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by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
If you are curious whether this is the right space for you--consider these scenarios: If you:
If you relate to any of the above scenarios, you are in the right place! Why The Piano Is The Best First Musical Instrument To Learn! Also, join me LIVE—TUESDAYS/THURSDAYS from 10:30 am ET on Facebook! Ask me questions during any of my LIVE events! Who am I and what do I know about piano? I switched my piano performance degree to music composition because I loved making up music more than performing. I taught piano for years in my private piano studio, many youth facilities, and even an 11-year stint as an elementary music and chorus educator in Florida. I taught both private and piano group lessons, using a mix of note-reading, ear-training, and rote-playing with students from ages 4-90. I’m also a composer of piano-based music, produced a musical theater CD of my original songs, and scored half a dozen short films with piano-based orchestral music. I LOVE music! Music loves me. Three years ago, after my Dad passed away, I left my 30-year piano and music education and performance career to move back to my home state of Kentucky as a caregiver for my 81-year Mom while running my online biz. But like many busy adults, I’ve been SO busy with life transitions, I didn't practice the piano in a while. I, myself, am a returning piano learner! I have reignited my daily piano practice routine! Enough about me! I am excited to have launched the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group! If you want to join our supportive community, sign up here! Piano Is The Best First Musical Instrument To Learn because it is the foundation for learning OTHER musical instruments. Choosing piano as your first musical instrument provides a solid musical foundation and many advantages for later branching out into learning other musical instruments. Reason #1 = The Advantage of TWO Clefs Piano learners will master two different musical clefs to read musical notation. The piano player will primarily use the right hand to play Treble Staff notes for the higher range. The pianist will usually play the lower range of the Bass Staff notes with the left hand. Being able to read the notation in both clefs becomes an advantage for learning different musical instruments. Most musical instruments read the notes of one clef, most commonly the Bass Clef or Treble Clef. (Luckily, pianists don’t need to learn the alto, tenor, neutral clefs, or guitar tablature!) Having already learned the notation for both Treble and Bass Clefs with piano study gives the music student an advantage when learning another new instrument. This notation-reading skill makes things less complex for the music student when learning additional instruments. Students learning additional instruments can also focus more on technique and musicality since the rudiments of notation-reading will already be established through piano lessons. WOOT! One BIG point in favor of learning piano FIRST! Who likes things to be EASIER!? Reason #2 is about Music Theory! Music theory bases itself on the topography of the piano keyboard. (The visual layout of the black and white keys of the piano keyboard.) This visual point is another excellent reason for choosing piano as a first instrument. No matter what musical instrument you learn, you will use the piano keyboard as a reference when learning music theory! Reason #3 is... The Piano Is A Guide For All Instrument Ranges The piano is a guide to understand the ranges of other instruments and voices! When learning about the orchestra, or vocal ensembles, the piano also is the basis for understanding the ranges of various instruments and voices. A musical instrument range is how high or low it sounds when played. The piano keyboard includes all the ranges of these instruments! So it’s an easy, visual guide for understanding where the sounds from all these instruments logistically fall! Reasons #4 & #5 for Why Piano Is The Best First Musical Instrument To Learn is because... The piano keyboard is a guide for learning chord structure and harmonic analysis. The piano keyboard is the basis for understanding chordal structure. Chords are sounds produced when you play two or more notes simultaneously. The order of where these notes are determines different shapes or the chordal structure. Piano topography and musical notation are visual guides for teaching how chords are structured. The piano also shows harmonic analysis as a visual guide showing how all orchestral instruments or vocal parts harmonize/play together. Harmonic analysis is the progression and tonality (or the mood of the sound produced) of chords and how they affect the form (structural organization) of the music composition. These concepts are a bit advanced for new and returning piano learners. But, piano study gradually includes all these more advanced musical concepts! These five reasons are why learning the piano as your FIRST instrument is an asset to any musician, conductor, or composer! A BONUS reason for learning piano as a first musical instrument IF you:
Having the piano as a first instrument gives you the added benefit of established, good foundational and practice habits for music learning. You can apply these powerful benefits to learning other musical instruments, singing, or composing music! If you would like to learn more, join the New & Returning Piano Learners, click here! WHO IS THIS supportive community for? This is for you if you:
I host Q & A sessions with my best piano tips for group members and regular promo threads where piano teachers or piano music product creators may share books, online piano courses, or teaching studios! JOIN NOW by clicking the button below!! Please invite others who will benefit from this info and conversation. Feel free to share this video. Tag a friend (on Facebook) by typing her/his name in the comments below. I look forward to joyful piano progress with you in the New & Returning Piano Learners supportive online community!
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by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Watch my REPLAY above to see my book writing process and a glimpse inside my book. If you are a new or returning piano learner, this is for YOU. I’m popping in each week to share my creative process with a sneak peek of my book, Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning. My book introduction explains who this book is for and what you will get from it. If you are interested in learning the piano, join our supportive community, where we share our struggles, goals, and encouragement for the piano learning journey! Join us in the new and returning piano learners Facebook group. Stay tuned for my next sneak peek into Chapter One of my revised book, Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning. Join me LIVE on Facebook Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. ET. FAQs About My Upcoming REVISED book, "Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning!"6/21/2022 by Jenny Leigh Hodgins Wanna know if my upcoming revised book is a good fit for you? My book is for you if:
 Topics Covered In My Book:
Does my book teach you how to play the piano? My book gives an overview of everything you need to start piano with the best foundation prepared for your piano-playing success. This book does not include the specifics of how to play the piano in a step-by-step lesson format. However, I do cover critical basics on how to practice piano for the most progress. My upcoming book, How To Effectively Practice Piano, will provide a more detailed strategy for practicing piano effectively. Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning shows you how to set up everything you need for successful, lasting piano-playing progress. Through teaching piano for more than 30 years, I found that those who had these elements prepared and maintained throughout piano study enjoyed the most consistent and successful piano progress. Many people were frustrated by piano lessons before studying with me. They did not yet know about the things I covered in my book. Sharing these helpful ideas with more people is a major motivating factor for writing my book. Why Should You Buy My Book When You Can Search Online? There’s a wealth of info available online. Unfortunately, it takes a big chunk of time to sort through to find something applicable to you. Even if you luck upon something that applies to your unique learning situation, the source may not be qualified to help you in the best way. I have posted blogs about many of the topics I cover in my book. But you can save time and get my organized, more in-depth, all-in-one resource at your fingertips when you buy my book. 🎈I Show You How To Start Piano For Successful Life-Long Learning! You are getting lessons gleaned from my 30 years of experience in successful piano and music teaching, piano playing, and as a piano-based music composer. My book also contains strategies and information I use within my personal piano practice sessions and musical journey.  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
I am revising my book, Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning. The book offers my best piano tips for new and returning piano learners. NEW: The revised book includes my piano history and how that impacts the information provided. My backstory reveals why I am passionate about providing you with my best piano tips and my myth-busting, no-nonsense advice for new and returning piano learners. Recommended resources for aspiring piano players are getting updated with a broader selection for quality and convenience. I added new information due to how the pandemic has changed the way we can learn the piano. I am looking for beta readers! Beta readers will get a chapter or two to read and offer honest feedback. Any suggestions for editing and proofreading errors are welcome. Constructive feedback may also be about the content order or suggestions for omitted or added topics. Beta readers will have about a one-week timeframe to submit feedback. Not a professional author or editor? If you love reading or writing and are willing to spend an hour or two with an excerpt to provide authentic feedback, you are the perfect beta reader! You may share feedback with voice or video recording, written notes, or any combination! You may send feedback through email or DM on Facebook. 📣 Beta readers will also be the first to know when my new book is published! 🤚 If you’d like to proofread/offer feedback on my book rewrite, please leave a comment with BETA READER in it. I’ll get in touch!
