Learn to play beautifully

Question: Hi Albert,

First of all, thank you so much for putting all this information up online, there’s so much here and it’s very helpful.

In numerous places you stress the importance of practicing slowly. I completely agree with this from the perspective of not playing so fast...

Question: Having a full time non-musical job, I can only practice on the piano only as much as I can after work. At this point, as the momentum rises and my practice time has increased, I become enthusiastic about practicing multiple piano pieces because I like and get challenged by a lot of...

Question: I was wondering, how long should a beginner practice?

– Alanna (California, USA)

Albert’s reply: How long to practice piano depends on the student’s age. For very young children (around four to six years of age), 15 to 20 minutes of supervised piano practice will...

Question: If a professional musician was given an advanced piece of classical music of say 15 pages, something they had never seen before, how long would it take them to learn such a piece? When I have watched a concert pianist playing on a DVD, I have always wondered how long it took them to...

Question: Dear Albert:

I am a beginning piano student and I am curious about something. It is always stressed that one should practice hands separate, then hands together. However, hands separate is ridiculously easy. So much so, that putting hands together is so different that the hands...

Question: Hello Albert. A performer’s emotion(s) play an essential part at every performance. What can you say about managing moods (good or bad) during practice and performance?

– Leo (California, USA)

Albert’s reply: First and foremost, emotions must be cultivated during...

10 Expert Tips

Everybody is under intense time pressure these days, and musicians are no exception. In reply to the many requests about efficient piano practice, here are some expert tips that can help you make the most of your practice time.

1. Get organized. Practicing the piano efficiently is...

Question: I used to play when I was younger. I am 52 now but still love to play (it’s innate). Unsupportive family members restricted me from practicing as much as I wanted. So I stopped for a few years but can’t get rid of it. Can I catch up to a speed of just an average piano...

Question: Okay, so I haven’t taken piano lessons for 5 years and I stopped as a beginner so I’m not very good and I don’t know all that much. But for whatever reason I have been playing random songs lately and I’ve been trying to play music where my right hand and left...

Question: Just a quick question re: counting notes… timing. I’m immediately interested in finding help in proper counting of various notes. I struggle with this more than anything. Reading notes is not an issue… playing correct timing of notes is. Can I expect to find this...

The A major triad, more commonly called the A major chord or simply the A chord for short, consists of the notes A, C-sharp and E. Here it is on the treble clef staff:

Here is the A major chord on the bass clef staff:

Here are both of the above chords on the piano:

As a major triad, the A...

The A-flat major triad, more commonly called the A-flat major chord or simply the A-flat chord for short, consists of the notes A-flat, C and E-flat. Here it is on the treble clef staff:

Here is the A-flat major chord on the bass clef staff:

Here are both of the above chords on the piano:

As...