Our 5 new year resolutions for pianists

  • Acoustic piano
  • Maintenance

Our piano consultants have written down 5 great resolutions to help you to practice & play more & better this year. Do you want to find a breath of fresh air, challange yourself or find a new dimension to playing the piano? Read along!

Prokoviev

1: Leave your comfort zone

As a pianist or musician, you probably have your favourite composers, a favourite era or a genre that you feel most at home in. That's very natural, though it is quite stimulating to try something different from time to time. Therefore, try to regularly play a piece that you would normally never start.

And finding common ground is often easier than you think! Hardcore jazz pianist? From Bach to Prokofiev, there is a lot of harmonic inspiration to be found in classical music. Do you like Debussy? I see no reason why you cannot give Jef Neve's balanced compositions a chance. Moreover, different music sometimes requires a different mindset and a different learning process, which challenges you to break old habits.

warmup

2: Develop a warm-up routine

Before you start playing, take some time to get yourself warmed up. 5 minutes is advised. Choose some scales, patterns or pieces of music that activate all the muscles in your hands, slowly increase your tempo, and vary your playing volume. During your warm-up, be extra conscious of your posture. Concentrate on your hand form and releasing all tension in your shoulders, arms and hand muscles. Thanks to a good warming-up, your hands will tire much less quickly and you can start your practice session in a relaxed manner. You will be able to keep up your practice sessions for longer. You will also reduce the risk of injuries!

piano in room

4: move your piano around!

It may sound strange, but we'd advise you to move your instrument to a different place in your house! This way you will literally place your piano in a different light, and you will notice things you never noticed before. Because the acoustics will inevitably be different, your piano is guaranteed to sound fresh again.

Intonatie

5: Take care of your piano

You probably know that you should have your piano tuned every year (and sometimes more often) to keep it in shape.

The mechanical parts of your piano are subject to wear and tear and slowly get out of order. This happens quite slowly. as a pianist, you often unconsciously adapt to the shortcomings of your piano. Thats why sometimes, you notice a loose regulation too late. Regular maintenance ensures that the mechanics of your piano stay healthy for decades!

The sound of your piano or grand piano also changes in time. Your piano technician can voice the piano, reshaping & regulating its hammers & action to bring back the tone you fell in love with when you bought your instrument.

Piano teacher

5: Share your passion

Many people think about taking up the piano, but have no idea where to start. Give a beginner a push in the right direction and share your passion for the piano. You can give tips, share experiences, recommend a teacher, give a first lesson, give feedback or just motivate them to persevere when it gets difficult. In short, help someone else! You'll be surprised of how rewarding this can be, and how much insight you'll gain.

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