Learn how to teach yourself piano with these tips:
Our tips on how to teach yourself piano will help you identify the tools you need to succeed, such as:
- how to learn the basics
- how to pick the right resources
- apps to teach yourself piano
- and how to plan for practice.
Plus, we’ll cover some considerations about what you need to know to teach yourself piano chords, the ideal keyboards and pianos to get you started, and piano apps. You can teach yourself piano, no matter your age or background!
Can you teach yourself piano?
At Hoffman Academy, we believe the answer is yes! Understanding how to teach yourself piano is easier than ever before because there are many options geared toward self-guided learning. To teach yourself piano, you’ll need resources to help you learn the basics like chords and scales, a plan for practicing and study, and a method to develop your musical knowledge. You should plan to schedule time for practicing the material that you teach yourself, in addition to your time spent in self-study. It is also important to set achievable goals, so that you stay motivated to learn and can pick the method best-suited to your goals. A song tutorial from YouTube is ideal if you want to learn to play one song at a time, but if you’re seeking the tools to play any song, you would need to identify a method that teaches the basics!
When teaching yourself piano, it is important to research a method that gives you the tools to achieve your goals. Hoffman Academy’s method is unique because it focuses on experience before explanation and gives students tools like sight-reading and learning music by ear so they can teach themselves on their own! At Hoffman Academy, you have the ability to set your own schedule and self-study within the web-based app to develop musical knowledge that will let you explore music on your own!
Our thoughts on the best way of how to teach yourself piano
At Hoffman Academy, we feel the best way to teach yourself piano is through following a structured approach that helps you meet your musical goals and gives you the knowledge you need for self study. By following a proven method and creating a regular schedule to practice and learn, you can overcome the challenges of learning piano without an in-person teacher providing feedback. Teaching yourself piano involves training your musical ear, learning to read sheet music, and solidifying the basics. If you are your own teacher, it is important that you have a goal you are working towards and the knowledge to hear your own mistakes!
It’s important to identify a method that empowers you as a learner to take charge of your journey. Through Hoffman Academy, students develop an understanding of the piano at a deep level, as videos incorporate skills like sight reading, ear training, and rhythm alongside improvisation and composition. Mr. Hoffman’s videos show you how to play with comfortable technique and good posture, so that playing is easy. By incorporating Hoffman Academy lessons as you teach yourself piano, you will be able to play more and more difficult pieces of music with practice.
Accountability can be difficult when you are your own teacher! With the Hoffman Academy app, you can make teaching yourself piano achievable through 30 minutes of self-study each day. Each video lesson takes around 10 to 20 minutes. After completing your video lesson, the next two to three days follow our practice sessions and try to achieve at least 15 minutes of practice.
With the customized practice sessions included in Hoffman Academy Premium memberships, you have a clear understanding of what to practice on your own schedule in order to move on to the next level and more complicated music. Once you can complete each practice session task, not necessarily perfectly but with confidence, you’ll know it’s time to move forward to the next lesson.
Sign up and try Premium today to start your piano learning journey!
Is it easy to teach yourself piano? How long does it take to teach yourself piano?
The answer to this question depends on your goals as a musician. While you could teach yourself a simple piece like Hot Cross Buns in 10 minutes with a video, a piece like Debussy’s Au Clair d’lune is built on years of knowledge. Did you know that most classically trained pianists study for at least 12 years? With dedicated practice and a methodical approach that nourishes your learning journey, it can take less time than you expect to reach a level of musicianship that is satisfying. Most people who teach themselves piano using the Hoffman Method find that around three years of self study gives them the understanding they need to enjoy playing for a lifetime. While the amount of time required to teach yourself piano varies based on the method you follow, the type of music you want to play, and the amount of time you spend practicing, the process of learning a new skill brings fulfillment along the way!
Check out this calculator to see how long it might take you to learn to play your dream song with Hoffman Academy! How Long Will It Take to Learn Piano? You can input different amounts of practice time to see how practice impacts how long it takes to learn piano! Below the calculator, you can explore examples of the level of music you’d like to perform. It may not always be easy, and it does take time, but teaching yourself piano can be a source of joy for years to come!
How To Teach Yourself Piano Chords
Did you take piano lessons in the past and give up because playing more than one note at a time was too difficult? Then it’s time to learn to teach yourself piano chords! Teaching yourself to play piano chords is easy and fun with the Hoffman Method. Mr. Hoffman introduces the different types of chords in the contexts of songs where they are used, so that you learn the basics of building chords just like you would learn a language.
In order to play piano chords, it’s important to master the basics of note names and identification, so you know where on the piano to build your chord. Chords are based on the scales they come from, so it’s important also to have a method that teaches you the notes of each scale. It’s a good idea to review the videos and have the Major Scales Guide and Minor Scales Guide ready nearby when you start building chords. Most Western music uses major chords and minor chords, so these scales are crucial to understanding how to build chords. Other types of chords include diminished chords, augmented chords, seventh chords. Sometimes, chords have different functions in a song, like a tonic chord or a dominant chord.
Check out Mr. Hoffman’s article on How to Read and Play Chords for the steps to teach yourself to play any type of chord! Give your new skills a try and learn how to play I, IV, and V chords–the major chords that form the basis of lots of Western pop and rock songs–from the video below!
Some considerations on the best keyboard to teach yourself piano
Now that you know that you can teach yourself piano, it’s time to make sure you have an instrument to learn and practice on! In order to progress, it’s crucial to have an instrument available for you to practice and teach yourself regularly. At Hoffman Academy, we recommend learning to play on a digital piano or acoustic piano with 88 weighted keys. While you may not be ready for the financial investment of an acoustic piano or a digital piano, not all electronic keyboards will have enough keys or the right touch to begin learning. The most important thing for a keyboard to have are at least 60 keys. Learning on a keyboard with the full 88 weighted keys will help develop your hand strength and teach you what playing on an acoustic keyboard feels like. You can read more of Mr. Hoffman’s tips about selecting the right piano for you in How to Choose a Keyboard.
How to Teach Yourself Piano: App Options are Available
Whether you want to learn to play just one piece, or to accompany yourself as you sing, or to learn classical music on your own, there are an overwhelming number of videos, apps, and online methods to choose from. If you are interested in mastering one song at a time with tutorials, you might try a resource like Simply Piano or Flowkey. These apps work with your phone and have microphones that listen as you play along with the music on the screen to let you know when you play a note wrong. You can explore other reviews of piano learning apps here.
With Hoffman Academy’s web-based app, you can learn the language of music naturally, like you learned to speak as a child. Mr. Hoffman’s engaging, multisensory teaching method uses videos to tap into your natural curiosity and creativity to inspire musical exploration and trying new things, like composition or improvisation! Hoffman Academy’s web app shows you proper technique and how to play easily, not just what notes to play.