This is a study course for adult beginners who want to learn piano by themselves.
For the first time, let's learn how to play the piano correctly.
If you can do this unconsciously, it will naturally become easier to play the piano, and the speed at which you can improve your piano will increase.
It may sound logical from the beginning, but it is not necessary to memorize it in writing, but it is important to memorize it physically first.
It's not a fun lesson, but let's study hard.
Let me explain in detail.
The required time is ``about 15 minutes.''
table of contents
This time's theme
- "How to sit"
- "How to place your hands"
- "Chair position"
- "Chair height"
How to sit
The first thing you need to remember is how to sit on the piano chair.
Practicing the piano while sitting incorrectly will not improve your performance.
In particular, the more difficult the piece you are aiming for, the more important the way you sit on the piano becomes.
① Sit shallowly
Piano keys are not pressed only with the force of your fingers.
Play with the weight of your upper body.
Also in the chair to do itsit shallowLet's do it like that.
As a guideline, you should be able to freely move your knees and open and close your thighs while sitting.
Your thighs will almost no longer rest on the chair.
On the other hand , if you sit too deep in the piano chair, your weight that should be on the keys will be placed on the chair, making it difficult to press the keys.
If this happens, the movement between pressing one key and pressing the next key will be delayed.
This is especially noticeable when playing difficult or fast-paced songs.
Make sure to remember the shallow sitting position.
② Stretch your back
The next thing to consider is your posture.
When playing the piano, some people often bend their backs, but this is not correct.
Basically, the correct posture is to play with your back straight.
You may have seen people who are good at playing the piano playing with their backs arched, but this is a technique that involves shifting their weight to add more intonation to their playing.
Please note that this is not the basic playing method.
However, there is no need to stretch your back to the point where it becomes taut.
If you apply too much force, you will not be able to put your weight on the keyboard.
As I will introduce next, please note that it is not necessary to make the angle exactly 90 degrees.
Make sure to keep your back straight, but relax as much as possible.
③Lean forward a little
Next is the position of the body's center of gravity.
As mentioned above, you press the piano keys with your weight.
If your upper body is at a perfect 90° angle, or if it's too arched, you'll end up using only your fingers to press the keys.
To prevent this from happening, lean forward slightly so that you can smoothly shift your weight onto the keyboard.
④Pull your chin
Last is the face.
Have you ever strained so much that your chin lifted when taking a photo?
Similar things tend to happen when playing the piano.
Be sure to position your face in front of you, between the place where you place the sheet music and the keyboard, and tuck your chin moderately.
How to place your hands
The next thing to remember is how to place your hands.
This is a point to be especially careful about.
This is because in the images and videos you see on the internet, there are a lot of people who are placing their fingers incorrectly.
Be sure to learn how to place your hands properly from a beginner's age.
① Relax your shoulders
The first thing to do is to relax your shoulders.
If you have correct posture and the height of your chair (described later), you will be able to relax naturally.
First, with your posture correct, let's drop your hands directly below without resting them on the keyboard.
Please keep in mind how relaxed you feel at this time.
You will be playing the piano with this shoulder condition.
What often happens is that the performer leans too far forward, putting pressure on his shoulders and performing in a cramped position.
If you do this, you won't be able to move your shoulders, and you'll end up with an unnatural gap between the sounds, like when words are cluttered.
This becomes especially noticeable when the song uses a lot of keyboards.
② Place your fingertips on the keyboard
Next, let's actually put our fingers on the keyboard.
Do not place the curled part of your fingertips (the pads of your fingers) on the keyboard.
Also, do not rest your wrists on the keyboard.
Place only your fingertips vertically on the keyboard.
(Only the thumb will be placed diagonally)
This is due to the hardness of the skin on your fingers.
On the piano, where the volume of the sound is adjusted by how hard you press the keys, using the pads of your fingers makes it difficult to control the volume.
For this reason, the piano is played using relatively stiff fingertips.
Of course, keep your nails cut short.
Not only is it difficult to play, but it can also cause injury.
③ Curl your hands
Finally, there is the shape of the hand.
Curl your hands and place them on the keyboard.
This "roundness" is taught in various ways depending on the piano teacher (or country).
When I was little, I was taught that it was like holding an egg in the palm of your hand.
Hand sizes vary from person to person, so it's hard to generalize, but if I had to give an example, I'd say it's about the same roundness as when typing on a computer keyboard.
chair position
Next is the position of the chair.
Being aware of the front, back, left and right positions will change the strain on your body when you play.
For example, it's like adjusting the driver's seat in a car.
Don't be lazy and adjust your chair position every time.
① Point straight at the center of the keyboard
When setting up the chair, adjust its position so that it points toward the center of the piano keyboard.
Except for special situations such as duets (two people playing one piano) or scores that use only bass notes, please place your body in the center of the piano so that you can face it.
② Place it in front of the keyboard
I learned that ``sit shallowly in a chair.''
The correct chair position is when you are sitting shallowly and your knees are under the keyboard.
Don't put the chair too deep into the piano; adjust the chair little by little to find the best position for your body.
chair height
Finally, there is the height of the chair.
If only one person is using the piano, you can adjust the chair at the beginning and you are done, but if several people are using the piano, it is better to adjust the chair each time.
In order to play the piano smoothly, the height should not be too low or too high.
Adjust the height to suit your body.
① Heel touches the floor
The first thing to be aware of is your feet.
Try bending your knees to 90 degrees while sitting on a chair.
At this time, if your heels are not firmly planted on the ground, the force with which you press the keys will become unstable.
Adjust the height so that your heels can rest firmly when sitting shallowly.
②When you place your fingers on the keyboard, your elbows should be at a 90° angle.
The next thing to be aware of is your elbows.
Keeping in mind the ``posture'' explained above, set the height of your chair so that your elbows are at approximately 90 degrees when you place your hands on the keyboard.
If the chair is too high, your elbows will open; if the chair is too low, your elbows will close.
When you play the piano, you may play high or low notes.
At that time, you slide your arm to the right or left keyboard, and the elbow serves as one of the fulcrums for this movement.
If your elbow doesn't support your hand properly, you'll be able to play the keyboard in front of you well, but the keyboard on your right won't be stable.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to maintain the optimal elbow angle by adjusting the height of your chair.
Summary of this lesson
- "How to sit"
- ・Sit so shallow that your thighs are barely resting on it.
- ・Stretch your back without straining
- ・Lean your body slightly forward so that your face is in front of your elbows.
- ・Tuck your chin and turn your head so that you can easily see the keyboard and music sheet.
- "How to place your hands"
- ・Relax your shoulders
- ・Put your fingertips on the keyboard
- - Curl your hands as if you were holding an egg between the keyboard and your palms.
- "Chair position"
- - Point directly in front of the piano
- ・When I sit shallowly on a chair, my knees are under the keyboard.
- "Chair height"
- -Heels touch the floor
- - Elbows are at a 90° angle when you place your fingers on the keyboard
Basic piano course
- Step 1: How to play correctly
- Step 2: Note names and keyboard positions
- Step 3: Notes and rests
- Step 4: Sheet music and clefs
- Step 5: Measures and slurs
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