Myths about Piano Lessons

The number of myths floating around about the struggles and restraints of learning to play the piano makes the act of wanting to learn seem more daunting than it is. You can learn to play the piano with ease, whether it’s by yourself or with a music teacher. To prove it to you, here are six myths we’ve debunked about piano lessons.

You Can’t Learn as an Adult

It’s never too late to learn to play an instrument, especially the piano. While early stimulation helps in the development of a child’s musical intelligence into adulthood, it doesn’t mean you’re a lost cause learning as an adult.

Daily Practice is Required

As with many routines and activities, it’s important to take rest days in between. It will help with your progress much more than exhausting yourself on a daily basis would. Resting allows your brain to grasp what you’ve learned without causing unnecessary stress. You can’t cram multiple piano lessons into one, it’s unrealistic if you’re looking to make long term progress on learning this instrument.

Long Practice Sessions are the Best

It’s better to practice in shorter increments than longer ones. As the average person gets tired after about 15 minutes of continuous activity, it’s essential to take frequent breaks to ensure an effective piano lesson is taking place. Practice multiple times a day for 15 minutes if you need to, that way you’re accumulating the necessary practice hours without becoming mentally exhausted.

Don’t Look at Your Hands While Playing

It’s unprofessional and unnatural for piano players not to look at their hands while playing. Even highly efficient concert pianists look at their hands while performing, having memorized the music beforehand. While it’s convenient not to look at your hand while playing, especially when working with hard to read sheet music, it’s not necessary and doesn’t demonstrate a lack of skill, no matter what your music teacher tells you.

Easy Playing Means You’re Doing it Wrong

In reality, if something seems easy while playing the piano, then you’re likely doing something right. If you’re in pain or feel discomfort while playing, then it’s an indication that you’re doing something wrong. Whether you’re playing at the wrong height, distance, angle or pressure, you could over-stress your muscles causing injury.

Never Rush when Practicing

It’s actually helpful to play pieces faster than necessary, as when you need to slow down as new sections are attached, you’ll actually be playing at the correct speed for the piece. Many people have difficulty getting the tempo accurate when playing at the required speed of the song, effectively slowing down too much with each new section that’s added.

At Music School Canada, we have experienced music teachers available to help you learn to play an instrument of your choice. Located in Burnaby, British Columbia, we have piano lessons, guitar lessons, flute and violin lessons open to students of all ages. As one of the best music schools in the Lower Mainlands, be sure to give us a call today to start your musical journey.