The Michael Korman Way of Playing Piano (KorPiano) – (how to play piano, how to learn piano)

If you’re new to my work: I have a master’s degree and I love helping people learn piano. To get started, send me a DM on Instagram (@no.michael.here).

Equipment Needed

There are 3 kinds of pianos:

1. Digital (88-key)
2. Acoustic (upright or grand)
3. Keyboard (61-key)

You have a decision to make.

Those are 3 different instruments and you can learn to play any of them. So, you need to decide which one you want to play. It’s like learning to paint and deciding whether you want to do acrylic or watercolor. It’s a personal choice (and I bet you have a fantasy in mind already).

You also need a metronome. I recommend the Seiko SQ50-V (Note: This is an affiliate link, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases).

Before we talk about how to play piano, let’s get something out of the way

I don’t know why you want to learn piano.

I’ve been so distracted by the narcissists and rescuers (twhich are just another form of narcissists, tbh) that I can’t even know what you’re asking. You must be asking something or we wouldn’t be having this conversation, right?

So, what is it? What’s “piano playing”, to you? I need some answers. It has to be a back-and-forth conversation. I could talk about something specific, but what’s the point?

You must ask questions. You have to explore your own body and the piano.

Just saying “Michael, write me a paragraph on your POV on the subject of piano playing” isn’t gonna cut it. My POV is irrelevant. It’s a jsut a pointer, anywhay. You ‘re POV is the one that needs to be developed. M<y POV makes sense to me, but that’s because it’s refined over years of my own personal experiences. You haven’t had those rxperiences.

No, you almost certainly don’t get what I’m saying. That’s because you’re not the one being asked the question. You’re the one observing my answer to the question.

Does it make sense for me to publish this ? After all, you’re unlikely to take it seriously. Statistically speaking, anyone who’s reading this is likely to be a narcissist, a piano teacher, or a rescuer who’s fascinated by my answer as a reflection of my own struggle.

But honestly, that’s OK. I’ts my responsibility, as an artist, to share my struggles.

I’d love to help you with piano, but we’re not at that point yet. Are we?

Main Challenge No. 1: How to Play Fast

To play fast, you must use the metronome. It’s the only way. If you don’t, you’re going to be in BIG TROUBLE. If you do, there’s hope for you.

But, you must use it the right way. You must understand that music is a string of beats. There’s a meter. THe beats repeat themselves in a pattern. That’s what “meter” means. It’s finite and predictable.

The metronome helps you SEE this. It’s a regular click click click click.

Synchronize your body with the metronome. One basic physical action on every click. Dropping your arms on the keyboard.

Once you get that far, you’re basically all set. TFrom that point, it’s just a matter of doing it. Use the Waterfall Technique to iron oout the bugs. Like you’d iron out the wrinkles in a green screen before shooting a YouTube video.

Main Challenge No. 2: How to Play with Both Hands

It’s not that big of a deal.

Or is it? I’ve heard lots and lots of beginners on social media complain about this one. I don’t remember complaining about it as a beginner.

It’s like learning to drive. You don’t say “I know how to make the car accleerate but I haven’t learned how to make it stop yet”. At least, not for very long. You’ll figure out soon enough how to make it stop. You can’t drive forever.

Playing with both hands is the same thing. It’s not a real problem. It seems like a problem at the time, maybe. But, soon enough, it’ll stop being a problem.

But, you gotta see the bigger picvture. You gotta see the purpose of all the notes. Because some notes are more important than others. Some hare there for structure and some are there for decoration and some are the MAIN THING YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY.

Piano isn’t about “two hands”. There’s only one hand. Only one body. You don’t have two bodies when you play piano.

Do you know what a Bach fugue is? Do you know who Bach is? Johann Sebastian Bach. Famous German guy from hundres of years ago. He wrote songs called “fugues” which are hard because they have 3, 4, 5, 6 things going on at once. It’s like 6 different musicians playing at the same time. YBut YOU have to play all 6. With only 2 hands. This isn’t consistent with the normal, pop culture, beginner mindset about piano (the one that says “piano is about left hand and right hand)”) . This fugue thing is transcend all of that and going to the level of actual wizardyry, real magic.

So, don’t think you’re so special because you’re struggling with a non-problem. Professionals struggle with the same problem you do, except that ey ethey see it more clearly. Sort of.

Anyway, to answer your question about “how do I play with both hands?”, you just do it.

“But Michael, that’s so vague and unclear. What do I DO???”

You play the music. Get it????????? Come on, stretch your mind a bit. It ain’t that hard.

Why I’m Publishing This

What’s the deal here? I’m typing this stuff in response to prompts about how to play piano. But I imagine it’ll be irrestible bait to piano experts who want to bully me into submitting to their cultural norms. And it’ll be ignored by those awho might benefit from it.

Is that so? I dunno.

I sorta get what’s happening here. I’m struggling to work out something and I’m being semi-public with that struggle. Predators can sense that and swoop in to take advantage .

I get that. I really do. But where does that leave me?

It leaves me right here. In an empty room with only my own insecurities to keep me company.

I’m starting to understand that both the predators and rescuers don’t really care to read what I’m writing. They only sense the insecurity. Which of course is there because I’m working on solving a problem. I won’t be secure until the problem is solved. It’s like how I’m secure with my understanding of how to play piano. I was insecure for a long time but then when I figured out how to play, I became secure (and then started teaching it to others).

We’re not there yet with the online marketing piece of this. I haven’t yet solved that problem. But I’m doing it publicly. Will that help me teach piano? I dunno. I suspect it’ll help me teach marketing one day in the future.

But, for now, I’m gonna kepep framing it as piano instruction and hope it leads somewhere good.

If you have money, you’re welcome to try convincing me to take you along for the ride.

Ha ha ha. You don’t get it, do you? Of course you do.

So yeah, that’s how you playt with two hands. Hope that’s crystal clear.

BACK OFF IF YOU DON”T LIKE IT.

Styles (unfinished)

• Classical
• Jazz
• Hip-hop
• Pop

Skills (unfinished)

• Improvisation
• Reading music
• Playing from chords
• Singing and playing

How to learn piano (unfinished)

• Mindfulness
• Acceptance
• Boundaries
• Mistakes
• Improvisation
• Yoga