recordings they made where they kept screwing up. I know that _this_ is the behind-the-scenes nobody bothers to show you, because that's the behind-the-scenes for me. They showed you the one take where it was good. If you told that person to play that same exact selection of music right now, I guarantee you they'd screw up and start over. That means they haven't learned it, they still have _much_ more to go with familiarizing themselves with that music. It's really just about how much time you're willing to invest into it. I built up lots of familiarity with the piano long before I even took lessons. And the only reason I wanted lessons in the first place is because I realized the only way I'd know for sure I've been doing stuff right is to see what a teacher says about it.
@@spartan456 I was just commenting on how you found methods on your own that were effective. Justin Sung a youtuber who teaches proper study techniques, talked about talent just being people innately following effective learning habits. If you can learn them though then there is no difference between you and someone with talent. To me complementing on talent isn't a compliment and if anything is should be used to bring someone down by discrediting their work. What do you mean by making your fingers listen to you?
@@cyrusthe0ther795 Oh, that's actually really fascinating! I never really thought of talent like that before, that makes a lot of sense though. By "making my fingers listen to me", what I mean is the struggling nature of first trying to play the piano. More often than not, this is the hardest part for beginners. They'll know the next note they have to play is a C, they'll know the 2nd finger in their right hand is on the C, but when they have to play that C they'll maybe play a B on their first finger, or a D on their 3rd finger, etc. Hell, maybe their brain will throw them a real curveball and tell them "move your whole hand, we're going to a new key." It gets even more confusing when you incorporate your other hand. You got 2 wrists and 10 fingers to keep track of, (and feet, too, when you start using pedal) and you gotta do all of this in a certain amount of time. For a lot of people, it's a kind of overload I guess. A really common thing you'll see on many piano videos is "how TF do I play this with both hands?" This is something that just naturally gets easier as you mechanically familiarize yourself with the geography of the piano, and this is one of the many reasons traditional scale exercises are so fundamental. Half the time you spend learning some new music, it's gonna be memorizing the fingerings and locking that in. Scale and key exercises sort of act like a training bicycle. If you learn Bb Melodic Minor and can run through it with your eyes closed, then next time you see music in Bb, well, you'll kind of already know how to work with those notes. It won't take nearly as much time to work out fingerings, because you've already been there.
Thank you, Bill, it rang every bell. I am a teacher myself and the more I teach, the more I wish my piano teachers from the past had taught me about good practice technique. I now find that more and more of the lessons I give are about the exact things you talk about. And I try to make sure that when I am practising myself, I don't fall back into the (bad) habits of the past. I am going to share your video with my teenage and adult students - thank you so much for your clear exposition and your intelligent solutions.
As a 63 year old trying to learn to play the piano, I've found your advice extremely helpful. I can relate to everyone of the points you've mentioned and those points are probably the reason why I didn't succeed in my two previous attempts. I'll try your free course for a start... Thank you very much for your videos
I am currently running through the beginner course. After over 35 years of messing around with synthesizers I finally decided to learn how to play properly. It is excellent. Your advice is spot on.
A year and a half ago I used your beginner tutorials to get into the basics. I still play one of the basic pieces. However I realized I was getting bored with the path. I took time to learn some basic music theory which helped immensely. I also began allotting time to improvisation: thoughful play where I chose a key and played whatever chords/melodies while focusing on what I was doing, and then creative play where I just played what sounded nice without worrying about what or why I was doing things. Combined with more practical lessons, I found myself becoming more attuned to the instrument and enjoying the sounds and pattern I was discovering. Thank you for helping me learn enough to enjoy the piano. Now is a good time to revisit your videos and fill in some gaps in my current knowledge and technique.
I'm glad to hear my stuff has helped! It's interesting that the way you found of making progress involved working with several different strands and also building in creativity and theory. Increasingly I think the key for self-teachers is building in variety and exploration to help stay engaged. I hope you continue to do well, and please don't hesitate to give me a shout if you ever run into any problems or have any questions.
Thank you for your videos. I have been teaching keyboardists in pur church but I had a massive debilitating stroke 3 years ago. Now I send new musicians your lessons to prepare them. I usually teach shortcuts to making the chords and becoming very versatile to play any worsip song and how to improvise. Your videos cover all thàt. Thank you very much. God bless you for your generosity in sharing your talent and ideas.
Great video. The Tick of death: Remembering something and internalizing it are too different things. Stopping after a mistake and starting over again: Wait till you train yourself and do that live, in front of people. You also have to learn how to roll through mistakes and keep going.
Taking a video of oneself practicing was a great idea! Immediately spotted a postural error that is most likely behind the ache that I keep getting in my right arm after practicing a little while. Thank you!
Great list! I’ve been playing for about 5 months and have learned many pop and rock songs. I definitely feel a lack of knowledge with keys and scales that I will continue to hammer in as I play more. Loved your beginner course as well!
Thanks Shirley - good to hear! Yes indeed, work on the scales in particular: if you do them over a sustained period of time they make a massive difference to your piano playing. Let me know how you get on!
@@BillHiltonI will in a few months, thanks for the reply Bill. You’re a wonderful piano player and teacher. I’ll be sure to learn how to read bass clef in the coming months as well ha
Hello. I'm just starting out. Bought a digital piano approx 1 month ago. I am satisfied with my progress (watching videos and trying to teach myself). I have to say, yours is the best series of instructions for complete beginners that I have come accross on the internet. Thank you so much for your video instructions. I am in no hurry to rush through the lessons. I am taking my time, and trying to develop new technicial skills at age 67. Thanks again for great lessons!
You're really welcome, and thanks for the kind words - it's always good to hear when my stuff is helping people. Let me know how you get on: 67 is actually quite young relative to some of the learners I hear from (!) so if you go at it steadily you should have the potential to do well. And shout if you have any questions at any stage!
Im a beginner that uses your piano course, thank you very much for that! My mom got used to play piano and it might be I took something from that in my childhood. Right now, at the same time with your lesson course, I am learning 'my heart will go on' using a simple 'push-to-play' visual guide that are a lot on TH-cam and when I play I actually listen to the sound and notice things that sound 'not right' (mainly because of my piano is pretty old and might not be in the best condition since it was never maintained).
You're welcome! Let me know how you get on with the course, and if there's anything I can help with. Yes, listening is absolutely key: listen closely and you'll progress quicker!
I've been playing piano (badly) for around 40 years and this is the first time I've heard of the "push past" / tick of doom thing, which makes perfect sense to me. Thanks, great video.
You're very welcome! I coined the expressions myself, but the idea - especially push-past - is an old, old one that I first learned (from a guitar teacher, actually) when I was about 14.
Great video. My daughter bought me your book for Christmas years ago and I never got beyond the opening page. Most of what you say here is about me. I have some decisions to make about how seriously I am going to be about finally learning the piano in a thoughtful way. Thanks for opening my 80 year old eyes. Regards and thanks for your great work.
You're very welcome, Bobby, and thank your daughter for buying my book! By all means give me a shout with any questions you happen to have if you decide to press ahead: I'm increasingly taking an interest in older learners and trying to build up some kind of body of knowledge about the most effective ways of helping them. So hearing about people's experiences is always useful!
I'm a self taught guitar player of almost 20 years but ive always been more captivated by piano music and get the best advice from piano players like in this video. I think I will join you goobers very soon.
You’re welcome, Sue - I’m glad to have helped! Over the past year or two I’ve started to get very interested in how older learners make progress, so give me a shout if you have any questions/need any help. (Not that 68 is very old - I regularly hear from learners in their eighties and nineties…!)
Thank you, thank you! I’m 76 and have decided to be serious about actually learning how to play. It’s more difficult than I’d anticipated it being and I often forget what I had just done well yesterday. Your tips and words of encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time! Thanks again!
You’re really welcome, Joni - let me know how you get on, and give me a shout if you have any questions. It sometimes takes a while for me to reply but I try to get around to everyone…!
Excellent point about the tick of doom! I had a drum teacher who told me that the brain commits things to long-term and muscle memory by doing things correctly repeatedly - lots of times, over a long time period. Therefore, that one iteration of playing something perfectly really should be the beginning of the final step towards mastery (and might be somewhat of an accident).
Really good points, especially the ones that aren't often focused on by many teachers. The "how adults learn" aspect of all this is huuge, and your recommendations are spot on. Very well done video!
Not learning piano, here; just picking up the guitar after decades of not playing, and your insights have given me some valuable lessons on moving forward when I thought I hit a wall. Thank you!
You just popped up on my homepage, ive been thinking about getting back to learning the piano. Ive tried an online course that skipped a lot of the basics i feel like i want to learn. Your course seems very interesting and i cant wait to start with it! Thanks for offering this!!
This is wonderful advice. I know multiple instruments and each instrument I still have a different song for each to warm up. 30 minutes and if I get it wrong well it's time to see what's going on lol. It's cool how you can just choose any note and make a scale then chords from that scale. Music feels free emotionally but the time is never free.
All so true Bill. As a selfteaching pianoplayer I recognize everything you say so I wrote down all 10 problems and printed them as a reminder. Many thanks!
Thanks Bill. I'm 72 and have been working at your For Beginners course for a year now. Before I started your course my music education stopped in primary school, but I'm happy now to be able to read music and pick out some simple tunes. Keep up the good work!
You're welcome, and thanks for the kind words! I'm glad to hear the course is working, and I hope you continue to make progress. 72 is on the young side compared to some of the learners I've seen make progress, so you should have lots of room for development yet. Good luck, and get in touch if I can help in any way!
Bill, I take hope from a story about Pablo Casals who when asked why he continued to practice his cello at the age of 90 said because I'm noticing some improvement. Would love to chat longer but I must get back to the piano. Cheers to you Bill!
You have given some real solid advice and provided some helpful and directional content. Unlike many other piano channels that feed you a lot of unstructured information keeping your progress un-evolving and inefficient. Thank you.
Most important message about learning piano I've seen. Having been taught properly and now recapping in later life all these issues ring true. Feel like I have a teacher again. Thank you. I'm not convinced you can learn piano alone or online at all. There are a lot of used digital pianos for sale in barely played condition. It's tough.
Thanks Rob! I think it is possible to succeed as a self-teacher - I’ve seen people do it - but it’s not easy, and I’d guess that the majority who set out don’t make it. That people’s definitions of “learn piano” vary: some just want to play enough to be able to handle a few of their favourite songs, while others want to learn to a professional level.
