Adult Piano (surprisingly, SFW!)
February 22, 2010 2:21 AM Subscribe
I'm (relatively) old and want to learn to play the piano. What can I expect?
I'm almost 30 and have never played a musical instrument. Nobody in my family plays, and my musical career consisted of one attempt at some kind of children's class where I only got to play the triangle and lost what little interest there might have been.
Over the last ten years, I"ve fallen in love with classical music and I'm increasingly annoyed by my total relegation to the status of consumer. For reasons of varying ridiculosity, I think the piano is the instrument for me.
Here's where I'm starting to get lost.
- First, I don't really understand the magnitude of the task at hand. Ultimately, I'm doing this to improve my appreciation of classical music and as for my personal satisfaction, but I occasionally end up at a dinner party that says "bring sheet music" on the invitation. How long will it probably take me before I can wow the audience with a perfectly executed G minor scale? Für Elise? Chopin's Op. 53?
I'll realistically aim for 30 minutes of practice every day and an hour on weekends, but fail about 20% of the time.
- I'll need a teacher for this. Is one-on-one the only/best practicable way to go here or is there a cheaper alternative? Is there any particular "school" that I should prefer?
- I'll need an instrument. I'd like something electronic because I'd like to have a noiseless option. Applying my computer nerd senses to the purchasing decision always drags me towards stuff that's solidly above USD 1000 (like Clavinovas). That is an unpleasant surprise, since my pricing expectations were primed by the Bontempi organs of my youth, so I thought I'd find something worthy of my beginner's skills for much less. Do I even want an "ePiano" or will any old keyboard do for a beginner? Does it have to cost so much?
Thanks!
I'm almost 30 and have never played a musical instrument. Nobody in my family plays, and my musical career consisted of one attempt at some kind of children's class where I only got to play the triangle and lost what little interest there might have been.
Over the last ten years, I"ve fallen in love with classical music and I'm increasingly annoyed by my total relegation to the status of consumer. For reasons of varying ridiculosity, I think the piano is the instrument for me.
Here's where I'm starting to get lost.
- First, I don't really understand the magnitude of the task at hand. Ultimately, I'm doing this to improve my appreciation of classical music and as for my personal satisfaction, but I occasionally end up at a dinner party that says "bring sheet music" on the invitation. How long will it probably take me before I can wow the audience with a perfectly executed G minor scale? Für Elise? Chopin's Op. 53?
I'll realistically aim for 30 minutes of practice every day and an hour on weekends, but fail about 20% of the time.
- I'll need a teacher for this. Is one-on-one the only/best practicable way to go here or is there a cheaper alternative? Is there any particular "school" that I should prefer?
- I'll need an instrument. I'd like something electronic because I'd like to have a noiseless option. Applying my computer nerd senses to the purchasing decision always drags me towards stuff that's solidly above USD 1000 (like Clavinovas). That is an unpleasant surprise, since my pricing expectations were primed by the Bontempi organs of my youth, so I thought I'd find something worthy of my beginner's skills for much less. Do I even want an "ePiano" or will any old keyboard do for a beginner? Does it have to cost so much?
Thanks!
Definitely look at buying secondhand, because there are all these people who decide to take up the piano at 30 and then never really practice and then sell their electronic piano for cheap (I only say this because I saw one at the pawn shop for $350 just this week and was very tempted, not to discourage you at all). I would say go for something that has a real piano key feel and not just a keyboard feel.
I learnt piano as a child, but went to the same piano teacher as my mother who was taking it up in her... late 30s or 40s, I guess. We learnt via the Five C's method, which seemed good for picking it up reasonably quickly (no idea how it compares and I think I could already partly read music). I used to have one private lesson a week, and a group lesson perhaps every two weeks (that focussed more on reading music). Fur Elise was possible in not too long (not months, but not years). If you really practice every day, I think you could make great strides quickly. I rarely practiced as a child.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:08 AM on February 22, 2010
I learnt piano as a child, but went to the same piano teacher as my mother who was taking it up in her... late 30s or 40s, I guess. We learnt via the Five C's method, which seemed good for picking it up reasonably quickly (no idea how it compares and I think I could already partly read music). I used to have one private lesson a week, and a group lesson perhaps every two weeks (that focussed more on reading music). Fur Elise was possible in not too long (not months, but not years). If you really practice every day, I think you could make great strides quickly. I rarely practiced as a child.
posted by AnnaRat at 3:08 AM on February 22, 2010
You could save a little money by learning the basics of reading music on your own before starting lessons.
