5 important steps to check when learning a new piece at the piano.
Starting a new piece of music can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially if it’s more advanced than what you’ve played before. But by approaching it strategically, you can set yourself up for success from the very START. Here’s how I teach my piano students to begin:
Step 1: Analyze the Key Signature
The first thing to check is the key signature, which tells you what key the piece is in and what accidentals (sharps or flats) to expect throughout. Understanding the key helps you:
• Identify scale patterns and harmonies that will appear frequently in the piece as well as a “color” of the music - is it Major key or minor key?
• Anticipate tricky passages by practicing the scale and arpeggios in the key signature the Piano piece is in.
• Know what accidentals to be mindful of while reading notes and playing.
For example, if your piece is in G major, we are looking what is the sharp sign is next to the treble and bass clef. Then practicing the G major scale before playing will reinforce the tonality and help your fingers get comfortable with the white and black keys.
Step 2: Understand the Time Signature
Next, look at the time signature, which tells you how many beats are in each measure and what note value gets the beat. The most common time signatures include:
• 4/4 (Common Time) – Four beats per measure, quarter note gets one beat.
• 3/4 (Waltz Time) – Three beats per measure, quarter note gets one beat.
• 6/8 (Compound Time) – Six beats per measure, eighth note gets one beat (often grouped in two sets of three).
In this piece we are in 3/4 time signature.
Understanding the time signature helps you:
• Establish the correct rhythm before playing. Counting out loud could be very helpful to get into the rhythm and pulse of the music.
• Identify syncopations or complex rhythms that may require extra attention.
• Feel the pulse naturally, which makes phrasing and expression more fluid.
Step 3: Scan for Rhythmic Challenges
Before playing, take a moment to look for any difficult rhythms, ties, or syncopations. Clap or tap out these rhythms separately to internalize them before adding the notes. If you see a passage with triplets, dotted rhythms, or polyrhythms, isolating them in your practice can prevent frustration later.
Step 4: Identify Repeating Patterns and Phrasing
Music often contains repetitive patterns, such as sequences, chord progressions, or motifs. Identifying these in advance makes learning easier because you’re not starting from scratch in every measure. Look for:
• Melodic patterns – Is a phrase repeated in different registers?
• Harmonic patterns – Does the left hand play similar chord structures throughout?
• Dynamics and articulation – Where are the expressive markings?
Step 5: Slow, Hands-Separate Practice
Once you’ve analyzed the piece, begin playing slowly, hands separately if needed section by section . Focus on accuracy over speed, and gradually bring everything together.
Conclusion
By first analyzing the key signature, time signature, and rhythmic structure, you set yourself up for efficient and effective practice. Approaching a new piece intentionally will make learning smoother and more enjoyable while helping you develop deeper musical understanding.
Ready to start? Choose a piece, apply these steps, and enjoy the journey of making music!
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Happy Valentine’s Day! Celebrate Love with Handpicked Love Theme Classics Playlist - A Gift from me to You ❤️🎶
What Makes Music Feel Like Love and what it makes timeless?
Valentine’s Day is here! A time to celebrate love in all its beautiful forms! In my opinion LOVE should be celebrated EVERY DAY!
Whether you’re spending the day with a special someone, alone, with your four paws friend or simply enjoying the beauty of romance, music has the power to elevate emotions and create unforgettable moments.
As a gift for this special day, I’ve created a “Classics for Valentine’s Day” playlist, featuring some of my favorites and the most romantic and heartfelt pieces ever composed performed by one of the best musicians in the world.
What Makes Music Feel Like Love and what it makes timeless?
These timeless melodies have one thing in common: they move us, touch our hearts, and evoke deep emotions—just like love itself.
Love-themed music isn’t just about soft melodies or dramatic crescendos; it’s about how a piece connects with our emotions.
Love can be passionate, tender, bittersweet, or full of longing, and classical and modern composers have captured these feelings in ways that can’t be put in words.
The beauty of these compositions isn’t just in the notes written on the page—it’s in how they are performed. Only true musicians, with deep understanding and expressive artistry, can bring out the emotion and meaning behind each piece.
A simple melody can feel ordinary in the hands of an inexperienced player, but in the hands of a skilled musician, it can become a profound emotional experience. Every nuance, every touch, every dynamic shift matters. The best performances make us feel as though the music is speaking directly to our hearts, just as love does.
As a piano teacher, I don’t just teach my students to play the notes—I teach them to feel the music. Music isn’t just about technique; it’s about expression, storytelling, and conveying emotion. A truly moving performance requires more than just skill; it demands a deep connection with the music itself. This is why only real musicians can bring these love-filled pieces to life in a way that truly touches the heart.
What Do These Pieces Have in Common?
• They tell a story – Whether it’s the dreamy elegance of Clair de Lune or the passionate intensity of Romeo and Juliet, each piece creates a narrative that resonates with the heart.
• They evoke deep emotions – From Chopin’s delicate Nocturne in E-flat Major to Rachmaninoff’s soaring Variation 18, these compositions bring out joy, nostalgia, longing, and devotion.
• They have timeless beauty – Love itself is eternal, and so is great music. These pieces, written centuries ago, still speak to us today.
Enjoy Classics for Valentine’s Day PLAYLIST and feel the LOVE every day!
Here are some of the most romantic classical pieces to set the mood this Valentine’s Day included in Playlist:
❤️ Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune (A dreamy, moonlit piece full of romance and tenderness.)
❤️ Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 (Soft and delicate, like a whispered love letter.)
❤️ Sergei Rachmaninoff – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 18 (One of the most passionate and sweeping romantic themes ever written.)
❤️ Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (A powerful musical love story full of longing and drama.)
❤️ Camille Saint-Saëns – The Swan (A gentle and graceful piece, like love floating effortlessly.)
❤️ Franz Liszt – Liebestraum No. 3 (Dream of Love) (A poetic and sentimental tribute to love’s beauty.)
❤️ Johann Sebastian Bach – Air on the G String (Elegantly simple yet deeply emotional.)
❤️ Gustav Mahler – Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 (An orchestral love letter, overflowing with feeling.)
❤️ Richard Wagner – “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde (One of the most intense and passionate musical expressions of love.)
❤️ Edvard Grieg – Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (A joyful and celebratory piece filled with warmth and affection.)
❤️ Sergei Rachmaninoff – Liebesleid (A wistful and nostalgic expression of love’s joys and sorrows.)
❤️ Paul de Senneville – Mariage d’Amour (A modern romantic piano piece often mistaken for Chopin’s work—pure beauty.)
❤️ Francis Lai – Love Story Theme (An iconic melody filled with longing and deep emotional expression.)
❤️ Franz Liszt – Consolation No. 3 (A tender, peaceful, and deeply comforting piece.)
❤️ Franz Schubert – Impromptu in G-flat Major, Op. 90 No. 3 (A flowing and lyrical piece that embodies warmth and romance.)
This Valentine’s Day, let these classical masterpieces be the soundtrack to your celebration. Whether you’re having a romantic dinner, reflecting on love, or simply enjoying a moment of peace, music has the power to bring us closer to our emotions and to one another.
What is your favorite Love-themed music? Please comment below I'd love to add it to my playlist.
Wishing you a beautiful and love-filled Valentine’s Day! ❤️🎶
Listen a Valentine's Classics Playlist HERE
What is your favorite Love-themed music? Please comment below
Yuliya Borshchova
Inspiring and Enriching Lives Through Music education.
