Things to avoid when practising

Once you know the pattern, identifying notes on the keyboard becomes second nature after a bit of practise – one good exercise is to have a friend call out random note names for you to find and play. As with any learning process, though, there are a few do’s and don’ts to try and keep in mind when starting out on keyboards. These include:

Bad posture

Try not to slouch! Instead, focus on keeping your back straight, shoulders relaxed, with your arms forming a series of gentle arcs from the shoulder through the elbow to the forearm and wrist. Also, make sure your keyboard is at a sensible height – for reference, the average grand piano keyboard is set at a height of around 72cm – and that you’re not sitting too close to it.

Sticky-out fingers

It’s important to adopt the proper hand posture right from the off, so when you position your fingers on the keys to play, make sure they’re nicely curved and relaxed instead of sticking out flat – imagine resting your fingers across the top of an orange, and you’ll get an idea of the shape you’re after.

Going too fast

The old ‘don’t run before you can walk’ adage definitely applies here – many budding players try to play too quickly too soon, only to run into trouble and give up. Playing things slowly to start with can take almost superhuman patience, but it’s important to build accuracy without overwhelming your muscle memory.

Not using a metronome

Building a good sense of timing is crucial for any musician, so make time in your regime to practise playing against a regular beat, be it a traditional metronome or a pre-programmed beat or loop in your DAW. It’s fun too!

Not practising

To get into the habit of practising, try and set aside a regular slot of at least 30 minutes in your daily routine. At the same time, however, don’t forget to keep it fun – if things get boring or frustrating, take a break and come back later on.