{"id":2008,"date":"2020-10-16T14:22:36","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T21:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=2008"},"modified":"2023-01-16T14:13:28","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T22:13:28","slug":"importance-of-piano-technique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/importance-of-piano-technique\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Practice Piano Scales (Importance of Piano Technique)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><i>The benefits of practicing technique\u2014and how to make it fun!<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scales, triads, arpeggios&#8230;these piano technical exercises can feel boring, even useless. Why practice monotonous scales when there are so many cool songs to play?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But technical exercises <i>do<\/i> have a purpose. In fact, they\u2019re so important that we\u2019ve decided to release our <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pianote.com\/piano-technique-made-easy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Piano Technique Made Easy<\/a><\/b> lesson pack\u2014once exclusive to Pianote members\u2014out to the public!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article will include two parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The benefits of practicing good piano technique; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to practice piano technique in a way that <i>doesn\u2019t<\/i> feel dull!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s jump in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:32px\"><strong>Benefits of Good Piano Technique<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mastering your piano scales and technique goes a long way. You\u2019ll reap benefits such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Staying physically comfortable at the piano<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improving your hand independence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Playing and learning faster<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Being more confident at improv<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s break down these benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-default is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Proper posture keeps you comfortable at the piano.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Piano can be physically demanding. Sore shoulders, aching forearms, and cramped fingers are common complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But playing the piano should be comfortable and painless. The less discomfort you experience, the more motivated you\u2019ll be at practicing and progressing. Technique and <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/posture-at-the-piano\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">proper posture at the piano<\/a> will support this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Physical comfort is so important that we begin each level of Piano Technique Made Easy with a warm-up designed to get you familiar with good posture. Check it out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:80%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How To Warm Up At The Piano\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1xEDTaaJq3w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Remember these key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t slouch!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your feet flat on the floor. If you can\u2019t reach the floor, use a stack<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>of books or a footrest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sit close enough to the piano that your knees come just under the keyboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Relax your arms and gently bend them at the elbow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Stretch before you play and stretch in between songs. If you\u2019re practicing for a long time, take breaks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\">Good technique improves your hand independence.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hand independence is a fundamental part of playing the piano. But it can feel tricky and unnatural, especially for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the first hand independence challenges you\u2019ll face as a new pianist is scales. Playing scales hands together is <i>tough<\/i>! You\u2019re playing the same notes an octave apart, but not using the same fingers. You have to keep track of when to tuck under or cross over, but your hands won\u2019t be doing so at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a lot to coordinate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, take it step by step. In our Piano Technique Made Easy lesson pack, we\u2019ll show you a way to practice scales with <b><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GuOx9zllves\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">finger groupings<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><a href=\"https:\/\/pianote.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/blog\/2020\/Why%20Practice%20Scales%20%28Benefits%20of%20Technique%29\/C-Major-A-Minor.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">You can download the sheet music here!<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon, tucking under and crossing over will feel second-nature, and you\u2019ll be more adept at playing scales hands together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you master scales, take it to the next level with <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/contrary-motion-scales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contrary motion<\/a> exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:22px\"><strong><i>Good technique enables you to play and learn faster.<\/i><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, when it comes to fast runs and impressive licks, having your scales down pat will improve your finger speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But triad and chord practice also help with learning new songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Practicing chords forces you to get familiar with chord shapes. And practicing chord inversions will help you quickly identify, play, and build chord progressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>Patterns in music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Music is made up of patterns. Patterns like chord inversions, arpeggios, and scales are hiding in all your pieces. Knowing how to identify these patterns will make it easier and faster to learn to play them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-default is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>In turn, improvising becomes easier too!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know chords, chord inversions, and basic chord progressions like the back of your hand, improvising gets easier too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As pianists, we shouldn\u2019t just practice scales and arpeggios, up and down, up and down. We need to apply our knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A solid understanding of chord progressions\u2014and all the different ways you can play chords (inversions, broken, arpeggios, etc.)\u2014will give you a strong foundation to learn <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/improv-piano-for-beginners\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how to improvise<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a classically-trained pianist, I\u2019m fairly new to improvising. But thanks to my experience with scales and chords, it wasn\u2019t too difficult for me to pick up a chord progression and play licks on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because I\u2019ve built up mental and muscle memory for scale and chord patterns. Indeed, technical exercises go a long way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>How to Make Piano Scales and Technique FUN<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Scales, arpeggios, and <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/hanon-the-most-versatile-exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hanon exercises<\/a> have existed for generations, and they work, but they\u2019re not always fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even old-school classical music offers innovative alternatives. Many composers wrote \u00e9tudes (French for \u201cstudies\u201d): short pieces designed to develop technique. Many of these are beautiful and far from boring on their own. They may especially appeal to younger musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of my favorite \u00e9tudes growing up come from a collection by the composer Franz B\u00fcrgmuller: <i>25 \u00c9tudes faciles et progressives<\/i>. These pieces were so charming and beautiful on their own, I didn\u2019t even realize I was developing speed, flexibility, and coordination by playing them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, check out some \u00e9tudes if you\u2019re interested in classical music. (You can find B\u00fcrgmuller\u2019s collection <a href=\"https:\/\/imslp.org\/wiki\/25_%C3%89tudes_faciles_et_progressives%2C_Op.100_(Burgm%C3%BCller%2C_Friedrich)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">online for free<\/a>.) If classical isn\u2019t your cup of tea, spice up your practice with these ideas you can learn right here on Pianote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improve hand independence with <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/blues-independence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blues piano<\/a>. With its syncopated rhythms, blues piano is a fun way to master that tricky thing that is hand independence!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/make-scales-fun\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Make scale practice fun<\/a> by adding in chord progressions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once you master a few scales, challenge yourself with a few <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-speed-drills\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">piano speed drills<\/a>. Learn a variety of drills to keep things interesting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practice chords by paying attention to chord shape and <a href=\"\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/the-best-way-to-practice-chords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">build chord progressions<\/a> based on the keys you\u2019re learning. Since similar chord progressions are the building blocks to many pop songs, mastering this will set you up for life.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continue learning songs while you practice technique. You\u2019ll soon spot patterns in new songs that you\u2019ll recognize from practicing technique.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Because as important as it is to practice your scales, enjoying piano is just as\u2014if not more\u2014important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If technical exercises make you miserable, you\u2019re less likely to practice them. The trick is to find technical exercises that work for YOU. So, take your time, explore, and remember to be kind to yourself. Technique doesn\u2019t happen overnight!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-size:28px\"><strong>About Piano Technique Made Easy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are 12 major keys and 12 minor keys in Western music. If you practice scales, arpeggios, triads, and chords for each key, that\u2019s a lot to practice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s daunting and we get it! That\u2019s why in <b><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pianote.com\/piano-technique-made-easy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Piano Technique Made Easy<\/a><\/b>, we\u2019ve organized technical exercises like triads, scales, and arpeggios by key from easiest (C major and A minor) to most difficult (B major and G# minor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Give yourself the time and space to learn each key slowly and deliberately. Learn a new key each day or each week at your own pace. Try different exercises. Overall: HAVE FUN!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe class=\"email-form-include-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/weekly-email\" frameborder=\"none\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The importance of piano technique can be hard to appreciate. Why practice monotonous scales when there are so many songs?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1108,1112,509],"tags":[1069],"class_list":["post-2008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-musicianship","category-practice-musicianship","category-technique","tag-gsotp"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2008"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10816,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2008\/revisions\/10816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}