Children can benefit from piano lessons and learn to play well if they focus on the basics. Here are three practice tips to make sure your beginning piano student gets off to a great start and goes on to achieve their musical dreams.

Before I tell you what they are, however, here is a warning. Dont let these simple ideas fool you theyre also very important. In fact the simplicity of playing piano is often what confuses beginning piano students. That's because most of what students need to know are not complex ideas. In fact theyre so simple students and parents often dont appreciate them.

In our complex, modern world we tend to assume that if something doesnt flash at us it isnt worthy of our attention. Most of what kids need to know and do to achieve their piano goals are very simple ideas - that need to be taken seriously. Here are some thoughts you can share with your child in piano to help them gain perspective.

What are some very simple things that are also very important? Can you think of any? Here are some ideas to get you started - sunshine, water, a smile, trees, and your name. Having a name, for example, is a very simple idea. But just imagine what it would be like if you didnt have one? Above the Artic Circle it is basically dark for six months of the year and light for six months. How does this affect the lives of folks who live in these regions? It makes life more challenging for sure. Such simple things as a warm meal, a glass of water, the sun shining through the trees, a friendly smile, are basic values necessary for a happy life. So why dont we appreciate the simple things more? Because too often we take them for granted, and its dangerous! So dont let your child in piano fall into this trap. Help them pay attention to the simple things that will create the foundation of their piano success.

Here are three simple practice tips to share with your beginning piano student to get them on the road to genuine and satisfying achievement.

1. Keep your eyes on the music.

Keeping their eyes on the music and not looking down at their hands helps students create a keyboard in their imaginations. This is so valuable. I really cant stress this enough. Of course sometimes students will need to look at their hands. But not to learn the basic five-finger hand positions. Once students have their hands in place, they need to keep their eyes completely on the music. If a student doesnt know, for example, what finger E is under without looking down at their hands, they really arent learning theier hand position, or the keyboard.

2. Sing the note names as you play them.

Singing the note names as they are played is the best way to learn to read notes well. This simple act and reinforces learning. If youre child cant name the notes as they play them, then they dont know the names of the notes. Instead, they are just remembering what keys to play. Dont misunderstand me though. Remembering a tune by listening is wonderful! Just not at the expense of learning to read music. Singing the note names allows both knowledge and listening to reinforce each other.

3. Keep a rounded hand position over the keys.

Keeping a rounded hand position is important. Let me explain why. If the hands are not rounded students arent using the right muscles to play. Instead of stretching each finger down to the keys from knuckle at the top of the hand they will be pushing the whole hand down into the keys to play the notes. This just doesnt allow the fingers to work independently as it puts a lot of strain on the wrists. When the hands are rounded over the keyboard, the fingers can easily stretch down to the keys and the wrist is flexible.