Seven-time Grammy-winning pianist Emanuel Ax still practices his instrument four hours a day - when you play Carnegie Hall, you don't just wing it. And sometimes, he admits, "it's kind of a slog," especially to practice a new piece: Something written specifically for him, or something he's never heard. "You get the music, and you try to learn it note by note." In an interview with Lifehacker, Ax recommends several ways to make practising an instrument more fun and productive.

iOS: Some people become karaoke gods the minute they pick up a microphone, leaving us mere mortals to wonder how they managed to summon Freddie Mercury from an astral plane. Others... need a little practice. While there isn't one app that will make you the next Australian Idol overnight, Tone (iOS, free) is a great app for practising basic note recognition and tricky intervals.

Welcome to the final episode of How to Fake Playing Piano, our video series on learning piano without getting bored. Previously, composer and pianist Jason Oberholtzer taught you about octaves and fifths, notes, chords and keys, and making your own music. Today he'll show you how to explore almost any kind of music on the piano.

Previously on How to Fake Playing Piano, composer and musician Jason Oberholtzer taught you all the building blocks: What to do with your left hand, what to do with your right hand, and how chords work. Today he puts it all together. In this video, Jason shows you how to noodle around on a piano and sound good, even if you have no idea what you're doing.

Welcome to episode three of How to Fake Playing Piano. In lesson one, composer Jason Oberholtzer taught you what to do with your left hand. In lesson two, he taught you scales and the key of C major. Today he'll show you chords, and keys outside of C major.

Welcome to lesson two of How to Fake Playing Piano, a piano-lesson series that skips the "Hot Cross Buns" and teaches you how to bang around on a keyboard as if you know what you're doing. Yesterday, composer Jason Oberholtzer taught me how to play octaves and fifths with my left hand. Today, he teaches how to play in the key of C.

Imagine someone just starting to learn the piano. What does it sound like? "Hot Cross Buns"? "Mary Had a Little Lamb"? I sat down with composer Jason Oberholtzer for a fun piano lesson that concentrates on discovering new sounds and playing by ear, rather than learning specific songs or reading sheet music. It won't get you into Carnegie Hall, but it will get you excited to make music.