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Hi!
I have played the piano since 7 years but I think I am still not very good at it. I want to improve but I don’t know how. I haven’t been very interested in playing the piano for about 3 of these 7 years, and my teacher that I had 6 years was not good either, she just gave me a sheet and played it for me, then on my next lesson she would give me a new sheet and so one. My teacher now is a bit better but still not really interested in getting me to improve!
My question now is: how do I improve? just by playing different pieces? I wanted to try hanon but I read that it is bad for piano players because it will only teach you technique and you will only play stiff…
The last piece that I played was: Sonatina 1 by m. Clementi op 36 nr 1
And now I am struggling with: Mozart’s theme and variations of “ah, vous dirai-je, maman”
But I really want to improve and maybe try a little jazz too (I have only played classical pieces).
I would like to know what kind of exercise I can do and how to improve!
I am actually really bad at holding tempo too, I have tried to play with an metronome but I always kind of delete the sound of the metronome in my head and just play as usual getting slowly faster and faster maybe you have some advises how I can improve holding the tempo?
And if you have some good book I would super happy if you could recommend them too!
And how many hours should I practice daily?
I would be super happy if you could help me! (and sorry for my incredible bad English!!)

While you are looking for a good teacher, practice Czerny and play simple tunes.

ultimately you are playing piano to make pleasant spunding music. record yourself and i guarantee you will know which phrases you need to work on in order to keep the tempo and phrasing of passages down.

Can you narrow the scope a bit from "how do I get better" to some more specific questions?

The answer to your broad question is simply "practice".

Hi Atrys! With better i mean, playing more complex music, and you are right practice is the right answer but i asked how
I wanted to know How i should practice to be efficient better

Please, PLEASE find a really good teacher soon!

It is a crime against humanity to have someone who really wants to learn with a teacher who is not engaged. Even really good teachers spend far too much time teaching people who don't really want to be there, and they would consider it a treat to have someone like you with a real interest in learning.

Of course, your questions are broad and hard to answer specifically. But please find a good teacher as soon as you can. Someone who appreciates you as a student.

The first step would be to find a better teacher only after asking your current one to take you seriously as a student.

Beyond that, it's difficult to help you meaningfully if you cannot ask more specific questions (what specific problems have you identified, etc.)

Hi Atrys!
I going to search after a better teacher but that will be hard because i'm visiting a music school and he is the only piano teacher available, because we are only 3 piano students ( piano players are dying ) and about my problems:

1. keeping the tempo (extremely bad at it) i'm getting faster and faster
2. finger postions, like i said so was my teacher not really interested to teach me how to play so I teached myself and if a totally beginner teach herself how to play, then there will not be very good finger positions but it was easy for me to learn M. Clementis Sonatina 1 because some of the finger postions where writed on the sheet, which was really helpful! so because of that issue I am kind of clumsy bumping my fingers on the piano, i have really small hands too, i can only reach an octav!

As far as tempo is concerned, you can simply use the metronome, or even better imo learn to count in your head. You can subdivide the beat depending on the tempo of the piece, ex: 1&2&3&4&. Subdividing will help you notice when the tempo is fluctuating.

I'm going to guess that as the music gets more complex, the more difficult it is for you to keep tempo at any bpm. Your gradual outpacing of the metronome means your brain has consolidated the motor substrates responsible for play far enough from your pre-frontal cortex that the amount of load on your executive function is very little. This is actually a good sign. All that's left is to acquire an "internal clock" that is also apart from your executive function such that it is under your control. The sum of these things is a balanced central nervous system when applied to this particular task.

There are a bunch of ways to do this. A extremely effective approach is to ditch the metronome for now, and focus on keeping a steady rhythm using a part of your body such as your left leg. If you can manage this very comfortably, your "internal metronome" will be calibrated enough to reintroduce the real metronome. Make sure to make periodic checks with the real metronome so that your brain doesn't think it's keeping a steady pace when it really isn't.

In short, make your internal metronome primary over the real metronome.


Intuitive fingerings come from steady practice of a wide range of patterns; principal here are scales and arpeggios. Sight-reading practice also does wonders for establishing intuitive fingerings given new music.

In short, better fingerings will come from learning as much music as possible; you actually don't have to pay too much conscious mind to getting the fingerings right: with enough exposure to new music, your brain will make the proper connections on its own, but it's healthy to get things right from the get-go.

First, let me say that almost any tool, used properly, will help and not hinder your progress. (This includes Hanon.)

Next, since it seems like you're interested in learning from a good teacher, I would recommend two things: post in the piano teacher's forum asking for teacher recommendations, and let everyone know where you live (city, st, country only to protect your privacy) so they can narrow down the search. There are plenty of people who can help you get on a better path.

Olivia, dance. It helps with pulse as well as gives you an understanding of tempo.

I gotta agree with this! Even my organ prof back in the UK thought it helped me in playing hymns. (And I think I play hymns very well. )

Nothing refreshes me like a visit to the Seattle clubs on a weekend. (No help with drugs, thank-you.) Dancing invigorates me, I feel like a million dollars, and cannot wait to get to the piano the next day.

1. It sounds like improper coordination causing tension which must be released, hence the rushing.
2. The reason for 1.

Solution: playing pieces is NOT the goal at this point. The goal is to play using the best combination of movements.

The Twinkle Variations are a far stretch coming from the Clementi 36/1. If there is no way you can study with a good teacher where you live, you may want to consider Skype lessons with a better teacher, or no teacher at all. Haven't you wasted enough time and good money on bad teachers?

Hi Olivia - You might have better luck if you post your questions on both the Piano Teachers Forum and the Adult Beginners Forum.

Faulty - With all due respect, do you really believe the OP will understand what this means??

If she genuinely wants to improve, then yes. If she's here for moral support, then no. If the latter, then I'm not a therapist.

You're a knowledgeable guy - no question. And it would seem that the OP genuinely wants to improve and isn't simply seeking a therapist. But you are telling a relative beginner (who hasn't had the benefit of good instruction) to play with the "best possible combination of movements" - without explaining or demonstrating what is involved in doing so. I'm not suggesting that you SHOULD explain or demonstrate here (this is an internet forum and you aren't her teacher)- but I'm simply saying that the advice - although good - isn't helpful in this particular situation because the person receiving it probably won't fully understand what it means. That's all. Cheers !!

You don't know for certain anyone genuinely wants to improve. Even if they ask for help, that doesn't mean that they want it, like a homeless person asking for help and not handouts.

In this case, it's clearly a mindset/paradigm issue. She's already mentioned she intends to do Hanon, which by itself suggests this paradigm of finger strengthening, excessive and mindless practicing, etc. She could do that all she wants, but she will always be stuck in that paradigm unless she thinks something different. I simply offered a different paradigm.