[louttrim]

hello all

just wanted to say hello to everyone.. I'm new to learning the piano (I've had a grand total of 3 lessons so far!!) and just wondered how many adult learners there are out there? I mean complete and total learners...

My piano is elderly but an ebay bargain.. it's been tuned but the keys are still a bit sticky. Is there anything i can do about that?

anyway, looking forward to getting some hints and tips from everyone

L

[Gooday]

Hello L,

Having started just before 29, I definitely qualify as an adult learner. Unlike you, I bought a digital piano and pottered around with this for a number of years, before buying a yamaha B1 2 years ago. Then I really started taking things seriously. A real piano is definitely the way to go.

One of things that constantly surprises me is that, although you sometimes can't tell you're making progress (as progress happens over years rather than days), you can return to a piece baffled you a year or so ago, and you've improved without having playing it since.

Playing the piano has really opened up my musical horizons. I really wish I'd done it sooner. (I think the horrible clonking style of school assembly plus a real dislike of Elton John/Jools Holland probably put me off) The piano can be a very beautiful instrument though, and once I realised this (thanks to a spur of the moment visit to a piano recital in Vienna) I really wanted to play it.

Keep things varied, don't give up and just keep practicing would be my advice. Before you know it - sometime in 2010;) you'll be picking music you've not seen before and playing it (or something tunefully near) and that's a great feeling.

I'm going to try and get myself on a course here in London (for adult learners) as I think this will provide something new whilst I try to work out how I'm ever going to learn enough theory to continue with the music exams. That course needs an audition though, so we'll see.

Good luck!

[markymark]

[dave brum]

Hello louttrim

I too have wanted to meet and swap ideas with other adult learners, the whole 'learn the piano' (or any other musical instrument for that matter) is so child orientated, I think. I am 38 and I have been teaching myself to play for around 15 months now. This website is a wonderful little mine of information and resources, especially as I don't know personally any pianists/pianophiles

And I see you're not that far from me - albeit in Welsh Wales!

[louttrim]

hello!

welsh wales?? yep, that's us!!

I've found a great teacher who is remarkably patient with me, and doesn't seem to mind that I want to play everything really quickly; I think she's going to produce a metronome (?sp) for my next lesson! She's teaching me the chords and scales etc, and I've had a new song to learn every week so far. I thought I'd done brilliantly last week to play one piece in it's entirety without a wrong note or stopping, and then she starts telling me about ligato and forte and piano.. LOL!! Finding practise time is of course an issue, as I have a 4 year old daughter who finds that mummy is remarkably easy to wind up when she 'helps' me practise...

Apart from that though, I love it..

Linzy

[dave brum]

Noswaith dda, Linzy

You should consider getting a touch sensitive keyboard/piano, that way you could have a practise after your child has gone to bed in privacy. Did you always want to learn when you were at school? I wanted to go to lessons when I was a kid but was always denied the opportunity 'too expensive' was always my mother's pathetic excuse!

Also, if you're anywhere near Hay on Wye, there's a huge secondhand sheet music store there called Hancock and Monks, there's oodles and oodles of piano music in there that's way too easy for me, so as an absolute beginner such as yourself, you may find something in there you could apply your mind to. Every little helps (no good going to Tesco as they don't sell piano music)...

[louttrim]

oooh thanks for that, I'll have to go and have a look - I grew up near Hay and haven't been back for ages. We live the other side of Hereford now. Methinks a road trip is in order!

Luckily daughter sleeps pretty well, so I can practise in the evenings. Am trying to learn 'when the saints..' this week. Can't get the timings right.. ah well!

must be hard learning on your own - how do you keep up the motivation?

L

[dave brum]

Probably 25 lost years of wanting so badly to learn to play piano but never getting up off my fat a**e and doing anything about it. Also, I have a lot of freetime so that helps too.

Of course, I'd like a teacher. I desperately want to do my grade 1 piano, but my fear of doing the wrong thing is too great (and neither is my bank balance - hence why I have no teacher) Fortunately your teacher will allay those fears for you.

Welcome to Planet Piano, Linzy!

[dave brum]

L did you get the PM I sent this morning (Thu) or is my wireless connection acting saft again?

DB

[dave brum]

Linzy, there should be a new PM in your inbox. (Fri, 0730)