{"id":3933,"date":"2017-05-03T17:29:13","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T21:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/?p=3933"},"modified":"2023-01-25T13:40:25","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T18:40:25","slug":"how-to-practice-piano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Practice Piano with Correct Technique"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3948\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"how to practice piano\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/how-to-practice-piano.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/strong>The piano is one of the world\u2019s most welcoming instruments for beginners. Unlike other instruments, the piano is built in such a way that a person with absolutely no prior experience or training can sit down and produce musical sounds immediately. The operating mechanisms within a piano are easy to understand and strikingly intuitive for first time players: press a key down and you\u2019ll get a noise. Press multiple keys down at the same time and you\u2019ll get a chord. It\u2019s that simple. Yet, figuring out how to practice piano correctly and in a way that promotes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2016\/12\/piano-technique\/\">proper technique<\/a> and efficient playing is a process that\u2019s nearly the opposite of intuitive for many musicians.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you want to learn how to properly play scales, chords, and difficult passages of music, you\u2019ll have to step out of a space that feels comfortable and easy into one that is significantly more challenging and difficult. In this article, we\u2019ll show you how to practice piano by providing helpful insights and exercises for complete beginners as well as intermediate players looking to expand their playing experience and music theory knowledge. Whether you\u2019re completely new to the piano or are just someone looking to bring your skill level up a notch, we\u2019ve got something for you here. Some of what we\u2019re going to be talking about here has to do with music reading, but you don\u2019t need to be highly skilled at reading notes or rhythms to understand the concepts in this article. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Importance of Playing With Correct Fingers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re already familiar with proper piano fingering, feel free to move on to the next section. In the world of piano music, it\u2019s absolutely essential that you play in a way that has you thinking about your fingers. Yes, the piano is an incredibly intuitive instrument, but players who don\u2019t actively use correct fingering will never be able to play in a truly functional and efficient way.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In music notation, fingering instructions come in the form of numbers that are placed above notes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3934\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/piano-fingering.jpg\" alt=\"piano finger numbers\" width=\"430\" height=\"99\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/piano-fingering.jpg 430w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/piano-fingering-300x69.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Each number corresponds to the fingers of both right and left hands:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1-Thumb<\/p>\n<p>2-Index<\/p>\n<p>3-Middle<\/p>\n<p>4-Ring<\/p>\n<p>5-Pinky<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Do your best to follow fingering instructions within sheet music, scales, and warmups. Remember, every instruction you see within piano music is there to make your job as a musician easier and not more difficult. Learning something correctly the first time will save you the energy and effort of having to go back and do it again.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3935\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/hands-with-finger-numbers.jpg\" alt=\"piano fingering numbered hands\" width=\"450\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/hands-with-finger-numbers.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/hands-with-finger-numbers-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Introductory Unison Warmup <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before your fingers can learn to play independently of each other, they\u2019ll have to learn to play in unison. This warmup is an easy way to get your left and right hands playing together. Like in all the exercises we\u2019re going to show you, have a metronome out and ready to use while playing. Learning to play to a set rhythm is an essential skill for every musician. Start with your right hand thumb (1) on middle C (the middle C is the C note located at the center of your keyboard). Then, place your left hand pinky (5) on the C note an octave below your right hand. With both hands, play C-D-E-F and G in unison and then backwards till you arrive back at C again. Repeat this same sequence up a key until you reach the C an octave above. Practice this warmup slowly at first. Once you master this warmup you\u2019ll be able to move on to scales.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3936\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fingers-in-unison.jpg\" alt=\"piano warm-up exercise\" width=\"649\" height=\"220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fingers-in-unison.jpg 649w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/fingers-in-unison-300x102.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px\" \/><em>Start with both hands on C and then move up a key<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Hanon Exercises <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Charles Louis Hanon\u2019s first book of meticulously crafted piano exercises was published in 1873 and has remained a staple in piano practicing ever since. <em>The Virtuoso Pianist <\/em>features 60 meticulously crafted exercises designed to increase muscle memory, speed, dexterity, and finger strength in a pianist. Whether you\u2019ve been playing piano for days or decades, this book features a vast array of powerful exercises that will benefit you and pianists of every skill level and background. These exercises all feature both hands playing various passages of increasingly difficult music in unison. Learning how to practice piano effectively entirely depends on your effort and methods, so making sure to add this powerful tool in your arsenal is a smart idea. <em>The Virtuoso Pianist <\/em>can be found in retail and online music stores.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Scales<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Learning how to play scales is equally as important as learning how to understand them, so if a student takes the time to learn scales but doesn\u2019t bother to learn what a scale is, they\u2019ll only receive half the benefit of the exercise. A scale, which is also referred to as a mode, is a step-by-step sequencing of a key of music. Essentially, scales contain the ingredients that go into a key in music. Distinct chords are built off of each scale degree, and composers use these chords in their music. We\u2019ll chat more about chords in a bit. Scales are an essential music theory concept, but they are not difficult to learn and understand.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>By the way, pianists are in luck when it comes to tackling music theory because the piano is an instrument that perfectly represents the intangible ideas and concepts behind basic music theory. When other instrumentalists learn music theory, they use the piano\u2019s keyboard as a visual aid. Like many basic music theory concepts, scales can be built using simple formulas.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to teaching you how to build scales on the piano, we\u2019re going to show you how to play some major and minor scales on the piano with the correct fingering patterns which is an essential part of learning how to practice piano.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3599\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/major-scale-intervals.png\" alt=\"C major scale with initervals\" width=\"703\" height=\"156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/major-scale-intervals.png 703w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/major-scale-intervals-300x67.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>All scales can be built on the piano by following a simple formula of half and whole steps. We\u2019ll start with the C major scale located on middle C to make things easy. Starting with the C note, you\u2019ll play the notes above in the following order: Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Whole-Half. The sequence of notes you should end up with are C-D-E-F-G-A-B and C. Natural minor scales can be built using another simple formula of Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole. You can use these formulas to build simple major and minor scales on any note in music. That\u2019s powerful knowledge that will help you see the bigger picture of music. If you want to learn how to practice piano in a powerful and effective way, giving musical context to your efforts is essential.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now let\u2019s show you what fingers you should use to build some simple major and minor scales on the piano. If we learn how to play an easy C major scale with the correct fingerings, this finger pattern can be used for many other piano scales. We\u2019ve covered some great exercise options for playing in unison, but scales are great tools to build and develop independence between your hands. The fingerings we\u2019re about to show you can be used for playing major and minor scales in the keys of C, G, D, A, and E.