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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Playing the piano

48 replies

Igglepiggleandhisboat · 05/11/2023 12:49

I played piano as a child and teen and practised loads. Constantly played and was a little obsessive. I’m now mid 30s and at the moment cannot remember at all how to read music or play piano 🤦🏻‍♀️
Has anyone come back to this later in life and been able to learn? I think I’m too tired and old 😂
Any tips for re learning piano as an adult?

OP posts:
Fionaville · 05/11/2023 12:51

This was me. We got a piano and it's coming back bit by bit. There is some muscle memory involved, because my fingers sort of know what to do. It definitely wasn't like riding a bike though!

LindorDoubleChoc · 05/11/2023 13:10

I think you'll find you remember quite a lot. A lot more than you realise. I went back to lessons after a break of something like 40 years and I'm really enjoying them.

My teacher said to me that the hardest grade to reach in piano is Grade 1 and I can see why. There's so much to learn just to get to that stage. When I re-started lessons I was at about Grade 2 in terms of sight reading and memory of scales etc (having reached Grade 4 in my teens) now I'm at Grade 6. It's been so enjoyable.

womencalledwendyarebendy · 05/11/2023 13:18

With me it was the violin. I played from ages 5 to 20. I played in the county orchestra and went on music tours abroad as a child. When I resumed pursuing music (in my 40s), it was as if I had never played, I couldn't remember a thing and couldn't read music. My childhood was pretty traumatic, and I think I compartmentalised music within an era that I didn't really want to remember. A lot was/is there instinctively though, and I have an excellent ear and singing voice, so that helped me to navigate. I have been playing the piano for around 5 years. Nothing comes as quickly and with the ease it did as a child, and I have way too much going onto practice enough, but it will come back - you will have some kind of "muscle memory" for it, especially as you are resuming the same instrument you played when younger.

PerspiringElizabeth · 05/11/2023 13:20

I’ve just bought a load of piano grade 1-2 books on WOB 😄 I’ve done the same with music theory workbooks - assumed grade 5 would be fine but was humbled and worked through from grade 1, currently working on grade 4 hah.

Or get piano lessons?? So good for the brain!

Sammysquiz · 05/11/2023 13:22

I’m just getting back into it too. I use an app called Simply Piano which was expensive but worth every penny, I’ve found it really helpful and it has a huge library of music included.

Igglepiggleandhisboat · 06/11/2023 19:45

womencalledwendyarebendy · 05/11/2023 13:18

With me it was the violin. I played from ages 5 to 20. I played in the county orchestra and went on music tours abroad as a child. When I resumed pursuing music (in my 40s), it was as if I had never played, I couldn't remember a thing and couldn't read music. My childhood was pretty traumatic, and I think I compartmentalised music within an era that I didn't really want to remember. A lot was/is there instinctively though, and I have an excellent ear and singing voice, so that helped me to navigate. I have been playing the piano for around 5 years. Nothing comes as quickly and with the ease it did as a child, and I have way too much going onto practice enough, but it will come back - you will have some kind of "muscle memory" for it, especially as you are resuming the same instrument you played when younger.

This really struck a chord with me (no pun intended!). My childhood was traumatic too and my teen years were the worst. I spent hours during that time playing piano and became obsessed as an escape!

OP posts:
StrawberryWater · 06/11/2023 19:48

I have a piano but honestly I’m rubbish now and don’t seem to be able to relearn beyond a few tunes. I mostly keep it around for ds now.

Billybagpuss · 06/11/2023 19:54

I’m a teacher, one of my adult students who started when she retired, I’ve now been teaching for 20 years. She got to grade 4 at school and we started right back at the very beginning, she is now an advanced player and teaching one of her neighbours. She progressed very quickly in the early days and it’s much easier teaching returning adults as the movements are already in their fingers.

DonttouchthatLarry · 06/11/2023 20:10

I played as a child and started again in March this year after a break of 35 years. I have weekly lessons with a great teacher (after starting off trying to teach myself online) and am now ready for my grade 3 exam. It absolutely amazed me how it all came flooding back and my fingers know what to do faster than my brain does! I bought a digital piano to start off but my husband bought me an acoustic one after a couple of months - I love it and am so glad I decided to take it up again. I'm enjoying learning and there's no pressure, it's just for me.

You're definitely not too old - I haven't played for your entire lifetime yet have reached a decent grade 3 standard (according to my teacher) in just over 6 months! I couldn't remember how to read music or where the notes were but have made great progress - and I'm hoping it'll help ward off dementia too 🙂

Bloopadoop · 06/11/2023 20:15

When I read your OP I wondered whether you’d had a traumatic brain injury, because I couldn’t work out how you’d forget to read music! Surely it’s like riding a bike?! But then I read the other responses and see it’s quite common. So that told me! I bet you can get it back quite quickly with a teacher. It’s probably mostly in there somewhere!

AmiablePedant · 06/11/2023 20:27

"I bought a digital piano to start off but my husband bought me an acoustic one"
Sorry, there is no such thing as an "acoustic piano"; there is simply a piano. A proper piano. With strings and things. (Totters away to the gin.)

SisterMichaelsHabit · 06/11/2023 20:31

AmiablePedant · 06/11/2023 20:27

"I bought a digital piano to start off but my husband bought me an acoustic one"
Sorry, there is no such thing as an "acoustic piano"; there is simply a piano. A proper piano. With strings and things. (Totters away to the gin.)

Yes, yes there is.

In 1993. 🤷‍♀️

DonttouchthatLarry · 08/11/2023 00:37

@AmiablePedant - the shop I bought my digital piano from (and many other websites) list their pianos under 'digital' or 'acoustic'. I would normally refer to a piano as a piano but as I had mentioned my digital piano it seemed odd to write ' I bought a digital piano then I bought a piano' - even worse would be 'a real piano' as if the digital one isn't real. When I was a teenager 35 years ago I was aware of electronic keyboards but didn't realise until I was looking to buy a piano this year that electronic/digital pianos with full size weighted keyboards existed, or that 'proper pianos' could be converted to digital.

Alatron · 08/11/2023 01:00

Hi OP.

I've stopped and started piano several times over my lifetime and am currently on a big burst of it age 50 and it's going really well. Similar to you I did a lot of work in my teens. My old piano teacher once said that when you go back to it, after six months you'll be back where you were. I've found this to be true. You do have to put the work in during those six months though.

I've done a bit of research into how it all works. Playing the piano is a complex process - there is muscle memory, harmonic memory, didactic memory. If you do it when you're young and your brain is more elastic you make faster progress but also you fire up the bits of your brain that sharpen these processes to a great extent and that doesn't really go away. You just need to tap into it again. You've already done the work.

Start with pieces you love. There must be a few if you played so intensely. Give yourself the time and space to rediscover them. If possible use your original sheet music. If you don't have it try to find the same editions as the ones you learnt from. If you think about when you were playing before there would be a fast constant interaction between what you saw on the score and what your fingers were doing. Having the physical notes in the same place on the page will help to get that connection going again.

Don't start with beginner pieces, there's no point. Start from where you left off, or near to it. It will be difficult at first, but you will rapidly progress.

Interestingly, if you had weak points in a particular piece they will still be weak going back to it even years later. But now is your chance to correct past wrongs!

And don't forget, all that time you've not been playing you've still been listening because music is everywhere. So at some level even when your hands haven't been active all these years your musically trained brain has been receiving and processing music. You may well surprise yourself with what that enables you to do, what fresh ideas it gives you, when you return.

nokidshere · 08/11/2023 01:12

I want a piano. I'm 63 and have always wanted a piano. I've never played any musical instrument and I can't read music, but I love the sound of piano music, I like how they look as a piece of furniture and I am currently trying to work out where I can fit one in my house

Alatron · 08/11/2023 01:17

Omg that is so exciting! Do it! If you have space for a bookcase and a half you have space for a piano. If you have space for a sideboard you have space for a piano. If you have space for a three seater sofa you have space and spare for a piano. Pianos do not actually take up much room. They are a beautiful and enriching addition to any household.

Alatron · 08/11/2023 01:26

They don't like damp or temperature fluctuations. Put it anywhere on a non party wall that doesn't have a radiator or window and that isn't in a kitchen and you'll be great. Are you going to buy new??!!

WearyAuldWumman · 08/11/2023 01:34

Not piano, but...

I started taking piano accordion lessons when I was 11. More or less gave up when I went to uni.

In my 40s, was invited to join a music group. The muscle memory came back, as did the ability to read music.

Gave up when I was 53, because of my husband's stroke. Lost him when I was 60. Occasionally picked up the instrument after that - maybe 3 or 4 times?

A few months ago (I'm now 63) was asked to play at the 95th birthday of a gentleman with a terminal diagnosis.

Told the person asking I'd need to check whether I could still do it - was told it was only needed for half an hour.

Practised that night. Realised I could still do it. Played at the party a week later and it went fine.

