When learning how to play piano, free opportunities present themselves all over the Internet. Most notably, many websites offer quick step-by-step lessons, as well as free online sheet music, which beginning pianists can use to learn how to play piano at no cost. Obviously, like any free service, these should be approached with caution, and many should be taken with a grain of salt.

After all, they are free for a reason. In spite of everything the Internet has to offer, most of the best ways to learn piano still involve paying money to a highly qualified professional instructor of some kind.

Whether you are learning how to play piano using free lessons, or you are using a pay service, any high-quality learning process begins with the fundamentals. It is one thing to show a few diagrams and to instruct the beginning pianist where to put her fingers; it is quite another thing to instill in the pianist’s mind a real understanding of the structures, systems, and theories that every great piano player must have internalized.

Thus, when learning how to play piano, free or through a pay service, make sure that the instructions use real musical terms, rather than downgraded proxy terms. That is, for example, an instruction shouldn’t refer to notes on the piano as numbers or as fingers; instead, the instruction should use the actual names of the notes — C, D, B flat, G sharp, and so on.

In other words, a beginning pianist wants to internalize the fundamentals of music as early as possible. If you feel like your ability to play music is proceeding faster than your actual knowledge of piano and music, then there is something wrong with your instruction. Both the skills and the knowledge should go hand in hand.

When starting out, the budding pianist can expect to be assigned a lot of repetitive tasks. She will have to play a lot of scales, arpeggios, and simple songs that are designed to help piano students master the complex methods of keyboard fingering. This is normal, and in fact, it is necessary. Any piano lesson program that doesn’t involve a lot of repetitive tasks is probably not the best way to learn how to play piano. Free lesson plans are often guilty of this.

This repetition is what leads a lot of beginning pianists to give up very early, but for the more persistent, things do get better. After a while, when you have internalized the fingering techniques that every pianist must master, songs will grow more complex, and then the repetition becomes a joy. For pianists who are a little further along in the learning process, there is nothing more pleasurable than opening a book to a seemingly incomprehensible notation and working at it until it becomes a beautiful piece of music.

For now, though, most of the songs played by beginners are relatively simple and straightforward, not involving a lot of sharps or flats, and not requiring the pianist to move her hands around a lot. In fact, most songs will be in the easiest key — C major — and won’t deviate from standard hand positions.

Of course, this will all change when you begin to learn about more complex chords, more difficult keys, and more convoluted melodic structures. Once the basics are learned, it won’t take long before these fun elements come into play.

In short, what I have been driving at is that starting to learn the piano rarely offers instant gratification. When learning how to play the piano, free services tend to offer unrealistic, quick goals. In reality, learning piano is a gradual process that involves lots of practice, lots of repetition, and a strong commitment on the part of the pianist.

Some of the greatest piano players in history became known for

their proficiency in jazz. Technicality and a heavy reliance upon

the ability of the musician to improvise makes jazz piano one of

the hardest styles to learn. That does NOT mean, however, that it can’t be learned, but to get to the highest rungs a pianist must have lots of talent, a great ear, and the ability to improvise.

The birth of jazz music in the early 1900s was a significant

period in musical history. Many of those who are considered among

the greatest jazz pianists of all times were pioneers of the

genre during this period. Jazz evolved from musical styles that

African slaves brought to America.

Therefore, its inception can largely be attributed to the early

African-American community. African-American pianists, such as

Scott Joplin and Ernest Hogan, are considered to be among the

fathers of ragtime music. Although the ragtime era only lasted a

few years, it was a precursor to, and contemporary of, the jazz

era.

Many of the earliest and greatest jazz pianists were African

American. For this reason, jazz music had something of a stigma

to overcome. While many embraced jazz as a new and exciting

genre, others couldn’t. The emancipation of African slaves was

still a fresh memory, and many people still carried strong

attitudes of racism. Anything that was perceived as “negro” (such

as jazz music) was inferior at best and “of the devil” at worst.

Jazz’s public image changed slowly over the first two or three

decades of the 20th century. Great African-American jazz pianists

of the early to mid 1900s were instrumental in helping transform

the perception of jazz. African-American artists like Erroll

Garner, Theoloius Monk, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Oscar

Peterson brought a level of class to the genre that was

undeniable. In fact, the Count Basie orchestra was pivotal to the

jazz culture of New York for half a century.

Noteworthy musicians in and of themselves, they also provided

back-up for critically acclaimed singers like Billie Holliday and

Big Joe Turner. Count Basie’s association with Ella Fitzgerald is

both historically and musically significant. The 1963 album the

two made together is remembered by critics as possibly the

greatest recording of her career. Count Basie also made

recordings with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett.

These match-ups lent even more credibility to jazz as a distinct

genre.

The evolution of jazz saw many changes over the ensuing decades.

More branches and sub-genres developed. In fact, jazz music fell

out of favor with the public for several years in the 1980s.

There was controversy within the musical community over the

fusing of so many different types of music with jazz. Some

purists viewed it as “watering down” the art form. Other

musicians and fans see jazz music as a culmination of many types

of music and view blending it with rock as simply another

variation generally known as “fusion”.

Contemporary jazz artists have brought jazz back around into

public favor in the 21st century. Today’s great jazz pianists,

like Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr. and Norah Jones bear living

proof of this by number of albums sold. While some write off

their work as “pop” jazz, many believe they are instrumental in

keeping jazz alive in the new millennium.

It seems as though pop music sometimes gets a bad rap. A glimpse at three of modern pop’s most famous pianists may dispel the myth that pop is an inferior genre. Their skill and level of musical expertise rivals that of pianists of other genres.

