I started learning the keyboard on my own about 2 years ago. Although progress has been steady, it tended to come in fits & spurts. My current dilemma concerns maintaining the tempo & flow of the piece and, at the same time, playing the correct notes. Is it advised to concentrate on playing the correct notes & worry about the tempo & flow later? Or should I work on tempo & flow in spite of playing the wrong notes? Thank you for any advice.
Stuck on the Learning Plateau
- Thread starter Rizzo
- Start date
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Accuracy first, tempo last, gradually increasing once you've committed the notes to muscle memory.
As I suspected. Thank you for confirming.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
Hi Rizzo,
I also taught myself to play keyboard.
I takes time and dedication.
Patience and practice are essential elements to it.
You have been at it for two years and still keen so that is positive. (10 years plus for me).
Your concern is the tempo and flow, however don't stress over this. If timing is out of sync, then you just need to practice that piece regularly until the muscle memory kicks in, as @happyrat1 mentioned.
Play with slower tempo so that the left hand and right hand coordination can adjust to smooth compatibility.
Gradually speed it up as you progress.
Enjoy.
Ray
I also taught myself to play keyboard.
I takes time and dedication.
Patience and practice are essential elements to it.
You have been at it for two years and still keen so that is positive. (10 years plus for me).
Your concern is the tempo and flow, however don't stress over this. If timing is out of sync, then you just need to practice that piece regularly until the muscle memory kicks in, as @happyrat1 mentioned.
Play with slower tempo so that the left hand and right hand coordination can adjust to smooth compatibility.
Gradually speed it up as you progress.
Enjoy.
Ray
Start slow, build up the tempo, try to not pause if you play the wrong note just keep playing.
Above all do not play the same piece over and over again, play it say three times then move on to the next piece.
Above all do not play the same piece over and over again, play it say three times then move on to the next piece.
Interesting point. My gut feeling would be to repeat the same piece in order to build brain memory, but not to the point of mindless boredom & losing concentration. Might not moving on to the next piece after 3 repeats be insufficient?
I ask this not to challenge your suggestion, but rather to develop my learning strategy. Thank you.
I relate playing to learning to golf. Block practice (playing the same thing over and over) is good in limited quantities. To get to the next level, random practice is key.
As the others have said, accuracy comes before tempo. If you can't get it right at slow speeds, the problem will only be amplified with speed.
If you get bored with your songs, work on scales. It sounds boring, but add double thirds, triads and 7th to each scale. You'll learn quite a bit and it's a break from the same songs.
As the others have said, accuracy comes before tempo. If you can't get it right at slow speeds, the problem will only be amplified with speed.
If you get bored with your songs, work on scales. It sounds boring, but add double thirds, triads and 7th to each scale. You'll learn quite a bit and it's a break from the same songs.
I am on a similar journey---year 8 for me if memory serves (starting late in life doesn't help) ---my tutor tried to get me to integrate rythm from the start (and some other tutors do also judging from what my music buds tell me) However , I personally find that the 'pilot load ' of melody and left hand plus rythm is just too much. So for me its ---note accuracy first ---then left chords---then when all that's 'confident' ---rythm. My tutor has recognised this and helps me in my chosen method.-
We each develop our own systems.
There is no right or wrong, just what works for each of us.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
I still struggle with fingering.
Not having a tutor, I taught myself bad habits.
Consequently, I can often play a wrong note at an inappropriate time because I didn't learn the proper way using the number method . .thumb being 1 and Pinky being 5 . etc...
Now I am trying to correct myself it is more difficult.
Not having a tutor, I taught myself bad habits.
Consequently, I can often play a wrong note at an inappropriate time because I didn't learn the proper way using the number method . .thumb being 1 and Pinky being 5 . etc...
Now I am trying to correct myself it is more difficult.
Rayblewit
Love Music / Love Life
happyrat1
Destroyer of Eardrums!!!
Good Tutorial Links
In the interests of sharing with the community, I propose that we use this thread to share online piano and keyboard tutorial and resource websites which we have found useful and might help others. I'd also like to propose that Becky makes this thread a sticky at the top of the forum...
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I would suggest you learn small sections of a piece at a time, even as little as one bar especially for difficult parts. Play it as many times as necessary until you can play it 3 times in a row with no mistakes (don't worry about tempo at this stage, start slowly). Build the piece a step at at time, adding a new section when the previous can be played correctly at a slow tempo.
When you can play the whole piece with few or no mistakes then you can start working on Tempo.
As you progress don't keep repeating the parts you can play easily, concentrate on the difficult bits. (eg if you keep making mistakes in a particular bar or section, repeat that bar/section until you get it right and ignore the easier bars either side of it or you will be wasting time on bars you can already play.)
You will make faster progress practising in small sessions throughout the day (if this is possible) than single sessions of many hours duration, if this is not possible then don't spend the whole time on on piece but break it up by practicing something else.
When you can play the whole piece with few or no mistakes then you can start working on Tempo.
As you progress don't keep repeating the parts you can play easily, concentrate on the difficult bits. (eg if you keep making mistakes in a particular bar or section, repeat that bar/section until you get it right and ignore the easier bars either side of it or you will be wasting time on bars you can already play.)
You will make faster progress practising in small sessions throughout the day (if this is possible) than single sessions of many hours duration, if this is not possible then don't spend the whole time on on piece but break it up by practicing something else.
Agree 1000%. Notes First, them tempo. If the OP having trouble with syncopation, remove the ties logically, and play every note as written. Also, notice where the left and right hand notes are in sync for a beat or something. I use that beat as a logical anchor to re-sync my hands.
My Journey began with clarinet then bari sax, tenor sax, baritone horn, piano , then keyboards.
Check out an iOS app called AnyTune. It has a function called the step-up trainer which allows you to set up a loop range and then slowly advance the tempo in small increments to get you up to speed. It's a worthwhile investment if you're learning by ear. And as many people have mentioned, go ahead and practice something for a while and then move on to something different and come back to it later.