Tips for practicing new songs smoothly (for beginners)

Learning new pieces on the piano can be difficult, especially for beginners. Because of this difficulty, you may find yourself reluctant to practice new songs and start playing songs that you can play. Here are some tips for playing new songs.    

listen

First, listen to the song a few times before playing it. If you can input the song into your mind and imagine your ideal performance, you will be able to understand it more quickly. At the same time, conscious listening can also lead to ear training. If you search on video sites such as YouTube, you will find most of the songs. If you can't find a video of you playing on the piano, you can use another instrument. In fact, even in music classes, there are many cases where teachers perform as role models before they begin practice. Especially if it's a difficult song, it's best to listen to it for at least a week. Listen until you can imagine the ideal shape you play.  

sing

Once you have an image of the song, try singing it without listening to it. First, start with the melody.Once the melody is over, hum the accompaniment part. If it is a song with lyrics such as J-POP, you can sing the lyrics, but if you don't have one, try humming it. Also, if you know, sing the name of the scale. If it's difficult to sing throughout, write down one phrase at a time. In some cases, it's fine to do one measure at a time. When I start singing with a vague image, I find myself thinking, "Huh? How was the pitch here?" Listen to that part again and establish your own image. Your understanding will deepen.      

Let's practice

If you can sing without making the wrong pitch, try playing the piano. From here, as usual, I practice with my right hand, then play with my left hand and one hand. Instead of playing it all at once, practice it over and over again until you can play it with each phrase. Once you're able to do that, try combining it with both hands at the end. If the song is too difficult here, try playing it with a change of key (for example, G major to C major) or with a reduced sound.    

lastly

Learning new songs is inherently exciting and fun. Don't be too lazy, take a step forward and start by listening and singing before playing to establish an image of the song. Practice will soon be fun.