Can you learn to play piano without studying music theory? Yes, of course. So why learn it? Students who have not had systematic instruction in music theory later find that there are a lot of holes in their understanding of music, so they are unable to make further progress until the holes are filled in. It is much easier to learn the theory along the way as you learn to play your instrument.
Music Reading Early instruction in music theory is almost entirely devoted to helping the student to become a better music reader. Students are learning to read rhythm, pitch, intervals and chords. They must learn new vocabulary, symbols and stylistic markings. Learning to read music is like learning a new language; students must spend time reviewing and practicing in order to master it. Studying music theory helps students to recognize patterns and structures, so that they can read music faster and with greater accuracy. Accompaniment and Improvisation In the beginning, students are learning to play the music that is written on the page, but eventually most students will want to play in a band, play for worship services, or provide accompaniment for someone else. This generally requires a different skill set beyond simply reading the notes on the page. It requires an understanding of chords, inversions, functional harmony and cadences. They may have to play from a lead sheet or chord chart and perhaps even have to transpose a piece to a different key. Students who study jazz will need to have a complete understanding of scales, chords and keys in order to improvise. Auditions, Entrance Exams Theory tests are often a requirement for music competitions and music camps, and students who are applying to be music majors in college are generally required to take a theory test as part of the audition process. Students are expected to read all musical notation and to know all vocabulary. More advanced competitions and college entrance exams will require students to analyze music using standard chord notation. Students who have studied music theory from the beginning have no difficulty with these types of exams, but it can be quite stressful to students who have no background in music theory. Music is highly organized and mathematical. If we learn how music is put together, then we have a greater capacity to understand it. Piano is the ideal instrument on which to learn music theory, as it is the only instrument on which the relationships between notes can be visually seen and observed. Music theory is only intimidating if theory instruction is delayed and there is an overwhelming volume of information to be learned. If we learn it in small increments, as we learn to play, it is easy to learn, and we gain a deeper understanding of the music that we play.
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Many students feel a great deal of angst when the word metronome is mentioned. Students often find it more difficult to play with a metronome than to play without it, so why bother? Well, the truth is that students who keep good time have little difficulty playing with a metronome, and those who do not keep good time have a lot of difficulty playing with a metronome. So the irony is that the students who most dislike playing with a metronome are the ones who most need to use one. In this post, I will address the top three reasons to practice with a metronome, as well as some pointers on how to practice effectively with a metronome.
1. Consistent Time This is the obvious, but we are truly unaware of our fluctuations in tempo. We tend to slow down in sections that are more difficult or rhythmically dense, and we tend to speed up in sections that are easier or rhythmically sparse. This is normal, but we need the metronome to keep us honest. It is particularly challenging to maintain consistent tempos just before and during transitions, as we anticipate page turns, key changes, etc. 2. Locking in Tempos As we become more familiar and comfortable with the music, we gradually pick up speed. That is a good thing until we reach our target tempo, but unfortunately we sometimes exceed the target tempo, and we lose part of the character of the piece by rushing through it. This has to do with muscle memory. Our muscles actually anticipate the next move, so if we rehearse passages too quickly, it is difficult to hold back the tempo. If we rehearse them too slowly, our hands are not yet ready for the next beat. This is a particular challenge when you rehearse a piece over a long period of time, such as preparing for a recital or concert. It is also problematic if you are accompanying someone, or playing with other musicians where there is a conductor setting the tempo. 3. Playing with Others If you cannot play with a metronome, then you cannot play with an ensemble. Pianists are notorious for being unable to play with a group, and drummers and guitar players are often frustrated by a pianist who cannot settle into a groove. Pianists are so accustomed to playing alone and setting their own tempos that when they play with others, they expect everyone else to follow them. This is an unrealistic expectation. Rhythm players cannot play consistent, even patterns with a fluctuating tempo. Everyone can settle into a groove if the tempo is consistent, but if the tempo is all over the place, everyone will continue to struggle to stay together. How to practice with a metronome
When we rehearse with a metronome, the responsibility for internally maintaining tempo is removed, so you can depend on the metronome for time and focus your efforts on landing everything in the right place. Ironically, there is freedom in this, as your body settles in to the tempo, and your muscles and fingers memorize the tempo. This question is frequently asked by piano students, and even parents will sometimes say that they were required to learn them, but they never used them for anything, so they didn't see the point in learning them. In fact, there are many piano teachers who have given up on teaching scales, or perhaps they never learned them either. I had been taking piano lessons for about seven years before I was ever required to learn scales and chords. I found them difficult to learn at that stage, but I soon learned that scales are always an audition requirement for piano competitions, music schools, colleges, and symphony orchestras. I was very excited to start learning about chords, though, because I found them to be the missing link that had been holding me back in my understanding of music theory and accompaniment. Scales and chords really are essential to learning and understanding music theory, and they also have great benefits in the development of good technique and fingering.
