How to PRACTICE and LEARN HARD Piano Songs and Pieces Part 1: Strategies and Runs

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Are you stuck on a hard passage in a piece you're working on? Or, let's be real here, are you trying to learn an Animenz arrangement (read: Unravel) and you can't seem to be able to get past a certain spot?
In this video I'm going to be teaching you my usual strategies for tackling these sorts of challenges. Unfortunately there is no substitute for hard work, and if anybody tells you otherwise, they're lying to you. But if you can work smarter AND harder, that's when you'll see the most results from your practicing.
I would have liked to demonstrate some of these with an Animenz arrangement, but I don't want to get demonetized, so I ended up using some Chopin Ballade in G minor for the example passage since I know a ton of people have that piece in their sights.
Keep in mind that in this series I'm only covering the technical aspect of things (i.e. playing the notes), so you still have to interpret! Also, if you're perpetually stuck in a certain way, you may have an issue with your technique overall, not with practicing approaches. But videos on that later :)
Anyways, take these tips and apply them to your practicing and see if they help out! And please stop if your hands become really tired or start to hurt. These shouldn't be painful to do at lower tempos, so again, evaluate your overall playing technique and don't hurt yourself. Comment below if you have any questions.
And if you've already heard of them before, then stop watching the video and go practice!
Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
General Strategies:
Tip 1: 1:46
Tip 1.5: 3:12
Tip 2: 5:33
Tip 3: 7:12
Runs:
Tip 4: 8:27
Tip 5: 11:47
Outro: 13:34
Other helpful videos covering similar topics:
Nahre Sol (how to practice runs): • How to Improve Speed a...
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#Piano #Practice #Strategies

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25 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 83

@Gtsoignlabit 3 года назад

Unravel : Memorize the hard parts first... Hmm, the whole piece is hard LOL

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Hahaha time to memorize the whole thing!

@sire5689 Год назад

the wall

@NinetyRalph Год назад

I like the fact that I can search pretty much any tips for piano and still apply them to guitar, thank you :)

@tiffanyg. 3 года назад

With pedal: *everything sounds perfect Without pedal: *everything needs tons more work Nice video, it was very informative. I’m currently taking some of your tips and it’s helping me practice. Life lesson: listen to Watt Senpai XD

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Lol thanks! Glad to be your senpai

@tiffanyg. 3 года назад

Honored to be considered your student!

@xTofux 5 месяцев назад

0:12 wow this was exactly why I came here, good read

@d4mncircle 2 года назад

i've been already using 1-3 tips, but the last two are just amazingly new knoweldges for me, Thank you so much, dude

@brendanhecht2355 2 года назад

Lol it’s always good to hear these reminders. It’s super easy to just want to play the piece from beginning to end so you rush the hard parts just to hear the song. Thanks for the tips!

@YuuSen 3 года назад

10:15 this is actually exactly what my piano teacher told me haha, great stuff 👍🏻 Thanks for all these tips, they really help (I’ve been mostly self taught since I just got a piano teacher in October)

@joshuaschurmann8006 2 года назад

Your awesome man! Keep it up!

@aidenchoe4971 10 месяцев назад

A friend recommended me this video and wow! These tips are very helpful and I can’t wait to try them. Runs and arpeggios are my weakest area so this video was very valuable! Thank you!

@jimh1487 10 месяцев назад

Thank you for the video. Very helpful.

@delayedgratification256 3 года назад

I have seen yet 2 Videos your quality is like i'm watching someone with 2 million subscribers. I hope you become a big community. I'm here now🤝

@william_fong 2 года назад

Very well teaching. Thank you. And make more videos like that

@JasperTeo 3 года назад

Really appreciate this kind of uploads from someone who knows what hes talking about. Video was well done overall, definitely helped out in knowing how to practice stuff efficiently, especially as a self learning pianist. Congratz on that 500subs btw, well deserved!

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Thanks Jasper!

@charityhope645 3 года назад

Two setter😄 Continue making great content piano videos,, glad i found your channel....

@ashleehill2942 2 года назад

THIS HELPED SO MUCH... THANK YOU

@acrossthegreatdivide6726 3 месяца назад

Very cool!

@RandomShowerThoughts Год назад

subbed, this was extremely helpful. Looking forward to getting better

@degrind6496 2 года назад

Holy shit why are you so underrated?! Your vids are great!

@Thomasrpiano 3 года назад

Oh thanks for advices dude! Keep up the great content my friend!

