A very common misconception about piano is that you absolutely have to build keyboard awareness with daily etudes and scales before you can start learning to play kiddie tunes or even think about learning the music you enjoy hearing. This learning path is NOT your only option! We need to consider the fact that etudes (musical studies) were originally written by classical composers to train new students. If you do not wish to become a classical piano player, endlessly practicing etudes isn’t necessary. Instead, you can use short, daily finger exercises to improve your dexterity, establish some muscle memory, and get comfortable moving on the keyboard.As far as kiddie tunes go—there’s absolutely nothing wrong with learning “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” but the fact is, most modern music from the last 50 – 60 years uses simple enough chord progressions to learn as a beginner. Learning to play any tune is going to involve some degree of repetition, meaning you’re going to be hearing it quite a bit—wouldn’t it be a bit more rewarding and enjoyable if you’re learning a piece of music you actually like?Through my own piano progress and experience teaching adults, I have found learning to play based on a personal connection to the tunes and admiration for the artists to be the most effective, motivating, and FUN method to develop musical skills at any age.
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