I took up learning the piano this year - having never learned to play an instrument or even read music, though I can sing - and I just cannot tell you how good it is. 1) it is AMAZING how you get better at each piece. they start off a mess of notes & having to move your hands to where? where?
and then you just do it again and again and again and from day to day there's some little improvement and you start to understand the music from the inside a bit. Oh yes, it steps *down* here and there's that *jump* here and then you do one little bit right and it sounds good.
2) goodness it makes you appreciate music of all sorts so much more. I unironically love Pachelbel's Canon, I don't care if it's cheesy it's beautiful. I watched this today and thought: with a LOT of practice I could get to do this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HygV... but like: someone WROTE that?
just understanding how much goes into creating just one tiny piece of music is... sorry, it's really moving? Humans over centuries putting this effort into beauty. 3) it is basically like social media - you move your hands over a keyboard. But at the end you feel nice and not horrible.
4) I know we all know this but also: god it is wonderful to have something in life that you don't have to be good at, that you'll never be that good at, that you do purely because you love it. There is no pressure on it. It doesn't matter if I take six months to master a short piece.
5) also: some days for an unknown reason a bit of a piece that I'd found easy is suddenly almost impossible! and it's fine, because the next day or the day after it'll be back. or I get to understand it in a new way by re-learning it. like something about it hadn't quite bedded in before.
How are you learning? Formal lessons? Self-tuition via software or online course? I'd like to do this as well, with no sight-reading or music lessons before. TIA for more details of how you're doing this :-)
I found Simply Piano a good starting point. I was same as you, no idea. The app listens to what you play. It’s best if you get a midi keyboard you can plug into app.
Thanks.
As regards to music theory, I will warn you there is so much out there designed to confuse you. That is where a teacher might help. If you want to go down that rabbit hole then let me know and I will point you in right direction ( what to avoid).
A list of what to avoid would be very interesting. FWIW I spent some time reading about theory a while ago, starting with scales & intervals, then equal temperament tuning etc. from a maths POV. Didn't learn any music notation though.
The really old-fashioned way: I literally found an advert for a teacher in a grocery shop near me! I don’t think the apps look good. You need someone to be able to eg notice when you’re not holding your hands right.
Thank you. It's really heartening to read about your successful experience.
I would say a lovely thing about doing it at this age is that I have no expectations. I just enjoying every part of the process. I went into it thinking “I’m going to have SCALES to do! Like a person learning the piano! Scales!!”
Researching this, my mind was blown about how complex composing a symphony is. May be of interest.
developing any skill is its own reward and creating things is joyful magic 💜
It’s only cheesy in the sense that it’s so remarkably brilliant that we hear it a lot.
This is really encouraging as I’ve just taken up learning guitar (I say “learning” - so far, I can get it in tune with a tuner and play one chord) and it feels like an insurmountable challenge to accomplish anything!
I started teaching myself piano a few months ago (at age 70). I play drums (off and on since 2008) but piano is a whole different animal. I was told from an early age I should play piano (I have long, slim fingers) but drums is what captured my imagination. I'm loving learning piano so far.
It’s so important to love the journey part. Work on getting better but enjoy the process. Your music appreciation and hearing things you didn’t notice before while listening to music is also life enriching.
Music is good for your soul, and it's very good at making you be in the moment, I always found. And if you get to be in that moment in a group (I had school choirs, band, orchestra), then it's incredibly uplifting.
Good for you! Keep at it. I have been playing the piano for 59 years!
You're also rewiring your brain as you force your hands to work in parallel and contrary motion in ways you've never done before. Piano is an amazing way to stretch the ol' grey matter!
I recently started relearning guitar. I took piano lessons as a kid. Played guitar as a teen, then got busy. Now I am old and fairly sedentary guitar gets the attention, for now.
I'd like to learn an instrument. I didn't beyond suffering the recorder at school.
which one do you really fancy? I have fancied the piano for DECADES. thought it was ridiculous to make space in my house for a big thing like that without knowing if I'd like it. But then... a bunch of difficult stuff happened and making room for my happiness didn't feel ridiculous anymore.
I've not decided! I'd need to make time which I don't have at the moment.
I began learning piano at my parent's insistence at age 9. I'm now 75 and piano - particularly rock and blues - has paid dividends in so many intangible ways within my corporate jobs and elsewhere despite not playing professionally. Music keeps you young in heart, mind and soul.
I learned piano at 5. It was a wonderful foundational instrument as it led to a litany of other instruments, most all of which I can now play and write on proficiently. Playing piano at the end of a long, stressful day is calming; playing drums is a whole different release; etc. Music is wonderful
I love your thread! It captures the joy and magic of learning to play. I took up piano as an adult and feel the same way about learning, playing, and appreciating music more. I will probably never reach the mastery level I aspire to, but I can definitely enjoy the process! 🎶🎹☺️
it's literally all process at this age. it's great. I'm not going to become a person who can just like play the piano at soirees while singing Noel Coward songs. I'm just going to be someone who sits down and does my scales with a big grin on my face, and gets to work on the next short piece.
Yes!🙌🎶🎹☺️
I have also really enjoyed reading this book alongside my adult piano learning journey - pianodao.com/2024/03/12/w...
It is so fun! I’d played for a year as a kid but never practiced and… an adult I am discovering that practice in fact does lead to satisfying improvement? 🤔Much to consider
*as an adult learner
AWESOME! good for you.
I've always wanted to learn piano. I play guitar, but for some reason, my mind is blocked on what to do with both hands on the piano. I use those same hands differently on guitar with no problem whatsoever. Weird. I'm going to try again!
Me when I learned to type...
try as I might, couldn't quite get the hang of the piano after learning guitar. old dog liked the old tricks I guess.
Good for you! Be my role model :-)
I just love the pentatonics good at them😄
If there is one thing I love about America it is your music. Thank you black America!!! Without you there would be no joy at all in the US.
Congrats. What sort of stuff are you playing? I learned on an infinite supply of dull classics, and it put me off. Got a piano in later life and played what the hell I wanted - much better. But you're probably a bit limited for early grades.
I have a very good teacher who is prioritising stuff I like - probably also easier at this advanced age to say specifically what you enjoy. I am VERY early on. I can play 2.5 things: Autumn Leaves, a Bach Minuet and Mozart's Turkish March quite slowly (but growing in confidence). Plus two scales.
yay turkish march! lol
Very good. I should perhaps clarify that by dull classical stuff I meant stuff I had never heard of and didn't care for. I had one teacher who was great and taught me some stuff I really liked, but I expect for most people it would be torture to teach a well known piece to relative beginners.
I also hated practising (which did hold me back at later grades - the last one I passed was 6), and I was terribly inconsistent (related, I guess), though in later years I have come to associate this with ADHD tendencies that I *probably* have.
But playing a succession of nice pieces well is a real buzz and a great head-clearer.
I wish you infinitely more years of enjoyment.
Nm, you answered that.
Congratulations! It's the best thing