This the first video I’ve seen of yours and this is completely correct. I’ve taught myself piano and I think for just random TH-cam videos (goal-write music) and i have done pretty well but then I reached a wall where there was nothing else I could teach myself and there was other things I wanted to learn but I couldn’t find. It was such a rough time for me because I knew what I thought I needed to get better but there was nothing for me to learn it. Eventually I decided to get a piano teacher in the area and it’s been amazing and my creative flow is in full gear but feedback is something I need so bad I realized. I think you should definitely try piano lessons having that other person is has works wonders for me but good luck on your piano journey
This is valuable regardless of the domain you're learning, it's Learning how to learn! So often it is the foundation that is lacking and thank you for that "reinforcement" because there's a difference between what is basic and what is foundational... I just discovered you on TH-cam and subscribed. I will be checking out your course. I took piano lessons when I was a child and I still play today as a hobby. I want to sharpen up my skills again, so I look forward to seeing your course.
This is very good advice! I'd like to add something from a more holistic perspective, to do with brain health and learning. Firstly, general health affects your brain function, so... - Nutrition - Exercise - Sleep Secondly, sleep is when memory consolidation occurs. Your brain can only hold so much new information before it gets tired. Don't try to learn too much in one day. Aim for only one new thing, practice it, sleep, then practice it again the next day to make sure it stuck before moving on to the next new thing. Thirdly, and this one may seem a bit weird, but it worked for me after more than one failed attempt at learning to play the piano... If you have a mentally taxing job that involves different things each day and a lot of thinking, you're already pushing the limits of your brain's learning and memory capacity. After work I was tired and had trouble focusing on anything for more than a few minutes. I'm not an early bird so practicing before work was a no go. What I did was sleep for one to three hours straight after work (no alarm, just woke naturally) to give my brain a chance to recharge, then I had a meal and did my piano practice before going to bed properly and sleeping for another five to six hours. I naturally have a biphasic sleep pattern so this worked very well for me.
This is really interesting - thanks very much! The stuff about sleep is tremendously interesting - there’s quite a lot of stuff in the research literature about successful musicians tending to sleep a lot, especially in their years of most in their years of most intense training. Thanks again!
16:00 oversupination, leading to numb/lazy/weak 4 and 5. You might want to try at speed Chopin's 2 opus 10, and Godowsky étude 3 for the left hand; Chopin 6 op 25 and Godowsky 36 are also good.
Oversupination as a result of radioulnar synostosis: basically my wrists are fused. So I can play as many Godowsky études as I like, and I’ll still oversupinate!
This is great! I was chugging along learning with a teacher then moved and found your channel and Patreon …But After a few years of fun but still a bit beginner, I had to take a pretty long hiatus for carpel tunnel surgery. I’m fully healed and probably stronger now but having a a nard time jumping back in. I can still site read book 1 stuff enough to play but really want to get back to improving. I now have a plan. Don’t jump into the deep end! Go back to beginning 😊
I am a self-taught piano player and composer and have been playing since I was a little kid (I’m in my mid-60s now). Over the years I had to move primarily into composing because of career and family demands and practice time was less necessary in order to get good results. Now I’m trying to resurrect my technic and it’s proving to be daunting. Motivation is the issue. However, I keep remembering Benjamin Franklin’s (an autodidact) words: “He who is self-taught hath a fool for a teacher.” It’s good to get input from another source and reduce the foolishness a little. Thanks for the video.
@@BillHilton I can’t help but think that improving my technic will help my composition - especially the way I go about it using a DAW and software and hardware synths. Here’s a link to one of my pieces (thanks for asking): th-cam.com/video/pTa983LqdU8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EfnzryNCjdXo0-tp
The "its just pressing buttons" mentality really resonates with me as I started like that and only in recent years have I started to really listen and improvising stuff. Great video
Thank you, Jorge! Yes, it's a pretty major problem, and continues to be for almost all piano players - because the thing makes the sound for us it's easy to stop paying attention to the actually sounds...!
Ive done a lot of learning about learning. And this might be the single greatest quick resource for an overview of common pitfalls Ive ever come across. This stuff applies across the board, and thats exactly the sort of body of knowledge I'm looking to identify and compile right now. This is damn near 10 commandments level.. Bravo!
A little tip for anyone searching for a good pathway after finishing the Beginner's course: There are several certified piano courses that have downloadable pdfs for their syllabus. In this way, you can progress through certain 'levels' of skill, by learning pieces, etudes, rhythm exercises, musical hearing exercises, etc. These levels of course prepare you for some form of official examination, but nothing is stopping you for using these syllabuses(syllabi?) as clear milestones for your own progression. I went with the Canadian standard (RCM), but there are several others (ABRSM, Henle).
This is great- thank you! I just started sharing videos on my TH-cam channel in the hope of making music literacy accessible to all. Learning to read music opens up a whole new world for musicians.
You're welcome - and good luck with the channel. It's tougher to get started on TH-cam than it used to be, but it's worth sticking with: your content looks good!
Great video! Appreciate the new style of video Bill! Been watching your stuff almost since the beginning of my piano playing like 8 years ago. I loved all of the points you made, especially the last problem of not listening while your playing, which you added your piano playing to, hammering home the point even better.
Thanks Andrew, and I’m glad you like this approach! I’m going to continue with the “traditional” camera over the keyboard videos, but intersperse them with a few like this. I’m also going to experiment with breaking up the camera overhead vids with occasional face to camera and walk/talk sections, as I feel it’s a slightly more engaging way of getting information across that just waving my hands over the keyboard. I’ll be interested to know what you think!
Thanks very much! Good tips. Adult learner here working through Alfred's with a teacher but glad to have come across this video and will definitely check out your other content. Cheers
This is great Bill, thanks. It also makes me think it can help in my painting - I have relooked back at a painting after a while and seen it for what it is, but especially the things I'd do better. This has made me demoralised, whereas you've made me see it as a positive, it's learning. Ta mate.
You're welcome! Interesting that so many of these principles apply across domains, and especially creative domains. Personal morale is a really tricky thing when you're doing anything creative. If we always felt we were doing fine that wouldn't be good, because we'd get complacent, but equally the feeling that you're perpetually underachieving (which, I find, is pretty much universal among people who work hard at their skills) can sometimes be really crushing. The trick is to just keep grinding on...!
@@BillHilton I think the trick is to enjoy the process, but for that you need to see progress. Which makes a look back even more powerful. It means doing those scales and opposite hand exercises make you feel you're on the way, they're all exciting extra steps on your path.
@@gingerfreak01 a good point: something I like to tell people is that learning music (for which, I guess, read any art or complex skill) is less of a journey (with a “destination”) than a territory to explore. Being goal-oriented is good at the level of day-to-day practice is good (in fact, pretty much essential) but when it leads to over-focus on the “destination” it starts to cause problems. The mindset I try to adopt is that I’ve been learning the piano for 41 years, but that I haven’t yet “learned the piano” (and I never will). A lot of parentheses in that comment (!) but I hope you get the point I’m reaching for!
@@BillHilton I do, and you mention that in this video (or one of your others, I've watched loads!). I just can't get away from the fact that I do have a destination in mind - I write songs. I'm self taught on guitar, trained in vocals and brass instruments (I hated going through that) and want to get where I can play well enough while having fun (unlike with the brass, which I love playing but hated learning). And where, like with guitar, I can mess about and discover things but have a base level to build on. Exploration and self-expression follows. Also sorry for the parentheses!
This is really great advice, you've obviously spent a good amount of time researching the topic learning in general and we appreciate it. I hadn't played for 25 years until early last year and watching videos and taking advice from you and people like you has accelerated my abilities hugely. Thank you.
You’re really welcome! A lot of the research came from working on my last book (where I did the typical thing and got so interested in the research the whole project took about nine times as long as it should have…). Anyway, there are loads of really interesting, underexploited nuggets of knowledge out there - eg tie ups between musicianship and sports science. Anyway, glad it helped!
I started playing Keyboard end of last year (and had it collect dust for some months since beginning of the year) and used your beginner lessons. I am 100% guilty of not mastering the basics before moving on. I still have struggle reading the notes, because I tend to go through the notes, learn and memorize which button comes next and where my hand has to be and then play that from memory. Also I rushed through the lessons a bit to get to a point where i can play/engage one or two songs i like, so my motivation does not go out the window again like in the beginning of the year. but now i actually have to learn the stuff i rushed through, because lesson 8 actually gives me some problems
The notorious lesson 8 strikes again! (It's lesson 9 for some people...). You do raise a very valid and important point about motivation, though: it's easy for me to say "work hard on the basics", but I guess the basics don't always feel like progress, and people need a feeling of progress to motivate themselves to keep going, right?
Bill... you are pressing some of my buttons here. Even though I started learning the piano when I was 8, I have picked up some bad habits. The lack of Path you mention, is spot on. I have so many songs I'd like to learn, but so little time. I also have been "depressing" myself about the learning curve as I get older. But again you nailed it, because the maturity and self discipline that I have now, is nothing compared to when I was a kid. So you just made my day Bill! Thanks! Much love from Denmark :-)
Thanks Dan - glad to hear it helped! One way of dealing with the depressing nature of the learning curve is to always have something you feel you're making progress with. So, for example, I always try to be working on something that is near the top of its curve (i.e., beginning to plateau = depressing); something in the middle that is making good progress (=motivating); and something at the bottom to bump up to the middle when the time comes. I realise those are micro learning curves rather than the whole macro thing, but I've always found that having *some* sort of sense of progress keeps me going, if you see where I'm coming from?
5:00 what for me helps a lot if i feel like I know it; or even if i feel like i'm getting stuck: I do it a final time before bed; the next day i'm usually better. There's something about subconcious processing it in your sleep that just works.
Absolutely - I'm actually thinking about making a video on sleep and practice, because something that's been noted in some of the research on expert musicianship is the amount that top musicians seem to sleep, at least in their student days. Like you say, it just seems to work as a practice tool (which is why I was so annoyed when I woke up at 4am today and couldn't get back to sleep 🤣)
You aced it Bill. Every one is winner. I'm a different kind of late beginner. Played guitar, mandolin, mandola, banjo and viola in every style from A to Z. Played in an orchestra as an adult doing classical mandola, so some of the beginner piano stuff is not hitting home for me. I quite like scales and know what I need to do. However at my age lessons are expensive and the clock is ticking. Of course I'm falling into a lot of the traps, but will take your advice on board.
Glad you liked it Phil - I don’t get many mandola players commenting: I imagine it’s a pretty challenging instrument in its own right (I’ve only ever tried mandolin).
