When asked about regrets from younger years, many adults will list ‘I wish I learned how to play piano’ as one of them.
The good news is that whether you’re 10, or 60, you can always do something you’ve always wanted to do.
Learning to play the piano as an adult should be fun and challenging. Unlike learning when you’re a child, you don’t have to force yourself to play if you no longer find you want to.
Why should I learn the piano as an adult?
As an adult wanting to learn the piano, the most important thing for you is to have the enthusiasm and enjoyment to want to stick to it. Discipline and talent will come later.
There are a number of reasons you should learn to play the piano, or indeed any instrument you want to as an adult.
Enthusiasm is the first thing. As an adult you already have the power of choice. You can stop or start playing the piano whenever you want to, without being told otherwise. Many kids are encouraged by the adults in their lives to learn, and stick to playing any instrument, and even when they grow up, can no longer hear certain tunes they had to play over and over again…
You Can Learn any Song You Like
No more ‘Mary had a little lamb’ or ‘Old Macdonald’ around if you don’t want to learn to play. As an adult who has been exposed to more music (note- heard more tunes that you will recognize as an adult) you can start by learning the songs you want to right away.
You can start with the classical favorite, ‘Fur Elise’ if you want to. If you’re confident in reading music, you can search online for titles such as the Lumineers song Ophelia piano sheet music with both vocal and piano parts. This is a great way of learning to either accompany yourself or others.
You Have a Choice of How You Learn
As an adult, you can choose how you learn how to play the piano. There are many options of how you can learn the piano; by ear, apps, or by getting a teacher.
Digital pianos have inbuilt learning technology- which is a good way to learn, but may limit you with how many songs you can learn.
Teachers are a good option as they can build bespoke lessons depending on what you want to learn, They also offer a range of ways to teach. One-to-one in person, or via video call.
You Can Learn At Your Own Pace
When learning as an adult, there’s no pressure to learn at a particular pace in order to get a place in the school orchestra. Learning at your own place can make you feel relaxed and keeps the enjoyment element in your piano playing that will likely make you want to keep playing for years to come.
For The Sheer Joy Of It
Another reason to learn the piano as an adult is to allow yourself to do something for the sheer joy of it, something Gerard Zappa Wooster’s bass guitarist strongly believes in. He says you should love the music you create, and play it well. It’s an opportunity to escape some of the drudgery of adult life and do something genuinely meaningful and valuable with your time. It’s an escape from all the work, school runs, and email writing that so often dominates your time.
