Learning Piano - And The Importance Of Realistic Expectations

I've said it many times and I'm going to say it again - learning to play piano is not an easy thing. I should know, I've seen too many beginners getting frustrated and simply giving up. One of the main reasons for doing so is because they start with unrealistic expectations, which they fail to reach.

Have Reasonable Goals

That's why realistic expectations are almost as important as good instructions. Piano is a very complex instrument and you can't expect to master it overnight.

I'm always saying that success lies in the right approach. And the right approach to learning piano includes three things:

1. Good instructions (see Piano Lessons on DVD)
2. Determination and commitment
3. and reasonable expectations

It's very simple really - if you bite more than you can chew, you're going to get discouraged. If you're looking for shortcuts, you're going to get lost.

Learning piano is a gradual step by step process - you have to start at a beginning and work your way up. You have to give yourself short-term attainable goals that will give you a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to move towards your long-term success.

First, master and understand the fundamentals and only then move on to more advanced subjects. I've seen it many times how beginners without proper instructions tend to jump all over the place. Result: failure. Advice: don't do it.

If you're just starting out, for example, you won't go tackling Chopin's Winter Wind(see the video), because I guarantee you - you're going to get discouraged.

Chopin's Winter Wind:

Okay, this might be an exaggeration, because most beginners do actually realize that the piece above is a bit beyond their current skill level, but still, many start with quite unrealistic expectations.

This is really where good instructions come into place, because if they are any good, they will give you proper guidance, so that you will know at any time where you're at and where you're going.

The bottom line - don't get ahead of yourself and don't rush it. If you do things right from the start, you can certainly achieve your goals in a very reasonable amount of time. Just maybe not tomorrow. But the sooner you start, the sooner you'll see results.

Where to start? Learn & Master Piano is definitely a good place.