Hello Bill and thank you for this video , every point you made my head was nodding , " yep that's me " ..... maybe now you've highlighted it I will be more aware and thoughtful in my daily practice routine, again thank you . 🤔😊
Great advice. Particularly isolating a problem bar and then re-integrating it, and keeping on playing previous pieces. Those are probably good advice for a lot of things. I would only add 'Enjoy your music.' Music is a fundamental ingredient in our lives, walking in time to the beat, humming while doing the housework etc. don't make it a drudgery, practising isn't a punishment, it's a path to progress.
A really excellent video. As a lifetime learner of a number of musical instruments (and many other things) this has application across all learning. It's also really well edited and presented.
Okay. I’m convinced. Now 78 years old and totally back to basics after starting out many decades ago. A lot of what you say is me…I have drifted from to many tube lessons and never settled on one. Thing is I don’t have a piano as such. It’s an organ.. a real nice vintage sit up and beg with all the bells and whistles. Love it. Technique I’m sure will be different but the basics the same. I shall join your classes Bill but there will be a break as I’m off on some travels.
Thanks Eleanor - you're the second music teacher to come along in the past couple of days and say this rings bells, so I'm really glad I seem to have landed on the right set of problems. Over the past year or so I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about this whole nexus of opportunities/difficulties that exist around self-teaching: on the one hand, TH-cam offers great opportunities to learners, especially adults, who don't have the time/inclination/funds to work with a teacher, but at the same time it presents this whole set of challenges with feedback, planning, direction and so on, many of which won't be obvious to a beginner who has just got hold of a digital piano for a few hundred pounds/euros/dollars and is trying to make sense of it by themselves. Anyhow, I'm always really interested to hear opinions from working teachers, so please do feel free to chip in whenever you like!
THANK YOU! This video is gold because most of it's applicable to problems self teaching guitar and singing as well. Loved the BBC documentary vibes with the camera garden walk and talk🤣 ❤
Hi Bill. I finally managed to hook things up to be able to play my piano and have started playing it. Just yesterday I started going through your beginner's course and I must say, it is fantastic. However, as a someone who is self taught, my biggest fear is that I might make mistakes, be they in how I play, or I how I look at things related to playing and not even know I am wrong. I genuinely cannot put into words how invaluable this video has been, as basically every point hit home for me. Your course is amazing, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have stumbled on this video before I got too far into it. Thank you very much, the way you explain things motivates me to continue learning. Also, not only have you earned yourself a new subscriber, but also a new patron. I look forward to getting to know more from your content ❤
All good points, and it also applies to saxophone. (my instrument of choice.) One comment on brain elacity: adult are usually more results driven, and averse to experimentation. Allow yourself some leeway in your schedule to play freely, to make mistakes, to goof up, but enjoy the process. Then return to your scales. Your brain learns better when you're relaxed and 'safe', than when you're feeling frustrated, and your muscles are tense. I've experienced this over and over again.
The ‘hitting buttons’ thing kinda hit home, I’ve been using synthesia videos these last few months to play pieces I like, as I kinda just played casually. I’m gonna take it more serious and I’ll check out your guide. Great video 👍
Whoa! Just discovered this channel! I instantly know it’s a winner! I’m a self taught beginner pianist, however I’ve been playing drums for 40 years at an advanced level with a formal education. I’ve also been playing guitars my whole life but I’m entirely self taught there, I’m probably at the entry level of what would be considered advanced on a guitar, or maybe at the high intermediate level. I have a degree and masters in music production which has also massively helped my overall music journey. I’m seriously away to attack the piano and guitar over the next few years as I’m eager to boost my overall musicianship experience and skills. My theory and understanding far surpasses my physical ability on the piano and guitar. I’ve watched countless piano and guitar videos and channels, however this channel feels different, this feels like it’s ”THE ONE!” I’ve been holding out for! 😂 I’ll be singing up for your courses and Patreon! Cheers! And greetings from Aberdeen Scotland! 🏴🍻
I just decided to leave my teacher and self teach. There is so much out there that I was getting confused. But your video was fantastic! It addressed most of my questions. I will definately check out your course. Thank you!
You're welcome, Donna - I'm glad it helped. If you have any specific questions or problems about anything in the course, give me a shout. It sometimes takes me a while to reply to comments, but I always get there in the end (and if I don't, remind me!)
My digital piano arrived today and had a free 3-month subscription to Skoove. I've been holding off trying it because it seems more like you're matching buttons on a screen than really learning.
Just found out about your channel with this video (YT suggestion). I love how you explain every scenario, and I'm definitely going to check out your videos!
Thank you very much! Let me know how you get on with the tutorials, and give me a shout if you have any questions! I have a bit of a backlog of comments to deal with at the moment (a lot have been coming in, especially from this video) but I try to reply to them all eventually...!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 *🎹 Overview of Self-Taught Piano Course* - Bill reflects on the unexpected success of his self-taught piano course on TH-cam, reaching millions of viewers. - He highlights the learning experience gained from observing self-teaching piano players. - Bill introduces the 10 most common problems faced by self-teaching pianists. 01:06 *🏃 Problem 1: Tendency to Race* - Many beginners rush through early lessons, finding subsequent lessons disproportionately challenging. - Solution: Emphasize working hard on basic skills to build a strong foundation for progression. 02:32 *🧭 Problem 2: Lack of Direction* - Without a clear pathway, self-teaching pianists often struggle to make progress amid the abundance of online tutorials. - Solution: Follow a structured course or curriculum to provide direction and focus. 04:07 *🕰️ Problem 3: The Tick of Doom* - The "tick of doom" phenomenon occurs when learners prematurely consider a skill mastered, only to find regression later. - Solution: Push past the point of initial mastery to ensure long-term retention and proficiency. 05:29 *🎵 Problem 4: Neglecting Scales and Exercises* - Self-teaching pianists often overlook the importance of regular practice with scales and exercises. - Solution: Incorporate scales and exercises into practice routines to improve finger strength, flexibility, and overall skill. 07:23 *📣 Problem 5: Lack of Feedback* - Feedback is crucial for skill development but can be challenging to obtain for self-teaching pianists. - Solution: Seek feedback from expert musicians or generate feedback by recording and reviewing performances. 09:11 *💡 Problem 6: Inefficient Practice* - Inefficient practice habits, such as repeatedly playing through pieces from the beginning, waste valuable time. - Solution: Adopt an "attack the problem" mentality, focusing on challenging sections for targeted improvement. 10:21 *🧠 Problem 7: Unknown Unknowns* - Learners may be unaware of gaps in their knowledge or misunderstandings about certain aspects of piano playing. - Solution: Stay vigilant for blind spots and seek guidance from experienced teachers to address unknown unknowns. 12:00 *🌟 Problem 8: Underestimating Strengths and Overestimating Weaknesses* - Adult learners often underestimate their strengths and overestimate their weaknesses, hindering progress. - Solution: Embrace maturity and perseverance as strengths, cultivating a growth mindset to overcome self-doubt. 13:23 *🔁 Problem 9: Insufficient Reinforcement* - Failure to reinforce learning leads to slower progress, particularly for adult learners. - Solution: Regularly revisit and reinforce foundational skills and concepts to solidify learning and accelerate progress. 15:13 *⚙️ Problem 10: Button-Pushing Mentality* - Relying solely on rote memorization of key presses neglects crucial aspects of musical expression and interpretation. - Solution: Develop active listening skills to appreciate nuances in articulation, dynamics, and expression for meaningful musical performance.
Foe me, my biggest booster on my learning has been to play keys on a pop/rock band. That has helped quite a lot with rhythm, listening to other people instruments, complement them and knowing that you need to continue, even if you make a mistake. Fast recovery from that is crucial on a band. Show must go on!. I am about five and a half years on my playing journey and one year and a half playing on the band. We have done so far five gigs and have another one in a week. We rehearsal weekly, also a very important thing. Playing in public, in general, is also a real booster. I have been playing any piano I can play on any venue, from stations to hotels. And I am just a beginner. But people enjoy it if there is passion on your playing. Don't be shy, communicate your inner music by playing to people. The first time I got an applause I joyfully cried. I was less than two years playing back then, and it was a humbling event.
This is a really excellent insight, Jose - thanks very much indeed. Any kind of playing with a band, or public playing, is hugely beneficial. I hope you continue to make good progress!
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For the tick of doom, I was taught something like 20 years ago: have six-sided dice on the piano. When I think I've mastered something, I test myself: put a die on 1. If you play it correctly, tick it up to 2. If you play it correctly, put it up to 3. If you play it incorrectly, put it down to 2.
If you're truly committed to this, then you're going to feel pressure and nervousness when you get up to 4 and 5, because you don't want to go backward. Being able to execute the passage up to 6 under this pressure and enough times in a row is a better indication of mastery than just "it feels pretty good." If you find yourself bobbling up and down in the 3-5 range, it's probably not as solid as you think.
Ahhhh, that's a good trick - I might borrow that, if you don't mind. Another good one is to video yourself: similar to the dice method, the slight extra pressure reveals problems in things you think you've done. Thanks very much for that!
The other issue is if you're going back and forth between two or three numbers, you're doing more harm than good because you're messing up roughly half the time. If this happens, stop, figure out why you're messing up, slow it down, and fix it.
epic
I’m going to try this suggestion today, thanks 😊
Back to 1, surely, you mean? If you go back only one step there isn’t enough pressure.
You are never too old to learn to play an instrument. I had never played a reed woodwind until I was 44 when I picked up an inexpensive clarinet, and it changed my life. I practiced 30, sometimes 40 hours a week and within a year I was better at it than I was on guitar which I had played for 20 years. The keys to success are passion, practice, and patience. The nice thing about being over 40 when you're learning something new, is that you probably realized by now that talent isn't just something you're born with. Talent is the result of practice and when you hear somebody with amazing talent, what you're really hearing is their hard work.
Can you share how'd you feel starting a new one? Like, how do you feel about the tone, the sound, the fact that you had to suck for so long 😉 just by nature of learning something new. I think about this sorta thing often, my body has thrown a wrench into my previous plans to sing or possibly play guitar. It's hard to have things taken away from us
And their passion, their inner self. All my life I have enjoyed listening to all kinds of music, but there are very few who have that 'extra something'. I love the sound of clarinet, an instrument with a special language, what pleasure you must have. Congratulations on your achievement.
Congratulations from me, too! People can and do make great progress over the age of 40 (and beyond). As you say, it's the realisation that it comes down to effort. I've found over the years that a lot of musicians don't like being described as "talented", because they feel it belittles the sheer hard work they've put in.
