People often ask me “where do you get your enthusiasm from?”, and also “if you could sell that passion in a bottle I’ll take 5!”.

Learning something new isn’t easy and even with an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher like myself, you still need to foster a decent amount of inner-motivation in order to put in the effort required to achieve your piano goals.

When you’re sitting alone at the piano you need that inner motivation to keep you going, or it just won’t work.

So how do you get and keep that inner motivation?

Here are the secrets I recommend to take your piano journey from boring to adoring!

1 - GET USED TO DISCOMFORT

Learning something new isn’t easy. Whether it’s a new piece of music, or a new skill - there’s that initial stage where you’re confused. The pieces of the puzzle aren’t fitting together, it feels strange and awkward.

This is an uncomfortable feeling to have, especially as adults - we think we should have everything figured out already!

I’ve come back to that discomfort of new things many, many times in my piano journey and I still do when I’m in situations that I’m not yet adept in.

I’ve made peace with that discomfort because I know that feeling is a sign of growth. Everything I have struggled with at piano, I have eventually mastered – so I know it’s not a matter of whether I can or can’t do it, but WHEN I will do it.

Think about it - there are areas in your life where something initially felt new and awkward but that over time you have mastered. Piano is no different.

So when you’re in the trenches of that uncomfortable learning feeling - reframe the process: the discomfort is a sign that you are growing. Instead of thinking “will I ever be able to do this?” think “I look forward to being able to do this soon”.
Then the process becomes fun and driving, rather than defeatist.

2 - ASK WHY

The trait of toddlers to ask ‘why’ about everything is part of their discovery of what it means to be in the world and be human. It’s annoying! But necessary for their growth.

As a musician, I’ve always asked this question as a way to understand how music works and therefore understand whatever I am playing.

This is why at Piano Picnic, I teach not just how to play piano, but the theory of music and how it applies to pianists. Knowing WHY something works enables us to replicate, refine, then innovate and even memorise new concepts that we can be creative with later.

We become a conscious musician, not just a copying machine.

3 - OWN THE IDENTITY

Say “I am a pianist” - right now. Say it! Call yourself a pianist and call yourself a musician.

For many years I didn’t, I thought that there was a hallowed level you had to be before you were given this title. As if after Grade 8 solo piano, Chopin would descend from the clouds and knight me as an annointed pianist.

Let go of that notion - because the more you deny yourself that title, the harder it is to allow yourself to be passionate about the journey and developing further.

Say “I’m a pianist” and suddenly you feel that’s worth investing your time into.

4 - HUNT INSPIRATION

Lack of inspiration is the #1 dream killer! Don’t wait for it to find you, find it.

The key with inspiration is a feeling of awe not envy.

“I’ll never play like that” will not get you anywhere. Listen and watch with a sense of awe and appreciation. Use it to fuel your drive!

Are you constantly feeling envious of other pianists? Teach something you know to someone else. There is no greater confidence boost in appreciating what you already know, then teaching what you know to another person. Give it a go!

5 - BALANCE

Learning pieces is often what we think of with playing piano. It’s usually what first motivates beginners. But simply learning pieces someone else wrote, does not satisfy your unique and innate creativity! You’re missing out on a HUGE reward of learning piano!

By achieving a balance between playing pieces, and exploring your musical creativity you will find your piano journey gets more exciting, you strike a balance between working at the piano, and truly playing the piano (because play should be fun!).

Unleash your own creativity! Every human has it innate - to make your own music whether it’s riffing on a chord sheet, improvising, arranging a song for piano, or songwriting… involving your artistic brain is an integral part of enjoying your piano journey!

Think you’re not creative?

Think about creativity as simply being choices. People often don’t think they’re creative because they don’t create things out of thin air (like we think artists do!). But believe it or not, every artistic thing starts from a kernel of inspiration and very few creations are completely original. Being creative is simply about being inspired by something and then making choices to shape your creation the way you want to!

Cooking can be creative every time you veer from the recipe!

Walking is creative when you veer off the beaten track!

Conversation is creative when you are suddenly reminded of a random story and decide to enact it!

Anything where you are making choices about the way you do something, is creativity and all humans have it!