The G minor scale won't take too long; I'd bet you could do it in the first lesson or after a few days of playing on your own.
My non-piano expert guess is that a decent Fur Elise or Chopin will take years on that practice schedule; perhaps a bad one could take a year, and I'm not sure you really want to know the answer for a perfectly executed one. :)
I learned Minuet in G after a few months as an adult piano messer-arounder, but I already knew how to read music.
My boyfriend (a piano teacher) gets students that are aiming toward a particular piece (say Moonlight Sonata) and I think he mentally laughs at them when they think they can accomplish it in 6 months.
posted by hellogoodbye at 3:15 AM on February 22, 2010
The G minor scale won't take too long; I'd bet you could do it in the first lesson or after a few days of playing on your own.
My non-piano expert guess is that a decent Fur Elise or Chopin will take years on that practice schedule; perhaps a bad one could take a year, and I'm not sure you really want to know the answer for a perfectly executed one. :)
I learned Minuet in G after a few months as an adult piano messer-arounder, but I already knew how to read music.
My boyfriend (a piano teacher) gets students that are aiming toward a particular piece (say Moonlight Sonata) and I think he mentally laughs at them when they think they can accomplish it in 6 months.
posted by hellogoodbye at 3:15 AM on February 22, 2010
As I mentioned to somebody else, you can learn to play a piano tune or two in a few hours of plunking. My personal recommendation to flat-out beginners is Bach's first Prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier. Here is a PDF of the sheet music. As I said there: every line and space is a white key. The first note there is Middle C, the second note is two white keys above that, and the third note is two more white keys above that. When you see a number-sign thing next to a note, that means play the black key above that note; when you see the sign that looks like a tiny letter b, that means play the black key below that note.
As I also pointed out there, you can often find pianos that can be used at a university if you ask around for the music department and look for empty piano rooms. They're frequently not in use at all; may as well use them.
Where electronic pianos are concerned, be advised that non-weighted keyboards are an entirely different instrument. I say this as an electronic music (and classical music, natch) aficionado - they're just different, and yes, learning to play on a non-weighted keyboard will make playing a normal piano uncomfortable. I would look into a weighted-key keyboard - they're splendid nowadays, and although I unfortunately don't know a whole lot and therefore can't advise you, I can tell you that you should be able to get one for around $500.
posted by koeselitz at 3:18 AM on February 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
As I also pointed out there, you can often find pianos that can be used at a university if you ask around for the music department and look for empty piano rooms. They're frequently not in use at all; may as well use them.
Where electronic pianos are concerned, be advised that non-weighted keyboards are an entirely different instrument. I say this as an electronic music (and classical music, natch) aficionado - they're just different, and yes, learning to play on a non-weighted keyboard will make playing a normal piano uncomfortable. I would look into a weighted-key keyboard - they're splendid nowadays, and although I unfortunately don't know a whole lot and therefore can't advise you, I can tell you that you should be able to get one for around $500.
posted by koeselitz at 3:18 AM on February 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
Here's a slightly outdated set of reviews from the Guardian. They thought the Yamaha P85 had a very piano-like feel.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:39 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:39 AM on February 22, 2010
The G minor scale won't take too long;
Actually, I think going from no experience whatsoever to playing a g minor scale with proper technique and the fluidity that comes with it will likely be harder than the jump from there to playing real pieces of music.
My advice would be to take the early lessons very seriously, as beneath you as they may seem. A good teacher will spend several of initial hours of your time together just observing and correcting the way you strike notes (the way your wrist drops, the shape of your hand, the way your arms hang from the body, etc.). It's best to get these things right early on, as relearning them later will be difficult.
I'd suggest doing some ear training from the beginning.
Kids have the advantage in neuroplasticity (but not as much as you'd think...) and time, but you have the advantage in discipline and abstract reasoning. So study some music theory (Harmony by Aldwell and Schachter is a standard college text) to give you some perspective on what you're playing, or to get high falutin', interpreting.
After you've been playing for a few months and have learned a few simple pieces, practice with a metronome. Timing is everything.
posted by phrontist at 3:45 AM on February 22, 2010
Actually, I think going from no experience whatsoever to playing a g minor scale with proper technique and the fluidity that comes with it will likely be harder than the jump from there to playing real pieces of music.
My advice would be to take the early lessons very seriously, as beneath you as they may seem. A good teacher will spend several of initial hours of your time together just observing and correcting the way you strike notes (the way your wrist drops, the shape of your hand, the way your arms hang from the body, etc.). It's best to get these things right early on, as relearning them later will be difficult.