@@shaunreich I couldn't even get it to make a sound at first. But that first day I was discovering vibrato and over blowing, and within a month I was making my clarinet sound like a saxophone, or a trumpet. My tone was constantly evolving and it was great hearing the progress I was making. Especially the first 6 months, your improvements are super noticeable and week by week you are constantly getting better. I remember struggling with the upper register, and then a month later I could play the upper register without the register key. Your'e always chipping away at perfection.
@@BillHilton Very much so. Talent is the result of incredible feats of effort and will.
As a keyboard player, this popped up in my feed... But as a martial arts instructor, I realised that almost all of these tips apply to my students! So thanks very much, this is a useful list for both arts 🙂
Glad it was helpful, Gary! That's a really interesting angle, actually, and ties in with a lot of my recent thinking about these kinds of problems. I think there is a huge overlap between learning piano (or any instrument) and developing skill in any kind of sport or athletic activity. In fact, there's a huge body of research in the field of sports science which just hasn't been tapped into by musicians, even though so many of the problems and challenges are identical or near-identical. We've been pretty good at assimilating and using (and occasionally misusing...) psychological and neuroscientific research, but there's all this stuff sportspeople do, and the research into it, that could be really useful to us. I guess it comes down to the cultural gulf between the two fields. Anyhow, please do chip in with views from the martial arts world whenever you like, because I'll be very interested to hear them - even things like breathing and warm-ups and suchlike have huge cross-domain value.
I was just thinking to myself, earlier today, how learning the piano is like studying karate. Many similarities. Oss!
@@BillHilton Hi Bill. I finally got round to noting down the jiu jitsu version of your video. I'm going to post a link to your video on our facebook page with the notes if that's okay with you?
A tendency to race. Rushing through early classes might lead to later classes seeming unfeasibly hard, but allowing the earlier fundamentals to sink in will make the progress easier. Focus on mastering on what you’re doing now before rushing to the next technique.
Lack of direction. We all get excited about new techniques and students often try to soak in as many instructionals & funky techniques as youtube will allow. But without guided progress, they will not be coherent, you will not get as many repetitions, and will not become ‘subconsciously competent’. It’s also worth noting that different practitioners often prefer different variations of techniques which, at the beginner stages, may prove counter-productive.
The tick of doom. I often see in private and group classes the ‘got it, what’s next’ mentality. But all that’s happened is that you’ve progressed from ‘consciously incompetent’ (ie. you don’t know the technique) to ‘consciously competent’ (ie. you can do the technique if you’re thinking it through one step at a time). It it takes many repetitions to move that technique to being ‘subconsciously competent’ (ie. your body does the technique without you having to think about it). This is your goal, so push past the point at which you think you’ve mastered something and get your reps in. This is sometimes called ‘muscle memory’ and is what Bruce Lee was referring to when he said “I don’t fear the man who’s done a thousand techniques… I fear the man who’s done one technique a thousand times”.
Don’t skip the drills. It’s tempting to skip past the movement drills and focus on sparring, but the drills will make you better at sparring as your body finds the most efficient way to move. It’s less fun, but utterly necessary.
Not getting feedback. Make sure you’re either getting feedback from your coach, or videoing yourself to check details later with fresh eyes. A mistake repeated over and over can become ingrained and difficult to repair so get the habits right early.
Inefficient practice. Plan your practice time to have a goal, whether it’s drilling old techniques, or new ones rather than training without a goal.
Be aware of the ‘unknown unknowns’. When an instructor is teaching, he or she may sometimes assume some knowledge on the students part. A good instructor is happy to explain something they glossed over - remember, they may’ve been doing these techniques for decades and have forgotten what it felt like learning it for the first time, so watch out for stuff that isn’t obvious.
Try not to over-estimate your weaknesses and under-estimate your strengths. Self doubt can hinder your progress, and older students often have learnt to have ‘grit’ and understand that commitment will always create progress. Remember you have strengths too… A black belt is a white belt who never gave up!
Not doing enough reinforcement. Older students learn slower because they have less brain plasticity. But they also have the wisdom to realise that they shouldn’t be too hasty and it’s okay to repeat the basics until they’re properly bedded in.
Thinking being good at jiu jitsu is about the number of techniques you know. Jits is so much more than techniques, and when things like understanding body mechanics, points of base, leverage, how to distract your opponent, relaxing at the right time, and breathing are important, a smaller repertoire applied well can be more effective.
@garyking4032 That’s absolutely fine by me, Gary - I’d be grateful for a link when it’s live, as I’ll be interested in any discussion!
One nuance I would add to “The Tick of Doom” is that self-learners are generally more driven to learn a piece that inspires them, and they might show more vigilance and patience in getting it right. Whereas the guided learner is more at the whim of a course or objective-based approach to getting a project done. Most people have the tendency to expedite the finish, but the desire to not be rushed is an important key to avoiding the Tick of Doom.
Excellent! Very valuable insights there, and I can't really add anything of value, so I've hearted in the hope people will seem them take them on board. Thanks very much indeed!
Sometimes the little scaled-down pieces in a course can demolish the door that opens the same music in a more complicated form. It is possible to play a piece by Chopin? Heavenly!
I was getting frustrated with my progress on piano, so I took a break and found this video - which made me realize that I'd jumped ahead much too far without properly honing the essentials. I've now settled down to working through lesson two of your course, and already feel like I have a better understanding of where my skills are really at, and what I need to focus on to get better. Thanks for helping set me straight, and for the incredibly useful course you've put up!
The part about having the unique learned ability of grit as an adult actually made me tear up and feel powerful. Having recently turned 24, you reminded me of how much I've progressed and i am grateful to you!
I just want to say THANK YOU ! I don't think people, including myself, thank people like you enough for taking of their precious time to share their knowledge with us. Thanks so much again!
You're welcome, Nelson - really glad you found it useful!
This is insightful and has many parallels to teaching oneself a foreign language (I'm a linguist and have studied and also experienced this). In particular, one has to avoid the "tick of doom" and continue practicing on easy material (we call it "comprehensible input") to reinforce the foundations while also pressing on to new material. And I suppose grammar study is the equivalent of scales -- can't do without it!
Thanks Michael! I actually thought about including the parallels between piano and language learning in this tutorial, and it might appear in another one sometime soon (my wife is a linguist and my first degree was English, so we discuss language a lot in these parts…). You’re exactly right, though, because grammatical structures learned thoroughly in the same way one learns eg scales really stick with you: I can still chant German article tables that I first learned when I was 13, in 1987 or thereabouts. Der die das die den die das die des der des der dem der dem den…!
You have nailed the essence here. I've been recording my self-learning progress for 4 years now and I can say with confidence - EVERYTHING you say is true and I think it is just happening to everyone. When I started I assumed I would be playing "decent simple jazz" in 2 years. Well, I'm into 4th year now and I know I still need some 2 years to reduce tensions feel comfortable and not think about "theory" while playing. Kudos to everyone who starts after 40! I have utmost respect for such people because I understand what it takes. Thanks Bill for all the hard work you are doing!
You’re welcome Adrian, thanks for the kind words, and kudos indeed to everyone who starts after 40! I feel very strongly that too many older learners get disheartened early on and drop out unnecessarily - if we can reduce the number that do we get more people having more fun playing the piano, plus all the other benefits that it brings (cognitive health, mental health etc etc etc). So I plan to keep plugging away on this stuff 😂
I’m an after 40 learner. And I decided to learn it when I saw some after 60 learner doing it. I thought, well, in 20 years I would probably play better. It’s never too late! 🙂
@limavalepy that’s the spirit - exactly the right attitude. Good luck!
@@limavalepy I chose jazz as my "mission impossible" and I'm sure now that 10 years of sustained effort is enough time to be able to play anything and any level. All is relative though. Bear in mind that all the masters also played simple things. Music is not about virtuosity and showmanship. At least for me - it is about expression of what is inside me and only me. This is how I understand those things 🙂
Amazing video, and amazing tips!
Fascinating that the non-piano specific tips seem to be nice advice when extrapolated to approaching learning most skills in life.
Glad you found the tips useful! It's interesting how music lessons can reflect broader life skills, isn't it? Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Number 8 and 9 put me in a spell of depression for the past months.
I'm finally out of it before new years and I've gotten more consistency with my playing since then.
So now I run into your video and it's all of the things I needed to hear. I'm thankful for the algorithm god for making your video pop up. I'm even more determined this year to finally be back to an energized state of wanting to further my piano skills.
Good to hear it helped, Laura - I hope the algorithm god keeps smiling on you in 2024. Needless to say, if you run into any problems or have any questions, just give me a shout!
I am almost 63 years of age and I started learning piano just two months ago. I am not self-taught; I have a teacher and I regularly take classes, but I can immediately relate to every one of your points. Thank you for making this video, it makes me aware of 10 potential pitfalls in my piano journey.
You're very welcome - I'm glad it helped. Good luck with your learning!
You are never too old to fail, and learning to play piano is a great way to remind you
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I started your beginner course two weeks ago, now im in ep 7, thank you for doing these free lessons, it is helping me a lot. Im from Brazil and learning english and music at the same time is such a great experience, thank you so much Bill Hilton 🙏🇧🇷.
You're really welcome! I've had several really dedicated learners from Brazil, including one guy who started the course using a hand-drawn keyboard on a piece of paper. Glad to hear you're getting through the course: let me know how you get on, and if you run into problems!
@@BillHiltonlearning in a piece of paper is madness, but im sure he got that. and yes ill write my problems and my evolution down there, hope you see it later.
Thanks Bill for the video. Good to see you in the garden! I think your 10 suggestions are very pertinant. Another problem I’ve only just identified after feedback is that I wasn’t playing in time. I now use a metronome and try to count out loud - big improvement. Also play slowly and accurately. I’ve found your videos really helpful during my piano journey. Thanks again. About to subscribe to Patreon. Regards Peter
Very interesting video and there are certainly a lot of gold nuggets if you watch this through the end.
Personally I found the better way to get past 'the tick of doom' is to practice differently.
So as an example: You know a lick or riff, now play it backwards, play it in groups of 3 or more notes, play it slower, play it to another meter, transpose it, and so on.
This is method is better than, practice it another 30 times, and you internalize the lick or riff much better, plus it's more challenging and fun!
Thank you! Heart for this comment so plenty of other people can read it - that’s a very good tip. Thanks for sharing!
