How to learn piano by next December
Take the plunge into the world of piano learning, share your newfound talent and let resonant piano melodies become an integral part of your life.
Matt Brooks
End of year holidays can be stressful – from the hosts who are already preparing for next year, to those who dislike them entirely or don’t celebrate. As these stresses settle down and the new year comes in, it becomes time to get going on those resolutions!
Here at LUMI, we see this as a chance to Start Something Amazing. More specifically, start something that can become a gift that you can bring to the next family gathering – not as something to show off, but as something to share. A new, creative skill to make more memories with others, as you grow with yourself. And what better skill to learn than to play the piano?
Here you’ll find out why learning music, specifically learning piano, is one of the best choices you can make, and pick up a few helpful tips for reframing resolutions to make them achievable and enjoyable experiences throughout the year.
As your piano skills develop and you get more comfortable playing chords you'll be glad you chose a hobby that continues to grow with you for many years to come.
In just 365 days, you can go from practicing those first few scales to giving a fully fledged piano performance with LUMI at your side.
Why resolutions are stressful
Over half of Americans feel pressured to make a New Years Resolution, as the routine act seems to have embedded itself into our annual culture. While it may be more meaningful to do this around a birthday, or when you actually feel that you’re at a turning point in your life, the temptation is always there around the changing of the calendar.
And why not? You may have spent days or weeks traveling, enjoying the highs but also exhausting lows of catching up with loved ones. We’re often very reflective on those return journeys, maybe with a desire to return to our daily routines, and likely considering how to change or improve that routine.
Those who stay home during the holidays, by choice or by their circumstances, can also feel spent. The inability to see loved ones, or holding anxiety for not actually wanting to celebrate holidays, can be just as reflective of a period as those recharging their social batteries.
Hobbies as radical resolutions
Musical hobbies in particular are one of the most radical ways to improve your quality of life and also provide you with something to share with loved ones, should you so choose.
Statista informs us that Americans don’t consider a new hobby as a top resolution. Not just music, but new hobbies in general, as the topics of health, career, and relationships dominate the top spots.
How come? Yes, these topics are also important, but have we not seen how engaging with hobbies can play a role in improving all other aspects of our lives? The social sharing of things made as one example, and yes, even if the cross stitch or pastry didn’t quite turn out as you expected. 😉
This is just the point; self-improvement should never be about hyperfocusing on one part of your life, identity, or expression. No matter how specific the top resolutions might be, the point is to feel and engage with life in a more "you" way. Building a more hands-on relationship with music is an enriching way to achieve that.
Of all musical instruments, time and time again, choosing to play the piano has proven to be a popular choice across the globe.
Piano music has formed the foundation of centuries worth of songs, from classical music to pop music, so it's no surprise that it continues to be the number one choice for people looking to start a new and enriching hobby as part of their resolutions.
Piano playing: A hobby to bring to the next party
So how do we get there? If you’ve decided on piano as your instrument, the first question comes down to access and time. If you already have access to a piano at home, school, or community center, beginning there removes the barrier of choosing a starter instrument.
However, if you do not have this opportunity, you’ll need to determine a basic piano to start with. If you're having trouble deciding whether acoustic pianos or digital pianos are the best choice for you, we expand upon that in detail in a previous article which would be a great place to review alongside this one.
Starting the piano learning engine
Once you have your instrument, you’ll need to find a learning method. In this day and age, everyone's piano journey follows a different path, and there are countless ways that you can learn to play piano.
If your finances and/or resources allow, formal piano lessons could be the path for you. For some piano beginners, this more traditional learning method is a good route as it allows you to work with a piano tutor during your practice sessions as you tackle things like piano chords, reading sheet music and music theory and weed out any potential bad habits forming.
However, you may want to consider learning alone with the use of online piano lessons, or a MIDI-enabled electronic keyboard and some sort of learning app. Learning to play piano by yourself can be a flexible entryway to piano playing.
There are many to choose from, including our own at LUMI, where you can learn piano by playing some of your favorite songs. Whether you're a fan of classical music, want to play jazz or prefer more contemporary pop songs, you can start learning piano through music you love.
No matter what your chosen learning method is, what all of these past articles have emphasized is the importance of discipline and routine, even if it’s only for a few minutes per day. Sounds a bit like the common resolution of meditating, doesn’t it? Well, music has its own version of this, and it’s called flow.
This is the state of intense focus where music or some other creative outlet feels like it’s speaking freely through you, without judgment or distraction. It is truly one of the most magical feelings, regardless of the end product. It is the lived experience of process over result, though sometimes the result is also great!
So after you've learned your first chords in some basic lessons, you’ll arrive at a place where you’re a little more comfortable with how chords work, and so you'll either be practicing songs or more likely writing your own songs. Writing your own songs can be a great way for piano beginners to get an understanding of song structure and chord progressions.
If you try out the basic practice of improvisation to create music, also known as "jamming", you’ll really begin to unlock a whole new set of mental health benefits. From piano beginners all the way to professional pianists, the joy experienced when they play the piano is something that works wonders for creativity, stress relief and mental clarity.
How piano fulfills multiple resolutions
Flow as a form of meditation is only one example of this idea. The improved dexterity from piano can promote healthier joints and improve your skills in other hobbies relying on the hands.
Learning to read music, especially though not exclusively for children, can better equip your brain to grasp foreign languages. Playing in public or privately with other musicians down the line can be the bridge to new relationships in your life, and help combat any struggles with confidence or fears of things like public speaking.
Each of these benefits will differ based on what your life looks like. And again, this logic is incredibly powerful to apply to any resolution you come up with this year and in the future.
Your next steps
We’re excited for your musical journey in piano learning and for those you’ll share it with. If you’re ready to take this on, here’s a recap of what we’ve touched on along with a few extra steps:
Review our previous articles about getting started and learning alone (if this is your path).
Schedule at least some practice sessions daily.
💡 When scheduling your practice sessions, we think shorter "bursts" of practice during your busiest days is a good idea, with at least one longer practice session sometime each week.Select your target songs you hope to perform at a future gathering. For example, you can choose to play songs which center the piano by your favorite artists or ones you can interactively practice playing within the LUMI Music App.
💡 The LUMI app used in conjunction with LUMI Keys has the added benefit of illuminating the notes played on the keyboard, a helpful addition if you're not yet able to read music notation.Set intentional check-in times throughout the year. This can be a moment to reconsider your learning method, how you approach practice sessions, your instrument, and continue to look towards your goal of performing.
💡 With the overall end goal for performing for your friends at the end of the year still in sight, check-in times can be a perfect way to set smaller goals. For example, you might want to see how well you're understanding chords, so testing your knowledge of basic chords, chord progressions and music theory at regular intervals can be helpful.
💡 You might also want to consider playing a song or two that you've been learning in front of a friend or family member! This is a great way to get rid of performance anxiety as you slowly work towards your performance goals.
So dive in! Even if you're a complete beginner, you can feel the reward of playing music as soon as you start to play the piano, simply by enjoying that piano sound!
If you are going the route of LUMI Keys, consider picking up more than one! This will not only discount the individual instruments, but provide you with the ability to "snap" them together. More piano keys means a wider range of notes ("octaves") and therefore more possibilities of learning to play with two hands. You'll go from playing do re mi to Auld Lang Syne in no time!