I'd suggest doing some ear training from the beginning.
Kids have the advantage in neuroplasticity (but not as much as you'd think...) and time, but you have the advantage in discipline and abstract reasoning. So study some music theory (Harmony by Aldwell and Schachter is a standard college text) to give you some perspective on what you're playing, or to get high falutin', interpreting.
After you've been playing for a few months and have learned a few simple pieces, practice with a metronome. Timing is everything.
posted by phrontist at 3:45 AM on February 22, 2010
To realistically accomplish your goals, I don't think there's any way around a few years of private lessons--taking the self-taught route and learning improper technique can be a real hindrance towards advancing past a certain point. My mom is a piano teacher who occasionally works with adult students, and the good news is that they progress faster in the first few years than your typical grade-school crop of learners.
One of the reasons to stay enrolled in lessons is it keeps you motivated to practice regularly. You can save a little money by finding a talented upper-division university music student who offers lessons on the side.
Fur Elise is quite an easy piece, and totally learnable in a matter of months to a "look, ma, I can play the pie-aner" level. The Chopin Polonaise Op. 53? Ten or fifteen years, maybe, and maybe never. There's a lot of territory in between, though, so don't let that discourage you.
Even just starting off, you will want a weighted-action keyboard. But it needn't be a Clavinova. Digital pianos are often available on Craigstlist. Previous askme discussions.
posted by drlith at 4:12 AM on February 22, 2010
One of the reasons to stay enrolled in lessons is it keeps you motivated to practice regularly. You can save a little money by finding a talented upper-division university music student who offers lessons on the side.
Fur Elise is quite an easy piece, and totally learnable in a matter of months to a "look, ma, I can play the pie-aner" level. The Chopin Polonaise Op. 53? Ten or fifteen years, maybe, and maybe never. There's a lot of territory in between, though, so don't let that discourage you.
Even just starting off, you will want a weighted-action keyboard. But it needn't be a Clavinova. Digital pianos are often available on Craigstlist. Previous askme discussions.
posted by drlith at 4:12 AM on February 22, 2010
You might like a free program called Synthesia, which will show you exactly how to play a certain tune on piano. Fundamentals are certainly important, but it can be hard to keep yourself motivated playing endless scales over and over again.
If you like Fur Elise, why not try it? Here's what the Synthesia tutorial looks like. Left hand is blue, right hand is green. I think you'll be able to crack the main theme very quickly.
If you do try Synthesia, you can also connect your keyboard to your computer via USB and practice that way -- something that will definitely make your inner nerd happy.
Have fun!
posted by Ljubljana at 4:21 AM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]
If you like Fur Elise, why not try it? Here's what the Synthesia tutorial looks like. Left hand is blue, right hand is green. I think you'll be able to crack the main theme very quickly.
If you do try Synthesia, you can also connect your keyboard to your computer via USB and practice that way -- something that will definitely make your inner nerd happy.
Have fun!
posted by Ljubljana at 4:21 AM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]
My background is that I was a self-taught pianist for ten years, played a wind instrument in high school band, and went on to get a music degree. I then stopped playing for over a decade and took up the mandolin in my late thirties. I've also sung in several choirs.
I strongly second the comments that you should get an electronic keyboard that feels like a piano. There are a lot of good ones now. I have one that was a floor model at a music shop, so I got it for about half price, and used ones are fine.
I think you're right to get a teacher. My many years of self-teaching were necessary due to circumstances (I was a child with unsupportive/indifferent parents), and while I succeeded in teaching myself to read music (more or less), it took me years longer than it needed to take, and my technique when I entered music school was so terrible that I injured myself badly. You're unlikely to injure yourself on your practice schedule, but learning good teachnique from the beginning means that you'll spend that much less time fighting your own body and more time focusing on the music, which is after all the point. A teacher will also keep you moving. Learning new pieces is an effort, and it's all too easy to play a few things you know over and over again.
One disadvantage of the piano as an instrument is that pianists too often never play with other musicians. AnnaRat mentioned that she takes group lessons along with individual lessons, which is a great idea. I didn't do enough of that when playing piano, but I do with mandolin, and I find it helpful not just for the cameraderie, but for the greater range of music I experience. Playing in ensemble also gives the sublime experience of those moments when things just suddenly work and your group of middling players does something bigger than the sum of its parts. Wow.
