Learning to Sing While Playing Piano

Singing while playing the piano is a fantastic skill for any musician to learn. You can impress friends and family, expand your repertoire, and perform solo. But singing while you play is a challenge, especially when you’re first learning.

We’ve listed some great tips to help you become the next Billy Joel, Elton John or Carole King!

Take Your Time

While pop stars make it look easy, singing and playing the piano at the same time is a lot harder than it looks! If you’re an experienced piano player, it’s easy to get frustrated when your hands and voice aren’t cooperating. Don’t get disheartened if you feel like you’re not progressing fast enough. When you’re starting to learn, choose a simple song that you know well. Even nursery rhymes are a great place to start when you’re learning to coordinate your voice with your hands. Always take your time when learning an unfamiliar piece.

Practice Your Playing and Singing Separately

When you’re first learning, it’s a good idea to practice each skill separately. After you’ve selected a song, start by singing it without playing along on the piano. Once you’ve perfected the singing, try playing the piece on piano with no vocals. After you’ve got both parts down separately, its time to start combining them, slowly. You may wish to practice at half or quarter-speed until you’re a bit more familiar with your piece.

Work with an Experienced Tutor

Many musicians prefer to practise their art alone but learning a new skill usually requires extra support from a tutor. If you don’t seek professional guidance, you could waste years practising improper technique!

Working with a qualified music teacher is the best way to improve your skills. Look for a teacher who has experience with both singing and playing the piano, and who can combine these talents skilfully. An experienced tutor will correct your mistakes, demonstrate proper technique, and provide practice exercises for you to do at home. Your local piano store is a great place to start if you’re looking for resources.

The Best Pianos for Singers

Whether you’re learning to sing and play for performance or just for fun, make sure you choose a piano that works for you. If you’re hoping to perform for crowds, a digital piano is a great option. There are plenty of portable and lightweight options available that allow for easy transportation of your instrument to and from gigs. If you’re someone who loves to spend hours playing music at home, you may wish to invest in a grand or upright piano.  To get a feel for your ideal instrument, drop into your local piano showroom and have a look around.

Whether you’re learning to play and sing, or just looking for a piano, the friendly team at Pianoforte can talk you through your options for piano rental or purchase. Drop in and visit one of our various locations across Sydney.