If you have recently become interested in learning the piano but are unsure if you can still do so as an adult, the good news is that you can certainly master the instrument no matter when you start! Adults looking to get into piano either had lessons as a child but did not take to it or are completely unfamiliar with all things music and simply wish to explore a new hobby. Regardless, it is never too late to learn how to create beautiful music on the piano, and age can also prove advantageous in your journey towards mastering the instrument! Read on why this is the case, along with tips for adult beginners.
Why learning piano as an adult gives you an advantage
1. You’re free to choose what you want to learn
Rarely do children take piano lessons of their own volition; most are learning it because it is what their parents want. Hence, it is common for them to not enjoy the type of music they are learning or simply hate practising the piano and would rather play their usual games, causing many to quit.
As an adult, this no longer applies to you; you have full control over what you want to learn. Moreover, you have had years to develop your taste in music and thus have advanced music literacy compared to children. So, approach learning the piano with the goals that got you motivated to pick up the instrument in the first place!
2. You understand the value of practice
Children often have to be incentivised to do things they are not particularly interested in. But as an adult, you have overcome many challenges like exams and job interviews and know that mastering something takes effort. That said, even the most passionate pianist can find practising a struggle.
You can be more creative with your practice routine to ensure boredom does not get in the way of your progress. For instance, you can fit in 15 to 30 minutes of practice on your usual workdays and even less if you are really strapped for time.
3. You can learn the piano in whichever way you prefer
Learning a musical instrument as an adult means being in charge of your studies and progress. You can learn at your own pace or choose the best method to achieve your goals. This means enjoying a more flexible schedule for piano lessons, but it is important to maintain self-discipline despite this. After all, no one will remind you that you need to practise except yourself!
Piano learning tips for adult beginners
1. Be flexible
Given the many responsibilities you have to juggle, it is a given that you will usually have little room for practice in your daily schedule. That won’t pose an issue since, at the end of the day, all you need is a minimum of 15 minutes of practice and three things: scales, chords, and songs. Spending as little as five minutes a day for each category can keep you from getting rusty and improve your playing little by little.
2. Set SMART goals
The acronym SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Specific, in this case, means having a general goal, like learning to play Für Elise and building on it with the subsequent steps.
Measurable could entail playing that piece at the correct tempo and gradually increasing your speed every day.
Achievable is making sure the goal is something you can realistically attain. So if you have mastered pieces slightly less difficult than Für Elise, overcoming the slight challenge in learning it is very much doable for you.
Relevance makes the goal worth the effort. Let us say that Für Elise is your mother’s favourite song, and you wish to play it for her on her upcoming birthday.
Time-bound sets a deadline that provides gentle pressure to get you to make continuous progress. To sum up this goal, we can say that you need to learn how to play Für Elise at the correct tempo before your mother’s birthday.
3. Remember your reason for starting
Learning any skill comes with frustrations and discouragements along the way. So whenever these happen, always remember why you started in the first place to reinvigorate yourself and stay motivated. Having this ‘why’ lets you connect the instrument to your passion and serves as an anchor that you can cling to when figuring out how to push through with your piano studies.
Conclusion
There is no ‘best time’ to learn the piano – anyone can pick up the instrument to reap the benefits of piano playing, like improving one’s cognitive and mental health, for instance. As discussed above, age can even prove advantageous in staying motivated and progressing quicker, so don’t hesitate to get started and just go for it!
To ensure you can always practise whenever you want, consider getting a piano for rent in Singapore for your piano studies. Mun Kai Piano Company provides a wide selection of pre-owned grand pianos and upright pianos from renowned piano manufacturers that ensure you get a feel for what a quality instrument sounds like right from the start. In addition to piano sales and rental, our services cover piano tuning, repair and maintenance, removal, and more. Visit our piano showroom today to get a feel of the pianos we offer!
