Setting realistic and achievable goals is one of the best methods for progressing with the piano. It has been proven time and time again; small steps add up to huge leaps over time. Now that we have cleared the first month of the year, and possibly the spark of inspiration that comes from a “New Year’s Resolution” has faded, it is a great time to check in with yourself and set some solid goals for your piano playing in 2022.
Whether you want to improve your skills with scales, chords, repertoire, or theory, practicing piano with Skoove can help you meet your goals quickly and enjoyably. Take some inspiration from this list of possible piano goals for 2022 and set some for yourself!
Learning goals for adult beginners
Learning how to play piano as an adult beginner can be a difficult task. Between balancing work, home life, and socializing it can be challenging to find adequate time to practice piano. Sometimes you might feel like you take two steps backwards for every step forward. One week you get to practice three days in a row. Then, some things come up and, before you know it, ten days have passed since you played the piano!
Try to not be too hard on yourself. Many adult beginners struggle in this way. The best way to maintain solid momentum and actually progress on the piano is to set some realistic goals for yourself. Here are some ideas.
Learn all 12 major scales
Learning all 12 major scales over the course of 1 year is a great goal to set. The major scales form the backbone of melody in music. Learning all 12 of them will develop your technique in new and interesting ways and open your ears to many new sounds.
There are 52 weeks in 1 year and there are 12 major scales. 52 divided by 12 is about 4. That means you would have about 1 month to spend on each scale. If you look at the big picture, that is a totally achievable and realistic goal to set for yourself!
Learn how to play major and minor triads in all 12 keys
Learning how to play the major and minor triads of each of the 12 major scales would be another great goal to set, in conjunction with learning the major scales. The triads form the basis of harmony in music and fit quite nicely inside of the scales.
There are 7 triads inside each major scale. Learning all of them means you will be able to improvise chords and melody in all 12 keys! That means you can sit down at any piano and spontaneously make music, with friends or by yourself!
Understand the basics of rhythm
Developing a solid grip on the basic rhythms in music is a great goal for an adult beginner in 2022. Together, rhythm, melody, and harmony form the foundation of music. Having an understanding and functional knowledge of all 3 areas is a necessary part of developing as a pianist.
Learning how to count and communicate whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes would be a perfect goal for the first 3 months of 2022. Then, learning how the different time signatures work including 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8, would be a great addition for the next 3 months. And that is only half of the year! Imagine what more you could explore with the second half!
Learn one new song per month!
Another great goal idea would be to learn 1 new song per month. Online piano lessons would make this goal even more achievable! Skoove offers over 400 lessons on a wide range of repertoire from the Beatles to Queen to classical favorites from Bach, Beethoven, and Pachelbel!
Think about it. Learning one new song from Skoove’s list of the best piano songs means you will learn a total of 12 new songs this year! That would be a great achievement for an adult beginner. Additionally, that means that you have an entire month to learn a new song – which is a perfectly realistic goal to set!
Try to give one performance this year
Have you given a performance of your piano playing yet? Even if you have performed previously, planning to give at least one performance this year is a great goal to set. Whether you perform in your house for family and friends, attend an open mic at a local establishment, or record and post some videos of your performing by yourself, the practice that goes into preparing for a performance will help level up your playing skills dramatically.
Performing is an integral part of learning to be a musician. Music does not not exist in a vacuum. All students should learn how to perform. The mindset of a performance can only be developed through repeated practice and requires a different set of skills than just simply learning scales and chords. You will not know what it feels like until you do it – so do not wait! Make a goal of performing the piano somewhere, sometime this year!
Keep yourself in check
Now that you have some ideas for realistic goals, take these inspirations and apply them to yourself in some way. Maybe you are more interested in learning the pentatonic scales than the major scales or are more interested in studying chord inversions than the basic triads. Maybe you want to focus more on learning repertoire instead of scales and chords and go for two songs per month instead of one.
Either way, try to keep your goals reasonable and realistic. Setting unrealistic goals is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment! By setting goals you can actually achieve, you will build your confidence to take on larger challenges. You will build your skills slowly over time – which is perfect.
Try writing down your goals on paper or in a calendar and keep it posted next to your piano where you practice. Stay flexible and make adjustments as you need. Remember, goals are useful to keep yourself on track – and we should be allowed to change them as necessary to accommodate change!
Tying it all together
Setting solid goals for your piano playing in 2022 is a great thing to do. Take the ideas in this newsletter and apply them as you see fit! Remember, it is your piano journey, so make the most of it!
No matter your piano goals for 2022, Skoove is here to help you along the way. Skoove’s fun and intuitive lessons will help you explore new areas of the piano you might not have checked out. With over 400 lessons of repertoire, technique, and theory you are sure to find something new to guide you way! Make 2022 your year and test out a free week of Skoove!
Author of this blog post
Eddie Bond is a multi-instrumentalist performer, composer, and music instructor currently based in Seattle, Washington USA. He has performed extensively in the US, Canada, Argentina, and China, released over 40 albums, and has over a decade experience working with music students of all ages and ability levels.