The pandemic has dramatically changed life for me and those closest to me. My social circle has diminished due to my role as a caregiver for my elder mother. Visits with others have a new protocol of caution and discomfort due to our aim for pandemic safety. I'm tired of the wide divide between myself and others regarding the importance of protecting others from Covid risk. I miss the freedom of being able to socialize with total strangers without a face mask or wondering if they are carrying a risk of threat to my elder mother. I got so busy helping and protecting others that my life became entirely derailed from my personal and career goals. My recent chapter of constant challenges plus the horrific current news about the world have worn my energy and focus. My sleep quality and quantity had never been worse. This level of burnout and floundering is unlike me. I am a person with relentless drive and initiative to lead others toward positivity through my abundant positive energy. Usually. I recently saw life coach Mel Robbins talk about her Reset Workshop. She made me realize my exhaustion from the new pandemic norm and the state of our world is not unusual. Burnout from stress is as real and normal for me as it is for others. I burnt candles at both ends for others and for too long. I need to take care of myself to be my best for others. Such a cliche! But self-care is still the root of my problem and the solution. The idea of a total reboot inspired me. I decided to do my version of a complete RESET. Wipe the slate clean. Start fresh. How to RESET your energy and creative flow after burnout My version of RESET: R = Regularly rest your body, mind, and spirit. REST is FIRST because when you have burnout, you need rest to replenish your energy. Limit screen use and work hours. Do nothing more often. Seriously. Do nothing. Daydream. Take a nap. Mindlessly walk in nature. Listen to music. Go to your happy place. Stay there a while. E = Essentials only. Drop the stuff that matters less. As a caregiver and a solo entrepreneur, my task list is endless. It is HARD for me to drop things because I feel like it all matters. But only the essentials matter. You diminish your task list when you focus on what you want to achieve. Focus on the one thing that will make an impact on your goal. For me, that is finishing the revision of my book for new and returning piano learners. The rest can wait. S = Stay in your lane. Start focusing on your priorities for joy and for making a positive impact. Letting go of extra stuff leaves room for what matters most. Do what lights you up. Be true to yourself with what you have to offer the world. Being authentic is how you access your confidence zone and where you feel your natural enthusiasm. People with enthusiasm and confidence bring joy to the world. E = Embrace what nurtures you. For me, that's morning prayer first. Then, more nature, movement, art, music, journaling, reading fiction, and friendship. And more sleep. Guard your self-care activities with your whole life. These things are what fuel your holistic wellness. T = Team-build for accountability and support. Make a pact with a friend or family member, join a group of like-minded achievers, or leave a comment and I'll be your accountability buddy. Sharing struggles and goals with others relieves stress, brings motivation, and boosts your energy for achieving goals or making it through the dark side to the sunlight again. Don’t go it alone. Join forces with others. What you bring to the table helps them, too. What's up next for YourCreativeChord: Let's drop tasks that keep us constantly busy. Instead, let's do what means more to us; creating value and encouragement for you and me. I start this new direction by completing the rewrite of my book, Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning.
Once I launch my book, my next project is to complete my Essential Piano Basics course for new and returning piano learners. I hold myself accountable by openly sharing my book writing and course creation process with you. I am pushing myself to break through any obstacle to getting my words on the page and my courses completed. Sharing my creative process means coming to you as I am--mistakes, warts, ugly truths, and all. These are my credentials for being the person you can trust to tell you what you need to know about living a creative and inspired life. Sometimes that involves forging ahead with courage through the dark or difficult moments. Other times we must step back to absorb life and rejuvenate our hearts and souls. That's where I am now. Next, I will launch a series of new podcasts on nurturing creativity and inspiration. New podcast episodes include my best creativity tips and examples of creative flow, inspiring stories, spiritually uplifting poetry, and encouragement for personal development. Are you ready to hit the RESET button? If YOU need a RESET, let me know you are with me. We will support each other! Leave a comment to let me know:
Need fresh encouragement right now? Check out this music and nature video I made: Relieve Your Stress Or, check out this photo essay: Keep Looking For Moments Like These
Scroll down to watch the video Replay!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
In my Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group today, I shared:
Plus, how you can help me as a BETA READER for my revised book for new and returning piano learners! Any Qs? Please drop in the comments. I love hearing where you are in your piano learning journey. We share many of the same obstacles or goals, so don’t be shy with your questions. You may inspire me or someone else as we address things together.
Scroll down to watch the REPLAY!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
The #1 key to your piano progress is showing up consistently to practice your music. Establishing a daily piano practice habit is the most important thing you can do to improve your piano skills. Repetition through physically playing, mentally recalling, or listening to your music reinforces neurological pathways or grooves in your brain. These help you remember the music more readily each time you resume your music learning. Remember that gaps between piano practice sessions makes your next practice session more difficult for you. There are plenty of practice strategies that you can use to get your piano playing to the next level. But first, you must establish a daily rhythm of piano practice. This process is more easily said than done. As busy adults, we have countless tasks, unforeseen emergencies, and events that can easily throw our piano practice off. Inevitable distractions are why aspiring piano players must firmly commit to daily piano practice.
Click here if you want me to send you mine! (You'll also get more piano tips!) Using a piano practice tracker helps keep you accountable. It also gives you a zing of instant gratification when you see your progress! Refresh your determination to establish your piano practice as a non-negotiable daily habit. Make sure you set a weekly reward for extra motivation! When things come up that you get off track, refresh your resolve to get right back to it. Sometimes I only have enough energy or time to quickly run through as many of my repertoire pieces as I can get through in a short amount of time. At times I listen to, look at, or think about the music before bedtime as a meditative effort to keep it fresh in my mind. My goal is to practice piano every day. I do not always succeed with that goal. But I know that continuing to refresh my determination and swiftly getting back at it helps me further establish my piano practice as a daily habit. As a busy adult new or returning to the piano, establishing a daily piano practice schedule is the number one key element for improving your piano playing skills! Let me know how your piano practice routine is going this week in the comments. Have you been able to reach your weekly goal? Each week inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group we have a piano practice challenge! We challenge ourselves to meet our piano practice goals! Join us inside our musical oasis and get support for holding yourself accountable this week! Do you have a question about piano learning? Is there something in particular that you want to learn? 
