12 Tips to Remain Motivated to Learn The Piano
Remaining motivated after you have decided to take up playing the piano can be difficult. It must have taken a lot of courage to decide to start learning it in the first place. And now that you have started it, you might find yourself wanting to give up.
The good news is that it is normal. We all have days where nothing seems to be going well, and we just feel like throwing our hands in the air. The better news is that you can learn how to stay motivated and make sure that those times you feel blue do not get the best of you.
Read on to find out 12 practical ways how you can remain motivated to learn the piano.
Photo by Clark Young on Unsplash
Learn Piano by Playing the Music You Enjoy
You are interested in learning the piano because this is something you think that you will enjoy.
However, if you constantly try to practice using some music that you have never heard of before, it is not likely to go well. That might lead to you feeling like you have an assignment for a course or some homework that you have to endure somehow. We don’t want our interest to turn into something that feels like an obligation, do we?
Even those of us who aren’t the best at singing mellifluously often try to hum our favorite songs whenever we get the chance to. So, why not do it when we are trying to learn how to play this majestic instrument?
Moreover, the beauty of playing this particular instrument is that it allows you to play practically anything you want. Thus, what genre or era of music you are into doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you love the music or not.
You got into piano because you love music. Thus, playing the music that you love on the piano helps you stay motivated and reminds you of why you got into it in the first place.
Set Achievable Goals
Set goals and make them as specific as possible.
You should set goals in a way that works for you. For example, you could have a somewhat long term goal of being able to play a certain song by Christmas. Or, you could promise to learn how to play your best friend’s favorite song on the piano by her birthday.
Then, you can break down the long term goal into smaller goals that have earlier deadlines. For example, you could promise yourself to practice a minimum of 15 minutes each day. Or you could set a weekly deadline too- whatever works with your schedule.
Moreover, you can also set specific goals for a practice session.
Make sure not to set very vague goals. Specificity in goals will greatly help you achieve your goals since you know exactly what you are supposed to do. Vague goals can slow you down and, in turn, end up in you losing motivation.
Plus, writing it down makes the goal seem almost tangible. Writing it gets it out in the real world, in a form that you can see it. It is much more concrete and easier for you to visualize.
Track Progress
It is very normal to feel like you haven’t made any progress after a slip. Skills like this are difficult to measure on a quantitative scale, and so it is understandable why you may feel that you are at square one. And if you continuously feel that way, your motivation will take bigger and bigger hits as time goes on.
A way to avoid this is to track progress as you go along. You can keep notes that you can refer back to see how much you have improved. This will also help you discuss any problems and seek advice from your piano teacher if you have one.
This tip ties in perfectly with the goal-setting tip. You can see how much you have advanced on your way to achieving your goals. You can even use the goals you initially set in order to take notes tracking your progress.
Documenting progress is a very good way to both- keep tabs on what you have been doing and gain motivation whenever you may feel a bit down.
Conquer Playing One Song Before Moving on to Another
You have just finished mastering one song. You can play it perfectly and have done so numerous times for your significant other, friends, and family. In fact, even your neighbor knows the tune by heart at this point, having listened to you playing it melodiously.
It is time to move on.
Conquering your first song on the piano feels extremely rewarding. Every time you play the song, it reminds you of the amazing amount of progress you have made. While it is an impressive achievement and will always remain so, it is important not to dwell too much on it to the extent of not wanting to practice learning other songs.
If you do not move on to new things and explore various styles and techniques, you might get demotivated by the lack of novelty and challenge.
Having a piano teacher helps a lot in this case since he or she can properly guide you. Because of the teacher’s experience and expertise in this area, he or she can make sure you are developing yourself and exploring styles sufficiently. To find such a competent and helpful teacher, you can sign up for The Best Piano Teachers for free.
Set the Ideal Spot for Learning to Play the Piano
Regular practice takes dedication. And with your busy schedule, it is already difficult enough to commit to practicing regularly.
On top of the hectic routine you already have, if you need to put time towards taking a keyboard out, setting it up, plugging it in, and turning it on, you would just be adding an unnecessary hassle to your day,
Instead, have a dedicated corner in your house for keeping your piano set up. Be careful not to set it somewhere very isolated or in a room that you never go to. Keeping it in a place that is in your way will make it serve as a visible reminder of what you have to do. This will also make it easier for you to just sit down and play.
The perfect spot will help you start your practice sessions cozily while you have everything you need right beside you. Set your piano bench at the height that is perfect for you.
Keep some pencils or pens nearby with a notebook. If you have a computer or laptop nearby, it can be helpful too.
Have a comfortable seat so that you don’t have to worry about anything but playing your heart out when you are there.
Play at the Time That Is Perfect for You
You will find a lot of articles online telling you the best time for practicing the piano. But we are here to tell you that you should play at the time that works well for you.
