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Learning how to play the piano without piano classes: The basics in 12 steps

Updated: Jul 6, 2022


Learning how to play the piano
play the piano


When you are ready to begin studying the piano, it is possible that you will not be ready to begin taking piano classes immediately. Follow these steps to get started teaching yourself to learn piano. Start right away at home, without having to travel to piano classes!


Considering that there are 88 keys to learning, learning the piano is unquestionably both a physical and mental challenge. All the effort is worth it, though, when the pianist strikes those notes and creates lovely sounds with their instrument.


However, it is not the only thing that makes piano so beautiful. According to research, learning piano may help youngsters improve their linguistic abilities. There's also the notion that pianists' brains have a much different (and amazing) amount of brain capacity than the average person.


Fortunately, all you actually need is two things: a piano or a keyboard and a desire to put in the effort to learn. You may worry about stuff like musical notation later on if you want to.


The following article will take you step-by-step through the process of obtaining, familiarising with, and practising on a keyboard or a piano.


How To Teach Yourself Piano in 12 Steps without piano classes:


It's important to remember that mastering any instrument requires a commitment to consistent practise. If you're prepared to learn the piano without taking any formal piano classes and are willing to putting in a lot of time practising, then let's get started!


The piano is a one-of-a-kind and intriguing instrument that is also enjoyable to play. You may believe that it is difficult to become a good and consistent musician without spending a colossal amount of money on years and years of pricey piano classes, but this is not always true. You can learn piano with a little bit of understanding about just the notes, keys, and chords, as well as a lot of repetition and practise.


1) Piano Classes 101: Playing by Ear

Locate a piano or keyboard to play on.

Acoustic pianos are normally more costly than electronic keyboards, depending on the style of piano.


If you are unable to locate a piano, a keyboard might serve as an excellent substitute. They're reasonably priced, never fall out of tune, and include a variety of sounds and functions that may be used to improve your music listening experience. A keyboard is an excellent tool for those who are just starting off. You may always start on a keyboard and afterwards progress to a piano later on.

Purchase a keyboard that is designed for learning. These specialised devices light up in a certain sequence to assist you in learning songs more quickly and efficiently. Generally, they come with articles and books that will assist you in learning how to read and write in musical notation.


Take some time to sit down at the piano or keyboard and become acquainted with it. Play around with it and try to identify the middle tones (in the centre of the piano), flat tones (left black keys), sharp tones (right black keys), bass tones (low noises), and high tones (at the top of the keyboard) (high sounds). Pay close attention to every one of them and take note of how they vary from the others. Continue to practise until you are able to recognise the differences between them.


2) Learn Piano: The major keys


If you want to be able to recognise the sounds that you hear, you'll need to learn the main keys. This is done by some piano students by studying the main keys and then allocating a number to each of them.


For example, the numbers 1 through 8 are C, D, E, F, and G.

  • The numbers 1 through 8 are A, B, and C.

  • Observe that how figures 8 and 1 both embody the note C, but the number symbolises a lower or higher C.

  • Middle C is represented by the number 1.

  • You can categorise music with numbers instead of letters if you know how to do so after you have learned how.

  • For example, the notes in "Mary Had a Little Lamb" would be E - D - C - D - E - E - E. This would be represented as 3 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 3 - 3.

If you don't have any prior musical training, you'll have to figure it out via trial and error or YouTube videos on how to learn piano.


3) Learn to play Piano: The chords


The majority of songs are made up of different chord progressions. Despite the fact that you'll hear them in various keys, the chords are all made out of the identical intervals. Identification of the notes that make up the chords is critical when trying to figure out the melody of a song by ear. Learn how to play piano by learning the fundamental chords and where they are situated on the piano.


Play the chords to get acquainted with the tone of them so that you can identify them when you hear them. Even if you aren't familiar with the name of the chord, you should be familiar with its sound. The ability to distinguish whether the chords are in a low or high range, as well as where they are placed, is also necessary for successful chord identification.


The C Major triad (or chord), which is composed of the notes C, E, and G, is one of the most straightforward chords to master. Starting with middle C (right hand fingering is 1, 3, and 5; left hand fingering is 5, 3 & 1), play this chord in multiple octaves on the piano, always maintaining C as the lowest note.