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Scroll down to watch the REPLAY of my Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE on how to (safely) handle injury or pain without interrupting your piano momentum. This topic is SO relevant for many piano learners. Dealing with injury or pain impacts our mental well-being, too. But whether you have a temporary injury or chronic pain, you can safely continue strengthening your musical skills. Shout out to New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group members Tina and Alex for recently sharing honestly about their struggles with hand pain. I have dealt with periodic bouts of chronic tendonitis. My issues stemmed from my overachieving personality. I have a life-long lesson to learn about balance and self-care. Not being able to play piano due to pain has taught me valuable solutions. 1. Prevent causing physical pain: Make sure you sit at the proper height when at your keyboard. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor. 2. Use mindfulness when you can practice. Mindfulness requires attentive awareness of what you are doing on the keyboard. Not just the musical elements or analysis you are thinking at the piano. A mindful piano practice also includes what you are doing physically. Pay attention to your breathing, sense any tension or unnecessary stretching, and be aware of your posture. Taking a mindful practice approach will help you attune to whether you have any physical tension. Being attuned to yourself is the first step of finding the solution. Tension and stretching are not habits of the successful piano player. Learning to be mindfully aware of yourself goes a long way toward resolving any tension. 3. Progress Doesn't Just Happen At The Piano! Most importantly for those experiencing pain, recognize that piano progress does not just happen at the piano. And it is not just a physical activity. My mantra for piano practice is MIND SPENT IS BETTER THAN TIME SPENT. But this does not mean that all learning happens at the piano. A note about REST: (Pardon the double musical pun there!) Two of our wonderfully supportive group members and peer piano players stressed the importance of taking a break from playing the piano when you have pain or an injury. I agree with Natalie and Alex regarding the importance of rest periods. The most important thing is your health and wellness. If you have pain, you need to rest. Don’t push yourself at the piano until the pain is gone. You will risk further or permanent damage. Listening, Reading, and Thinking: Keep Your Piano Progress When You Can't Play While you take a break from work at the piano, you can use LISTENING, READING, and THINKING activities to keep your momentum going. (See my most recent REPLAY from May 3rd for specific activities you may use. Check out the GUIDES section for REPLAYS with even more ideas for practicing away from the piano keyboard.) Why Repetition and Consistency Matters To Your Brain: And for your piano learning success We know that repetition forms neurological pathways in our brains that help us learn and memorize music. When we have time gaps between practice sessions, remembering the music or the physicality of playing the music is more challenging. We know that consistent, regular piano practice accumulates. We know that the combination of our physical, cognitive, and aural memory skills creates a strong foundation for piano playing. How To Keep Your Piano Progress Going Even If You Can't Play! But don't be afraid of losing momentum in your piano advancement when you cannot physically play the instrument! If you have pain, you should not play the keyboard. But, this does not mean you must lose your progress in music learning! Using listening, reading, and thinking activities away from the keyboard keeps your musical soul nurtured and your mental health encouraged. You will also eliminate the loss of your musical gains by staying engaged with music in new ways. Your brain, ears, and even physical memory will keep your musical memory engaged even without being at the piano. All three of these types of memory can strengthen your musical skills even while you are away from the keyboard. Your Brain Has NO Idea Whether You're At or Away From The Piano Your brain does not know the difference between envisioning an activity versus actually doing an activity. So listening, reading, and thinking about your music in different ways will increase your musical skills. When you cannot physically play the piano, you also have the perfect chance to practice envisioning your performance confidence and success. When you return to the piano again, these activities will have built a solid foundation for your continued success at piano playing. Questions? Let me know if these tips were helpful by leaving me a comment! One More Thing That Matters For Your Piano Playing Success I am writing the second draft of my book, Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning. Keeping myself accountable, I want to report that I write every morning for 90 minutes. I also practice the piano daily for about the same amount of time. This week I have been finishing the introduction to the book to let you know my backstory and why you can trust me to lead you the right way when it comes to starting or returning to piano learning. I will pop in later this week to give you a sneak peek by reading an excerpt from the intro to let you know a bit about my piano learning journey. Let me know if that interests you with comment! Thanks For Your Help! What questions do you have about how to start or return to the piano? What questions do you have about a supportive piano practice routine, setup, or tips for learning, memorizing, and performing music? I would love to hear from you about this. In case I have left anything of importance to you out of my book! Your input may be helpful! Also, I'd love to invite you to join the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group! My goal is to expand and strengthen this wonderful musical oasis for quality peer-to-peer support in our piano learning journey. I want to reach 200 members by the end of this month! Please help me by sharing with those who may be interested in learning or improving at the piano! Thanks so much!  In my self-imposed writing space at the Galt House Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky. by Jenny Leigh Hodgins Do you ever need a universal kick in the pants? Do you have a goal that keeps getting pushed to the back burner of your life? My sister invited me to join her work conference this past week. I used the trip to self-impose a writing retreat and kickstart my book rewrite process. This is my version of that universal push or lighting the front burner. We stayed at the Galt House Hotel overlooking the beautiful Ohio River! Watch the replay of my behind-the-scenes Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE here. I'm rewriting my book, "Start Piano: What You Need For Successful Learning." I want to share my book writing process with you weekly from now to hold myself accountable. In this week's REPLAY, you'll see why I'm rewriting it for new and returning piano learners. Plus, I share my tips on maintaining piano momentum while away from a keyboard instrument! My book is already available on my website and packed with pertinent knowledge and information for new and returning piano learners. So why rewrite it? I'm sharing my personal story and why that makes what I have to say meaningful for you. Watch my REPLAY to find out how I'm doing that and why it matters if you have a passion for (or a hidden dream of) playing the piano. Thank you for sharing this with others interested in starting or returning to the piano. I keep myself accountable by openly sharing my writing efforts with you, my fellow artists, writers, creators, and new and returning piano learners. But collaboration, connection, and community with others are three proven ways of igniting creative inspiration. So talk to me. Let me know how my book rewrite resonates with you and your creative projects. Are you working on anything creative? If you need an accountability partner, please reply and count me in!
Piano can be a lonely path: Do you wish you had more positive feedback with your piano practice?4/27/2022
Scroll down to watch the REPLAY video.
