Very Piano

Piano Learners

So, you want to learn the piano? Maybe you’re starting from scratch or maybe you already have some piano chops?

Either way, I absolutely love helping adults learn the piano. I’ve helped many adult piano students get started learning the piano. I admire you for making the courageous decision to try something new or to brush up on an old skill amidst your busy life.

It can be hard to carve out time to learn piano between work, travel and family obligations. However, learning the piano doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. You’ll find that even a 10 or 15 minutes of practicing each day is a good way to reduce stress, to focus on taking care of yourself and to cultivate your new hobby. The key to success at the piano is to be consistent with daily practice. Don’t try to cram all of your practicing into 1 session each week.

Here are some things to think about as you’re learning the piano:

Getting Set Up At Home

You’ll want to make sure you have a good instrument for your at-home piano practice.

You can read about different a few different options when it comes to purchasing a piano here:

If you’re considering getting started with a keyboard, I highly recommend the Yamaha P125. This is the most basic and affordable option for beginners, but it is also substantial enough to last many years until you’re ready to upgrade.

If you end up going the route of starting with a keyboard, make sure you have all of the appropriate accessories.

Finding The Right Teacher

If possible, I highly recommend finding a good teacher to help you learn piano. Working with someone in person will give you the best results. You’ll get the best feedback on your playing, be held accountable to maintain weekly practice and and have an excellent resource for asking questions and getting advice specific to you.

When searching for a piano teacher, be sure to ask possible candidates about their experience working with adults. Most piano teachers work primarily with children and they may or may not be very experienced with adults.

As with everything, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. Taking in-person piano lessons is definitely a financial investment. Don’t settle for a teacher just because they are the least expensive option.

I have successfully taught piano lessons online via video chat platforms like FaceTime and Skype for many years. This works really well for adults with limited time to travel to piano lessons. You can read here about how online lessons work and it may be a good option for you. Feel free to reach out to me to learn more about taking online piano lessons with me.

Learning Piano Online

Understandably, going to an in-person piano lesson isn’t necessarily feasible for everyone. Time and or money could be limiting factors that might make it hard to commit to weekly lessons. Fortunately, there are many excellent online resources to help adults learn to play the piano.

I created Beginning Piano For Adults, an easy-to-follow online course specifically for busy adults who are interested in learning the piano. You can start it at any time, move at your own pace and practice as much or as little as each week allows. Once you enroll, a new lesson is delivered to your inbox once a week for 8 weeks. However, you have no obligation to complete the course in that 8 week timeframe. You’ll have unlimited access to the course forever so you can truly work at your own pace. Learn more about Beginning Piano For Adults here.

Another terrific online resources for adults who want to learn the piano is flowkey. Flowkey is an app with hundreds of piano tutorials on it. It also includes a basic online course for anyone just getting started. I make a point to endorse resources that have strong educational value and I’ve found flowkey tutorials to be far better than many other online tutorials. You can read my review of flowkey here and find a guide for beginners here.

How To Approach Piano Practice

Approaching the piano as an adult is quite different that learning the piano as a child. You’ll quickly discover that your more advanced cognitive abilities will help you learn and understand music faster. You’ll still have to put the time in to perfect your skill but you’ll have the capacity to practice much smarter and more efficiently that you would have if you learned as a child. This is a huge advantage to you.

I love helping adult tackle practice problems and to make the most out of their practice time. These articles will provide you some food for thought about how to approach your piano practice:

Finally, I love recommending the following music and resources to adult piano students: