Piano Learning Methods 3.0 (2 of 3)

This is the second of three posts exploring innovative music technology for learning to play the piano.

Piano Marvel
If you don't have an iPad, don't despair. Piano Marvel works on your Windows or Mac computer. I've been using this software for several years with many students. It becomes a great practice assistant and features several thousand songs and exercises designed to challenge all ages and ability levels. It also saves your practice information to the cloud so you can practice using almost any computer, any time. Just connect a digital piano to your computer with a MIDI cable connection to get the full benefit of Piano Marvel.

The result is that learning to play the piano is much faster and more fun than with books alone. My students using Piano Marvel (and other apps) learn several times faster largely because there's no time spent practicing wrong notes or rhythm for six days until your next lesson. Also, both you and your teacher can access your playing accuracy scores along with your practice times. I know - difficult to cheat.

Summary of Features

• Instant feedback shows you where mistakes were made so you are never left wondering if you are playing a note or rhythm incorrectly again. Green notes = correct, red notes = incorrect.
• Progress tracking shows you where you have been and where you need to go. It's easy to see how fast you are moving through the exercises to help motivate you even more!
• The Practice Mode in Piano Marvel makes it easy to learn challenging passages. You're able to break down a method or technique exercise automatically into smaller and slower sections the same way a piano teacher would.
• Video Tutorials are provided to guide you on the fundamentals of piano playing, including hand positions, finger placement, dynamics, and music reading skills.
• The ever-expanding library of songs and exercises ensure that you never run out of songs to play. Piano Marvel currently has over 1,200 exercises and over 1,000 performances pieces.

There is also a video menu allows you to quickly and easily find useful videos for learning how to setup Piano Marvel, troubleshoot technical issues, and learn how to get the most out of the system.

You can access everything Piano Marvel has to offer for a nominal subscription of $15 monthly  and they are currently offering all Level 1 exercises and songs for free. You can also use my distributor code, "applegate," to get a discount on the premium subscription ($12, instead of $15 monthly). Try it out at  www.pianomarvel.com.

Even though many piano teachers use this great learning system with their students, you can also learn a lot working on your own.

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