Even then, we are often more separate as players than other musicians. Wind, string, percussion, and brass players all have each other in their sections for interaction. I chatted with music educator Jim Johnson, a member of the New and Returning Piano Learners group and leader of his Facebook group for adults learning beginning piano. We talked about how stressful the pandemic has been for many of us. Beyond the sometimes lonely path of piano practice, life itself has been intense globally for several years. Jim and I agreed that learning a musical instrument brings incredible wellness factors and is a powerful remedy to the stress of our world. We also related to having started our Facebook groups to create life-to-life connections while contributing meaningfully to others during these challenging times. Stay tuned for our in-depth conversation coming out on YourCreativeChord podcast soon. Here is WHY I started the New and Returning Piano Learners group and want to grow it further. I like the group members —YOU— so much because you share my love for the piano. But especially because you engage with me and each other to build sincere connections. I want to encourage each of you to get engaged in this group for new and returning piano learners. Start building relationships with the members here around our mutual piano learning journey. The more we share our real selves and where we are with our music, the more we will inspire and motivate piano progress. Not just for ourselves but for others in the group. Your conversations and questions open insights into my strengths and weaknesses. They shed new light on how to troubleshoot piano practice issues. You are helping each other well beyond the invaluable piano teacher’s guidance. For those who cannot have a piano teacher at this point, your engagement, feedback, tips, and general support are crucial. Pandemic life, the news of Russia’s war on Ukraine, gas prices—all of these events are stressful for us all. Remember that community provides relief. Finding a sense of belonging brings relief. Your piano learning journey helps you connect with like-minded music appreciators. Our interactions open our minds to fresh inspiration for piano practice and music learning. Another thing Jim Johnson and I agreed on wholeheartedly is that excessive emphasis on exterior credentials and spam are just clutter. These kinds of judgment and junk drain us. You won’t find that in this piano learner group. This community and connection with new and returning piano learners bring relief, encouragement, and joy. Because we are real here. We connect with what’s important about music. Not flashy piano technique, famous elitist methods, teachers, or schools. But through expressing our true selves through the piano. Doing our best to improve our piano playing from yesterday to today, then tomorrow. Each Tuesday from 1 pm ET, I go live as transparently as possible. I want to show you that the more you engage and share your vulnerability the deeper and more real your relationships and this community grows. As I share my true self, struggles, and goals with you, I make sincere, truthful, mutually encouraging connections with those who engage with me. I appreciate you for that interaction. Ask your questions. Share what’s working in your piano learning journey. We share in common a true love of the piano. Let’s go deeper. Let’s get to know each other. Join me weekly at 1 pm ET for my Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE! If you have a question or topic you'd like me to address, let me know in the comments! Would you like to get more piano tips from me? You can get my latest piano tips, news of my upcoming books and courses for new and returning piano learners, plus my original piano sheet music by subscribing to my email newsletter here. by Jenny Leigh Hodgins If you struggle with tapping into your creative flow, I have a few ideas I fall back on. These will help you connect with your true self and an open heart—both crucial for expressing yourself through music. In today's Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group, I go in-depth to share three things:
Life events, friendship, nature, love, and loss. How do I compose music? I approach composing by listening to let the melody lead me. Alternatively, I let chord progression dictate where I'm going. But I allow my creative voice to lead me by listening for what I hear next versus making a sound first. An example of my composing process is a piece I wrote for my dad, Ocean Waving. I wanted to bring the ocean to him, so I emulated ocean waves by overlapping improvisational melodic lines from guitar and piano over a looping repetitive chord progression. For my friend, Kay, I composed Sun & Bloom and Finding Spring. I wanted the music to be a cheerful expression of gratitude for our friendship. I aimed to evoke a spring or early summer bright day with an enjoyable comrade. For my late friend, Tina, I composed On The Wings of Faith, using piano and strings to build a climactic crescendo with an ascending range of notes to symbolize her beautiful life state and the eternity of life. I used a familiar pop song form or lyrics as a template for composing some of my musical theatre songs. This provided a ready-made template or structure for me to follow as I composed a melody set to the lyrics or set up a chord progression based on the form. I allowed the story to be my guide when I composed music for a film. The story and characters helped determine a tonal template, instrumentation, range, and/or a soundscape versus writing a melody or using a musical form. Links mentioned in the video are below:
Let me know if these suggestions are helpful or if you have more tips for tapping creativity by leaving a comment below! Thank you for showing your love of my content with a LIKE or by sharing this blog with others.
Prefer video? Scroll down to catch the replay!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
How do you know when you are ready to perform your piano music? Today I want to share ideas for piano practice heading ‘straight for the goal.’ (From The Art of Piano Playing by Neuhaus) These tips have worked for me and thousands of my piano and music students. Even if you don't want to perform for others, these tips will be helpful for you toward getting a deeper level of piano practice and musical mastery under your fingers. Let's get started. How do you know when you are ready to perform your piano music? Boundaries create a platform for important work. Work toward mastering very small chunks of your music from the moment you begin learning it. Start by making things manageable for your brain and body. Think micro-level. Break things down into the simplest form so you grasp them well. When I say work toward mastering the music, what do I mean by mastery? First, learn it well on the page. As soon as possible, commit it to memory. This requires a much deeper level of concentrated piano practice. It’s the opposite of spending lots of time repeatedly running through larger chunks or an entire music selection. Instead, you’re going to the micro-level and working on small bits of music material that you can fully dissect, comprehend, and then commit to memory. USE TRANSITIONS FOR LEARNING & MEMORIZING MUSIC As you work on this, I recommend doing transition work. Recently one of our members, Tommy Doyle, shared (under the Saturday Share for piano experts post inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group) a link to his tutorial on how to practice in chunks or divide and conquer. He explains how he uses small sections of music material to focus on in a practice session. But he also links that small section of music to a short, transitional part of the next section. Alternatively or in addition, he suggests linking a snippet from the musical section preceding the main practice material. I've pinned that Saturday Share post to the Featured section at the top of our group where Tommy shared a link to his video on this topic if you'd like to check that out. ADD SOMETHING JUST BEFORE OR AFTER TO THE MIX I agree with this idea. Once you’ve mastered a little piece of music, it’s a good idea to work on what’s coming right before it and what’s happening right after it. This is also a good way to do memorization work. After you’ve memorized a little bit of the music material see if you can go to the next beat, measure, or section. Or see if you can start at the beat or measure or section just before what you’ve just memorized. Starting at different places within the music helps you think in more detail. Simultaneously, it helps you get a bigger picture of the full musical composition. This process not only helps you understand the music better, but ingrains it more fully in your memory. PRACTICE ON THE MICRO-LEVEL You can also practice on a micro-level of detail. Try recalling the music in your mind in great detail away from the keyboard. This is what I call audiation. You can spend quite a bit of time audiating music from memory. WAYS TO AUDIATE AT THE PIANO: Start at the piano by using your practice time to audiate individual melodic lines, the parts of RH, LH, and both hands together. WAYS TO AUDIATE AWAY FROM THE PIANO: Away from the piano, try recalling (audiating) the sound of the melodic lines, bass lines, any inner voice leading, and the chord progression. Practice recalling from memory what the notation looks like in your mind. You can practice remembering the melodic phrasing, chord progression, or the form of the whole piece. Prefer video? Click below to catch the replay!GET THE BIG PICTURE WITH RECORDINGS Listen to great performances of the music you want to perform. This adds another layer to your memory while training your ears to listen for an accurate and musically expressive aural picture of the music. It’s having an aspirational aural vision of what you want to achieve in your performance. GET USED TO DISTRACTIONS Practice performing your music with a lot of distraction. You can do this simply by creating recordings as if you’re performing. Other ways to add distraction to your practice include performing it while the television is on, for your pet or your family member, or creating a video for this group Learning to hone your focus on the music itself despite distractions in your peripheral vision outside your piano playing effort is a good way to desensitize yourself to the performance arena. GO BIG! WORK ON THE MACRO-LEVEL Envision your performance on a macro-level. Meditate and imagine the details of your performance going well. Imagine the global view of your musical performance. In other words, rather than focusing on musical specifics, broaden your attention to the feeling of performing it well. USE YOUR IMAGINATION Practice envisioning how the room looks and feels. Imagine the smells, sights, and sounds of the audience. Imagine a positive audience reception, how confident you feel, how much you’re enjoying the music, and how much the audience is enjoying it. You can practice playing it from memory while using this envisioning tactic to feel as if you are performing it during your practice. Imagine that you’re in the performance scenario while you’re playing it. Using imagery, meditating, and envisioning your performance are all research-proven by athletes to be incredibly effective toward successfully reaching a goal or strong performance. THE PRACTICE OF PERFORMING NEEDS FREQUENCY Frequency. Aim to perform as often as you possibly can. This is simply the practice of performing. The more you practice something, the better you get. Break it into as many chunks of opportunities as possible:
