Anyone learned piano as an adult?

[LoobyLou1976]

Hi all
Thinking of looking for piano lessons. I'm 43!
I played trombone as a child (only up to grade 3) and a little bit of keyboard (self taught) so can read basic music, although I have forgotten most of it. I am fairly musical and enjoy singing.
Has anyone taken up piano as an adult? Did you find you made improvements quickly? Was it necessary to have a piano at home to practise or can you get away with a decent keyboard?
Looking for all opinions! Many thanks.

I'm 49 and have been having lessons for just over eighteen months. For me it's a slow process as I don't have much practise time from one week to the next but my teacher gets that and fully understands. It also helps that my teacher is much the same age as me.

You do need a piano - whether digital or traditional strung - in order to learn. A keyboard an octave short or without weighted keys won't cut it.

Yes. I "did" grade 3 as a child then gave up. I took it u again in my thirties and worked up to grade 7 before deciding I didn't want to do exams anymore also grade 8 looks really, really hard. I stated with a digital piano (Clavinova) which was great but after a few years I traded it in for a real one! I actually have a hybrid piano. It is an acoustic which can be used with headphones - this has been invaluable for late night practising. I have lessons once a fortnight and try to practise every day.

Me!! I learned a bit when I was younger but never did grades. I could read music and plonk out a few tunes but not great. When I was 30 I bought myself a digital piano and decided to finally take proper lessons. I loved it. I was 38 weeks pregnant when I did my grade 5 exam a few years ago. I need to take it up again but lack of funds and time and with work and 2 kids now it’s not that easy.

I loved it. There are surprisingly lots of adult learners. I was worried when I did one of my theory exams about being the only adult, but there were loads.

If you want to do it, go for it xx

I started having lessons at 38 - and have been learning almost a year. I could already read the treble clef and knew the keys - I still struggle a bit with recognising the bass clef notes quickly, but I enjoy learning. I can’t play pieces using 2 notes on each hand at a time but I don’t think my brain could cope with anything more taxing!! I find it hard but enjoyable!!

I am in my 50s and re-started piano lessons 2 years ago, having not played since I was 14!

I only have about 3 to 4 hours a week to practice but am already past the level I was at as a teenager and am planning to take my Grade IV this year. All I can say is I absolutely love playing and could kick myself for not taking it up again sooner. Good luck to you, OP.

You can definitely learn as an adult. I would start with your keyboard and see how it goes before investing in a real piano or a digital piano. The digital options sound just as good and save all that space.
Does your current keyboard have weighted keys? This is essential to train the little muscles in your fingers. Without weighting it’s like the difference between badminton and tennis. So if you have a very basic keyboard without weighting you probably need to think about a better instrument soon rather than later.

Go for it!

Not quite a complete beginner, but I went back to it after a many-decades gap. It had been so long, and I’d only ever passed grade 2, that I virtually had to start again from scratch.

After about a year of working on my own (I used the Carol Barratt classical piano for adult beginner books) I joined a group class, where there were adults a good deal older than you, who’d started from scratch.

One woman I particularly remember, had started from absolute scratch in her 40s and had just passed her Grade 3. Being far too chicken for exams myself, I admired her enormously!

I had some piano lessons at school for 2 years but gave up when I started uni. I decided to start again almost 4 years ago now and it's working quite well. Although I can't devote hours to practice due to work etc, I am still currently playing at grade 3-4, so progress is being made.

I have a piano at home for practice but wouldn't see any reason why you couldn't use keyboard for the same purpose.

I taught myself piano of sorts when I was 15 (had flute lessons and was in many choirs), played on a digital piano til 18 and then had no real space for a keyboard until my 30s when I started again.

I would impress no one with my piano skills, but I love it and that's the main thing. If you are realistic and will get pleasure out of it, do it. If you are expecting to play like Rachmaninov, you might be disappointed

I just want a really all encompassing hobby, if that makes sense. One that uses all bits of the brain!

