FAQs

An acoustic piano is always the best type of piano for lessons and practice. We understand that in our modern times however, this may not be the most practical option. A digital keyboard is a sufficient and terrific alternative. It might actually align with your music goals more, especially if you are leaning more towards the music production route. You can also use headphones with digital keyboards, where with an acoustic piano, we only have the mute pedal, which does a good job of dampening the sound, but still quite audible.

There are some really great electronic keyboards that imitate the experience of playing acoustic pianos powerfully. To maximize your efforts in replicating the experience of practicing on an acoustic piano, we recommend purchasing a full-sized, 88-key keyboard with semi-weighted keys and touch-sensitive response. This means the piano will respond to dynamic changes (the sound volume will response to the changes of the pressure used in fingers to play down keys). If you are going for digital, it is best to pick one that has weighted keys since they tend to imitate the same feel of weight as the keys on an acoustic piano, which in turn will help build the strength in your hands and fingers. A keyboard with touch-sensitive response means that the harder you press a key, the louder the sound will be, and the lighter you press, the quieter it will be.

Thank you for your question! :) Practicing piano is the most important thing you can do to improve and play the piano better. Let’s explore this question more deeply by looking at the science of learning and how practice impacts your progress.

Engaging in regular practice forges neural brain pathways, which in turn contributes to the development of cognitive and muscle memory. The more we consistently and more repeatedly return to our practice, the stronger these neural pathways will be. The formation of neuronal networks eventually paves the way for seemingly effortless playing experiences; where we find that in playing a piece, our precision in its execution becomes second nature.

I always like to stress that real and authentic learning takes place outside lessons, particularly when you personally take charge navigating through your sheet music alone at home, and transform what may at first seem like a disorganized, chaotic sound experiment, but then soon it suddenly transforms into a beautiful, harmonious, sound sculpture of coherence. Once this happens, I guarantee you will find such a moment to be undeniably one of the greatest, most satisfying human achievement feelings ever.

Piano practice is also important because piano is not a natural activity sport for our hands. It can actually take a lot of time for our hands to adjust to the different shapes of positions on the keyboard, as well as mastering reading sheet music and rhythmic precision all at the same time. It can be very overwhelming, but not to fear at all! Royale Piano will be here to make the whole learning process easier, comfortable and fun. We are aware that many music challenges tend to resolve themselves over time through regular practice, fostering a smoother learning curve. Again, by setting a daily commitment to practice (3-5 days per week if possible), technical problems usually begin to resolve on their own.

I once told this story in my class that while practicing a difficult arpeggio section in one of Chopin’s Etudes, I just couldn’t seem to ascend properly without striking the wrong key. I struggled for hours trying to get my fingers to weave properly around the keys, but to no avail, the error persisted throughout my entire practice. I went to sleep feeling defeated, and annoyed. But the next morning, right as I woke up, something compelled me to try again. I went to the piano, and sincerely tried the arpeggio once more and NO WAY — WOW! I DID IT! It was so cool, such a great moment I had that day. It was like overnight, the sleep was all my brain needed to recover and reset the brain after a day of rigorous focus..

Whether you're learning to cook, paint, make pottery, write creatively, solve a puzzle, or code an app, these truths about practice can be applied to any skill or concept you are learning.

Thank you for your question. For pianists actively preparing to perform, we recommend practicing your music 5 to 6 days a week leading up to the event. For general practice, a routine of 3 to 5 days a week for about an hour each session is ideal. However, the effectiveness of your practice depends less on the amount of time spent and more on the quality of your sessions. Focused, goal-oriented, and efficient practice will help you progress much faster than simply spending time at the keyboard without clear direction.

It is also very normal for young children not to feel motivated to practice everyday. Many will find it challenging to sit alone with their practice for 10-15 mins in the beginning, so we recommend monitoring your child throughout their first practice weeks and exercises at least 3-5 days a week (2-3 days is also a good frequency that will help maintain and build skills). You will then start to hear the most beautiful music progress take form over time.

Later on, it will naturally take more than 15 mins to go through the sight reading pieces, etudes, scale practices and solo performance pieces. So practice times tend to become longer, essentially increasing to about 30 mins to 1.5 hours per day, potentially longer due to the length of their piano repertoire. 30-45 mins is the ideal practice time for the little ones.

For older students, we recommend practicing from the start at least 30 mins a day, 3-5 days a week. Do not feel discouraged or beat yourself up if you make mistakes on the piano—it’s all part of the process. It will get better and easier over time. Keep returning to your practice with a fresh perspective, and stay curious about each new insight from the experience. Each time you devote time to practice playing while reading the music, you are reinforcing your understanding of the piece and building a stronger connection to it.

If you take piano lessons with Royale Piano, you are always welcome to text or send videos of your practice to me through text or send me an email at aroyale2020@gmail.com for support. While waiting for a response, continue struggling with the piece. Sometimes the answer will come to you anyways.

Again, longer practice time does not necessarily mean more productive practice. As the human brain cannot process new information or learn very well when worked to the point of exhaustion, we don’t want to over-practice. We will say though that concert pianists and advanced players tend to practice 3-6 hours a day. Over time your hands and fingers strengthen, and can sustain longer practice times.

When in doubt, practice. Work through a piece until it feels comfortable to play without mistakes, but also remember to take intentional breaks, especially if you find yourself starting to feel tired.

Stretching and releasing any tension should be prioritized just as much, if not more, than practicing, as they help maintain your physical well-being and prevent strain or hand injuries.

In short, believe us when we say 10 lessons or less.