What I Wish I Knew When I Started Piano

Read my newsletter about starting stuff: joelsnape.substack.com/

1. Hard pieces are a waste of time (when you're not at that level yet) 2. Dynamics are important 3. Metronomes are helpful 4. Learn to pedal 5. Sight reading can be fun (if you keep it up) 6. Learning some theory is worth it 7. You will get it eventually :)

But also, everybody in similar advise videos forgets to mention one thing. Doing it the way you did, made you stick with it. And later, when you were interested, invested, had some kind of skill, only after that you really can see the purpose of all exercises and skills you've mentioned. There is a possibility, that when starting from scratch, doing it for the long term, hoping that after some years all those scales and chords just click together, burn you out faster, than that happens. So just don't forget to enjoy the process of what you doing, and train and practice for the purpose of more enjoyment. For most adult players it's a hobby , not a job

I agree with everything stated here. I've been playing for a year and a half and I realized about 2 months ago the biggest mistake I was making was pushing myself to play harder and harder pieces instead of getting the sight reading up. I'd basically memorize pieces and they would come out alright but then I'd think that I need to play a harder piece. What was happening was my actual skill wasn't improving very much just my skill for a single song. What I started 2 months ago was basically playing much easier music (Alfred's rags and blues 2b, Alfred's pop music 2A, Adult piano adventures 2, Adult piano Christmas 1, Adult piano popular 1, and RCM level 1). With this I was learning around 4-6 songs a week. It's been MUCH more fun and I'm improving sooooooo much faster. It's also making me want to play more because it's not as tedious. I think my ego was telling me I was around a level 4 (but who knows with how piano levels work honestly they are the strangest leveling system I've ever seen for anything lol) but in reality if I'm not brute force rote memorization a song I'm probably a level 2 or maybe even a very high level 1. Anyways I know this message is too long and probably almost no one will read it but in case you do. I appreciate your channel I know I give you crap all the time on it but I'm very impressed with all the stuff you accomplished and I can tell you're always grinding things that you like which I think is pretty cool. Take care.

I always looked up to people who spontaneously sat before a piano and started playing a great piece. One Day I started learning my favorite song and by remembering patterns I was able to play the hard piece relatively fast without even being able to read notes. To me it is a great success. Now, months later I am happy every time I play my favorite piece.

Thank you. The metronome tip is gold. Once I sussed how useful it became a regular to learning pieces.

Watching yr video actually encouraged me to start learning piano along with my daughter , who is taking piano lessons at school. Thanks!

As an adult BJJ student (47) approaching three years in April it is so true how much progress you make by continuing to show up. On a daily basis it doesn't feel it as you continue to get smashed by your peers but relative to those starting after you it's apparent. Same is true as someone starting guitar and french..I won't be Django or Proust but there's zero question after the bjj experience that I just have to continue to show up

Your first point is so true. I started off playing a fairly difficult song, but then started doing simpler songs and it taught me to adlib and do cool things over the melody because the chords were so simple and repetitive. I progressed so much playing those songs that used no more than 3 chords. Learning basic theory is soooooo helpful, especially when you want to learn how to play your favorite songs. I mainly wanted to learn piano to play along with my favorite songs, so knowing theory helped me figure out the basic chords of most songs in 10-15 minutes. Not to mention if you like songs in a particular genre, you find so many songs use the same keys and chords.

Thanks Joel. Very interesting and informative video. Great advice, for those wishing to learn, without jumping ahead before they should and wasting a lot of time on unnecessary stuff.

Found this very inspiring, thanks! I started piano at 40 and am halfway through Alfred’s all in one book 2. Started on this journey in 2019! It has been tough and continues to be so, but I love it. My dream of being able to play is what keeps me going 👍

Thanks so much for this pep talk. Much needed! I've been teaching myself via Alfred's Adult, achievable Reinagle pieces and YouTube. I'm still in search of a local piano teacher who is comfortable teaching adults ! I think that would be a game changer! Thanks for your advice 🙏🏾🧡🙏🏾

First step he is 100% correct , don't buy a toy. Buy something with weighted keys and a sustain or you will never learn .

Great insights and you spend a lot on making actual videos which are really good. Around 30k of viewers seem to like it - they obviously can't be wrong :-) I started from zero around 3.5 years ago and my objective is simple - to play "decent jazz". All of your (classical) insight applies to jazz as well but there is so much more that goes beyond that in jazz. To play music, in general, is one thing - and to play it effortlessly without thinking is another. The latter comes after years of sustained effort, not after months. There are NO SHORTCUTS in learning how to play music. Sorry but it is what it is. Thanks for your insights Joel!

I love your final speech, its so inspiring! It took the dread and fear of beginning and it now looks like an exciting adventure

Great video, great motivation. Thank you!! I just bought an FP30X.

This is helpful. I’m loving piano and will take on your advice

Just watching your video. I started learning piano in September last year. I actually started with John Lennon's Imagine. Nice and simple to get me started. I am starting out by learning from YouTube videos. I'm now actually learning Maxence Cyrin, Where Is My Mind at the moment. I've been learning it in sections and I'm about half way through. I've only been learning the song for a couple of weeks and I'm so happy with my progress so far. It's such a beautiful piece of music.ive made sure that I have started out with a piano that has weighted keys and built in pedals in order to save upgrading later on. Whilst I feel I'm learning well for a beginner, I'm really struggling with the pedals. Every time I try to use the sustain pedal I lose focus on the notes and chords I'm playing and I make mistakes. I have a habit of keeping my foot on the pedal constantly which I know is not right but I'm really finding it difficult.

This is nice, and good for him. He looks good at the instrument, has well formed hands, and a naturally quiet technique. I’d add to his list get a good teacher who is 1. a player himself/herself, and 2. is skilled with adult learners.

This is all such great information. A good teacher to help guide you will increase your efficiency and cut your learning curve in half. They'll also catch technical mistakes early on, and help you develop good practice habits. The only thing you say I disagree with (as someone who learned "some" theory as a kid then had to relearn it all to play in bands & improvise), and has been teaching for 35 years -- learn theory out of the chutes, and integrate the theory by playing some pieces by ear, and every song you learn will make sense in a much shorter period of time and you'll HEAR the music more deeply. It's a language. Not integrating theory is like learning another language but ignoring syntax!