Mastering Piano: What’s the Secret? 🎵

/ General, Inspiration / By

Raise your hand 🙋 if you regret quitting piano lessons as a kid or teen!

If you’re nodding, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, less than half of students who start piano lessons continue beyond the first year. And honestly? It’s not because they lack talent—it’s because learning to play piano can feel really hard.

But here’s something you may not know: learning piano 🎹 is one of the best things you can do for your brain. 

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes every time you sit down at the keys. Have you ever thought about just how much your brain and body are doing all at once? 🧠

Let me break it down for you—this is what’s happening during a typical piano lesson:

 

  • Posture: Sit tall with relaxed shoulders. Keep your hands and wrists lifted, fingers curved, and arms parallel to the floor. That’s a lot to manage!
  • Technical Gesture: Coordinate hands and fingers to create different touches—heavy, light, firm presses, quick releases, long and short notes.
  • Right and Left Hand Differentiation: A challenging task for young children to master.
  • Finger Independence: Each finger must work independently, a difficult physical task—especially for the ring and pinky fingers, which are rarely used on their own in daily life.
  • Reading Music from Left to Right: A brand-new concept for beginning readers.
  • Learning a New Language: Music has its own alphabet, symbols, and “rules.” Students must link these to specific keys on the piano—an advanced skill!
  • Understanding the Musical Alphabet: It moves forwards and backwards, starting on any letter. So strange, yet essential!
  • Reading and Executing Musical Symbols: Juggling pitch, rhythm, fingering, tempo, dynamics, and expression—all at once.
  • Connecting Pitch and Keyboard Layout: The keyboard is horizontal, but pitch is vertical. High notes are up and to the right, low notes down and to the left—another abstract concept to grasp!
  • Connecting the Ear to the Music: Link what’s seen, heard, and felt to create an appropriate emotional response.
  • Coordinating Hands and Feet: Combine both hands, and sometimes the foot for the pedal, while decoding music. The brain works hard!
  • And don’t forget… Be creative, imaginative, and expressive, too!

 

All of this. All at THE SAME TIME. 🤯

It’s no wonder it feels overwhelming at first! But the amazing part? With patience, practice, and a little grace our brains and bodies can do it. It’s remarkable. 

Why Learning Piano is About So Much More Than Music

Piano lessons don’t just teach kids how to play an instrument. They build resilience, confidence, and patience—skills that stick with them for life.

  • Resilience: Learning music teaches kids how to work through frustration. By breaking down challenges into small steps, they develop the resilience and mastery mindset to keep going when things get tough. Children  learn to accept the feelings of vulnerability and discomfort that often come when learning something new or challenging. 
  • Confidence: There’s nothing more rewarding than mastering a difficult piece. That feeling of “I did it!” helps build confidence in tackling other challenges. Children learn to process big feelings and make the struggle of learning music meaningful.
  • Intrinsic Motivation & Patience: In today’s world of instant gratification, learning to take things slow and appreciate progress is a valuable skill. Kids who understand that hard work takes time, develop a real sense of pride in what they’re doing. Children will begin to trust themselves and their skills through sustained and consistent effort.

How Teachers and Parents Can Help

Learning an instrument can be tough, but kids don’t have to do it alone. With the right support, they can thrive. The role of both the artist-educator and parent is extremely vital in the music learning process. A child needs to feel encouraged, supported, and safe to embrace the struggle of learning a difficult (and extremely REWARDING) skill. 

The Role of the Artist-Educator
At Donais Studios, we make sure our students feel supported every step of the way. Here’s how we help:

  • We guide students in creating their own artistic practice routine.
  • We teach them how to break down challenging tasks into small specific skills to be mastered.
  • We encourage them to use music as a way to express themselves creatively and emotionally.
  • We give them opportunities to perform, which builds confidence and lets them share their progress and their art.

The Role of the Parent
As a parent, you play a huge role in supporting your child’s music journey. Here are some ways you can help:

  • Help them stick to a regular practice routine.
  • Be patient and remind them that learning an instrument is hard work—it’s okay to struggle!
  • Celebrate all their little victories along the way, no matter how small.
  • Give them space to figure things out on their own. Their brain is doing some serious work! 
  • Encourage them to have fun and be playful at the piano.

When we work together, we can help our kids do amazing things. Learning music is one of the most rewarding and beautiful journeys they can take. Once we understand the incredible work their brains and bodies are doing, we can support them in embracing the challenge and enjoying the process. Our bodies and brains can do remarkable things! đź’ť

Big high-five to all the kids and adults out there working hard! 🎉 Let’s celebrate every step of progress—big or small.

With love,
Andrea “Doing Hard Things” Donais


P.S. We still have a few spots available for voice and piano lessons for the 2024/2025 season at The Artist Within Academy. Come join us and discover what’s possible when you ignite, discover, and share The Artist Within. Whether it’s through music or personal growth, it’s worth the effort. Let’s build confidence, resilience, and a love for learning together. Click here to connect with us.

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