I’m 41 and have just started to learn the flute! Never too late to do anything imo

I would say go for it. I don't know about the piano but DH took up the saxophone at 50 with no prior musical knowledge. He has now done several music exams (including Grade 5 theory) and now plays regularly in a band.

BTW would you consider going back to the trombone as well? A fine instrument and, if you joined a band or orchestra, then you have the whole social aspect as well which I assume can be missing with the piano as it tends to be a more solitary instrument.

Started lessons at 52. At that point, I couldn’t read music and was really starting from scratch.
I had to switch teachers before I found one that I liked but the teacher I settled with is great. I don’t do exams but we do use some of the exam music so I can get an idea of the sort of level I’m at.

I do enjoy it very much, practice every day if I can.

I never thought that I’d be able to do this and would encourage anyone to give it a go if they fancy it.

Do it! I always wanted to learn to play the piano and DH bought me one for my 35t Birthday. I had weekly lessons for 5 years and took my grade 5. For the last 2 years ive played for fun and relaxation and my DC now play. They learn far faster!

My Dad!

He's elderly now (in his mid 80s) but it has made him very happy. He started from scratch (although he was already quite musical in that he sings in a choir) when he retired at 65.

I'm totally not musical and he sounds very accomplished to me. But like learning a new language in middle-age (which I am doing), all new learning is good for you I think. For the brain and for the soul.

I’m another one and yes, I adore it.

Played very badly as a child and never practiced enough and never enjoyed most of the music I had to play for grades.

Forty years later is totally forgotten how to read music but after just over a year I’m playing grade 5 and some jazz and practice obsessively when I get stuck in.

I chose a decent digital piano because we live in a semi detached house and I like my neighbours . Sometimes I might need to play a phrase over and over and over until it comes right and that’s unfair.

Funny thing was that I could remember all my scales. Everything else was from scratch although I obviously have progressed much more quickly than a beginner. I reckon it will take years to get significantly better but that’s fine.

No exams ever for me.

Hi OP. I think it’s a brilliant idea and I am guessing that there’s enough love for it there for you to really enjoy it. I say do it. It's a beautiful hobby that'll bring you a lot of joy.

I myself used to have lessons as a kid for about 4 years. 3 decades later I too started to flirt with the idea of picking it up again and one quite lucky newspaper listing for a digital piano sealed it for me. This time around I did it the self-taught way. I could only remember some basic theory at this point but it seemed enough to get me started. My aides were mostly YouTube tutorials, ‘some’ brushing up on theory, writing chords down in a GCE, ACF, ADF way and at one point even coloured stickers on keys (lol). I am not saying that it was the most effective way of doing it but it was all part of the fun.
As for progress I must say that I felt quite motivated at the time so spent a lot of time practicing. I was happy to see that the muscle memory developed quite quickly, which then created more motivation. I think that I decided that my personal goal will not be proficiency early on but that didn’t stop me from enjoying it anyway.

As to whether to go for keyboard or a piano.. It’s possible that a decent enough machine played a part in why I enjoyed it so much. I guess that only you know how much or if that would be a factor. But at the end of the day if it comes down to ‘anything or no piano hobby’.. then definitely the anything. And like the others have said, preferably something weighted.

Thanks to everyone who replied. It's inspiring to see so many people who took up piano as an adult. I'm definitely going to start looking for a tutor. Thanks again.

Go for it! It’s not piano I learn, but I can relate. Learning an instrument as an adult is both challenging but also so rewarding, like nothing else. It gives you a very different kind of confidence and changes your entire perception of music. Having something to focus on and loose yourself in is the best feeling. It’s very addictive!

Look around for the right tutor though! It really makes all the difference. I was learning with one before I had a real crisis in confidence and almost packed it in. (Not tutor’s fault, he was lovely but just didn’t “get” me) I have massive confidence problems and am always worried that I’m no good, but my current tutor is a very experienced and talented pro and always explains the science and reasoning behind the entire process, why we make mistakes and how to correct them. He teaches me at a very steady pace and has bags of patience!

Good luck with it.