I love the fact that I stumbled upon your channel! I have been playing guitar for decades. After getting a piano for my son, I started building chords on the piano myself and it "clicked" for me how they are actually built. After some contact with the piano, I can look at a chord name and immediately play it, even a complicated chord is fine. I was thinking of learning it even more deeply and am really glad that someone is giving us so much insight into this learning experience.
Thank you, and I'm glad you like it! I've been doing this for more than ten years now, and I've really come to realise in the past year or so that covering the learning experience (and the learning _process_) is as important as dealing with all the technical stuff. So there's more like this to come!
They say It isn't easy to teach an old dog new tricks. I'm over 60 and it's even more challenging when you have an old dog trying to teach an old dog new tricks! I've been using your tutorials for over two years and they have been so helpful. You are a clever guy and an excellent teacher and I greatly appreciate having free access to such high quality instruction
Tick of doom: Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong.
From my pov, there shouldn’t be any “until”. We should just practice forever.
@@trantrungnghia9642 Sadly, reality forces you to make some compromises. The worst is when a passage needs more work but you notice that each repetition is worse than the last. You have to stop and revisit later as simply continuing will make it worse.
Actually I start by practicing so slow that I get it right every time and because the muscle memory is ingrained it's much faster then practicing fast until you get it right.
@jack-ju1ft That is ideal. Still, I run into some things where I have to make decisions on fingering. So I try the various options a few times and want to make sure I don't choose one that won't work at performance tempo. Then the repetitions are about making sure I actually follow my chosen fingering.
@@karlrovey yes I usually do one hand and choose my fingerings before doing a section really slow
Regarding number 3, I've heard the difference between amateur and professional musicians is that amateurs will practice until they get a piece correct, while professionals will practice until they can't get a piece wrong.
Yes indeed, Jack - that's a fairly common expression! You need to be a bit careful, though, because it can lead you down a rabbit hole of perfectionism that leads to diminishing returns, and spending time trying to achieve the final 0.1% of perfection on one piece which you could be using to achieve the 80% of "good" on another. (Also in my experience pros have definitions of "wrong" that vary by context: for a concert violinist in the recording studio, there can be no "wrong" at all; for a piano player in a jazz club a lot of "wrong" won't even get noticed by the audience, so the goal is to practice so you can reliably produce something musical and listenable, but not necessarily technically perfect).
So many of these mistakes resonated! I am self teaching and I have gone 3 weeks now. Reinforcement is my issue and many times I simply focus on getting the note correct that I ignore the tempo.
My son, Alex, has gone off to university and I have always wanted to learn and play the piano and it's great company.
You are an excellent teacher. Thank you.
You're welcome, Debbie-Ann, and thanks for the kind words! Let me know how you get on, and also if you have any questions. It sometimes takes me a little while to reply (I get a lot of comments...) but I always do!
As a decent guitar player who started playing piano 14 years ago at age 55, I am pretty much familiar with your suggestions. Another thing that has cost me a lot of time on the piano however is that when I started, knowing a lot of music, I decided I would play only what I wanted to play. I started with Maple Leaf Rag and taught myself to read the sheet music. I got the notes under my fingers in a couple of months but I had problems getting a good sound. But I persevered. And persevered. And persevered. What I should have done was to also study other things. When I finally started doing that the Maple Leaf Rag actually got better. Eventually I finally got books to learn scales. When I don't feel like attacking the fine points of music, I can always plug myself into scales. And finally, metronome, metronome, metronome.
Wish I would have started all those things sooner!
I really need to work on number 5. I’m mostly self taught on piano, but had classroom lessons on different instruments and music theory. Since I regularly play with normal people listening I get an abundance of positive feedback. But, I haven’t sat down with an expert to get more constructive feedback in over a decade. And even then it wasn’t really a “Here’s how you can get better” it was just “You passed the class/test”
Half the challenge is finding the right kind of expert, Jonathan, because good musicians often have trouble seeing things from the perspective of learners. An actual experienced teacher is probably your best bet, and even then it helps if it’s someone who is used to teaching adults and doesn’t just approach them like they’re big kids, if you see what I mean. But if you can find such a teacher and actually physically sit down with them at a piano, you’ll find it makes a huge difference. Just last week I played some bits of Bach and Brahms for a friend of mine who’s a much, much better classical player than me, and got twenty solid minutes of really invaluable advice that has already improved my playing. So it’s definitely worth bending over backwards to sort out. Let me know how you get on!
I've been self-teaching since late 2020, with about a year of in-person lessons from a teacher sprinkled throughout. There are many great points in this video, but I'd also like to share some of my own experiences and what really helped me. The biggest piece of advice I can offer to any beginner is to _be consistent._
There's a reason piano teachers often tell you to practice 15 or 30 minutes every single day. It's easy to maybe think "oh, well if I just practice for 2.5 hours once a week that's just as good." No, no it isn't. Long practice is fine! You should do long practice if you believe it will help you! But you also need to have consistent reinforcement, every single day, of things you've learned.
There would be times where I'd be trying to pick up something new one day, probably before even going to bed, and after 30 or so minutes I just can't wrap my head around it, can't get my hands or fingers to listen to me. No matter what I do I just can't seem to get it down. I could sit there for another hour until I get it, but that doesn't mean I've even learned it. So after that half hour, I just say screw it, and go to sleep. The very next morning, I go to practice that, and suddenly it is much easier. It's still not perfect, but I can _hear and tell and feel_ that it is beginning to make sense.
Consistency is super important. It's not so much about how _long_ you practice, but how often you reinforce that. Some days when I have nothing going on, I may practice something for half an hour, go do something else for several more hours, then go back to the piano and try it again. The point is, you need to be consistently learning, and this doesn't necessarily mean playing stuff you can _already_ play. It just means focusing on the things you know you struggle with.
Additionally, in terms of scales and exercises, I ended up developing many of my own inventions and exercises. I mostly did this by taking things I could already play, and coming up with new ways to play them. A very common thing I like to do is try combining left hand chords or arpeggios from one piece, and figuring out how to combine it with a right hand melody for something entirely different. This takes awhile, and often requires me to figure out (by ear) how to transpose the different parts into different keys so they work together harmonically. But this specific approach to traditional exercises trains _many different aspects all at once._
You should still absolutely play scales, go through the traditional exercises too. But don't be afraid to get creative and noodle around. The exercises I developed is what actually helped me develop my ear, I also developed a very good sense of rhythm (as I often had to mish mash things of different rhythms together), and I learned of intervals long before I even knew what they were. I started to notice loads of patterns, the relationships between notes, etc and realized I can use that to figure out how to play things by ear.
By the time I started taking lessons, there was a surprising amount of beginner stuff I already knew. And what's crazy is, this even translated to learning sheet music. I was sitting there painfully trying to read things note for note, and then I said to my teacher "wait a minute, it's not really about the notes, it's more about the gaps between them, right? that's how people get really fast at reading music, isn't it?" and she said "yeah actually, you can just see the gaps and know how far apart they are."
Another very important thing is to break the stuff you learn down into chunks. Before I even knew what phrases were, I was already doing this instinctively. When learning something new, whether by ear or by following sheet music, I would always chunk it by phrases. By doing this, you can break away from the habit of playing from the top when you hit a mistake.
I would learn a phrase, then learn the next phrase, and then play just a bit of the end of the first phrase to get used to transitioning into the next one. Instead of hitting a spot that might be hard and force me to restart, I would just instinctively restart on where that error occurred. Surprise surprise, this was almost always in the transitions between phrases.
This was also something my piano teacher was surprised I had no trouble with. When I would hit an error, when I'd anticipate I was just about to hit the wrong note, I'd stop and hit the right note. If the timing was off, I'd start over that one singular bar and repeat it until the timing was right, etc.
This is brilliant - thank you very much indeed for taking the time to share it. I can go on about this kind of thing as long I like, but when people hear it from fellow learners I think it really hits home. Much appreciated!
Talent is already knowing the most optimal ways to learn
@@cyrusthe0ther795 I'm not so sure about that, I by no means would say I am more or less talented than anyone else. It's just practice. LOTS of practice, even if it's ineffective, is still better than NO practice or not enough effective practice. Some may argue otherwise, but I disagree.
The first time I started self-teaching, I got a cheap 4 octave MIDI keyboard. The goal with this was to see if I could even get my hands and fingers to listen to me.
By day 2, I was able to play broken chords, play quarter note chords in the left hand and half note chords in the other, and I even developed a simple progression to go along with it. Technique was awful, I just kept my fingers locked in one position on both hands, and moved the hands around to the spots the needed to be in for those chords.
The point is, I was able to reach this after many many hours of literally doing nothing but playing, finding things to play, and following some exercises here and there. Ineffective practice? Yes. But I think this gave me a much better start with the piano than if I started with formal lessons from the get-go.
Another thing I want to mention is the...I guess insincerity of popular piano videos on TH-cam? People see things like this, especially "progress" videos, or see things like "I learned this in 3 days", and they think they may be able to do it too, and don't at all get a real picture of the sheer time investment.
The hard reality is, that person who said they learned something in 3 days? They're technically telling you the truth, but what they didn't show you were the dozens of hours of slowly learning and memorizing it, in addition to the 67 recordings they made where they kept screwing up. I know that _this_ is the behind-the-scenes nobody bothers to show you, because that's the behind-the-scenes for me.
They showed you the one take where it was good. If you told that person to play that same exact selection of music right now, I guarantee you they'd screw up and start over. That means they haven't learned it, they still have _much_ more to go with familiarizing themselves with that music.
It's really just about how much time you're willing to invest into it. I built up lots of familiarity with the piano long before I even took lessons. And the only reason I wanted lessons in the first place is because I realized the only way I'd know for sure I've been doing stuff right is to see what a teacher says about it.
@@spartan456 I was just commenting on how you found methods on your own that were effective. Justin Sung a youtuber who teaches proper study techniques, talked about talent just being people innately following effective learning habits. If you can learn them though then there is no difference between you and someone with talent. To me complementing on talent isn't a compliment and if anything is should be used to bring someone down by discrediting their work.
What do you mean by making your fingers listen to you?
@@cyrusthe0ther795 Oh, that's actually really fascinating! I never really thought of talent like that before, that makes a lot of sense though.
By "making my fingers listen to me", what I mean is the struggling nature of first trying to play the piano. More often than not, this is the hardest part for beginners. They'll know the next note they have to play is a C, they'll know the 2nd finger in their right hand is on the C, but when they have to play that C they'll maybe play a B on their first finger, or a D on their 3rd finger, etc. Hell, maybe their brain will throw them a real curveball and tell them "move your whole hand, we're going to a new key."