I think your practice schedule is realistic and reasonable and that you can make good progress on it. The question then becomes how to use that time. I encourage you to enjoy the sounds you make and the experience of learning. Don't focus too much on results or trying to progress quickly. If you keep an eye on the pleasure of practice, and look at what you're doing from whatever angles you find most enjoyable, it's easier to do it consistently, and that frame of mind leads to better learning. Enjoy where you are, including those times when you hit a wall and have a lot of trouble for a while. That's when the underlying part of your brain is learning how to do this incredibly intricate coordination. Learning an instrument takes many years and is a journey where you never actually arrive; you have to find the joy in the process!
It might be just me, but I go though phases where I deliberately don't listen to professional recordings of other mandolin players. Recordings are the equivalent of airbrushed photos and don't accurately represent what even those players sound like. Listening to people who are at lots of different levels playing in real time in the same room is more realistic.
And finally, you'll probably run into someone at some point who says that adult learners can't ever be good players. That's not true, and I get especially angry when I hear music teachers say it. There is a tiny kernel of truth, which is that people who start as adults have almost no chance of being in the uppermost echelon of professional players just because of the sheer number of hours it takes to do that. However, people who take up music at any age can learn enough to bring pleasure to themselves and to listeners. I remind myself every day that my mandolin playing doesn't have to be dazzling to make the world a happier place, and it's just fine to be where I am.
posted by jillzilla at 6:13 AM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
I strongly second the comments that you should get an electronic keyboard that feels like a piano. There are a lot of good ones now. I have one that was a floor model at a music shop, so I got it for about half price, and used ones are fine.
I think you're right to get a teacher. My many years of self-teaching were necessary due to circumstances (I was a child with unsupportive/indifferent parents), and while I succeeded in teaching myself to read music (more or less), it took me years longer than it needed to take, and my technique when I entered music school was so terrible that I injured myself badly. You're unlikely to injure yourself on your practice schedule, but learning good teachnique from the beginning means that you'll spend that much less time fighting your own body and more time focusing on the music, which is after all the point. A teacher will also keep you moving. Learning new pieces is an effort, and it's all too easy to play a few things you know over and over again.
One disadvantage of the piano as an instrument is that pianists too often never play with other musicians. AnnaRat mentioned that she takes group lessons along with individual lessons, which is a great idea. I didn't do enough of that when playing piano, but I do with mandolin, and I find it helpful not just for the cameraderie, but for the greater range of music I experience. Playing in ensemble also gives the sublime experience of those moments when things just suddenly work and your group of middling players does something bigger than the sum of its parts. Wow.
I think your practice schedule is realistic and reasonable and that you can make good progress on it. The question then becomes how to use that time. I encourage you to enjoy the sounds you make and the experience of learning. Don't focus too much on results or trying to progress quickly. If you keep an eye on the pleasure of practice, and look at what you're doing from whatever angles you find most enjoyable, it's easier to do it consistently, and that frame of mind leads to better learning. Enjoy where you are, including those times when you hit a wall and have a lot of trouble for a while. That's when the underlying part of your brain is learning how to do this incredibly intricate coordination. Learning an instrument takes many years and is a journey where you never actually arrive; you have to find the joy in the process!
It might be just me, but I go though phases where I deliberately don't listen to professional recordings of other mandolin players. Recordings are the equivalent of airbrushed photos and don't accurately represent what even those players sound like. Listening to people who are at lots of different levels playing in real time in the same room is more realistic.
And finally, you'll probably run into someone at some point who says that adult learners can't ever be good players. That's not true, and I get especially angry when I hear music teachers say it. There is a tiny kernel of truth, which is that people who start as adults have almost no chance of being in the uppermost echelon of professional players just because of the sheer number of hours it takes to do that. However, people who take up music at any age can learn enough to bring pleasure to themselves and to listeners. I remind myself every day that my mandolin playing doesn't have to be dazzling to make the world a happier place, and it's just fine to be where I am.
posted by jillzilla at 6:13 AM on February 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
There's a quote in a book I'm reading that said something along the lines of "Loving music and not being able to play it is like having someone speak a language to you and you not being able to speak back."
So I applaud your quest and offer random thoughts from someone who plays the piano ... and decided to learn a new instrument at the age of 50.
• So, you'll be learning a new language. At first, you'll look at sheet music and say "That dot is an F" and then you'll look down and say "That key is an F" and you'll hesitatingly play it. But then, one day, you'll see that dot and you won't think "F" and you won't look down and you won't do a translation. That dot will trigger your finger to hit the F key. That's when you know you're making progress. With your practice schedule, that should happen sometime within the next half year.
