Beginner with questions

[mimi1000]

Hello Everyone,

I am a beginner to learning the greatest instrument ever "Piano." I started classes a couple of months back. I barely learnt the instrument for 31/2 months and I had to move. During my learning process in those few months, my teacher almost managed to cover a book which had chords of various kinds, tie,  and we reached scales. At that time, I noticed that I knew the notes when I saw one but when I started playing I had to think for sometime before I actually played the note. As a result, the music didnt sound anywhere close to what I heard when the teacher played. The teacher however suggested that I could write the note names on top of each note and play. She said with practice it will be ok. Now, I have resumed my practice at home. I havent found a teacher as yet. But I noticed that when I start playing a song, I have to think of the note name I am playing before I actually play it and the music doesn't sound good.

I dont know if I am doing anything wrong here. I find it hard to memorize the notes like "all cows eat grass" etc. I have memorized the notes as they are and I know them pretty well when I see them seperately or before I sit before the piano and start playing. ONLY when I start playing, I fumble and have to think for each note.

I would really appreciate any advice and guide me through my mistake.

 

[qwerty quaver]

HI!

first of all, it's great that you love the piano so much!!!

something you haven't mentioned is whether you go to a music school or whether you take private lessons at home.
I go to a music school and before learning any instrument there it is compulsory to do a year or 2 of music theory so that the student will know the basics in music. in these classes we used to do a lot of "note reading" aloud and as fast as possible.
during my first piano class, my teacher showed me hand position, etc. and asked me to practice locating C and F keys (as far as i can remember)

i have continued music theory classes and piano classes ever since and reading notes has become an automatism as well as finding the notes on the keyboard.

[abell88]

Something else that will help you is not to focus on notes individually, but as patterns. Once you know the first note of a set (in one bar, for example), look whether the next notes are moving up or down by steps, skips or leaps.  You don't necessarily need to know the name of the note you're playing, as long as you know it's two notes higher than the note you just played.  (Of course, you do need to learn their names; I'm just saying you don't have to be able to say the name of each note as you play it.)

Regarding All Cows Eat Grass, there have been some good discussions about teaching/learning notation on the Teaching board lately. Try this one:

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7904.0.html

[qwerty quaver]

You don't necessarily need to know the name of the note you're playing, as long as you know it's two notes higher than the note you just played. (Of course, you do need to learn their names; I'm just saying you don't have to be able to say the name of each note as you play it.)

unless you're trying to learn the piece by heart.

[mimi1000]

I have not been going to any piano school or having private piano practice either. I am practicing what I learnt from my earilier teacher and I also have a book with a cd. I read the chapter and practice the music given in the book. However, I listen to the music first on the cd then I play it. I notice at that time that I have to write down the notes to play the music. I am not sure if all of you who have been playing piano for years have found this and had the same problem