Piano Forum

There is no actual method per se. Just an approach that can involve decoding, sight reading, listening, or fingering.. and other dimensions (tone, harmony, rhythm, etc). They work in parallel arrays and sometimes we focus on only one skill during the developmental cycle. Ultimately one has to achieve a oneness with all skills involved in music (audiation).  It’s too frustrating getting it right initially.. it’s very complex.. so it becomes more of stage development .. not unlike the 5 stages of civilization (Kardashev scale as in astrophysics). We all started wrong somewhere as a beginner but sooner or later we add and weave all the right skills together into a fabric.

What I like to do is 50-50 ratio of learning. 50% things I have to do and 50% I want to do. You can play but u also have to play seriously. You can modify that ratio too depending on your preference but if you have a lopsided ratio (too much method or too much fun) it’s not the middle way to keep you going for the long haul. You don’t want to be burned out with too much structure but if you don’t do your diligence randomly playing with no focus keeps you all over the place. You will reach the same road as everyone else. But we are not all at the same point so the best way is to acknowledge you will make mistakes, it will be fine, you fix it, and then proceed forward. As long as you have the critical thoughts to even realize you made a mistake (don’t let ego get in the way), you improve as you go.

Most important is to have fun and rekindle that passion when you lost it. Music is awesome for all ages and the world can use more musicians. I happen to believe piano is the best instrument.