Sir Elton John: Born in England in 1947, his illustrious career has spanned three decades. John’s talent for playing the piano became apparent before the boy even entered school. He was often overheard picking out difficult classical pieces on the piano by ear as young as four years old. In fact, he was considered a prodigy. John entered the Royal Academy of Music on a scholarship award at the age of 11 and outshone most of the other students.

His professional career began like that of many musicians. John spent several years playing in pubs. Eventually a chance opportunity led him to partner with Bernie Taupin. Taupin and John write songs together to this day. Songwriting eventually led to the release of his first album in 1970. Shortly thereafter he became known as “the father of piano rock,” a title that still befits him today.

Billy Joel: Though he is often associated with his first big hit, “The Piano Man,” Joel almost didn’t learn to play. It was with great reluctance and upon his mother’s insistence that he began piano lessons. He excelled in proficiency, despite taunts from classmates about his preference for music over sports. Joel even took up boxing in high school to quell those taunts. Though he won many boxing championships, he gave up boxing after a nose injury and focused on his musical pursuits.

Joel began playing professionally at age 14. He played with various bands from 1964 until he recorded and released his first solo album in 1971. Though that first album didn’t gain much acclaim, but his second did. “The Piano Man” single was an instant success. The album “The Piano Man,” which was released in 1973, went gold. To date, over 4 million copies of this recording have been sold.

Joel went on to make several more albums in his career. His works include an album of original classical piano pieces.

Jerry Lee Lewis: Much of the credit for advancing the role of rock music in society must be given to this artist. In fact, Lewis is considered a pioneer in the industry. Born into a staunchly religious family, it was to their consternation that Lewis’ preference for rock and roll began to take shape. He began playing the piano in childhood and had a clear gifting for music. Fascinated by “negro music,” he began to develop his own style based on it. It was a mix of gospel, which he had grown up with, and country, R&B and boogie woogie. What emerged was the earliest form of rock and roll.

Lewis was often publicly condemned for playing “the devil’s music.” Even his own family denounced his work. This criticism seemed to only fuel his artistic nature even more. His fame spread, and even Elvis Presley took notice. He is quoted as saying “If I could play the piano like that, I’d quit singing.”

Lewis’ life, like that of many artists, was fraught with personal problems and scandals. His marriage to his 13-year-old cousin in 1953 (while still married to his first wife) nearly plummeted his career into obscurity. Soon after, his fame became limited to being the butt of jokes and public ridicule. Health problems, alcoholism, drug addiction and family tragedies nearly did him in. But after a movie about his life was released in 1989, his career made a comeback. This included another hit album in 2007, his first since 1973, and his induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame the same year.

Every serious piano student eventually learns to play some of the most well-known classical pieces during his or her studies. Nary a pianist didn’t learn Palchabel’s Canon in D or Beethoven’s Fur Elise. Even non-musicians recognize names like Bach and Mozart. But what about modern classical pianists who have also made notable contributions to cultural history? Here are four the most well-known modern classical pianists and their contributions:

* Glen Gould: The eccentric Canadian-born classical pianist spent more of his prolific career in the recording studio than on stage. Gould covered many of the original classical greats, such as Bach and Beethoven. Gould may be best remembered though for his recordings of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Gould was widely acclaimed for his unusual technique and eclectic renditions of famous classical works. Though he spent many years on the road, touring several countries, he gave up concert performances in 1964 at the age of 32. Though he could have spent decades longer on the road, he preferred to live out the remainder of his career in the studio. Gould’s career was cut short by an untimely stroke at the age of 50, which ultimately took his life. Still, his recordings live on today and have been released and re-released numerous times.

* Arthur Rubinstein: He has been referred to as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century. Born in Poland in 1887, Rubinstein’s family recognized a depth of unique talent in him, despite the fact he didn’t speak until age three. A childhood filled with unusual behavior and outbursts fuel speculation that Rubinstein may have suffered from a learning disorder or autism. Eventually, Rubinstein’s temperament gave way to the talent for playing the piano that he eventually became known for. Rubinstein made his concert debut in New York in 1906 and toured until 1976. He reluctantly retired from public performance at the age of 89 when his hearing and eyesight began to fail. Though he passed away in 1982, Rubinstein is still highly acclaimed among modern musicians.

* Sergei Rachmaninoff: This Russian classical pianist was also a composer and conductor. Perhaps it was his unusual 12-inch hand span that helped him become a legend for his technical proficiency. Rachmaninoff not only commanded the stage, but at a height of 6 feet, 6 inches, commanded a room as well. Though he began piano study casually under the tutelage of his own mother, his extraordinary talent quickly emerged. Rachmaninoff was mediocre in academics, even failing many of his subjects for lack of motivation. However, his piano instructor, who recognized his potential, insisted on a strict and disciplined practice regimen. If not for him, Rachmaninoff may have given up on his musical studies as well. A later meeting with Peter Tchaikovsky also served as inspiration for him to continue his musical career. He managed to overcome several setbacks in his career, including scathing public reviews and a long period of writer’s block. After several years of performance and changes in location, Rachmaninoff moved to the United States in 1918. He continued performing until February of 1943, just a month before his death from cancer.

* Myra Hess: This British pianist stands out in a genre typically dominated by men, especially during her years of public performance. Even as a young child Hess exhibited extraordinary talent. She was admitted to the Guildhall School of Music just two years after beginning lessons at age five. She gave her first public performance at the tender age of 17 in 1907, when she toured throughout Europe for several years. Eventually Hess debuted in the United States, where she realized almost instant acclaim. In an effort to boost morale during World War II, Hess organized a series of free public concerts in London. Her efforts during a time that saw the closure of concert halls and art galleries due to the war was deeply appreciated and received by the public. Hess herself performed at many of these lunch hour concerts. It may have been these efforts that endeared her to the public and stirred lasting interest in her music and career.