Has anyone learned piano from scratch as an adult?

[NainAGP]

Has anyone here learned to play the piano as an adult, from scratch? Teaching yourself or with a tutor.

I had an excellent teacher for about three years. I never mastered the instrument - nobody's fault really - but I have a short attention span and didn't have much practise time. Thankfully I remember much of what I learned. Don't be discouraged if you want to start lessons and ensure whatever keyboard you practice on has proper weighted keys. This is important for muscle memory and strength.

Thanks. I'm not even sure about the logistics, cost, where to put a keyboard etc. Looking for an interesting activity that's been on my list for a while but haven't got round to it yet.

Do it! I'm a piano teacher and love teaching adults. They do learn quickly, contrary to what they expect, they're focused (as they want to be there and are paying for it) and it's easier to explain things to them. Obviously I adjust my teaching to whoever's in the lesson but it's SO much more enjoyable for me with older kids/teens and adults!

I have just started trying to learn - second lesson! With a teacher. It’s so relaxing using your brain in a different way and so far I have learned to play Little Bo Peep!

All very encouraging, thanks! I will have to look at the costs and it's a while since I started something new, I'm in my seventies.

Give it a try if you can make the logistics work. Learning to play a musical instrument is one of the activities that's highly recommended for preserving brain function in those of us whose 21st birthday was a few decades ago. The piano is a good choice and you can learn to play simple familiar tunes very quickly.

Second hand portable 61-key keyboards often come up for sale cheaply on local buy and sell sites, and they can be a good starting point for figuring out things like note-finding, rhythm, and hand co-ordination and deciding whether or not it's worth committing to piano ownership.

There are lots of music learning apps and subscriptions online, but I'd recommend starting off with a tutor.

Don't suppose you've ever played an instrument and can read music? If so, you should be able to teach yourself. DD felt taught herself and got a grade 8 in piano.

If not, hope you can pick it up and enjoy.

Taught herself and got a grade 8? Wow, I'm impressed!

Yes, I started age 41, with a teacher. I wanted to do grades too as it is a good way to track progress.
It's not hard to learn as an adult, you do need to make sure you practise daily.
I started as a beginner and did grade 5 earlier this year 🤓

yes, my piano teacher says she prefers teaching adults, and that they're easier to teach than children.

It's wierd the myth that pervades about adults being slow learners.

Yes, but you won't be able to achieve it practising on a keyboard (unless you're actually aiming to become a keyboard player rather than a pianist).

It's not that adults are slow learners cognitively, it's more to do with the very precise fine motor movements which are required and which are difficult to learn later in life (arguably impossible to learn to a really high level).

You may well get to Grade 8 or higher, but you won't be playing a concerto with the LSO. But then neither are most people who started as children.

You also have to accept that it's a process that takes years, not months. It's not like, say, learning to drive.

Do it! Hobbies are the best. I do ballet 😁

My friend has learned, she practices 40 minutes every evening. She goes to a class once a week and watches YouTube videos too

My ex did it in his 30’s….hope the lid falls on his fingers tbh!

I have been learning for just over a year and am old enough to have a bus pass.

I learned violin as a child for a few years and have also sung in a choir, so could read music - treble clef at least.

I don't think you can teach yourself, as there is just so much technique involved. So finding a teacher who you feel comfortable with is important. I don't think you can get that far on a keyboard either, though it also doesn't make sense to buy a piano until you feel pretty committed.

Well, I picked it up very fast, despite being in my 40s.

The teacher told me her adults learn faster than children.

My aim is not to be a concert pianist, it's to play the piano well. I keep practicing and playing.

You can practice with a weighted keyboard or an electric piano

I started playing when I was 15. Passed grade 5 within 10 months and grade 6, 8 months later. My son also started around the same age but was much better than me much more quickly. He taught himself.

It's much easier to learn when you're older. Neither of us are musical geniuses by any means. We both just enjoyed it and played a lot.

I suppose a lot depends on how well you want to play. I think that left to my own devices I'd be doing stuff like blurring notes, as well as making mistakes in terms of timing, hand shaping etc. YouTube videos can help - there are some good ones - but they only take you so far.

I do feel that I've got a lot further and am thinking a lot more about what I'm doing as a result of having lesson. I value the interaction and having someone who I can go to with questions.

I'm paying a bit under £25 for a half hour lesson every week during term time. Given that I bought an upright piano which also needs to be tuned every so often, there's a certain amount of financial investment on my part.

I found a teacher by asking on a local FB group as well as Googling. A lot of teachers will do some kind of brief free initial lesson, so that you can see if it's going to work.

After that there's an agreement about lessons including notice periods, cancellation etc.

I’m interested in this at present, as my DC plays an instrument and I would like to be able to play with them.

I can read music to a certain extent (better on treble than bass clef) and previously played piano a little, self taught. But I would like to play properly.

I am doing some preparatory work using the ‘Notes Teacher’ app to sharpen up my reading.

Not me, but a colleague who retired did. She went to a teacher - and had great fun going for her grades exams and all the kids around worrying that if someone her age was doing it, they would never pass 😂 She really enjoys it now and has quite a big repertoire of classical pieces for relaxation and modern classic songs for parties.

I started playing the flute mid 40’s .. never played anything previously. Now grade 5 .. I am so proud of myself !

Great responses, it's sounding increasingly attractive.