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Yeah no problem Thomas! And I'll do my best :D

@AlexArimaPiano 3 года назад

amazing vids my dude

@VinLudens 3 года назад

Wow man that was a fantastic video! I especially liked how you went into some things that are always kinda left unspoken and implicit. Good job, I'm really looking forward to part 2! :D There's one thing I wanted to add about the rythms at the end for runs (because you said you didn't really know how to explain it). My teacher told me these rythms are the last step of practicing/perfecting the runs, and here's why. You first practice them like anything else (without special rythms or anything) and they eventually go into muscle memory, to the point where you're not thinking about individual notes anymore even if you slow down the tempo. Bringing in the rythms shakes this up, and indeed your brain and fingers become much more aware of each single note and movement again. You are basically re-cementing the run to give it this final polish. Wisdoms from my teacher which I definitely "felt/experienced" while doing the rythms :)

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Ahh that makes a lot of sense! Thanks for sharing! I will say though, I start doing rhythms pretty early in my practicing. Like I'll read and practice slow, but once I've got it a bit in my fingers and the tempo is starting to come up slightly, I'll throw in some rhythms and that helps out too.

@SH-yp4mv 3 года назад

Not playing full Animenz unravel but Im mixing the acoustic version and Animenz version Im almost finsished except Im curently stuck at the tremolo part. This helps thx man

@vyra2166 3 года назад

thx this helped me with Chopin Butterfly Etude

@EstelleLIna1 Год назад

tysm! it was helpful esp bc i play without a teacher and different ways to practice other than just repeat the piece over and over again are not necessarily intuitive!!

@willlaw8397 Год назад

It's hilarious that i cam to watch this after trying to play Merry Go Round of Life (Animenz's arrangement) and being able to play it (albeit slowly), but it take soooo long just to get it into muscle memory, but hopefully the rest of the tips will work for me! Great video tho!

@AndySG7 3 года назад

Great video man! I feel like I already know all of those methods but I often forget to use them and such a quality explanation is a good way to finally engrave it into my brain^^

@jayceeonhd8d993 3 года назад

Your content is awsome and useful for peopIe like me, i also really love the piano and will follow you.Btw where are u from?

@mobu566 3 года назад

Thanks a lot for the video, I will try to apply these when I practice. Just one question do you have ay tips or anything in when to apply pedal and that? I've never been good with phrasing and can never quite get the places where to use pedal in oerder to sound better, or at least not an amalgam of sounds. ;)

@CaptainChu 3 года назад

O man... This definitely helps, especially for self taught peeps like me. Honestly I feel like I learned these tricks already, from experience, but now there's an actual explanation. And I had a friend taught me he long short short long trick , and it really does amazing Kinda sad that it took me this long to learn this, if only you made this video, and I watched it back when I was still starting... Waiting for part 2

@WattKeys 3 года назад

I'm glad it helped! And better late than never haha

@xloweric 2 года назад

One item you didn’t mention, how long can it take to learn the hard parts? 1 day, week, month, longer? Also, any recommendations on taking breaks and for how long to spend on the hard section in one sitting? And where were you 50 years ago when I was first leaning piano, oh right, no internet and no RU-vid. Lol. I WISH my teacher had beaten even a few of these strategies into me. I would be in a far better place, even though I did get pretty good. Picking it all back up again now after a long break. Thank you!!!

@jakemaster23minecrafter 2 года назад

i started playing like for like one month and i want to learn a hard christmas song so thansk man

@keanupiano 3 года назад

Ayyy I’ve been waiting for this! Edit: Before I never practiced songs in a slow tempo and I always struggled playing the wrong notes. I always just played it fast and missing so much notes. I now will take these advices seriously and practice slowly and without the pedal to get the note memory in my head. About the metronome lol I probably should learn how to use it haha. Thanks a lot Watt for these wonderful tips! ^^ 7:45 ( ͡o ͜ʖ ͡o) lol

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Ayyy thanks Keanu! And best of luck with practicing!

@FranzLiszt-official 2 года назад

Ur so underrated

@karintou030 Год назад

I love how the first sentence in the description got me, I'm here after downloading animenz owari no sekai kara piece XDD

@samuelaijuka4158 6 месяцев назад

When I saw the first piece you were playing I went bonkers😱😱😱😱how are you playing that?

@aoucthang1798 3 года назад

Can u make a video about learning path

@joachimmusik7452 Год назад

I’ve learnt chopins fantasie impromptu and am having difficulties making it sounds more clear as of now it’s all just mumbled together. Keep practicing I guess

@kechi9021 3 года назад

what brand and model is your piano? It sounds good and I’m trying to find a full electric keyboard so I’m curious

@Tsuki-Music 3 года назад

It is a Yamaha P125 :D

@sayo-nara9140 6 месяцев назад

Ahhh i cant get to one notey and i cant use left hand because is far away, shouldi change notes?

@imasetyaningrum694 3 года назад

pls do remember me when you get famous

@element_w 2 года назад

I've been playing piano for a while, and id consider myself intermediate, I can play semi-hard songs like river flows in you, moonlight sonata, rush e 🤣, but I want to learn more hard classical music, starting with 3rd movement 👀

@pzm9459 3 года назад

Great video! 1 question, I find that playing with a metronome on anime music messes my mind a lot because of the syncopation, to the point where the timing and rhythm is worse compared to me not using the metronome. Do you have any tips on how to counter this?

