How To Play Piano Chords
How To Play Piano Chords
Some people are just gifted and can play the piano ‘by ear’ but essentially they know how to play piano chords proficiently. I realize that there are some naturally talented people who are self taught, but you still need to learn to play piano chords before you can play songs without sheet music.
If you know someone who can start playing a song off the radio or freestyle, ask them how long they’ve played for. They probably tell you, since forever! Learning to play music takes time. You have to practice constantly and really absorb it until it becomes a part of who you are, until it becomes second nature. Those that come across as gifted or talented piano players are people who put their heart and soul into music and are passionate about it.
As you get comfortable in learning how to play piano chords you’ll find that it gets easier. Piano chords that you play frequently become second nature and chord progressions become identifiable. Gradually you will start to notice certain chords in music, whether it is on your favorite CD or on the radio and even play parts of it without reading sheet music.
Learning to play piano by reading sheet music is of course, essential when it comes to building knowledge and technique. But to become a natural you have to start to play without it too, otherwise you become too dependent and find that you can only play music by reading it.
It’s fine to practice learning the chords and getting your technique right, but you also need to open yourself up creatively. Once you’ve gained a decent amount of knowledge on chord progressions, get in the habit of practicing with and without sheet music. Choose a song that you really like, or even several and start playing along.
It doesn’t have to be perfect first time or even the hundredth time. Learning to play piano by ear is difficult and can only be done with practice, so don’t worry about sounding horrible. The other thing is, try and choose a simple song i.e. one that doesn’t have too many chord changes. Once you get good at playing one song, move onto another.
You’ll be surprised at how much you can really progress by playing this way. To really make headway however, you need piano lessons that incorporate real guidance and step-by-step tutorials from basic to advanced levels. Because playing piano is as much technical as it is a creative.
Piano lessons are expensive but necessary to develop and become good. Online piano lessons are the next best thing to a real teacher. Perhaps one of the most well put together courses online right now is Rocket Piano. This 12 month course from beginner to advanced is presented by Ruth Searle who has extensive experience in playing as well as performing Blues, Jazz and Classical.