Piano-Late Beginner

Everything you need to know about

Learning to Play Piano as an Adult

The hardest thing about learning to play piano as an adult is actually starting.
Remember, you are doing this for yourself.
Playing the piano because you love to play is the best way to get better.

Learning an instrument is a life skill that improves gracefully with age. That being said, it’s important to manage your expectations. Take little steps everyday. Don’t beat yourself up because you can’t play as well as the 4-year-old prodigy on YouTube!

Good advice: Every every adult should go to a piano teacher even before they start learning to play the piano. Your teacher will help manage your expectations and advise you on the best way(s) for you to learn.

The benefits of learning piano as an adult

As adults we’re told to do things because they are good for us: exercise, the right amount of sleep, eating well . . . the list goes on. . I find that as someone who is an over-thinker and a worrier, nothing beats playing the piano to keep me in the moment and to give me a much-needed break.

Scientists have also found that learning a musical instrument when you’re an adult helps to make the brain more efficient. This even extends to protecting against dementia as we get older. So it really doesn’t matter how old you are, the piano is an instrument you can play for life.

What are the best apps for learning piano?

The use of smartphones and iPads has skyrocketing during the last decade. With that, apps for learning to play musical instruments are becoming more and more common. As someone who learned piano as an older child, I would have given anything to have access to the sorts of apps children have available today.

That being said, while apps can make learning to play the piano seem easy, one app doesn’t necessarily fit all. It’s important to understand what sort of piano player your child is before selecting the app that’s right for them.

Learning Piano as an Adult and Finding the Right Teacher

Learning to play piano as an adult

Learning to play piano as an adult isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. That being said, I have set the bar at a reasonable height by focusing on enjoyment rather than excellence. I also love listening to music even more than before and I have started to write my own songs.

If you are on the fence about getting back into playing the piano, my advice is to follow your heart. You never know where it will take you. Start off with simple pieces of music. Relax and take your time.

Choose a song that you love. Listen carefully and try to get a feel for the dynamics and the emotion used to ‘tell the story’…

Finding the right piano teacher

I want to say that your asking the question, “How do I find the right piano teacher,” reveals something about you in a very positive way.

In finding a good teacher, your study of the piano will yield wonderful benefits. It will help you feel that you’re capable of progress; that you’re worthy of being supported in your learning; that you can set goals, and achieve and succeed.

Most importantly, it will give you a way to express the beauty that’s there inside of you. Through music, you’ll feel wonder and joy and be able to bring that joy to others.

In finding the right piano teacher–which I sincerely hope you do–you will experience all these things!

Six benefits of learning piano as an adult

1. You want to play the piano: This goes back to enthusiasm. I can remember having to learn piano as a kid and it wasn’t much fun. To this day, when I hear ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ and ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, I get a sense of impending doom.

2. You know the type of music you want to play: This is a big one! When I started playing again, I went straight to learning my favorite songs. No ‘E-i-E-i-Os’ for this budding pianist.

3. You can choose how you learn (by ear, teacher, apps, by your mistakes etc.) There are lots of ways to learn the piano, especially with digital pianos, YouTube and Bluetooth technology. I am a huge fan of teachers too!

4. You can choose when you will learn (night time, weekends, public holidays) I use headphones and a digital piano, and it sounds like I am playing a Steinway in an auditorium (badly). I can also play anytime with out disturbing the family.

5. You know why you want to learn (relaxation, enjoyment, stardom etc.) This was an easy one for me. I just wanted to play (and sing) the songs that I love. I also wanted to impress my wife and kids, but that‘s been a little more difficult that I thought…

6. You can learn at your own pace (walk, jog, catch me if you can) This can be good and bad. I think if you are doing all of the things above correctly (enjoyment, playing what you want to play etc.) then you will surprise yourself at how quickly you learn to play.