Most musical keyboard problems stem from a lack of knowing the fundamentals. Just like in golf or basketball or any of a thousands different disciplines, he or she who masters the fundamentals best gives themselves a huge edge over those who don’t.

I remember hearing that John Wooden’s basketball players at UCLA were made to master the fundamentals so well that any one of them could have blended in with any other of Wooden’s teams, no matter how many years separated them. And they were astounded watching other basketball teams who hadn’t mastered the fundamentals just fall apart late in the game.

I saw Bill Walton, who played for Wooden at UCLA during the glory years, speak on TV about how much he hated going over the fundamentals at first, but then gradually gaining an appreciation for what Wooden was doing, to becoming a raging fan of mastering the fundamentals as he saw the long-term results.

So for piano players, that means learning music theory really well so that it is understood, mastering technique, sight-reading, and a host of other skills. That’s really the only road to overcoming musical keyboard problems.