Learning the piano involves picking up a few foundational skills to progress, from things like the musical alphabet and basic music theory to the layout of the keyboard and so much more. As such, when you reach a milestone like playing your first piece perfectly, students will naturally look forward to becoming better. But as with any skill, there will be periods where your progress slightly plateaus, and you feel like you are not improving as quickly as before. But if you already know basic chording skills and playing simple chord progressions, here are a few tips to sound more like a professional to keep you motivated and overcome your struggle to sound confident and convincing with the piano.
1. Use arpeggios
Take your basic chord progression and play an arpeggio instead of a chord in your right hand. For instance, when playing a C chord, go beyond by playing a C major arpeggio (C-E-G-C) instead. You can choose to simply play it up or up and back down again. This approach will immediately energise your music and make your playing sound more skilful. If you want to get even fancier, you can break up the arpeggios between your hands, starting with your left hand and continuing with your right.
2. Get comfortable with chord inversions
Inversions can be overwhelming and intimidating for many piano students, but they are a wonderful way to move between chords smoothly, quickly, and beautifully. Moreover, they can change the way a song plays. Sticking to playing the chords in the root position typically involves a lot of jumping around the keyboard with your hands, but inversions help reduce the distance you need to travel.
The key to getting familiar with inversions is to start simple. Start with a root chord, and then figure out your path. Plan things out before playing, work out the chord you’re changing to, and then determine what notes you need to change for a smooth transition.
3. Leverage slash chords
Slash chords are another excellent tool for changing up your sound, which means they are also an excellent way to break out of those rare creative ruts. Like inversion, slash chords can seem intimidating, but the truth is that they are pretty simple.
An example of a slash chord is G / B. Once you know what the positions mean, it becomes easier to understand. The letter before the slash is the chord you’ll play on your right hand, while the one after is on your left. In other words, you will play a G major chord with a B in your right and left hand, respectively. Try it out and hear the amazing results for yourself.
Slash chords work best when the left-hand note or bass note remains part of the original chord (typically the 3rd), but they also work with minor and major chords. Try slash chords with different chord tones, and take note of the ones you like the most!
Conclusion
Anyone who has ever played the piano knows it takes a lot of time, practice, and patience to improve at the instrument. After all, mastery of the piano is not a destination but a journey. However, as seen with the tips above, there are many things you can do to sound better instantly and more like a professional without having to reach an advanced level.
Besides such tips and tricks, there are times when your skill level exceeds what your instrument can do. Thus, consider upgrading to a better piano with the Mun Kai Piano Company. As a leading piano dealer and servicer, we are the go-to for top-quality, second-hand grand pianos and upright pianos at a more affordable price point. Besides offering pianos for rent in Singapore, we also specialise in various piano-related services, from piano maintenance and repair to tuning and removal. Give us a call today for more information.
