The 3 Biggest Mistakes that Beginner Pianists Make

I tend to focus on the psychology of practicing piano efficiently on Artiden.

But it doesn’t matter how many psychology tactics you’re solidifying bad habits and hurting your body in the long run.

Readers often ask about how to play more efficiently, the correct posture, and how to be a better piano teacher.

When I taught piano at public schools, the beginner pianists all made similar mistakes— you can tell how much music experience a student has from these three factors alone.

If you want to play beautiful piano music, remember that professional pianists sound good because they’ve set a solid foundation. If you are a teacher, you’ll see how I might explain the concepts to a student– perhaps this will help your teaching.

Take a look at the video below to see the 3 biggest mistakes that beginner pianists make!

“Don’t let the simple music mistakes hold you back.” (Click here to tweet this.)

Watch out for:

1. Tension in the wrists. If your hand looks like a claw, you probably sound that way, too.

2. Nails. The piano sounds great on its own without the clicking nail rhythm.

3. Distance from piano and posture. My favourite way to measure the correct distance to sit from the piano is to have the pianist hold a fist out in front with a straight arm. In general, that is a natural distance to sit, and allows room for arm movement but not awkward leaning.

What is your biggest weakness in music? How are you working on it? Leave a comment to join the conversation below!