10 Tips when taking piano lessons as an adult

Adults often think that learning the piano is reserved for younger learners. This notion is incorrect as one can learn how to play the piano at any age provided one has access to excellent education and time to practice. Let this article inspire to start your piano lessons as an adult learner. Discover our 10 tips when taking piano lessons as an adult

Learn the Fundamentals of Music Theory

When you build a tower as high as Burj Khalifa, you should build it on solid foundation. Learning the piano is akin to building a tower, you also need a good foundation for you to be able to reach the highest level. There is more to it than just pressing random “white tiles” when it comes to learning the piano. When you study the piano, you will need to have knowledge and a deeper understanding of music theory, so that you can step up your skill further and keep your progress flowing. Music theory is a necessity for any piano student who wants to make great progress as it is the language of music.

Practice the Piano Regularly

Besides training your mind to read music and learning music theory, you also need to hone your motor skills in playing the piano. Because playing the piano is a full body workout, you will be using your fingers to press the piano keys, all the way down to your feet for balance and sometimes pedaling. Like athletes, you also have to practice as often as you can to develop good muscle memory.

For you to improve dramatically and become proficient in playing the piano, you should include piano practice in your daily routine, and as time goes by, it will be like a natural instinct to sit and play in front of the piano. You just need to remind yourself that the more you practice a skill, the more you improve in it.

Set Goals

Learning a skill surely takes time, but it is also important to set goals and have target dates. When you give yourself some deadlines, it somehow pushes you to work harder on that goal and reminds you to include it in your priority list.

Because learning the piano does not happen overnight, it could take weeks to months before you can start playing a simple piece depending on your capability, and the frequency of your lessons and practicing.

When you set your goals for your piano learning, you can consult your piano teacher regarding this, so that you will have advice from an experienced instructor. Learning the piano will require discipline to practice regularly but it should not feel like an obligation, as it can be exhausting if you don’t have the right mindset.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes

No piano teacher expects their beginner students to get playing right away. Learning how to play the piano takes some time and it is okay to not do everything perfectly for the first time. Your teacher will surely understand this as he or she also had to start as a beginner many moons ago!

One of the ways to learn a new piece and avoid mistakes, is by practicing passages slowly. You can start from the slowest speed and gradually increase from time to time. Though it is good to try to play everything perfectly, keep in mind to not be too hard on yourself when you can’t get everything right the first time. Everything needs to go through a learning curve.

Ask Questions

There are a lot of advantages in asking questions from your piano teacher. You should never be embarrassed to ask anything because your piano teacher will be more than happy to assist and guide you and answer any questions around your piano learning. Asking questions will help clear up and doubts around learning and you will most certainly get out stronger on the other side of the answer!

It is also important to clarify any potential confusions as soon as a question comes up so that it will avoid misunderstandings and not assume wrong information. So, never hesitate to ask your piano teacher as there is no harm in asking questions. It also builds a healthy relationship as it enables the exchange of thoughts between the student and the teacher.

Trust the Process

There will be times when you feel like your progress in the piano is taking forever and you might think you have reached the dead end of your music journey. But no need to worry. It is totally normal to feel that sometimes. When this happens, this is the best time to keep on striving because this is the moment where a breakthrough is about to happen. Slow progress does not mean you are not going anywhere. You just have to understand that you and your body need some time to digest information and get used to certain abilities like finger dexterity, hand-eye coordination, etc. No need to rush your piano learning because it is not a race, just trust the process and you will eventually achieve your goals.

Come to Lessons Prepared

To maximise your learning ability, be as prepared as possible. You will be able to avoid relearning previous lessons that you were not able to practice at home. Coming prepared will help you build confidence to play the piano, because you know that you have practiced, and you are ready to present your progress to your piano teacher. This will also enhance your self-discipline. as you will have the habit of practicing and preparing yourself every time you go to your piano lessons.

Enjoy Playing Your Music

Nothing is more fulfilling than being able to play your favourite music that you have been wanting to play. It will give you so much joy to hear yourself perform those songs or pieces that you have been listening to for a long time. Though not all pieces are easily playable at first because it will depend on the difficulty of the piece/song and also your progress in learning how to play the piano. But keep your hopes up and keep on attending your piano lessons regularly because you will eventually be able to learn and play those favourite songs of yours in no time. As long as you enjoy any piece you play on the piano, it will surely be worthwhile.

Invest in Good Quality Piano

As a piano student beginning to learn the piano, it is acceptable to use an electronic piano with weighted keys at first. But as time goes by, it is advised to invest in a good quality acoustic piano because it will help you develop your sound and musicality, for the tone quality is far greater than in the case of an electronic piano. The sound of an acoustic piano is produced by a mechanism that hammers the strings inside the instrument when the piano keys are being pressed. The strings then vibrate and resonate which creates warm and vibrant tones.

One factor that will hinder a piano learner’s growth when using the electronic piano is the development of muscle strength and technique. The piano keys of an electric piano are not as firm as those of an acoustic piano, because it doesn’t have the mechanism of an acoustic piano.

Get an excellent teacher

Learning the piano from an excellent teacher is far more beneficial than studying it alone or from online video tutorials because a piano teacher will guide you and help you stay on track by encouraging and motivating you to become a successful piano player. When you attend piano lessons with a teacher, you will have the advantage of being taught according to your learning style because excellent piano teachers have the ability to adapt to each and every individual’s personality and learning style.

If you are an adult that is planning to take piano lessons, it is best to learn from an excellent piano teacher who specialises in adult piano education.

At S & C we provide top-notch adult piano education. To find out more about our piano courses, please visit the following page:
https://sandc.ae/piano-courses/

You can also ask for an assessment class to get your first touch with the instrument. Contact us here for an assessment class.