@WattKeys 3 года назад

I think what you can try first is instead of using the metronome on the quarter (or whatever the time signature is), you can do the 1/8th to help with locking in the specific rhythms and begin to develop the feel. After you lock in the rhythms, I'd switch back to the 1/4 in order to help with feeling the strong beats/weak beats while maintaining that rhythmic accuracy and switch back and forth as needed. Hope that helps!

@pzm9459 3 года назад

@@WattKeys will try, thanks!

@feliciavalenciana5266 Год назад

Im practicing Winter Wind by Chopin............... wish me luck!

@cheemes4536 3 года назад

I'm having big problems with bars 29-32 and 124-127 from Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement because of those trills on top of the octaves. I also find the fingering written on the sheets quite strange. I'm not struggeling with the rest of the piece, only these two passages still cause problems for me, even after a month and a half of daily practice. Do you have any tips for me?

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Few thoughts: 1) Depending on how fast you're playing, you can get away with just playing a turn which would be a lot easier and potentially even clearer, 2) If you're still stretching all the way out in the octave position, I'd say relax your hand to hit the trill and then bounce it back out because the next octave is on a strong beat anyways, which then helps indirectly a bit with phrasing 3) If you're struggling to trill 5-4, try 5-3, 4) think of driving off the first note and using that momentum to carry through the rest of the trill. Hope that helps!

@crazedking 2 года назад

lmfao I got called out with the Unravel

@alstroemeria5211 3 года назад

I think I just needed to hear the 'practice slowly!' for the umpteenth time. There are some things you can tell yourself multiple times but don't sink in till you hear someone say it out loud... 😅

@katieromero6308 Год назад

“Are you trying to play AnImEnZ UnRaVEL?” Yes

@iamthereasonyoucame 3 года назад

this is the video for me who only ever tries theisther and animenz pieces and miserably fails at them

@leonchik_ 3 года назад

I got the tips I needed and now it remains to get some motivation and start practicing, any tips for that?

@WattKeys 3 года назад

I think people are generally motivated either by the journey or the results. Some people really want to be able to play their "bucket-list" or dream pieces whereas others may genuinely enjoy the grind and practicing. I'd say figure out which one you lean more towards and use that to help motivate yourself to practice!

@leonchik_ 3 года назад

@@WattKeys ok bro thank you very much I appreciate that!

@arthurnagaev 3 месяца назад

try background music which sounds fine with 1.25 or 1.5 or even 2x speed

@kaanozgul6945 3 года назад

Unravel uhhh got me😔

@matheaelisejensen5774 Год назад

I also have tip to people Who Are stuck in a place on a piece: Well i have Bern practising on fur Elise for a while and its especially one place that i have been struggiling with, But What has helped me is to write down the name of the notes under the notes and then i found a system and i understood, and Also take it easy this is a tip from my clarinet lessons But i will say the same tip to piano, dont take it fast to learn a piece you need to take it slow at first and then i mean with no tempo start with the first note and then another and then another and when you have done that a couple of times u Can take it in a slow tempo then a little faster and faster and faster. I have never took piano lessons But my parents have both played piano and i have played clarinet for 4 years Im on my 5th yr now. Im 12 yrs btw

@matheaelisejensen5774 Год назад

Also i didnt see the vid yet But i know that his vids always Are helpful

@imnot4chriss 2 года назад

“You need to drill into your fingers” “aFgHgGhHh” “Uh oh he didn’t mean that did he

@anonymus1234_ 4 месяца назад

wait if i dont subscribe what will happen

@knightsadi 3 года назад

Why you so small auditory? You deserve more

@radhabarman5772 Год назад

Nothing will happen by seeing video... Practice is the most important

@WinterVT 3 года назад

One of these days, you'll have your own masterclass and you'll use the intro as an advertisement

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Haha I hope so! Also, don't you already know all this?

@WinterVT 3 года назад

😂 yeah I do, is that a problem?

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Lol no just wondering if you're about to call me out on anything I said

@WinterVT 3 года назад

Hahaha nah you did a good job

@BrEaKiNg_Brad 2 года назад

You look like my old boss' son. Dylan Kang

@FlixTwix 3 года назад

so you basically switch up the rythms in order to hit the correct keys and after that you go back to the written rythm?

@WattKeys 3 года назад

Yup! You're basically developing a more precise control over the run by being able to do it with different variations

@manjuvohra6947 Год назад

How to play the hard songs : Step 1 - Play the hard songs

@user-yv4up3jz9s 2 года назад

I have a good advice. If you're struggling with a hard piece, you gotta practice for AT LEAST 10 minutes, take a short break, then practice for 10 more minutes, and after that convince your self you'll never play it, get sad, and start watching videos about how to learn hard pieces, knowing deep down, it's not gonna help (._.) No, i'm not saying it from my experience *you are*