How to Learn a New Piano Piece: 5 Preliminary Steps

Ever wondered what to do when you start a new piece at the piano? In this video, I walk through the the five preliminary steps to take when you are in the early stages of learning a new piece at the piano. Taking these steps will set you up for success and prepare you to learn your new piece efficiently, quickly and effectively.
0:00 Introduction
1:05 Step 1: Read through your piece
1:55 Why it's important to read through your piece first
3:00 Step 2: Listen to recordings of your piece
4:28 What to listen for
5:28 How listening to your piece will help you
5:50 Step 3: Identify the hardest spots in your new piece
6:46 Step 4: Look for patterns
7:20 Step 5: Analyze your piece
8:03 What to look for in your analysis
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[@matthewsouthwell]

I can't believe your videos are available to us for free. Such great advice.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Glad you like them! Thanks for your comment!

[@lizweekes8076]

Thanks Kate 🎉

[@mishellian1979]

I really wish I had you as a teacher when I was younger. Lovely channel thank you X

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wow, thank you! Glad you're here!

[@SethIsDavid]

"Bash through a full reading to see if it's doable" - great advice! It's like a mini self assessment/placement test.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Ha! I hadn't thought about it like that, but that's an interesting (and accurate) insight!

[@taniacummings9207]

I make it my sight-reading piece for that day.

[@mrsjudewilliams6689]

Thankyou I'm going to apply looking at the score while listening . I'm working on Thais meditation.

[@alexgoriatchenkov]

8 month learning myself with CZcams videos. Never using notes sheets and pretty sure with reading sheets take 5x time to learning playing.
However my way is not correct I guess, but I like progress. Thank you. Your sub.

[@yusefandersen]

Thanks for the 5 useful steps, great stuff...
Now I have 5 steps for you!
1.get a very large box
2. put my address on it
3. Clone yourself
4. Put the clone in the box and wrap it up good and tight
5. Air Mail it to Switzerland
Thank you,
Joe

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

😂😂Thanks for the instructions! Best comment ever - glad you find it helpful! 🎹💜😊

[@yusefandersen]

@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd l'm still waiting 😎🎶

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

@@yusefandersen 😂

[@michelprimeau4531]

I agree. Horowitz takes on "Wake me up When september ends" was very impressive.

[@lindapatrick7795]

Returning to the piano after decades, now in my final years of life, I am trying to grab pieces in my "bucket list" before it's too late!. My teacher and I are working through pieces I never got to play in my prime.
I'm a little excited and scared as I open my newest addition to my library. I'm going to go open the cover now and see what happens as I try to "bash through" the first time... and if I can't make a go of it yet, I'll take your advice and put it away for now.
As I go through, I'm going to look for the kinds of things that may be beyond me technically. I'll ask my teacher to help me work on those if I need to before trying to attempt the piece if it turns out to be just way too hard.
Thanks for the great video.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for sharing your story! It's so great to have a "bucket list" of pieces (I also call this a "Heart's Desire" list). It's tricky, isn't it? There are only so many hours in the day, and you don't necessarily want to get bogged down on one piece when you could be progressing through several. However, if there is a piece that is the equivalent of your personal Mount Everest, and you want to work on that before it's too late, I say, "go for it!" I'm glad to hear that you have a teacher who can help you discern the project that will bring you the most fulfillment at this stage in life!

[@stephenvinson6474]

I'm learning so much from your videos! Id like to use many of these points for learning a new piece...Especially the theoretical aspects.

[@RanBlakePiano]

Have subscribed last month but not getting notices .this is fantastic lesson

[@PianoRouge55]

When I was young, recordings were inaccessible and it didn't even occur to me to go find recordings. And my teachers never played for me when they gave me new pieces. I happened to be a good sight-reader since my childhood, I was able to manage to play through alone for next lesson.
Listening to recordings does help to learn a new piece.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Thanks for your comment! Same here - I didn't realize how helpful it was so listen to recordings until later, and they also used to be more difficult to access. I would often learn a piece without having heard it before. We are lucky now to live in a world where it's so easy to listen to many different interpretations of so many pieces.

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Watch next: How to Warm Up at the Piano: czcams.com/video/6QdwB6as_zA/video.html

[@andrews7993]

Wow this was awesome. each step makes so much sense. I think the most interesting one was step 5. I’ve never really analyzed a piece I learned fully and I’ve played for 12 yrs under piano teachers

[@ThePianoProfKateBoyd]

Wonderful- glad to help! Good luck!