Piano technique is so, so important. But…
It’s also an intimidating and frustrating topic for beginners. In fact, we can already hear the groans from the back of the room! Which is understandable—one mention of “piano technique” and hours of monotonous scales come to mind.
As piano educators, we’re dedicated to teaching what needs to be taught…but in a way that’s interesting, rewarding, and enjoyable. This article is a collection of our best piano technique content on this website, all in one handy place. It includes everything from the “why” of technique to how to make practice fun. (Yup, technique can be fun!)
Table of Contents:
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If you’re a fairly experienced piano player who can play songs, you might wonder: what’s the point of technique practice? Isn’t the point of learning piano to play the songs you love?
But everyone—even expert concert pianists—can improve by practicing proper piano technique.
Piano technique isn’t just about playing fast. It’s also about dynamics and articulation. Technique is what takes you from making sound to making music. The better your technique, the more control you’ll have over your sound, the more you can do with this instrument.
> Importance of Piano Technique
Let’s start with the bare basics: how we sit at the piano. This is important because to progress in piano, you want to play as comfortably and for as long as you can.
Some simple posture tips to remember:
Pay special attention to the positioning of your hands, wrists, and arms.
Piano posture lessons:
“Scales are like vegetables.”
Lisa Witt
Many piano students dread scales. But scale patterns are found everywhere in music. You can’t avoid them!
Scales don’t just improve your dexterity, coordination, and speed. Practicing scales in all twelve keys helps you internalize the shapes and key signatures of different keys. So, drilling your scales is both mental and physical training.
Some tips to help make scales more enjoyable:
Scale resources:
Music is made up of chords. Like scales, learning your chord shapes not only trains your physical dexterity, it develops your theory knowledge too.
Practice your chords solid (notes together) or broken (notes apart). And make sure you practice your inversions too. Doing so will help you quickly transition between chords and recognize chords in sheet music.
C Major Diatonic Chords: Solid
C Major Diatonic Chords: Broken
Chord resources:
Need a quick reference to play the chord or scale you’re practicing? Head on over to our free chords and scales library: the most important scales and chords in EVERY key!
Bmaj7 Chord
B Major Scale
Chords are related to arpeggios. Like scales, you’ll find arpeggios in piano music everywhere. They sound beautiful and can look very impressive, so this is a popular (and essential!) concept among piano students.
Most arpeggios require a lot of movement, so remember to stay loose and don’t just rely on your wrist—you should be rotating your entire forearm from the elbow to lead your fingers through the arpeggio.
Start with an easy cross-over arpeggio first. Then, when you’ve gotten more comfortable with chord shapes, try fancier things like adding a 9th.
Arpeggio practice lessons:
Playing piano is a full-body affair! So don’t neglect your footwork. Some quick pedaling tips:
My rule of thumb when using the sustain pedal is to lift it each time there is a chord change or a change in harmony. If you don’t know how to tell if there has been a change in harmony, go with your instincts. Your ear will be able to tell you if your sound has become muddy and you need to release the pedal.
Lisa Witt
Pedaling lessons:
If you’ve never tried Hanon exercises before, you need to start today! These exercises have been used for centuries and for good reason: they work out everything. Hanon exercises are unique patterns that get your fingers moving in new ways, developing their dexterity and flexibility. They work your brain too because they’re not as predictable as a straightforward scale.
Want Hanon exercises in a neat and portable package? Check out our Little Book of Hanon.
Hanon lessons:
Articulation can make a huge difference. It’s what makes Bach sound Baroque and Chopin sound Romantic. It’s how we recognize a Thelonious Monk recording from a Bill Evans one.
Bill Evans: Soft, round, flowy.
Thelonious Monk: percussive, jagged, abrupt
Articulation is a skill that develops over a pianist’s career, but beginners can get started with it right away. If you’re using sheet music, pay special attention to slurs, staccatos, accents, and phrasing and don’t skip them. If your sheet music comes with non-English terms, look them up.
If you play from chord charts and lead sheets, write out your own articulations.
Articulation resources:
Metronome practice elicits groans in many piano studios, but the metronome truly is an indispensable tool for progression.
The metronome is like your musical GPS. It keeps you on the right track and makes sure you get to your destination in perfect time.
Lisa Witt
The key to not getting frustrated with your metronome is to start at a way slower tempo and increase speed in small increments (3-5 bpm). If you struggle with feeling the beat, try subdividing rhythms.
Still bored of scales, chords, and arpeggios? Try a play-along exercise! Having something or someone to play along with is more engaging. And it feels like playing with other musicians.
We have tons of play-along exercises in the Pianote Members Area. But we have them for free too! These are some of our favorites:
Good luck on your piano technique and happy practicing!
The best way to learn piano is with real teachers, but not everyone has the time and money for a private instructor. At Pianote, you can get real feedback from real experts…all from the comfort of your own home. Explore our Method and community yourself with a free 7-day trial.
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Charmaine Li is a Vancouver writer who has played piano for over 20 years. She holds an Associate diploma (ARCT) from the Royal Conservatory of Music and loves writing about the ways in which music—and music learning—affects the human experience. Charmaine manages The Note. Learn more about Charmaine here.
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