If you have any performance anxiety, simply doing something frequently will, by default, desensitize you to that anxiety. And it will improve your skills as a performer. How do you know you’re ready to perform? Ask yourself if you’ve done the work. Remember that mindless repetition of music repertoire is not solid preparation for performance. THE #1 MOST IMPACTFUL THING IS PREPARING WELL You will be ready to perform if you have prepared yourself well. Through meticulous, consistent practice, and regularly employing the tips shared today, you will have a solid foundation for playing through your pieces with growing confidence. TAKE THE PLUNGE (OR STICK YOUR TOE IN THE WATER) Most people never really feel ready to perform because nerves are normal. I suggest you take the plunge after you have thoroughly prepared well. You will gain tremendous insight into any areas needing more attention. Preparing for and practicing piano performance chips away at any anxiety, deepens your confidence, and improves your performance ability. What do you think? Questions? Concerns? More tips on this topic? Please let me know in the comments below if this is helpful to you or if you have further questions. Share your tips, too. See you next Tuesday from 1pm ET (inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group) when I share ideas for composing at the piano.  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins I’m Jenny Leigh Hodgins. I'm the hostess of the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group! I composed, performed as a solo pianist and vocalist, and taught piano music and chorus for 30 years. I ran my private piano studio with 32 students, taught group piano classes for young kids, adults, and seniors, and worked as a music teacher and chorus director in public schools. But due to life changes, there’s been a time gap between my piano practice. I am a returning piano learner! I now work from home as a blogger/podcaster, write books and build courses. Stay connected with all the ways I nurture creativity and inspiration at YourCreativeChord.com! I launched the piano Facebook group to hold myself accountable as I share what works for me and the 1000s of students I've taught over the years. I hope to encourage you toward joyful piano progress, too! I love this supportive community of people who love piano music! Recently, piano teacher/pianist, Maria Dolnycky and I had a dialogue on the challenges of the pandemic. The pandemic division and the isolation-caused funk we're all experiencing are still challenging. We also talked about the challenges for all busy adults wanting to start or keep up piano learning. Piano teachers even have challenges with motivating themselves and their students toward consistent piano progress. I've experienced that throughout my career as a music and piano teacher. I relate to it now as a live-in caregiver for my elder parent, juggling work-life creative projects, family, and community volunteerism. The pandemic makes it even more challenging due to having fewer opportunities for social interaction. We've all dealt with a major shift from live to digital musical performances. We struggle with concerns about safety and risk for others. Regardless of where your politics lie, the pandemic has presented deeper emotional and mental challenges for us all. The fact is that things don’t go on as normal. There is a pre-pandemic mentality and way of life. Hopefully, there will be a post-pandemic chapter. All these emotional and mental challenges can drain you and interfere with the motivation to enjoy piano progress. Ironically —piano progress is a perfect remedy to all of that stress! Recognize this as an unprecedented time of social, mental, and emotional challenge. Life is not going on as usual due to the pandemic. I have struggled with the division of perspective in dealing with the pandemic. This division has caused dramatic changes in my social interactions, through family illness, and losses. The pandemic is a source of angst and frustration for all of us. Motivating oneself toward piano progress during a pandemic, as a busy adult, or alongside your teaching schedule screams for self-care. Go easy on yourself mentally and emotionally.  As a practicing SGI Buddhist, the Buddhist concept of cause and effect encourages me: The 13th-century Buddhist revolutionary Nichiren Daishonin explained that if you want to know the future, you must look at the causes you’re making in the present moment. Fortunately, the power to overcome challenges is in your grasp. The fastest way to bring out your potential is to battle directly with your weakness. A lack of motivation to practice piano consistently is my weakness. If I give in to this lack of motivation, I will not get better at the piano. The less I practice, the less I feel like practicing. Directly addressing this lack of motivation turns my weakness into strength. I directly address my lack of motivation by practicing anyway. I practice the piano regardless of whether or not I feel like it. That decisive action makes it easier for me to keep practicing piano! Recognize that all the obstacles and stress and challenges you feel about getting motivated to progress in piano are things that can be dramatically and positively impacted by ...drumroll here... *practicing the piano.* Playing the piano is itself the remedy to all this stress! Recognize that momentum in your piano progress doesn’t happen all at once. You have to start with a simple goal. You have to build your way towards accumulating a mountain of progress. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the aspiration of where you want to be. Just start taking small steps. Since you repeatedly face negativity in life, you benefit from finding proactive ways to decrease this stress and raise your inner energy. Practicing the piano is a remedy for this kind of wellness. But you must take action! Taking action leads to winning. Winning a personal victory toward your goal to get consistent in piano practice lifts your mood and confidence. This mental shift builds momentum! Make the determination that you will practice. Push away from your laziness, fear, or lack of time excuses. Instead, start planting the idea that you believe in yourself and your ability to improve! What you focus on grows! One of the best things we can do to get motivated and build solid momentum is through accountability! Commit yourself to your end of the bargain with someone else. If I know you’re counting on me, I'll be more inclined to be responsible. Being responsible is about being able to respond. It's not a heavy burden! It’s a light, simple action forward! Choosing your response to take action by being accountable pulls you up to a new level. That action is also part of being a good friend. Being responsible shows sincerity and develops character. It encourages someone else. Brightening someone else’s path lights my own way. We must win against lethargy, a full schedule, and mental blocks to take a single step of action every day. Any resistance or negativity is there as a catalyst for our joyful progress. As long as we use it to springboard ourselves into action. Maria’s holding herself accountable with the same piano practice goal she set for her students! Let’s jump in and help each other be accountable too! I’m adopting Maria’s spirit of accountability to her students for us new and returning piano learners! I challenge myself! I challenge you now! Here is the PIANO PRACTICE CHALLENGE we do inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group each week: Set a piano practice schedule this week to challenge yourself to practice piano every day. I encourage the goal of practicing *Every day* —even if you must use my Five-Minute rule (join the group and see Guides for details). Decide what time of day you will practice or if you will split your practice sessions up. Decide what music you will practice. Keep a log of your practice sessions. If you want my piano practice tracker, click here to join my piano tips mailing list. Set a couple of CLEAR practice goals for yourself. My goals include:
In the Facebook group, we let each other know how our practice sessions are going throughout the week. Group members share goals, progress, or a photo of our practice logs! Some members even share videos of their piano practice to get peer feedback and support. WRAP-UP  Let's wrap up with a couple of pertinent quotes from my mentor, Daisaku Ikeda: “There’s no such thing as waiting for the right time; we must create it.“ Don’t wish that you could play the piano. Make time for it. You have to prioritize yourself. This is your self-care. Make it important. Schedule it in! “Exert 100% effort in each moment!” This is mindfulness. Stay focused and aware of this attitude of *being* versus *doing*. We get so caught up in checking off our to-do list that we become frantic and stay constantly busy! But that’s not necessarily productive. Be where you are in the moment in your piano practice session. Focus on the things that will make the most impact on your progress.
