"Play Piano Without Ever Practicing!"

How can one play piano without enduring the kind of painstaking practice that most people associate with the art? It's a matter of perspective, attitude, and approach. Let me explain...

What is practice? If you were to look up the word in a dictionary, you'd likely to see its definition, as it applies to learning a skill, to read something like this: systematic exercise for acquiring proficiency.

Wphew! Say that ten times fast! (Warning: it might take some practice)

What do you think of when you imagine yourself engaging in something called systematic exercise?

I don't know about you but, as for me, I'm not turned on by the sound of it all. When I hear that I picture someone working in a jewelry shop, sitting down doing piece work. "Grab the ring. Glue the stone on. Grab the ring. Glue the stone on. Grab the ring..."

Time for a break yet?

When I think of art (music or other), the idea of attempting to be "systematic" just seems to drain the pizazz right out of it all. Even though I use the word practice because of its general acceptance, given the choice, I would rather dispose of it. That's why I pretty much have my own definition of practice as it applies to learning to play piano.

I hope you've had the privilege of witnessing this (if not, try to). That baby is in awe. A wide-eyed gaze to the left, then to the right, mouth open, a curious facial expression that seems to ask, "What in the world is this?" as he or she looks on with astonishment.

Then when the tiny tot becomes aware that these piano keys can "talk" when hit, wow! It's a whole different ball game. More hitting immediately follows.

Up and down swing those arms. Then you will notice, if you really pay attention, that the baby starts to make distinctions: hit the keys here, one sound... hit them here, hmmmm... the eyes open wide, wow, cool sound! Baby smiles.

This is ear training in its most elementary stages! More areas of the keyboard become discovered and claimed... the little maestro plays harder, voices an opinion, laughs, plays faster. This baby is engaged in a state of ecstacy!

What's happening here? Discovery, amazement, pleasure, curiosity, interaction, exploration, results, self-acceptance, smiles, laughs... and it all continues for as long as that little one is seated in front of those keys.

It's all these things in their purest form! And... the best part? It all happens without any self judgment whatsoever.

What was that baby's motive for playing on those piano keys? Was there any room, from the perspective of this virtuoso, for negative results to manifest? Not a chance.

We were all like that as babies. Then something happened. What was it? We learned how to understand what those adults in our lives were saying. We heard words and phrases like "can't," "hard," "difficult," "work," "this is hard," "yeah, good luck if you can do it," "you have to work hard," "practice makes perfect," and on and on. Arggghhh, the sickness of it all!

The point: you weren't born knowing you couldn't do anything and thinking you couldn't do it with fun beyond your wildest dreams.

As you proceed through my lessons here on this site, it becomes obvious that they are not of the traditional variety. For example, when we discuss what a major scale is, you are using that scale to apply yourself in a technical as well as a creative fashion, but in a playful, carefree way.

You don't experience a feeling of confinement to a set of rules. Instead, you have the freedom to explore within the context of the material being discussed while gaining multiple benefits by doing so.

You can play piano instantly. It doesn't take "practice" to play piano. Every moment you sit in front of that keyboard should be thought of as play. That's what it is! Take it too seriously and you drain the fun right out of it. Please don't do that to yourself.

Always keep in mind your primary objective for sitting at that piano - to enjoy yourself. Keep this in perspective.

The other stuff, like learning chords, playing a new song, etc. is all great - it all supports the experience of having fun, but doing it well (even though you'll aspire to) is secondary to the fun itself. Ironically, you'll enjoy bigger accomplishments with this viewpoint.

I'd like you to form some habits starting right now:

* Each and every time you sit at the piano, smile. Really smile, whether it initially feels strange or not.

* When sitting at the piano, rather than thinking from a mind set that says "chore" or "study" or "work," think like that baby. Don't even think too much. Just be in a playful mood. Know that whatever your fingers do on those keys, it's okay. Accept yourself and embrace your experience completely.

* Understand that you will achieve results of some kind each and every time you play piano, whether you play for twenty seconds or 30 minutes - results that you will accept. If they don't match your original goal, fine. If they do, that's fine, too.

You always succeed at something. Click here for my viewpoint on what some people call failure because the usual definition of the word has no place here.

* Associate every moment you sit at the piano with a good time. Why shouldn't it be? No reason! Think of any favorite hobby of yours, whether its painting, reading a great book, playing cards... an activity in which you place absolutely no judgment on yourself.

Now, adopt that attitude as you play piano, whatever level of playing you're at! Be like that baby we described above.

Take on this mind set and what's ahead of you with your experience here will be nothing short of a party. Play with the kind of joy and freedom that you know you want to.

And remember this: how you habitually think beginning right now will be the kind of thinking that will determine the quality of your entire piano learning journey. Next time you think about practicing, change your mind about it and decide to just play piano.

Return from Play Piano to Practice Piano

Return from Play Piano to Piano Lessons