Penelope Roskell's top three tips for adult piano beginners
I recently interviewed Penelope Roskell, Professor of Piano at Trinity Laban, Chair of EPTA UK, and author of the Essential Piano Technique books. At the end of our conversation, I asked her for her top three tips for adult beginners, and her response was so practical that I wanted to share it here.
What struck me most about Penelope's advice is how she connects everything back to the music itself, rather than treating technique as something separate. Click on the video below to listen to Penelope's Top 3 Tips.
Tip 1: Technique Should Always Serve Music
"If you're practicing technique," Penelope says, "always try and think of that as preparing the technical skills that you're going to need in your music making. Don't think of technique as separate and the boring bit of your practice. Think of it as having a real purpose, a musical purpose."
This resonates with something I see constantly in my own teaching. Students sometimes apologise for not having "done their scales" as if scales exist in some musical vacuum. If you frame technical work as preparation for the pieces you're actually playing, it suddenly has meaning.
Tip 2: Aim for Freedom of Movement
Whether it’s the rounding of the wrist, the flow of the arm, or overall flexibility, Penelope stresses the importance of moving freely at the piano. Free movement not only feels good physically, but it also translates into music that flows more naturally. Flowing gestures create flowing sound.
Tip 3: If It Feels Good, It Will Probably Sound Good
Many of Penelope's students have asked, “Am I doing this right?” Penelope’s asks: 'Does it sound right , does it feel right..". When playing begins to feel natural, at ease, and physically comfortable, it usually also sounds better. Developing this awareness early on leads to a healthy, more confident relationship with the instrument, and sets the stage for tackling more advanced repertoire without strain.
A Book That Supports These Ideas
These tips come through in Penelope’s Essential Piano Technique series, Level Two, which I reviewed in my earlier blog. The series includes clear explanations, and well structured progression through core skills. You can explore more about her work here:
👉 Foundations in Piano Technique Course
👉 Find Teachers Trained in this Method
Where This Connects with My Own Work
As many of you know, my Hey Presto! Piano Method was also written with adult beginners and older students in mind. Like Penelope, I’ve been motivated by both injury prevention and the desire to keep students engaged from the very start. You can find out more about Hey Presto! here:
👉 Hey Presto! Piano Method Book
And if you’d like structured video lessons with feedback, you can explore my complete online course:
👉 Adult Piano Beginners Online Course
Continue the Journey Together
If you’d like to connect with other learners, share experiences, and pick up weekly ideas, you’re warmly invited to join my Adult Piano Beginners Facebook Group — a supportive space for pianists of all levels and styles.
A huge thank you again to Penelope for her generosity in sharing these insights. I hope these tips will inspire your practice and remind you that technique and music are always two sides of the same coin.
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