Not too long ago, if you wished to learn how to play the piano, you absolutely had to hire a tutor for piano lessons with no other way around it. However, with increases in speed and accessibility of the internet, things are much different now. You can find plenty of resources online and learning to play the piano has never been easier. The internet allows you to learn the piano from the comfort of your own home. Here are a few ways you can do so.

Books

The tried-and-tested formula for gaining knowledge from home is through reading a book. A well-written book with detailed diagrams and music notations is an effective tool for learning how to play the piano. The diagrams can help you visualize and understand concepts like finger positioning and posture, while the music notation can help in learning how to sight-read and perform any music composition just by looking at the music sheet.

However, books are not for everyone. And words often fail to convey more complicated concepts adequately. In the modern digital age, there are many better ways to learn how to play the piano.

YouTube

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, what about a video, which is essentially about 30 pictures every second? If the old adage is true, videos are an excellent medium to share knowledge with anyone.

One of the best online resources for beginner pianists is undoubtedly YouTube. The platform offers a wide array of video tutorials geared toward aspiring pianists.

There are a countless number of musicians who continuously share their tips and techniques and upload regular videos on the website. This means you can easily find one that is to your liking and learn how to play the piano through their video tutorials.

On top of all of that, the videos are absolutely free of cost and available for viewing for everyone. There is only one drawback; these tutorials only allow one-way communication – from the uploader to you. You cannot ask them questions and get instant answers. They also cannot critique your performance and give you feedback on how you can improve your technique like a tutor can.

At-Home Tutors

Hiring a tutor to come to your house and give you personal piano lessons is also another way you can learn how to play the piano. This is a much more interactive way than watching YouTube videos, and the tutor can share important tips on how you can improve your performance after listening to you play the instrument

However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this option. Firstly, unlike books and videos, hiring a tutor requires you to set a fixed time in your schedule for piano lessons. You can pick up a book or watch a video any time you like, but you have to decide a suitable time in advance with your tutor for your lessons. This requires a greater amount of commitment on your part, provided that you do have enough time in your schedule to accommodate regular piano lessons.

The other major drawback of at-home tutors is that they are usually expensive. Your tutor has to set time aside for your lessons and spend their own money to come to your house, which makes their services quite costly. Unless you are training to be the next Beethoven, there are much better options in terms of cost for learning how to play.

Online Tutors

Online piano tutors offer a better value for money option for learning how to play the piano. Since the tutor does not have to spend their time and money commuting to your house, their services are slightly cheaper than at-home tutors.

The benefits of hiring an online tutor are more or less the same as hiring an at-home tutor. Through video conferencing, they offer almost the same level of interaction as an at-home tutor.

On the other hand, the drawbacks of online tutors are also similar to those of at-home tutors. Since you are still paying them for their time, their services can be expensive. Additionally, you have to set aside time for your regular lessons, just like you have to with an at-home tutor.

Mobile Learning Apps

Mobile learning apps take the best of all worlds, and offer a way to learn the piano that has almost all of the advantages and none of the drawbacks of the methods mentioned above. Mobile apps offer an effective, convenient, and cheap way to learn how to play the piano. With a mobile app, you are free to learn and practice playing the piano any time you want and anywhere you like.

Some well-designed apps are particularly effective at teaching the piano in an interactive way. Take Skoove for example. With Skoove, you are able to receive instant feedback on your performance and know exactly which techniques you need to improve upon. The app allows you to connect a digital piano or electronic keyboard with a MIDI interface directly to your mobile device in order to analyze your performance. And if you have a traditional acoustic piano with no MIDI interface, the app uses your device’s microphone to listen to your performance. The powerful AI behind the app deconstructs your execution of the music in real-time and gives you valuable feedback instantly, just like a human teacher.

Mobile apps also do not cost nearly as much as tutors (at-home or online) do. Skoove offers its basic lessons for free and you can try out their premium features for a full week without paying a dime. Then, if you wish to continue with the app, you can subscribe to the premium service for a measly fee that is less than $20 per month, which is far less than what you would pay for a personal tutor.

The Final Word

The modern digital age has made it possible for you to learn how to play the piano in a variety of ways straight from the comfort of your home. Everyone has different preferences and one of these ways might appeal to you more than the other.

However, the most convenient way and the one that almost everyone can take advantage of is to learn the piano with a mobile app. It offers one of the most convenient and cheap ways you can start playing the keys.