• Yes, the 'key' words here are "weighted keyboard." If you can get a decent used piano, then by all means get one. But if you're going electronic, go weighted. Just bought one for my daughter. Cost about $550.
• Yes, a teacher will help ... if for no other reason but to give you weekly goals to hit and that will make your practice more focused and meaningful. And that will get you playing faster.
• Yes, you can learn a song just to learn it. You could also learn to sing a song in Japanese by phonetically sounding the words. It's better to really learn the song so you understand what you're doing. But they aren't mutually exclusive. Go ahead and learn Fur Elise to play at parties. But don't go learn everything like that or you will limit yourself. My kids once took piano from a woman in our neighborhood because, well, it was convenient. It took me a while to realize she wasn't really teaching them piano, she was just getting them ready to play a song at a recital.
• I'm 53 so the age to start is indeed relative. Three years ago I decided to learn to play the guitar. I kept a practice schedule similar to yours and now I'm an intermediate player. The key thing is .... I wish I had done this 20 years ago! So go go go.
• Keep in mind that there are simplified versions of classical music just for learners. So it shouldn't be too long – maybe a year – before you can accurately produce music with the themes and melodies you're familiar with. That will be a rewarding experience and keep the fun. You'll still have years to progress to playing the "full" sheet music versions with all the nuance.
Oh, and you are doing a very cool thing.
posted by lpsguy at 6:54 AM on February 22, 2010
So I applaud your quest and offer random thoughts from someone who plays the piano ... and decided to learn a new instrument at the age of 50.
• So, you'll be learning a new language. At first, you'll look at sheet music and say "That dot is an F" and then you'll look down and say "That key is an F" and you'll hesitatingly play it. But then, one day, you'll see that dot and you won't think "F" and you won't look down and you won't do a translation. That dot will trigger your finger to hit the F key. That's when you know you're making progress. With your practice schedule, that should happen sometime within the next half year.
• Yes, the 'key' words here are "weighted keyboard." If you can get a decent used piano, then by all means get one. But if you're going electronic, go weighted. Just bought one for my daughter. Cost about $550.
• Yes, a teacher will help ... if for no other reason but to give you weekly goals to hit and that will make your practice more focused and meaningful. And that will get you playing faster.
• Yes, you can learn a song just to learn it. You could also learn to sing a song in Japanese by phonetically sounding the words. It's better to really learn the song so you understand what you're doing. But they aren't mutually exclusive. Go ahead and learn Fur Elise to play at parties. But don't go learn everything like that or you will limit yourself. My kids once took piano from a woman in our neighborhood because, well, it was convenient. It took me a while to realize she wasn't really teaching them piano, she was just getting them ready to play a song at a recital.
• I'm 53 so the age to start is indeed relative. Three years ago I decided to learn to play the guitar. I kept a practice schedule similar to yours and now I'm an intermediate player. The key thing is .... I wish I had done this 20 years ago! So go go go.
• Keep in mind that there are simplified versions of classical music just for learners. So it shouldn't be too long – maybe a year – before you can accurately produce music with the themes and melodies you're familiar with. That will be a rewarding experience and keep the fun. You'll still have years to progress to playing the "full" sheet music versions with all the nuance.
Oh, and you are doing a very cool thing.
posted by lpsguy at 6:54 AM on February 22, 2010
Seconding/thirding/eleventy-firsting others' comments on the difference between electronic keyboards. Another key phrase is "digital piano" -- see those made by Roland and Kawai, for example. Mine cost about C$2600 new, but that wasn't an entry-level machine.
It took me eight years of lessons as a child to get to Für Elise, and even then I made a hash of it.
When I was older, I played by myself, without lessons, recreationally, using what I'd learned to date. I practiced at least an hour a day. It still took me six months to take a single movement of a Beethoven piano sonata to a playable state, and I would hazard a guess that only people who don't know anything about the piano would be impressed by my playing. (Still, the first movement of Pathétique remains my STFU music whenever people are at a party, see a piano, and start playing "Heart and Soul" or "Chopsticks.")
Having said that, while my repertoire includes some awfully impressive stuff (I'm a Beethoven piano sonata specialist), I'm still a long way from tackling Chopin's Opus 53 polonaise. (I've been working on Opus 40, which is, I think, a little easier.)
To do this properly, and to derive any sort of satisfaction rather than frustration from this, it will take longer, cost more, and require more practice than you think. You will need lessons. And patience. Piano is impressive because it's hard and takes a long time to get good at it.
posted by mcwetboy at 7:37 AM on February 22, 2010
It took me eight years of lessons as a child to get to Für Elise, and even then I made a hash of it.