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Simple Major and Minor Scale Fingerings:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(LH):\u00a0 54321321<\/p>\n<p>(RH): 12312345<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>C Major Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3937\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-Major-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"C major scale on piano\" width=\"630\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-Major-on-piano.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-Major-on-piano-300x96.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>C Minor Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3938\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-minor-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"C natural minor scale on piano\" width=\"652\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-minor-on-piano.jpg 652w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/C-minor-on-piano-300x111.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>G Major Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3940\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-major-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"G major scale for piano\" width=\"644\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-major-on-piano.jpg 644w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-major-on-piano-300x113.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 644px) 100vw, 644px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>G Minor Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3941\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-minor-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"g minor piano scale\" width=\"637\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-minor-on-piano.jpg 637w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/G-minor-on-piano-300x98.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>D Major Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3942\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/D-major-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"D major piano scale\" width=\"634\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/D-major-on-piano.jpg 634w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/D-major-on-piano-300x104.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>D Minor Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3943\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/d-minor-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"D minor piano scale\" width=\"661\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/d-minor-on-piano.jpg 661w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/d-minor-on-piano-300x102.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 661px) 100vw, 661px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Major Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3944\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-major-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"A major piano scale\" width=\"637\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-major-on-piano.jpg 637w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-major-on-piano-300x104.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Minor Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3945\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-minor-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"A minor piano scale\" width=\"653\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-minor-on-piano.jpg 653w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/a-minor-on-piano-300x105.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 653px) 100vw, 653px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>E Major Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3946\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-major-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"E major piano scale\" width=\"638\" height=\"229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-major-on-piano.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-major-on-piano-300x108.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>E Minor Scale:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3947\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-minor-on-piano.jpg\" alt=\"E minor piano scale\" width=\"652\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-minor-on-piano.jpg 652w, https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/e-minor-on-piano-300x108.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 652px) 100vw, 652px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve mastered these simple scales, move on to more difficult ones. Here\u2019s some other piano scales with more difficult finger patterns:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>B Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5<\/p>\n<p><strong>C#\/Db Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2<\/p>\n<p><strong>D#\/Eb Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p><strong> F#\/Gb Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, F, F#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2<\/p>\n<p><strong>G#\/Ab Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p><strong>A#\/Bb Major:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>A#\/Bb Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: A#, C, C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>B Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5<\/p>\n<p><strong>C#\/Db Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p><strong>D#\/Eb Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: D#, F, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p><strong>F Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4<\/p>\n<p><strong>F#\/Gb Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 4<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p><strong>G#\/Ab Minor:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Notes: G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#<br \/>\nFingerings (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2<br \/>\nFingerings (RH): 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Chords<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve got a good idea of how to build major and minor scales around the piano with the correct finger patterns, it\u2019s a good idea to bring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/piano-chord-chart\/\">chords<\/a> from these keys into your piano practice. Like we mentioned before, every note in major and minor keys is assigned its own unique chord. Like the order of notes in each scale, the assigned chords in these keys are constant within music. This is why we assign Roman Numerals to chords in music to speak to the permanent relationships between chords within keys. If you need extra help learning how to build the basic chords in these keys, please check out our recent article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2017\/01\/basic-music-theory\/\">basic music theory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Major keys feature the following set of chords. The large Roman Numerals represent major chords while the smaller ones represent minor chords. The chord with the small circle represents a diminished chord.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Major key chords:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ii\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 iii\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IV\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 V\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 vi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 vii\u00b0<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Choose a series of keys to play in, and play every chord in the selected keys to the steady click of a metronome. You can create a drill of chords in minor keys by doing the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Minor key chords:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>i\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ii\u00b0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 III\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 iv\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 v\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 VI\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 VII<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To help test your knowledge of scales and keys, write a simple 4-chord progression and learn to play it in various keys around the piano. For example, you could play a I-IV-vi-iii chord progression in the key of C to start and the move it to gradually more difficult keys like D, E, and then F#. The basic idea here is to teach you how to add every scale, key, and chord to your musical toolkit. This knowledge can help you whether you\u2019re a concert pianist or an aspiring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/music-theory-can-improve-your-songwriting\/\">songwriter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Piano exercises are important for helping to deliver finger strength, dexterity, and flexibility to a player, but they should also give pianists a greater understanding of not just the piano of how music theory works. The question of how to practice piano effectively is an important one, but asking <em>why<\/em> you want to practice piano is much more important. If you know what sorts of things you\u2019d like to achieve with your practicing, you\u2019ll have a much better idea what of what to focus on in your exercises. The exercises we mentioned here are just a few examples of the many great things you can do to increase your playing prowess and music theory knowledge with the piano.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The piano is one of the world\u2019s most welcoming instruments for beginners. Unlike other instruments, the piano is built in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,3,46,332,6],"tags":[128,103,8,85,133],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Practice Piano with Correct Technique<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When learning how to play piano, learning how to practice piano efficiently and with correct technique can be challenging. 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