Shortly thereafter, had a shoulder op. Shall be going back to the accordion once I've recovered a bit more.

musico · 08/11/2023 01:54

Not piano but I joined a windband playing percussion after 2 or 3 decades off, was a bit shocked when I sat down the first night "look at all these tiny black dots!" and had to make a best guess which symbol was which cymbal etc but it soon came back within weeks.

BoogieBasics · 16/11/2023 06:49

I played until I was 14 years old, grade 4-5, very halfhearted effort as a teen. I started playing again 10 years ago aged 40, having lessons every couple of weeks and started working towards my grades again. As a busy mum I couldn’t always dedicate time to it. I passed my grade 7 last year. Sitting at my piano is my favourite time of the day.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 29/02/2024 21:23

Hello all other piansts!

I have picked up learning the piano today (sort of).

I'm mostly self-taught, as I had about a year of lessons when I was 10, then moved home and didn't carry on with lessons. I twiddled a bit in my teens as I enjoyed playing, then when I was in my 20s I trained as a primary school teacher. I bought the classic 'Come and Praise' piano book and learnt the assembly pieces. I've played to accompany children singing for the last 25+ years, but not really improved my standard.
Then along came covid, and really good pieces on CD/Mp3 etc for the kids to sing with in school and I've practically stopped playing the piano there.

So I've had my first lesson in 40 years today! I wanted a gauge of what grade standard I'm at (even if I don't take the exam) and after playing a few pieces for the teacher, she advised I was working at a grade 4 level so should pick up and start at grade 5.

Books are ordered and I'm going to give it a go. It would be good to be able to put a number on the level that I can play at, after all these years And hopefully find a new hobby for home that I can continue into my retirement.

lateviolin · 29/02/2024 21:55

Please, please, please get back into playing! Then I won't feel so much of an oddbod for learning an instrument late...

I began practising violin daily two years ago, having learned piano as a child.

I'm now a comfortable Grade 4, working towards Grade 5, though I'm still pretty bad and sound like an adult beginner. I'm unreliable, and I really struggle with vibrato.

My motivation is very low at the moment and I have to force myself to practise. However - I'm still coming along. I'm hopeful that when I retire in 15 years, I'll be able to play in an amateur orchestra.

It will all come back. My teacher has mentioned that a close friend reached diploma level but forgot how to read music until practising a piece recently for the first time in twenty-something years. However, her tone and phrasing were still beautiful. It's all there, probably like languages, just waiting to be unlocked.

mauvish · 29/02/2024 22:13

I got grade 8 piano about 45 years ago. I was piano-less after that for many years and although I have a piano now, I've never got back to grade 8 standard -- not least because I don't want to put in the hours that I did 45 years ago (anything up to 2 hours/day then).

I took up clarinet 2 years ago and thanks to all the stuff that my teacher calls my "musicality", I'm already tackling grade 8 pieces on the clarinet. (Really I think this just means that I can read music and understand how it should sound). I actually prefer my clarinet to piano; it is much easier and that ability to read and understand music has all come flooding back! So if you want to make music, it might be worth considering another instrument? I started with very basic stuff on the clarinet, as of course I had to learn how to blow and where to put my fingers, but very quickly jumped up the grades, and didn't really feel I was being tested until I reached the grade 6 pieces.

However I'm seriously considering buying an electric piano (a proper one, not a keyboard) as I live in a semi and if I have an electric piano, I can use headphones and play in the evenings.

From tinkering now and then, I'd agree with pp that a good start would be with some of your favourite pieces from your previous playing days. From my clarinet playing, I wonder if pitching at 2-3 grades below your previous best is a good starting point for learning new pieces and rebuilding confidence.

(Oh, and practising scales and arpeggios may be boring but is worth it - so many pieces are really built around long runs of S+A!)

mauvish · 29/02/2024 22:16

Oh, I am NOT doing exams now. I will never willingly do another exam again in my life! Whilst it's good to have a target, I always found that exams stressed me out big time, as well as limiting what I could play. You end up playing exam pieces instead of pieces that you would choose yourself. My target now is learning how to play a piece well for myself, rather than impressing an examiner.

I find that learning an instrument without any exam pressure is far more pleasurable.

Watchkeys · 29/02/2024 22:19

@AmiablePedant

Yamaha B1 Upright Piano | Polished Ebony | Rimmers Music

Does this one not exist then?

@Igglepiggleandhisboat

I started from scratch in lockdown, at 44? 45? Obviously too old to remember or be bothered to work out, but you get the idea. Going for Grade 5 now. If you remember stuff, it'll help, and if you don't you'll just learn it anyway.

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