4) Notice patterns during your home piano lessons


Musical structures are the building blocks of all songs. When played in a continuous beat or rhythm, chords tend to repeat themselves. Knowing the patterns or chord progressions that you hear will make it much simpler to perform a song that you have heard in your head. You'll be capable of figuring out which chords are used in conjunction with others. This will assist you in comprehending how melodies and baselines are formed, which will assist you in creating your own songs as well.


Understanding the fundamentals of music theory might make it simpler for you to identify and assess these patterns. It will help you build a firm foundation for as you learn piano by ear. You may access a plethora of music theory information on websites such as YouTube and MusicTheory.net, to learn more about how to learn piano without piano classes.


5) Master humming


Internalizing the melody is much easier by humming. Afterwards, you'll be more confident in your ability to play it on a piano. To put it another way, hum the music. Then, take a seat in front of the piano and play it again. Once you've memorised the chords and know what the notes will look like, you ought to be able to replicate them by ear without any difficulty.


6) Review finger placement.


To really play, you must be aware of which fingers should be used to press the keys. The most effective method of doing this is to get a fundamental grasp of finger placement from a good introductory learn piano book. The fingers are labelled with numbers. For example, the thumb is number one and the pinky is number five. These books will instruct you about how to play every note by instructing you on which finger to use to play it.


7) Practice. Listen to songs


Listen to a song you want to learn on the piano. Then try to imitate them by humming and see if you can recreate the tune on your piano or keyboard. Alternative: Choose a song that you enjoy and, using the methods you've learned, try, and play it by ear as best you can. Developing into a proficient pianist takes a great deal of work. You'll need to practise at least three times a week, just as you would at an organised music school that provides piano classes.


8) Learn Piano Keys


Learn the fundamentals of piano playing. 88 keys are found on a piano's keyboard. Naturals are white piano keys that, when pushed, produce a natural note, as opposed to black piano keys. When played, the black piano keys produce a sharp or flat note, which is why they are known as accidentals.

  • There are seven naturals available on the keyboard: C-D-E-F-G-A-B

  • There are five accidentals on each octave, and they may be either sharp or flat in nature.

  • Learning to read music requires familiarising yourself with the names of the left and right hand staffs, which are respectively known as the bass clef and treble clef.


9) Practice playing scales


Scales allow you to get more acquainted with the notes and the sounds they produce. If you are learning to sight read, playing music as you, sight read can assist you in understanding where the notes are positioned on the staff as well as what they look like on the page of music. Play the scales for each hand one at a time, starting with the first. Then combine them to play with both hands as you learn piano without piano classes.


10) Learn some easy songs


Make your way through your self-taught piano classes using your instructional learn piano texts. They will instruct you on how to play simple tunes as well as how to master finger positioning. Practicing with simple songs also allows you to learn where the notes are situated, which helps you to enhance your sight-reading skills as a result. Begin with the key of C major.


Then, make your way through the minor keys, becoming comfortable with each one as you go. First, while you are rehearsing a piece of music, attempt to perform the melody and bass lines for each hand independently for each instrument. Once your ability to play each instrument improves, you should try practising them together.


11) Practice, practice, practice


A great deal of practise is required to become proficient at the piano and to learn piano. Playing with sheet music can help you become more adept at sight reading and playing. Plan on training three to four times a week for around a half hour each time. You should not go to the following lesson unless you have completely learned the lesson plan.


12) Hiring a Piano Teacher


Find a piano teacher to help you. Taking piano classes is expensive, but it is also the most effective, method of learning music. A competent piano teacher will not only have a demonstrated track record of assisting novices in learning music, but they will also be capable of teaching you the fundamentals of the piano in the proper manner. Using an instructor may help you prevent undesirable habits that can be difficult to break once they have been formed.

  • Work with a teacher to review music theory, sight reading, fingering, and playing techniques.

  • Inquire with the teacher about where the notes are positioned on the staff and on the keyboard.

  • These professionals may also assist you in achieving particular objectives, like as perfecting your favourite music or improving your improvisational capabilities.


Decide on how often you will meet with a piano instructor. Given that your ultimate objective is to teach oneself how to play, it is unlikely that you will be seeing a teacher on a regular basis. Visit a teacher once a month to get an update on your progress and to ask any questions you have about anything that has been mystifying you so far. For example, you could be wondering whether you're performing a song at the perfect pace or if you're playing it too fast.


Happy Playing!

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