It gets even more confusing when you incorporate your other hand. You got 2 wrists and 10 fingers to keep track of, (and feet, too, when you start using pedal) and you gotta do all of this in a certain amount of time. For a lot of people, it's a kind of overload I guess. A really common thing you'll see on many piano videos is "how TF do I play this with both hands?"
This is something that just naturally gets easier as you mechanically familiarize yourself with the geography of the piano, and this is one of the many reasons traditional scale exercises are so fundamental. Half the time you spend learning some new music, it's gonna be memorizing the fingerings and locking that in.
Scale and key exercises sort of act like a training bicycle. If you learn Bb Melodic Minor and can run through it with your eyes closed, then next time you see music in Bb, well, you'll kind of already know how to work with those notes. It won't take nearly as much time to work out fingerings, because you've already been there.
Thank you, Bill, it rang every bell. I am a teacher myself and the more I teach, the more I wish my piano teachers from the past had taught me about good practice technique. I now find that more and more of the lessons I give are about the exact things you talk about. And I try to make sure that when I am practising myself, I don't fall back into the (bad) habits of the past. I am going to share your video with my teenage and adult students - thank you so much for your clear exposition and your intelligent solutions.
You're welcome! I've had one or two teachers comment on this video and say bells were rung - I guess it shows how universal the problems are!
As a 63 year old trying to learn to play the piano, I've found your advice extremely helpful. I can relate to everyone of the points you've mentioned and those points are probably the reason why I didn't succeed in my two previous attempts. I'll try your free course for a start... Thank you very much for your videos
You’re very welcome - good luck and let me know how you get on!
I am currently running through the beginner course. After over 35 years of messing around with synthesizers I finally decided to learn how to play properly. It is excellent. Your advice is spot on.
A year and a half ago I used your beginner tutorials to get into the basics. I still play one of the basic pieces. However I realized I was getting bored with the path. I took time to learn some basic music theory which helped immensely. I also began allotting time to improvisation: thoughful play where I chose a key and played whatever chords/melodies while focusing on what I was doing, and then creative play where I just played what sounded nice without worrying about what or why I was doing things. Combined with more practical lessons, I found myself becoming more attuned to the instrument and enjoying the sounds and pattern I was discovering.
Thank you for helping me learn enough to enjoy the piano. Now is a good time to revisit your videos and fill in some gaps in my current knowledge and technique.
I'm glad to hear my stuff has helped! It's interesting that the way you found of making progress involved working with several different strands and also building in creativity and theory. Increasingly I think the key for self-teachers is building in variety and exploration to help stay engaged. I hope you continue to do well, and please don't hesitate to give me a shout if you ever run into any problems or have any questions.
Thank you for your videos. I have been teaching keyboardists in pur church but I had a massive debilitating stroke 3 years ago. Now I send new musicians your lessons to prepare them. I usually teach shortcuts to making the chords and becoming very versatile to play any worsip song and how to improvise. Your videos cover all thàt. Thank you very much. God bless you for your generosity in sharing your talent and ideas.
Tak!
Selv tak, Bo, and thanks for the Superthanks!
Great video.
The Tick of death: Remembering something and internalizing it are too different things.
Stopping after a mistake and starting over again: Wait till you train yourself and do that live, in front of people. You also have to learn how to roll through mistakes and keep going.
Taking a video of oneself practicing was a great idea! Immediately spotted a postural error that is most likely behind the ache that I keep getting in my right arm after practicing a little while. Thank you!
You're welcome! Yes, it's a really simple thing to do but it can make an amazing difference!
Great list! I’ve been playing for about 5 months and have learned many pop and rock songs. I definitely feel a lack of knowledge with keys and scales that I will continue to hammer in as I play more. Loved your beginner course as well!
Thanks Shirley - good to hear! Yes indeed, work on the scales in particular: if you do them over a sustained period of time they make a massive difference to your piano playing. Let me know how you get on!
@@BillHiltonI will in a few months, thanks for the reply Bill. You’re a wonderful piano player and teacher. I’ll be sure to learn how to read bass clef in the coming months as well ha
Hello. I'm just starting out. Bought a digital piano approx 1 month ago. I am satisfied with my progress (watching videos and trying to teach myself). I have to say, yours is the best series of instructions for complete beginners that I have come accross on the internet. Thank you so much for your video instructions. I am in no hurry to rush through the lessons. I am taking my time, and trying to develop new technicial skills at age 67. Thanks again for great lessons!
You're really welcome, and thanks for the kind words - it's always good to hear when my stuff is helping people. Let me know how you get on: 67 is actually quite young relative to some of the learners I hear from (!) so if you go at it steadily you should have the potential to do well. And shout if you have any questions at any stage!
Im a beginner that uses your piano course, thank you very much for that! My mom got used to play piano and it might be I took something from that in my childhood. Right now, at the same time with your lesson course, I am learning 'my heart will go on' using a simple 'push-to-play' visual guide that are a lot on TH-cam and when I play I actually listen to the sound and notice things that sound 'not right' (mainly because of my piano is pretty old and might not be in the best condition since it was never maintained).
You're welcome! Let me know how you get on with the course, and if there's anything I can help with. Yes, listening is absolutely key: listen closely and you'll progress quicker!
I've been playing piano (badly) for around 40 years and this is the first time I've heard of the "push past" / tick of doom thing, which makes perfect sense to me. Thanks, great video.
You're very welcome! I coined the expressions myself, but the idea - especially push-past - is an old, old one that I first learned (from a guitar teacher, actually) when I was about 14.
Great video. My daughter bought me your book for Christmas years ago and I never got beyond the opening page. Most of what you say here is about me. I have some decisions to make about how seriously I am going to be about finally learning the piano in a thoughtful way. Thanks for opening my 80 year old eyes. Regards and thanks for your great work.
You're very welcome, Bobby, and thank your daughter for buying my book! By all means give me a shout with any questions you happen to have if you decide to press ahead: I'm increasingly taking an interest in older learners and trying to build up some kind of body of knowledge about the most effective ways of helping them. So hearing about people's experiences is always useful!
@@BillHilton thanks, Bill.
I'm a self taught guitar player of almost 20 years but ive always been more captivated by piano music and get the best advice from piano players like in this video. I think I will join you goobers very soon.
You'll be very welcome - feel free to hit me up with any questions/problems you run into 👍
Thank you for the information in this video. Playing for
You’re welcome, Sue - I’m glad to have helped! Over the past year or two I’ve started to get very interested in how older learners make progress, so give me a shout if you have any questions/need any help. (Not that 68 is very old - I regularly hear from learners in their eighties and nineties…!)
Great advice, even for advanced players who are inevitably self-teaching much of the time! We still have unknown unknowns.
Thank you, thank you! I’m 76 and have decided to be serious about actually learning how to play. It’s more difficult than I’d anticipated it being and I often forget what I had just done well yesterday. Your tips and words of encouragement couldn’t have come at a better time! Thanks again!
You’re really welcome, Joni - let me know how you get on, and give me a shout if you have any questions. It sometimes takes a while for me to reply but I try to get around to everyone…!
@@BillHilton Thank you, I may do that! Have a very fine day!✌️
Excellent point about the tick of doom! I had a drum teacher who told me that the brain commits things to long-term and muscle memory by doing things correctly repeatedly - lots of times, over a long time period. Therefore, that one iteration of playing something perfectly really should be the beginning of the final step towards mastery (and might be somewhat of an accident).
Really good points, especially the ones that aren't often focused on by many teachers. The "how adults learn" aspect of all this is huuge, and your recommendations are spot on. Very well done video!
Thanks very much indeed for the kind words, Daniel - they're very much appreciated, and I'm glad you liked the approach!
Not learning piano, here; just picking up the guitar after decades of not playing, and your insights have given me some valuable lessons on moving forward when I thought I hit a wall. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I guess a lot of this stuff is applicable across domains…!
You just popped up on my homepage, ive been thinking about getting back to learning the piano. Ive tried an online course that skipped a lot of the basics i feel like i want to learn. Your course seems very interesting and i cant wait to start with it! Thanks for offering this!!
You're really welcome! Good luck with the course, let me know how you get on, and give me a shout if you ever have any problems with it!
This is wonderful advice. I know multiple instruments and each instrument I still have a different song for each to warm up. 30 minutes and if I get it wrong well it's time to see what's going on lol. It's cool how you can just choose any note and make a scale then chords from that scale. Music feels free emotionally but the time is never free.
All so true Bill. As a selfteaching pianoplayer I recognize everything you say so I wrote down all 10 problems and printed them as a reminder. Many thanks!
Thanks Bill. I'm 72 and have been working at your For Beginners course for a year now. Before I started your course my music education stopped in primary school, but I'm happy now to be able to read music and pick out some simple tunes. Keep up the good work!
You're welcome, and thanks for the kind words! I'm glad to hear the course is working, and I hope you continue to make progress. 72 is on the young side compared to some of the learners I've seen make progress, so you should have lots of room for development yet. Good luck, and get in touch if I can help in any way!
Bill, I take hope from a story about Pablo Casals who when asked why he continued to practice his cello at the age of 90 said because I'm noticing some improvement. Would love to chat longer but I must get back to the piano. Cheers to you Bill!
You have given some real solid advice and provided some helpful and directional content. Unlike many other piano channels that feed you a lot of unstructured information keeping your progress un-evolving and inefficient. Thank you.
You're welcome - I'm glad it helped!
Most important message about learning piano I've seen. Having been taught properly and now recapping in later life all these issues ring true. Feel like I have a teacher again. Thank you. I'm not convinced you can learn piano alone or online at all. There are a lot of used digital pianos for sale in barely played condition. It's tough.
Thanks Rob! I think it is possible to succeed as a self-teacher - I’ve seen people do it - but it’s not easy, and I’d guess that the majority who set out don’t make it. That people’s definitions of “learn piano” vary: some just want to play enough to be able to handle a few of their favourite songs, while others want to learn to a professional level.
This the first video I’ve seen of yours and this is completely correct.
I’ve taught myself piano and I think for just random TH-cam videos (goal-write music) and i have done pretty well but then I reached a wall where there was nothing else I could teach myself and there was other things I wanted to learn but I couldn’t find. It was such a rough time for me because I knew what I thought I needed to get better but there was nothing for me to learn it.