Some prefer practicing right after a light breakfast, whereas some like doing it to treat themselves after a day of work or studies. If you are just starting, try out practicing at different times in the day to see when you feel the best. Pay attention to when you feel the most alert and are not usually in a hurry to go somewhere or do something.
For practice sessions with a piano teacher, you would have to coordinate with the teacher to set a timing that works for both of you.
If you are playing at a time inconvenient for others, for example, early morning or late at night, consider using headphones and an electric keyboard.
Get Other Musicians to Join in. Too
If you know others who love music and sing or play instruments, get them to perform for you too. Playing with others can help you feel more motivated as it allows you to indulge in your favorite music with people whose company you enjoy.
It feels refreshing and allows you to enjoy music with others, which usually does not happen if you always play piano in solitude.
Also, you can band together to play for the elderly at retirement homes. It might encourage you by making you feel like you are using your music for something meaningful.
The smiles of the grateful audience are also sure to lift your spirits and make you feel like you have established a connection with them through your music.
Find Inspiration in the Music That You Love
This may be a very obvious tip, but one that pianists often forget to realize the power of.
If you are in need of finding inspiration, go back to the roots. You began to love music and the piano when you discovered some great music that spoke to you.
Sometimes, stepping away from the instrument and just losing yourself in the music you first fell in love with can remind you why you are doing this. And knowing the “why” when you commit to learning anything is essential for motivation.
You can go on YouTube or Spotify to stream the songs you want to listen to. Or even the old fashioned radio would do too. Anything works as long as it reminds you of what music means to you and how much you want to be able to play your favorite songs on the piano.
Schedule Piano Practice Sessions and Anticipate Some Reluctance
This is particularly important if you have a busy schedule. You should put aside some time as part of your daily schedule for practicing the piano.
If you have a lot of things on your plate, making a schedule will help you ensure that you prioritize practicing the piano and don’t just keep brushing practice off until the day gets over and you have no time left.
Even if you don’t have several things somehow fit together in your daily schedule, penning down a routine is still beneficial. It makes you want to commit and more likely to follow through. Otherwise, you might just end up spending all your day watching “just one more episode” on Netflix.
Also, it is okay to not feel like it when the time comes to practice. Not everyone is in the same jovial and motivated mood all the time. However, know that you cannot rely on feeling like it to get started on your practice.
How does knowing this help you?
Simply knowing that this is to be expected means that you will not get demotivated and can take precautionary measures. Yes, we are going old school with this part of the tip- log out of your social media accounts if possible. If your phone distracts you, try keeping it very far away from you, maybe in another room.
Publicize Your Piano Learning to a Comfortable Extent
The purpose behind this tip is not to get you more likes and shares on social media. Although, if that is something you extract from this as well and enjoy, all the more power to you!
Publicizing your goals to the extent that you are personally comfortable with increases the chances of you following through with your promises. To put it very simply, whenever you feel unmotivated or lazy, you are going to think, “But if I don’t do this, everyone is going to know!”
Even if you let only your close friends know about it, that is still okay. We do not usually like disappointing the ones we love too.
You can start in small steps. Record yourself playing. You do not have to put it up as a permanent social media post if you don’t want to. You can just send the recording to a few friends.
If you love writing, you can start a blog instead. The blog will contain whatever you want to document about your learning journey as you go along. You can also use it to track your progress- a tip that we talked about earlier in this article.
Alternatively, you can ask a friend to learn the piano with you. Even if you aren’t taking group lessons with a piano teacher together, you can still learn together by keeping each other updated about how much you have practiced, what songs you can play, and so on. Just make sure to update each other regularly, or else it might not be effective.
Whichever method you choose to follow, remember that the key is to take accountability for what you did and did not do.
Take Breaks
Yes, you do need to practice regularly. But it is also true that you need to take breaks when you need them. Overworking yourself to the point where everything feels like a chore you don’t want to do is not beneficial either. It drains motivation and leads to burnout.
You can take breaks in the middle of your practice session or take a day off if you feel frustrated. Clear your mind, do something else, and come back to your piano refreshed.
A Final Tip
You have already done something very brave. Learning to play any instrument - especially the majestic piano- takes commitment and courage. Some good guidance can take you a long way. A professional piano teacher can provide you with experienced guidance and help you learn in a structured way.
To find a competent and experienced teacher who can help you become the best version of yourself, visit The Best Piano Teachers.
Not only can you find excellent teachers, but you can also view the schedule online, receive digital invoices, and more on this platform.
And the best part? You don’t even have to pay to sign up to this portal. All you will need to pay are the teacher’s fees.
They also offer repair services for pianos. You can also buy new pianos from the website. To view these services, click here.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your journey to be the best virtuoso you can possibly be.
If you have any feedback or queries, feel free to contact us.
By the way, which of these tips helped you the most to remain motivated and learn the piano? Let us know in the comments below!