Enjoy your piano practice this week!  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Catch the replay of my Tuesday Piano Tips LIVE on Facebook to go behind the scenes with me and learn how sharing your piano music brings you inspiration from your peers that helps you improve your piano playing. Do you struggle with performance anxiety? Are you nervous about playing your piano for others? One of the best antidotes for that is regularly tackling it. As I mentioned in today's LIVE--with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt--facing your fear strengthens courage and confidence! How does this apply to piano performance anxiety? Use incremental performance strategies like recording your performance as a practice! Watch the replay (below) to gain insight into your piano progress and things to improve. Want to get unbiased, supportive peer feedback to help you breakthrough to a new level in your piano playing skills? Share your recording with the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group. In today's LIVE, I showed how to simply create your practice video or go LIVE with your piano performance inside our musical oasis of piano support. Use today's tips and ideas to get positive and helpful peer feedback on your piano progress. Use this group as a kind of masterclass where you can practice your performance and/or practice your music with goals to improve. In a masterclass, you get quality feedback from other like-minded piano players. There are players below, at the same, and above your piano level inside the New and Returning Piano Learners Facebook group. You can get helpful insight from sharing and hearing from your peers in this group. Piano Practice Challenge Join our Piano Practice Challenge every week! We set daily, weekly, and piano session goals for ourselves. Watch for the posts about the Piano Practice Challenge! Chime in with where you are in your practice this week! This keeps us all motivated to move forward in piano progress! How many days will you plan to practice this week? If you haven’t set that goal, you need to do that. Without a set goal, you won’t reach the result you want! See inside my piano practice setup and what I do with lighting, my tripod, keyboard view, and audio settings. Click below to watch the replay! How sharing your piano music brings you peer inspiration to improve your piano playing. I encourage you to start where you are. Imperfection is accessible and relatable. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim to improve!
Read the blog version here.
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Busy adults need support for overcoming obstacles to make piano progress. Watch my Tuesday PIANO TIPS REPLAY some inspiring thoughts to help you get excited and keep going at the piano! Get what you need for successful piano learning and effective piano practice.
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Need a refresher on learning the major scales and figuring out the sharps and flats of key signatures? In today's Tuesday LIVE inside the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group I shared the above mini-tutorial on the Circle of 5ths. How's your daily piano practice going? We're starting fresh with our weekly Piano Practice Challenge! Join us in the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group to hold yourself and others accountable. If you need help getting your practice going, check these out: Piano Tips from your peers to get you motivated for your progress! How To Make Greater Piano Progress With Opposing Practice Strategies Video: How To Make Successful Musical Progress With Your Piano Practice Routine. How to overcome obstacles and motivate yourself to practice piano! Click the button below to get what you need for successful piano learning and effective piano practice.
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
In this week's Tuesday LIVE, I shared highlights from last week’s Piano Practice Challenge Week, including helpful peer piano tips from fellow piano learners in the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group! Peer piano tips covered:
I also answered a question from group member, Michelle, about the difference between natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales. Pop in the group to see if you can answer my followup mini-quiz on minor scales here: New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group Last week’s piano practice challenge motivated many group members toward greater musical progress! Having accountability keeps us all motivated to practice piano! Join us for this week's Piano Practice Challenge here: Piano Practice Challenge February 15 - 22! If you'd like my free Piano Practice Tracker, just click here!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
I advocate that “mind spent is better than time spent” at the piano. But sometimes “how we spend our mind” can be differently interpreted yet still useful. This ‘how’ depends on what you need in your piano learning journey. There are times when my focus of my ‘one goal at a time’ piano practice strategy is critical. But whether you’re a beginner or returning piano learner I think there is an opposite kind of practice approach that is beneficial. I think the combination of these opposing approaches in the piano practice session can be really helpful toward piano progress.