Benefits of learning to play scales:
Benefits of learning about chords:
Students who have a good understanding of scales and chords have a greater understanding of how music is put together and how it works, so they have a greater capacity to read, learn, play, and memorize music. It really is best to learn them early and well for the greatest benefit to the musician. My students are generally required to play on recital twice each year. Sometimes people ask me why I require my students to do this. Many say that they don't want to perform; they only want to play for their own enjoyment. Even if that is the case, I believe that playing on recital is a very important step in your journey toward learning to play the piano. The reasons are numerous.
1. Perfecting for performance When we prepare to play a piece for recital, we perfect it on a different level for performance. We go beyond the notes and the rhythms, and work more on the details, like bringing out the melody line in one hand, and working out all the phrasing and stylistic markings. We don't always have time to do all of these things for every piece in our weekly lessons, but since we work on our recital pieces for several weeks, we have the time to dig into the details. 2. Learning to memorize Memorization comes more easily to some than to others, but all piano students can learn to memorize music, if they start early enough. We have to train our brains to memorize, by breaking it up into manageable chunks. If we start learning to memorize when the music is simpler, then it becomes easier to memorize later when the music is more complex. In doing this, we learn how the music is organized and put together. Memorizing music also reinforces the concepts that we are learning in music theory, such as how phrases tend to end on dominant or tonic tones, and how common chord progressions show up in our music. 3. Continuing motivation Playing on recital is an opportunity to showcase what you have learned. It helps students to evaluate how far they've come since the last recital, and it is an opportunity to share their progress with others. 4. Performing for an audience Performing for an audience is a very different experience than playing alone or at home for family. The piano is different, the room is different, the whole environment is different. A big part of learning to perform for an audience is learning to tune out the environment and focus on the music. It can be a challenge, but it gets better with time and experience. 5. Learning concert etiquette Yes, there are etiquette rules for recitals and concerts. Most people are aware that the audience should remove their hats, silence their cell phones, and refrain from talking, but there are other etiquette rules as well. For instance, if you must leave the room during recital, you should not re-enter the room until the piece is finished and you hear applause. If a performer is playing a piece with multiple movements, the audience generally should not applaud between movements, but should hold their applause until after the last movement. These kinds of etiquette rules are often unknown to young students, and perhaps even their parents, but recitals are a great place to learn them. Unfortunately, some of my teaching philosophy has been shaped by things that were lacking in my own musical education. I can only remember playing on a few piano recitals as a very young student, but as an older student, I never played on recital. As a result, I did not stick with many pieces long enough to perfect them, and as a high school and college student, memorizing piano pieces sometimes seemed like an insurmountable task. It is my desire to prepare my students for whatever lies ahead in their musical experience, and I do not want their opportunities to be limited because I did not provide them the training and performance opportunities that they needed. Learning to perform on recital should be done early and often, because the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. So even if you only want to learn to play for your own pleasure, you never know when you might have an occasion to play for an audience, and you'll want to be prepared. Piano teachers often tell their students how many days or how much time they should practice each week, but sometimes students are unsure of exactly what they should be doing during all that time. A student may even wonder what in the world they could do to fill the time during a practice session. Below are my recommendations for using practice time wisely.
1. Everything three times In order to master the material assigned, I believe that it is a best practice to rehearse each assigned item at least three times in each practice session. If you only play it once, you'll probably be dealing with the same issues the next time you sit down to practice. Playing everything three times ensures that you will make some progress each day that you practice. 2. Scales The first couple of days with a new scale, it is important to use your fingering charts to ensure that you are using the correct fingering. If you continue to make the same mistakes, you are training your fingers to play those mistakes. It is much easier to correct issues early on. Remember to play each scale three times. 3. Chords If you have started to learn chords, always begin with root position chords first, as this gets us grounded in the key. If inversions have been assigned, play those next. Remember that the chords use the same notes (sharps, flats, white keys) as the corresponding scale. Don't forget to play each chord progression three times! 4. Pieces There are many layers to address in a new piece, so I suggest addressing a few at a time. In your first couple of readings, you will of course be focusing on playing the right notes and the correct rhythms. Once you can get through the piece, then you'll need to isolate and work on problem areas, such as a particularly difficult measure, a transition to a new section, a page turn, or a key change. When this is accomplished, many students believe that they have learned the piece, and that they're finished, but this is only the first layer. Once you can play through the piece fairly well without stopping, it's time to turn on the metronome. Remember to set the metronome at a tempo that is comfortable for you play. If it is too fast or too slow, adjust it until it is comfortable. Next, it's time to work on style. Work out any pedaling, make sure that you are playing any staccato or legato passages correctly, and then look for dynamic markings, tempo markings, etc. Once you can play the piece well, with good time, observing stylistic markings, check the metronome marking at the top of the page. If you aren't there yet, gradually increase your metronome setting until you are up to tempo. An additional step that can be helpful is to record and listen to yourself play. Listening to your piece may help you to discover and identify issues that you didn't notice while you were concentrating on reading and playing. Remember to play each piece through three times! 5. Theory/Notespeller Assignments Theory assignments are so important to understanding the music that you are playing. Use a pencil, so that you can correct any errors, and remember that some assignments are easier to do if you are sitting at or near the piano. 6. Practice Log Don't forget to log your time! Following these suggestions can help you to practice more effectively and efficiently, so that you can master your assignments, and move on to something new.
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