Eventually I decided to get a piano teacher in the area and it’s been amazing and my creative flow is in full gear but feedback is something I need so bad I realized. I think you should definitely try piano lessons having that other person is has works wonders for me but good luck on your piano journey
This is valuable regardless of the domain you're learning, it's Learning how to learn! So often it is the foundation that is lacking and thank you for that "reinforcement" because there's a difference between what is basic and what is foundational... I just discovered you on TH-cam and subscribed. I will be checking out your course. I took piano lessons when I was a child and I still play today as a hobby. I want to sharpen up my skills again, so I look forward to seeing your course.
This is very good advice! I'd like to add something from a more holistic perspective, to do with brain health and learning.
Firstly, general health affects your brain function, so...
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Sleep
Secondly, sleep is when memory consolidation occurs. Your brain can only hold so much new information before it gets tired. Don't try to learn too much in one day. Aim for only one new thing, practice it, sleep, then practice it again the next day to make sure it stuck before moving on to the next new thing.
Thirdly, and this one may seem a bit weird, but it worked for me after more than one failed attempt at learning to play the piano... If you have a mentally taxing job that involves different things each day and a lot of thinking, you're already pushing the limits of your brain's learning and memory capacity. After work I was tired and had trouble focusing on anything for more than a few minutes. I'm not an early bird so practicing before work was a no go. What I did was sleep for one to three hours straight after work (no alarm, just woke naturally) to give my brain a chance to recharge, then I had a meal and did my piano practice before going to bed properly and sleeping for another five to six hours. I naturally have a biphasic sleep pattern so this worked very well for me.
This is really interesting - thanks very much! The stuff about sleep is tremendously interesting - there’s quite a lot of stuff in the research literature about successful musicians tending to sleep a lot, especially in their years of most in their years of most intense training. Thanks again!
16:00 oversupination, leading to numb/lazy/weak 4 and 5. You might want to try at speed Chopin's 2 opus 10, and Godowsky étude 3 for the left hand; Chopin 6 op 25 and Godowsky 36 are also good.
Oversupination as a result of radioulnar synostosis: basically my wrists are fused. So I can play as many Godowsky études as I like, and I’ll still oversupinate!
This is great! I was chugging along learning with a teacher then
moved and found your channel and Patreon …But After a few years of fun but still a bit beginner, I had to take a pretty long hiatus for carpel tunnel surgery.
I’m fully healed and probably stronger now but having a a nard time jumping back in. I can still site read book 1 stuff enough to play but really want to get back to improving.
I now have a plan. Don’t jump into the deep end! Go back to beginning 😊
This was great thank you. I’ve been teaching myself piano and felt in a rut lately, all of your points were on the mark.
Thank you - I'm glad it was helpful!
I am a self-taught piano player and composer and have been playing since I was a little kid (I’m in my mid-60s now). Over the years I had to move primarily into composing because of career and family demands and practice time was less necessary in order to get good results. Now I’m trying to resurrect my technic and it’s proving to be daunting. Motivation is the issue. However, I keep remembering Benjamin Franklin’s (an autodidact) words: “He who is self-taught hath a fool for a teacher.” It’s good to get input from another source and reduce the foolishness a little. Thanks for the video.
You're very welcome, Mike! If any of this helps you composition work, please let me know (I'd love to hear it!)
@@BillHilton I can’t help but think that improving my technic will help my composition - especially the way I go about it using a DAW and software and hardware synths. Here’s a link to one of my pieces (thanks for asking): th-cam.com/video/pTa983LqdU8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EfnzryNCjdXo0-tp
The "its just pressing buttons" mentality really resonates with me as I started like that and only in recent years have I started to really listen and improvising stuff.
Great video
Thank you, Jorge! Yes, it's a pretty major problem, and continues to be for almost all piano players - because the thing makes the sound for us it's easy to stop paying attention to the actually sounds...!
Ive done a lot of learning about learning. And this might be the single greatest quick resource for an overview of common pitfalls Ive ever come across.
This stuff applies across the board, and thats exactly the sort of body of knowledge I'm looking to identify and compile right now.
This is damn near 10 commandments level..
Bravo!
A little tip for anyone searching for a good pathway after finishing the Beginner's course: There are several certified piano courses that have downloadable pdfs for their syllabus. In this way, you can progress through certain 'levels' of skill, by learning pieces, etudes, rhythm exercises, musical hearing exercises, etc. These levels of course prepare you for some form of official examination, but nothing is stopping you for using these syllabuses(syllabi?) as clear milestones for your own progression. I went with the Canadian standard (RCM), but there are several others (ABRSM, Henle).
I am a beginner (a week) and this is great information for me to keep in mind. Thank you!
You're welcome, Alan! Good luck, let me know how you get on, and feel free to ask any questions...!
This is great- thank you! I just started sharing videos on my TH-cam channel in the hope of making music literacy accessible to all. Learning to read music opens up a whole new world for musicians.
You're welcome - and good luck with the channel. It's tougher to get started on TH-cam than it used to be, but it's worth sticking with: your content looks good!
Great video! Appreciate the new style of video Bill! Been watching your stuff almost since the beginning of my piano playing like 8 years ago. I loved all of the points you made, especially the last problem of not listening while your playing, which you added your piano playing to, hammering home the point even better.
Thanks Andrew, and I’m glad you like this approach! I’m going to continue with the “traditional” camera over the keyboard videos, but intersperse them with a few like this. I’m also going to experiment with breaking up the camera overhead vids with occasional face to camera and walk/talk sections, as I feel it’s a slightly more engaging way of getting information across that just waving my hands over the keyboard. I’ll be interested to know what you think!
Thanks very much! Good tips. Adult learner here working through Alfred's with a teacher but glad to have come across this video and will definitely check out your other content. Cheers
You’re welcome, Chris - give me a shout if you have any questions or want pointing to specific tutorials for specific problems!
This is great Bill, thanks. It also makes me think it can help in my painting - I have relooked back at a painting after a while and seen it for what it is, but especially the things I'd do better. This has made me demoralised, whereas you've made me see it as a positive, it's learning. Ta mate.
You're welcome! Interesting that so many of these principles apply across domains, and especially creative domains. Personal morale is a really tricky thing when you're doing anything creative. If we always felt we were doing fine that wouldn't be good, because we'd get complacent, but equally the feeling that you're perpetually underachieving (which, I find, is pretty much universal among people who work hard at their skills) can sometimes be really crushing. The trick is to just keep grinding on...!
@@BillHilton I think the trick is to enjoy the process, but for that you need to see progress. Which makes a look back even more powerful. It means doing those scales and opposite hand exercises make you feel you're on the way, they're all exciting extra steps on your path.
@@gingerfreak01 a good point: something I like to tell people is that learning music (for which, I guess, read any art or complex skill) is less of a journey (with a “destination”) than a territory to explore. Being goal-oriented is good at the level of day-to-day practice is good (in fact, pretty much essential) but when it leads to over-focus on the “destination” it starts to cause problems. The mindset I try to adopt is that I’ve been learning the piano for 41 years, but that I haven’t yet “learned the piano” (and I never will). A lot of parentheses in that comment (!) but I hope you get the point I’m reaching for!
@@BillHilton I do, and you mention that in this video (or one of your others, I've watched loads!). I just can't get away from the fact that I do have a destination in mind - I write songs. I'm self taught on guitar, trained in vocals and brass instruments (I hated going through that) and want to get where I can play well enough while having fun (unlike with the brass, which I love playing but hated learning).
And where, like with guitar, I can mess about and discover things but have a base level to build on. Exploration and self-expression follows.
Also sorry for the parentheses!
@@BillHilton Thank you for taking time to respond Bill.
Thanks for all this information! I have gone through all the shortcuts you mentioned and am stuck. Now Imknow how to proceed.
You're welcome, Doug - let me know how you get on!
I love you Bill!!! This is brilliant, advice! Greetings from Ghana!
This is really great advice, you've obviously spent a good amount of time researching the topic learning in general and we appreciate it.
I hadn't played for 25 years until early last year and watching videos and taking advice from you and people like you has accelerated my abilities hugely. Thank you.
You’re really welcome! A lot of the research came from working on my last book (where I did the typical thing and got so interested in the research the whole project took about nine times as long as it should have…). Anyway, there are loads of really interesting, underexploited nuggets of knowledge out there - eg tie ups between musicianship and sports science. Anyway, glad it helped!
I started playing Keyboard end of last year (and had it collect dust for some months since beginning of the year) and used your beginner lessons. I am 100% guilty of not mastering the basics before moving on. I still have struggle reading the notes, because I tend to go through the notes, learn and memorize which button comes next and where my hand has to be and then play that from memory. Also I rushed through the lessons a bit to get to a point where i can play/engage one or two songs i like, so my motivation does not go out the window again like in the beginning of the year. but now i actually have to learn the stuff i rushed through, because lesson 8 actually gives me some problems
The notorious lesson 8 strikes again! (It's lesson 9 for some people...). You do raise a very valid and important point about motivation, though: it's easy for me to say "work hard on the basics", but I guess the basics don't always feel like progress, and people need a feeling of progress to motivate themselves to keep going, right?
Bill... you are pressing some of my buttons here. Even though I started learning the piano when I was 8, I have picked up some bad habits.
The lack of Path you mention, is spot on. I have so many songs I'd like to learn, but so little time.
I also have been "depressing" myself about the learning curve as I get older. But again you nailed it, because the maturity and self discipline that I have now, is nothing compared to when I was a kid.
So you just made my day Bill! Thanks! Much love from Denmark :-)
Thanks Dan - glad to hear it helped! One way of dealing with the depressing nature of the learning curve is to always have something you feel you're making progress with. So, for example, I always try to be working on something that is near the top of its curve (i.e., beginning to plateau = depressing); something in the middle that is making good progress (=motivating); and something at the bottom to bump up to the middle when the time comes. I realise those are micro learning curves rather than the whole macro thing, but I've always found that having *some* sort of sense of progress keeps me going, if you see where I'm coming from?
I feel like this applies to all self taught musicians. I learn the classical guitar and this video has been extremely useful.
That’s good to hear - glad it was helpful!
5:00 what for me helps a lot if i feel like I know it; or even if i feel like i'm getting stuck: I do it a final time before bed; the next day i'm usually better. There's something about subconcious processing it in your sleep that just works.
Absolutely - I'm actually thinking about making a video on sleep and practice, because something that's been noted in some of the research on expert musicianship is the amount that top musicians seem to sleep, at least in their student days. Like you say, it just seems to work as a practice tool (which is why I was so annoyed when I woke up at 4am today and couldn't get back to sleep 🤣)
You aced it Bill. Every one is winner. I'm a different kind of late beginner. Played guitar, mandolin, mandola, banjo and viola in every style from A to Z. Played in an orchestra as an adult doing classical mandola, so some of the beginner piano stuff is not hitting home for me. I quite like scales and know what I need to do. However at my age lessons are expensive and the clock is ticking. Of course I'm falling into a lot of the traps, but will take your advice on board.
