The first levels of piano or keyboard playing can be grouped into 2 separate kinds, people who learn how to read music and those that learn to play by ear without music. The beginner piano player who learns to read music will at first learn how to find all the notes on the keyboard and associate them with the written notes on the musical staff. Easy tunes can then be performed by interpreting the music. The player who learns to play by ear will also learn the way to find the notes on the keyboard and might even learn several basic chords at this time too.

With each one of the notes learned the beginner can now go forward onto an intermediate phase. This could generally comprise learning how to play a couple more tough pieces for the pianist who is learning to read music. This could entail reading off 2 staves and playing with both hands at the same time. Essential chord progressions and rhythms using both hands at once is what awaits the student who is learning to play by ear.

At the more advanced levels of playing the music reader must learn some fairly hard pieces that may stretch their skills and physically fortify the fingers and the coordination. The coed who has selected to play by ear will by this point be playing tunes integrated into the chord progressions. It’ll be very probable that at this level they will be able to play most melodies that they hear and to also discover the chords with minimal effort.

To advance on to master level the 2 different methods of learning are generally combined. Playing by ear and reading music both come naturally to the true master. Each of the two methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Countless players who’ve learned how to read music will become technically especially skilled but might lack expression and emotion. The opposite can be thought for the scholar who learns how to play only by ear, they’d find it difficult to be more technical and will lack the discipline that makes the scholar who has learned to read music. There should be no problem for the real master to be in a position to read music and play by ear in the same way.

There are numerous home study programs available for download for amateur and intermediate scholars that may help you move onto the more advanced levels of playing. The best thing about these courses is they have sound and video files so you can be taught as if you had a piano teacher right there in your house.

Most serious of all however is that nearly all of the best programs will teach you the easy way to read music and the way to play by ear at the same time. Being taught like this you’ll have the foundation to move ahead onto much higher levels and will have the advantages of the two techniques of learning direct from the start

There are some critical critiques of the top home study learn piano courses and some free beginners guides available at the How to learn piano site.

Mastering The Piano is a post from: WiredWriter