Choosing your first music project
I’ve spent some time in the past talking about why I think it’s important to choose the music you want to play before you start piano lessons. I still think that’s really good advice. Choosing music that’s going to motivate you is a really great way to set goals and to develop sustainable practice habits, especially when you’re first starting out.
But I also know that it can be difficult to choose music, especially at the beginning of your piano journey, simply because you can get overwhelmed with choice! So if you need some help choosing musical goals for yourself, this post is for you.
To help narrow down the kind of music you want to play, one way I recommend is to follow your major human emotions. Ask yourself:
What’s a song I’d like to play when I’m feeling happy?
What’s a song I’d like to play when I’m feeling sad?
What’s a song I’d like to play when I’m feeling peaceful or at rest?
There is a really good chance you’re going to feel at least one of these emotions over the course of a day! That would make at least one of these songs relevant for you in those times and give you something you’d want to play.
Pull out your happy song to celebrate when something great happens in your life.
Pull out your sad song when you’re going through a difficult time and want to express your sorrow without using words.
Pull out your peaceful song to help ground your quiet time.
Here’s the reason why I think it’s so important to choose music that follows your emotion:
Learning to use music to express yourself is a much stronger and longer-lasting motivation to learn piano than simply reaching for a particular skill level or Royal Conservatory grade.
Once you’ve experienced channelling your emotions through the piano, you will have gained a new tool to communicate — and you’re never going to want to put that tool down!
It’s honestly like unlocking an achievement in a video game — from that moment on, your playing experience is never the same and your potential for further exploration is only enhanced.
The best part is, you don’t have to wait until you’re “really good” at piano to start expressing yourself musically. You can start doing this from the very beginning of your piano journey. If you’re just starting out, pick your first three songs to be ones that you could use in happy, sad, and peaceful times. I’d be willing to bet money that you’ll enjoy the experience so much, they won’t be the last songs you learn :)
Good luck!