Glad you liked it Phil - I don’t get many mandola players commenting: I imagine it’s a pretty challenging instrument in its own right (I’ve only ever tried mandolin).
Hello Bill and thank you for this video , every point you made my head was nodding , " yep that's me " ..... maybe now you've highlighted it I will be more aware and thoughtful in my daily practice routine, again thank you . 🤔😊
You're welcome Patricia!
Tendancy to race ...... my biggest sin! 🙂Great video you did!
Thanks Andreas - glad you liked it!
Great advice. Particularly isolating a problem bar and then re-integrating it, and keeping on playing previous pieces. Those are probably good advice for a lot of things.
I would only add 'Enjoy your music.' Music is a fundamental ingredient in our lives, walking in time to the beat, humming while doing the housework etc. don't make it a drudgery, practising isn't a punishment, it's a path to progress.
I got this randomly recommended and boy am I happy for it. Needed the advice.
Glad you liked it!
A really excellent video. As a lifetime learner of a number of musical instruments (and many other things) this has application across all learning. It's also really well edited and presented.
Bill, you are the best. Thank you for everything you do! I look forward to finishing the course and continuing my learning with you after!
You're welcome Josh - good luck with finishing the course and give me a shout if there's anything I can do to help!
Bill is my teacher. He is the best! Thanks, Bill.
You're always welcome, Donna!
Okay. I’m convinced. Now 78 years old and totally back to basics after starting out many decades ago. A lot of what you say is me…I have drifted from to many tube lessons and never settled on one. Thing is I don’t have a piano as such. It’s an organ.. a real nice vintage sit up and beg with all the bells and whistles. Love it. Technique I’m sure will be different but the basics the same. I shall join your classes Bill but there will be a break as I’m off on some travels.
Excellent video, I teach piano and see these all the time with my youtube-taught students. The button pressing mentality in particular is a curse
Thanks Eleanor - you're the second music teacher to come along in the past couple of days and say this rings bells, so I'm really glad I seem to have landed on the right set of problems. Over the past year or so I've spent quite a lot of time thinking about this whole nexus of opportunities/difficulties that exist around self-teaching: on the one hand, TH-cam offers great opportunities to learners, especially adults, who don't have the time/inclination/funds to work with a teacher, but at the same time it presents this whole set of challenges with feedback, planning, direction and so on, many of which won't be obvious to a beginner who has just got hold of a digital piano for a few hundred pounds/euros/dollars and is trying to make sense of it by themselves. Anyhow, I'm always really interested to hear opinions from working teachers, so please do feel free to chip in whenever you like!
I’m pleasantly surprised to see Bill Hilton’s channel gaining popularity and to see his face. Good luck Bill, love your work ❤
Thank you very much indeed!
Thank you very much for your good concern
THANK YOU! This video is gold because most of it's applicable to problems self teaching guitar and singing as well. Loved the BBC documentary vibes with the camera garden walk and talk🤣 ❤
brilliant, thank you! you are talking not mere about the piano playing, but talks about the much wider picture of learning in general.
Wonderful video! Very encouraging Sir! Such insight and truth packed into this short video! Thanks very much!
Glad it was helpful - thank you!
Hi Bill. I finally managed to hook things up to be able to play my piano and have started playing it. Just yesterday I started going through your beginner's course and I must say, it is fantastic. However, as a someone who is self taught, my biggest fear is that I might make mistakes, be they in how I play, or I how I look at things related to playing and not even know I am wrong. I genuinely cannot put into words how invaluable this video has been, as basically every point hit home for me. Your course is amazing, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have stumbled on this video before I got too far into it. Thank you very much, the way you explain things motivates me to continue learning. Also, not only have you earned yourself a new subscriber, but also a new patron. I look forward to getting to know more from your content ❤
All good points, and it also applies to saxophone. (my instrument of choice.)
One comment on brain elacity: adult are usually more results driven, and averse to experimentation. Allow yourself some leeway in your schedule to play freely, to make mistakes, to goof up, but enjoy the process. Then return to your scales.
Your brain learns better when you're relaxed and 'safe', than when you're feeling frustrated, and your muscles are tense. I've experienced this over and over again.
Excellent points, Jeroen - thanks very much for adding them!
The tick of doom part was really helpful, I never thought about this, but it makes so much sense now...
I’m so glad I found this. I’m on lesson 2 of the beginners course and this advice will be helpful.
The ‘hitting buttons’ thing kinda hit home, I’ve been using synthesia videos these last few months to play pieces I like, as I kinda just played casually. I’m gonna take it more serious and I’ll check out your guide. Great video 👍
Whoa! Just discovered this channel! I instantly know it’s a winner! I’m a self taught beginner pianist, however I’ve been playing drums for 40 years at an advanced level with a formal education. I’ve also been playing guitars my whole life but I’m entirely self taught there, I’m probably at the entry level of what would be considered advanced on a guitar, or maybe at the high intermediate level. I have a degree and masters in music production which has also massively helped my overall music journey.
I’m seriously away to attack the piano and guitar over the next few years as I’m eager to boost my overall musicianship experience and skills. My theory and understanding far surpasses my physical ability on the piano and guitar. I’ve watched countless piano and guitar videos and channels, however this channel feels different, this feels like it’s ”THE ONE!” I’ve been holding out for! 😂 I’ll be singing up for your courses and Patreon!
Cheers! And greetings from Aberdeen Scotland! 🏴🍻
That's great to hear, thanks very much! Do give me a yell if there's anything I can do to help you or if you run into any problems!
@@BillHilton - You’re welcome! Thanks! Talk soon! 😁
I just decided to leave my teacher and self teach. There is so much out there that I was getting confused. But your video was fantastic! It addressed most of my questions. I will definately check out your course. Thank you!
You're welcome, Donna - I'm glad it helped. If you have any specific questions or problems about anything in the course, give me a shout. It sometimes takes me a while to reply to comments, but I always get there in the end (and if I don't, remind me!)
My digital piano arrived today and had a free 3-month subscription to Skoove. I've been holding off trying it because it seems more like you're matching buttons on a screen than really learning.
Just found out about your channel with this video (YT suggestion). I love how you explain every scenario, and I'm definitely going to check out your videos!
Thank you very much! Let me know how you get on with the tutorials, and give me a shout if you have any questions! I have a bit of a backlog of comments to deal with at the moment (a lot have been coming in, especially from this video) but I try to reply to them all eventually...!
Thank you for helping me straighten my goals for learning the piano. Have a wonderful day sir.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 *🎹 Overview of Self-Taught Piano Course*
- Bill reflects on the unexpected success of his self-taught piano course on TH-cam, reaching millions of viewers.
- He highlights the learning experience gained from observing self-teaching piano players.
- Bill introduces the 10 most common problems faced by self-teaching pianists.
01:06 *🏃 Problem 1: Tendency to Race*
- Many beginners rush through early lessons, finding subsequent lessons disproportionately challenging.
- Solution: Emphasize working hard on basic skills to build a strong foundation for progression.
02:32 *🧭 Problem 2: Lack of Direction*
- Without a clear pathway, self-teaching pianists often struggle to make progress amid the abundance of online tutorials.
- Solution: Follow a structured course or curriculum to provide direction and focus.
04:07 *🕰️ Problem 3: The Tick of Doom*
- The "tick of doom" phenomenon occurs when learners prematurely consider a skill mastered, only to find regression later.
- Solution: Push past the point of initial mastery to ensure long-term retention and proficiency.
05:29 *🎵 Problem 4: Neglecting Scales and Exercises*
- Self-teaching pianists often overlook the importance of regular practice with scales and exercises.
- Solution: Incorporate scales and exercises into practice routines to improve finger strength, flexibility, and overall skill.
07:23 *📣 Problem 5: Lack of Feedback*
- Feedback is crucial for skill development but can be challenging to obtain for self-teaching pianists.
- Solution: Seek feedback from expert musicians or generate feedback by recording and reviewing performances.
09:11 *💡 Problem 6: Inefficient Practice*
- Inefficient practice habits, such as repeatedly playing through pieces from the beginning, waste valuable time.
- Solution: Adopt an "attack the problem" mentality, focusing on challenging sections for targeted improvement.
10:21 *🧠 Problem 7: Unknown Unknowns*
- Learners may be unaware of gaps in their knowledge or misunderstandings about certain aspects of piano playing.
- Solution: Stay vigilant for blind spots and seek guidance from experienced teachers to address unknown unknowns.
12:00 *🌟 Problem 8: Underestimating Strengths and Overestimating Weaknesses*
- Adult learners often underestimate their strengths and overestimate their weaknesses, hindering progress.
- Solution: Embrace maturity and perseverance as strengths, cultivating a growth mindset to overcome self-doubt.
13:23 *🔁 Problem 9: Insufficient Reinforcement*
- Failure to reinforce learning leads to slower progress, particularly for adult learners.
- Solution: Regularly revisit and reinforce foundational skills and concepts to solidify learning and accelerate progress.
15:13 *⚙️ Problem 10: Button-Pushing Mentality*
- Relying solely on rote memorization of key presses neglects crucial aspects of musical expression and interpretation.
- Solution: Develop active listening skills to appreciate nuances in articulation, dynamics, and expression for meaningful musical performance.
That's very thorough - thank you very much indeed for taking the time and making the effort!
Great video, I need time to assimilate each point you mentioned. Thanks!!!
You're welcome, Joel - glad it was helpful!
Foe me, my biggest booster on my learning has been to play keys on a pop/rock band. That has helped quite a lot with rhythm, listening to other people instruments, complement them and knowing that you need to continue, even if you make a mistake. Fast recovery from that is crucial on a band. Show must go on!. I am about five and a half years on my playing journey and one year and a half playing on the band. We have done so far five gigs and have another one in a week. We rehearsal weekly, also a very important thing.
Playing in public, in general, is also a real booster. I have been playing any piano I can play on any venue, from stations to hotels. And I am just a beginner. But people enjoy it if there is passion on your playing. Don't be shy, communicate your inner music by playing to people. The first time I got an applause I joyfully cried. I was less than two years playing back then, and it was a humbling event.
This is a really excellent insight, Jose - thanks very much indeed. Any kind of playing with a band, or public playing, is hugely beneficial. I hope you continue to make good progress!