The piano is a difficult and complex instrument to learn, so when you decide to take on piano lessons, you should be made aware of the challenges you may face. But the benefits of learning this instrument are well worth the acquired skills you will achieve. If you decide to learn an instrument, the piano is definitely the best choice to start with, as it will make learning any other instrument later on much easier for you, and your music abilities will be stronger overall. Learning classical piano provides a solid foundation base for you as a musician.
Music Theory Knowledge
The piano has a wide range of notes, greater than any other single instrument. Because of this, music theory is more easily developed with the piano as a learning tool, due to its layout and functionality. Lower notes on the left, higher to the right, sharp/flat keys easy to identify, and the treble and bass clefs in sheet music also give leeway to translating more easily with the piano than another instrument, since you can easily see the difference in the higher vs. the lower notes on a piano. This also helps you to develop your skills reading music in an easier fashion that will later extend to other instruments. Vincent Reina, a pianist who teaches music lessons through his company Music To Your Home in NYC, states that “Music theory knowledge is by far one of the best qualities a musician can acquire when playing an instrument. My recommendation is that if you want to increase your knowledge of music in any form, you should start with something like the classical piano as your base.”
Sense of Pitch & Greater Hearing
Another important part of learning any musical instrument is the ability to distinguish pitches, and starting with the piano assists in the development of a strong sense of pitch, particularly when compared to a guitar or a violin, where the tuning can be off every time you pick it up, and needing new strings put on at least once a year. A tuned piano gives a perfect note each time it is touched, allowing you to distinguish notes easily, and provides great musical education into learning “perfect” pitch by training your ear to listen and where you can actually find the correct notes by sound alone. You can gain extensive musical knowledge in the ability to distinguish notes from one another, and it gives you the ability to hear when a chord is a truck if the sound is correct or not because you can easily hear each note being played.
Coordination & Dynamics
The piano is also one of the few musical instruments that allow playing of both the right and left hands equally, starting with some basic chords that will later develop into full-fledged songs, and also can be played as a stand-alone instrument, without needing the assistance of other instruments to create the full sound. The piano provides the ability for you to learn how to play both a melody and a harmony together, which works your brain as well as your hands, serving you to achieve playing a cohesive piece of music. Your hand-eye coordination is improved by playing the piano.
Another aspect of your learning takes place within the piece, which is where you provide excitement through the dynamics. The piano was invented as an instrument that you could play both softly and loudly, making it easier to establish dynamics within a piece, and develop the contrast between certain sounds, giving students the opportunity to portray strong emotions through their performances.
Sound & Motivation
Not only does the piano provide the ability to play both aspects of a song (melody and harmony) together and lend you the skill of contrasting sounds, but it also is one of the best sounding instruments, particularly for inexperienced players. Since it does not require tuning frequently, it delivers a very clear sound, allowing you to create correct notes easily by simply pressing a key. Because the piano is straightforward to play, it makes it a breeze for younger children to begin music studies earlier.
The piano allows you to quickly tap out melodies to well-known songs with ease. The simplicity of nailing a simple tune on your keyboard provides a quick sense of accomplishment, which will act as motivation for the fundamental requirement of learning an instrument: practice. You need to make sure to set aside time in your schedule to practice with your instrument as often as possible so that you can achieve success in your learning, and with the instant gratification of pressing keys to produce sound, the piano really helps with encouraging students to learn at a faster rate than other instruments.
Easier Transition To Other Instruments
When you decide to take on the piano first, you give yourself the greater benefit of being able to move on to other instruments more easily. Piano lessons provide a great basis for a transition. Being so versatile, you will gain a wide range of complexity, starting with simple pieces and growing to more difficult songs that stimulate and challenge you while developing your skills. But, if you decide later on, or even early on in your learning, that you might be more interested in learning a different instrument, such as the guitar, you already have given yourself an in-depth understanding of music theory through your piano studies, which lends to easier adaptability with the next instrument.