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Read the blog here. Recap of my 9 Keys Toward A Solid Piano Practice Routine
If you’re anything like me, you’re well aware that a good piano practice routine is an important part of a successful piano learning journey. Adulting makes piano progress a challenge. Watch my REPLAY here for my piano tips on How To Make Successful Musical Progress With Your Piano Practice Routine! Get my PIANO PRACTICE TRACKER when you join New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group!  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
I enjoyed practicing piano as a college student and when I was a performing pianist/vocalist. But, like most adults, I have a lot less time now than I did in my younger days. I have struggled with maintaining my piano practice routine since college. My full-time job as a music educator and my responsibilities as a community volunteer left me with much less time and energy for piano practice. Maintaining piano progress as a returning piano learner now while juggling my online creative business and caregiving tasks for my elder parent takes effort. I also have two high-maintenance cats; one is more than 20 and needs a lot of help, the other is six and eats everything in sight—including my older cat’s allotted food if I’m not vigilant! Throw in a social life, family events, the pandemic’s complications, household chores, and the inevitable emergencies that all adults contend with, and piano progress gets significantly more challenging. But if you’re anything like me, you’re well aware that piano learning has incredible wellness benefits for adults. Gaining the most from your piano practice routine is a critical piece of a successful piano-learning journey. Today’s piano tips will help you stop struggling and show you How To Make Successful Musical Progress With Your Piano Practice Routine. Nine Keys (heh) Toward A Solid Piano Practice Routine 1. Find your best time. For me, it is morning before work and family time. Before bedtime, I also squeeze in a little bit more time to run through pieces I’ve practiced earlier in the day or to sightread new material. 2. Write it down. Schedule it. If you don’t pencil it in, it doesn’t happen. Writing it or scheduling it in your calendar makes it a priority. 3. Make it a daily habit. 🦷 🍳 Keep it in your regular daily routine. Consistency builds! 4. Set up your practice area in advance. I set up my music area right before bed so that it’s ready for my morning practice routine. Having things already set up makes it easier to get started! 5. Create a practice plan. Things to include: Warmups/technique, new musical pieces chunked into sections, specific goals, reward music. After a warmup, I aim to first practice new material or things that I need to improve. Whatever needs the most work. Using my best brainpower and energy on the hard stuff first gives me more momentum and progress. 6. Choose 1(+) musical piece as a reward. AFTER I work on the most demanding stuff, I reward myself with my favorite music or something I’ve already learned to play with ease. Or I improvise something. Whatever gives my brain a short break and my heart a juicy reward. 7. Visibly (& otherwise) reward yourself with a weekly practice tracker. ✅ 🍭 A piano practice tracker is SUPER helpful; It helps you stay on track and gives you a well-deserved emotional boost when you see your progress! It also helps motivate you to keep going! Set a goal to practice 5 or 7 days weekly. Once you achieve that goal, reward yourself with a special treat. A dessert, a new CD, new piano sheet music, or a lunch with creative friends to celebrate! 8. Get accountability. Learning piano can be such a lonely activity. Connecting with other piano learners, piano experts, or simply having a practice pact with someone helps keep you accountable. Join my New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group and use this supportive community as your accountability partner. UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT, CATCH MY FREE PIANO MASTERCLASS REPLAYS HERE! My last piano tip for you is one of the most impactful.... 9. Use my 5-min rule on rough days: Just sit at your piano keyboard for 5 minutes. Or play a scale or the piano part for the right hand (or the left hand) for 5 minutes. Or, try to figure out the key signature or chords. Or, listen to a good recording of a piece you’re learning while you look at the notation. Or, look at your musical score. Or just listen. Aim to practice the piano at least 5 minutes every day. This keeps your momentum top of mind in your brain and your physical muscle memory. Recap of my 9 Keys Toward A Solid Piano Practice Routine
Click the button below to join and get your piano playing momentum rolling!  TODAY the
New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group OPENS up for my FREE Essential Piano Basics Masterclass! Who is the Essential Piano Basics Masterclass for and what can you expect? The FREE Essential Piano Basics Masterclass is for you if you:
I am looking forward to supporting you in your successful piano-learning journey. If you show up and participate during my Tuesday and Wednesday LIVES inside the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook Group, you will get the keys to a successful piano learning foundation and for transforming your piano playing skills! Plus you may win a PRIZE! Can’t wait to see you LIVE TODAY January 11 from 1 pm ET! Click the button below to JOIN!  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Catch my Facebook LIVE REPLAY here. Sharing your musical journey not only boosts your confidence as a piano player but also opens new doors for connecting with others. 6 tips to show you how to boost confidence as a piano player if you struggle with stage fright. People get nervous. I get that. And that is normal! But like ANYTHING in life that’s hard, when you face your fears, and face them frequently, you get over them. It becomes doable. More than that, it becomes rewarding. How? When you challenge yourself to open up and share your music, you grow your courage. Allowing ourselves to share who we are and where we are with our musical learning can feel very vulnerable. Being vulnerable is real. When you openly show who you are and where you are in your process, you authentically connect with another human being. So what better way than to share your piano playing right now? You don’t have to go big! Let’s talk about how you can boost your confidence as a piano player by challenging yourself to share some of your music with others. Here are 6 tips that work for me and have worked for the many piano, music, and chorus students I’ve taught in my 30 years as a music educator: 1. Forget perfection - audio quality, instrument, your level. This is why I’ve already started doing LIVE videos sharing my music practice or a piano tip without having my piano audio technically set up perfectly! I want to lead you by example. That means I have to let go of my perfectionistic urge to fix all the things. Besides, perfection doesn’t reach the heart. 2. Start where you are. No excuses. So you are a beginner. Or a late bloomer. Or maybe you are just coming back to piano as a busy adult like me! Remember that sharing where you are with music right now is just a SNAPSHOT of your piano-playing journey. Think of it as the golden memory it will be LATER. Here is a great place to use BEGINNER’S MINDSET! I went in-depth about this in my November 30th Facebook LIVE episode, where I shared how to transform your piano mistakes into beautiful music. You can check it out on the YourCreativeChord Facebook page here. I LOVE having a beginner’s mindset about anything but especially piano learning! Think about how a baby refuses to give up learning to walk no matter how many times she falls or bashes her head! LOL. NOTHING deters a beginner’s mindset. It’s about being in the moment with 100% determination. Start where you are. No excuses. 3. Get excited about your musical journey. Let this chance to share your music be a journal of your piano progress. Think of it as starting a new tradition with your musical growth. Let others share your experience. You may inspire someone to start something new for themselves! 4. Remember: Frequency desensitizes. Playing your music as often as possible desensitizes your nerves and lowers performance anxiety. Familiarity breeds comfort. The more familiar you get with sharing your music at any opportunity, the easier it gets! 5. Holiday Music is the perfect moment to build your confidence as a piano player! Holidays are a great chance to share the joy of music because everyone around you is in the holiday spirit. Plus, the focus is not on YOU, but the HOLIDAY itself! The holiday season is the perfect time to bring joy to those who can’t play or need encouragement! Think of the good you are doing for others! Even if you have to do that virtually during the pandemic--sharing music is a win-win for yourself and others. When you work on your focus on the music itself, you decrease your anxiety. Take the focus off of yourself. Stop thinking about your piano skill or level. Start concentrating on being the messenger of the music. The bearer of music's message. The conduit for sharing the joy of musical immersion. 6. Play anything. If you don’t know any holiday music, share what you are learning right now! People don’t care what the music selection is. They just love hearing music. Think about any of the times you have enjoyed hearing live music and how that made you feel! It could have been a live concert, recital, singing songs or listening to someone play the guitar or harmonica around a bonfire, hearing a kids’ chorus concert, or even a singer on a commercial. The point is that it doesn’t matter what music you decide to share. Just play anything, even if it’s a simple song or scale. The sound of music in the air brings people closer together. Make that cause! So let’s wrap-up these 6 tips on How To Boost Your Confidence As A Piano Player:
If you follow these 6 tips to share your piano music with others, not only will you brighten the holidays for others, but you will boost your confidence! You can grow as a piano player! The more you challenge yourself as consistently as possible, the more enjoyment you will gain and the better your piano playing skills will become! Drop a comment to me know if these tips inspire you to share your music! Tell me what music you will share with others soon! If today’s piano tips are helpful to you and you’d like to learn more, I invite you to join my New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook group. I’ll be hosting my FREE Essential Piano Basics Masterclass on January 11, 2022 inside the group. Just click the button below to learn more! Get what you need for successful piano learning and effective piano practice. Join the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook group to access my FREE Essential Piano Basics Masterclass on January 11, 2022!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
When piano players share our music with others, we play whatever keyboard is available. Learning how to adjust to this challenge helps build your confidence as a piano player. Tune in to see how I approach this and watch me struggle with a different piano keyboard to see if I am able to practice what I teach. Piano players do not have the advantage that other instrumentalists and vocalists have. We cannot lug a grand piano everywhere we go! When we share our piano-playing with others, we usually get to play whatever keyboard is available. I used to get freaked out by the difference in the piano or keyboard available whenever I shared my music with others. I want to play confidently through my music! I want to show you how you can handle this obstacle today by playing a different instrument than mine. I’m sure you can relate if you’ve tried to play for other people outside your usual piano or keyboard practice room. Remember: There is a benefit from doing this! It helps build your confidence as a piano player. Let me know in the comments if this piano tip is helpful for your piano practice sessions! Get what you need for successful piano learning and effective piano practice: Join the New & Returning Piano Learners Facebook group! Need some help with performance anxiety? Watch my 12/6/2021 Episode, How To Turn Your Nerves Into GOOD Energy by clicking here. Created/Produced/Hosted by Jenny Leigh Hodgins Content & Music © 2021 Jenny Leigh Hodgins  by Jenny Leigh Hodgins Piano players do not have the advantage that other instrumentalists and vocalists have. We cannot lug a grand piano everywhere we go. When we share our music with others, we play whatever keyboard is available. I used to get freaked out by the difference in the piano or keyboard available whenever I shared my music with others. And —if you are a new--or returning piano learner like me, you may struggle with the kind of keyboard you have or want at this particular moment. Or maybe you dream of confidently sharing your music with friends and family. But when they ask you to play their keyboard instrument, you feel nervous and your confidence disappears because their instrument is such a different experience than when you play your instrument. This is a common experience for new or returning piano players. I have been through this myself. I still go through it! Today, I’m at my sister's farm in KY. Since I am a returning piano learner, my sister has graciously let me practice on her piano here. In today's Tuesday LIVE, I'll be talking with you while demonstrating this struggle with a different instrument as I will play her antique small baby grand piano. I currently don’t own a grand piano. I have downsized from my Florida home to be with my elder mom as her live-in caregiver. I’m currently using my 88-key weighted-action digital keyboard in my condo in Lexington, KY. When I play my sister’s piano, it will both feel and sound very different. I want to play my pieces confidently. But the difference between this piano and what I usually practice on is a big one. But I want to be authentic with you. I know you are thinking that playing piano for other people--using an unfamiliar instrument--is something that makes you nervous. And you probably want to avoid that like the plague. Well, me too! But I know there is a great benefit from doing this--which I'll share later... So I will plow ahead! Here are some of my obstacles with my sister's antique baby grand piano I will be facing today:
I want to play confidently through my music! Yet I have a lot of obstacles because this instrument and environment are so different from mine. I’m sure you can relate if you’ve tried to play for other people outside your usual piano or keyboard practice room. But, remember I mentioned that there is a benefit from doing this! It helps build your confidence as a piano player. Dealing with stage fright is a real thing that many piano players face! For more on how you can skillfully tackle performance anxiety, watch my 12/6/2-21 episode Replay here: How To Turn Your Nerves Into Good Energy But as powerful a confidence boost performing piano music for others is—sharing music requires an instrument! If you’re a new or returning piano learner, you may not yet have room or the commitment or budget for a high-quality grand piano. Or that perfect 88-key digital keyboard with all the piano sample patches you love. Many piano players will never own a high-quality grand piano or even an acoustic piano. It may take time for you to get your dream keyboard. But do not let that stop you from the enjoyment of music-making! Approach music where you are with whatever means you have. What kind of keyboard you need to start piano is a topic for another day. If you wanna learn more about that and everything else you need for a successful start to playing the piano, click the button below!  During my years as a performing pianist and pianist/vocalist, I played on everything from old antique pianos with missing strings to top-notch 9-foot Steinway grand pianos. I also lugged my own digital weighted-key action 88-key keyboard and PA speakers into many performances. The reality is that when you start sharing your music with others--whether you do it just for fun, to build your confidence, or end up professionally performing as I did--you will experience a large variety of piano keyboard instrument quality. Or the lack of. As a piano player who has performed and taught piano for 30 years, I learned the value of playing different piano keyboards. How does this help you as a piano player? Remember, I mentioned it builds your confidence? How? You learn that you can play anything. The reality for a piano player is that you cannot expect to walk into every situation and find a wonderfully suited-to-you, quality keyboard. Learning to play on different keyboards builds your confidence that you can play on any keyboard! I like to think of each keyboard as a personality. Each piano keyboard has its own idiosyncrasies, just like we do. I approach every piano instrument as if it were a person. I get to know it by playing it. By playing it, I learn to treasure its nuances and problems. Its uniqueness. By exploring different keyboards, you will begin adjusting your piano skills as you accommodate these characteristics. As you gain more performance experiences, you will expand your confidence as a piano player. The more chances you find to play different keyboards, the more solid you will become as a performer. That's the whole point! I know it works for me. Is it a challenge? You bet it is!! But the challenge will push your musical growth! Your ability to focus on the music itself will strengthen--despite distractions. This kind of concentration is a critical skill for a performer. It is a kind of mindfulness that can become second nature once you have had enough performance experience. You can do it! Drop a comment to let me know if today's Piano Tip inspires you to share your music! Tell me what music you will share with others soon! If you have a specific question, a struggle with learning the piano, or you don’t know where to get started, please let me know in the comments. Would you do me a favor? Please share this with others you know who may benefit from my piano tips. Thank you SO MUCH!
by Jenny Leigh Hodgins
Hello, again, Piano Friends. Today I premiered a video to show you how you can help your musical progress by practicing piano with one goal. See behind the scenes into my piano practice session today watch me demonstrate how I’m (re)learning Bach’s Prelude 1 in C Major by focusing on one goal. I recorded my practice session so you can see up close and personal what goes on in my practice routine. Watch the above video to see my practice session with the Bach piece. 1. Use the comment's form below to ask me any questions, 2. share your piano goals and struggles, and/or 3. share your piano progress or a piano practice tip! Let’s keep each other accountable and move forward as new & returning piano learners! For More Piano Tips I invite you to join my weekly Tuesday Tips LIVE on Facebook from 1pm ET on YourCreativeChord's Facebook Page! |
PIANOIn my PIANO blogs, you'll find ways to overcome boredom, get past musical and mental blocks, explore the creative process with piano, and improve musical progress through piano teacher recommended best practices and effective piano practice tips. Archives
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