When I was older, I played by myself, without lessons, recreationally, using what I'd learned to date. I practiced at least an hour a day. It still took me six months to take a single movement of a Beethoven piano sonata to a playable state, and I would hazard a guess that only people who don't know anything about the piano would be impressed by my playing. (Still, the first movement of Pathétique remains my STFU music whenever people are at a party, see a piano, and start playing "Heart and Soul" or "Chopsticks.")
Having said that, while my repertoire includes some awfully impressive stuff (I'm a Beethoven piano sonata specialist), I'm still a long way from tackling Chopin's Opus 53 polonaise. (I've been working on Opus 40, which is, I think, a little easier.)
To do this properly, and to derive any sort of satisfaction rather than frustration from this, it will take longer, cost more, and require more practice than you think. You will need lessons. And patience. Piano is impressive because it's hard and takes a long time to get good at it.
posted by mcwetboy at 7:37 AM on February 22, 2010
You might enjoy reading NPR's Noah Adam's book: Piano Lessons : Music, Love, and True Adventures. It documents his struggles and random musings on learning how to play the piano as an adult.
posted by ericb at 8:14 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by ericb at 8:14 AM on February 22, 2010
It's definitely doable! My dad took up piano at probably age 50 after being a lifelong classical music lover. It was a struggle because he's pretty tone-deaf, but he kept pursuing it and got reasonably good.
posted by radioamy at 10:15 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by radioamy at 10:15 AM on February 22, 2010
The Royal Conservatory (RCM) has group piano classes (called "piano from scratch") for adults. Have a look at the course description to see what they teach; you might even pick up the course book they use. Maybe you can find something similar in your area? Or find a private teacher and learn one-on-one: talk to a few first to find someone you like. I agree with others that ear-training is important. (After 12 years of piano lessons as a kid (ages 6-18), my ear never really got good because my teacher wasn't great at teaching how to develop a good ear.)
Under the RCM, Fur Elise is in the grade 6 repetoire. So at one grade a year (like school), it would take a kid about 6 years before they were ready to learn it. For an adult, I think it would take a shorter amount of time, depending on how much work you put in. Don't learn piano on a specific piece; learn the basics, and easy pieces, and build up to progressively harder pieces. Chopin's Op 53 is extremely difficult and would take years or more of regular practice and learning before you could start to learn it. But there may be simplified versions available. The only way to tell how long it'll take you to learn Fur Elise is to start learning piano, understand your own learning style, what's hard and easy for you, and once you have some experience, you can see for yourself how hard/easy Fur Elise is. (This is how I know Chopin's Op 53 is difficult; not just from listening to it and other people telling me.)
Have fun! :)
posted by foxjacket at 10:32 AM on February 22, 2010
Under the RCM, Fur Elise is in the grade 6 repetoire. So at one grade a year (like school), it would take a kid about 6 years before they were ready to learn it. For an adult, I think it would take a shorter amount of time, depending on how much work you put in. Don't learn piano on a specific piece; learn the basics, and easy pieces, and build up to progressively harder pieces. Chopin's Op 53 is extremely difficult and would take years or more of regular practice and learning before you could start to learn it. But there may be simplified versions available. The only way to tell how long it'll take you to learn Fur Elise is to start learning piano, understand your own learning style, what's hard and easy for you, and once you have some experience, you can see for yourself how hard/easy Fur Elise is. (This is how I know Chopin's Op 53 is difficult; not just from listening to it and other people telling me.)
Have fun! :)
posted by foxjacket at 10:32 AM on February 22, 2010
re: I'll need an instrument and if you go an acoustic piano route - my daughter's piano teacher helped us get a great deal on a piano before she started taking lessons. I guess she watches CL for good candidates and lets her students know. She went out with us to check it out, shook her head disapprovingly at the guts and got $200 knocked off the price down to $700 or so.
posted by turbodog at 10:51 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by turbodog at 10:51 AM on February 22, 2010
I asked a similar question and I'm almost twice as old as you are. You might take a look.
posted by VikingSword at 11:16 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by VikingSword at 11:16 AM on February 22, 2010
You sound serious enough to get a full-size electronic keyboard with weighted keys. Look on Craigslist, browse through the classifieds....They're a commonly bought AND discarded item!
I can't recommend getting a private teacher enough. Weekly lessons are the way to go in terms of technique and a logical progression of new information that would be hard to figure out on your own.
You'll spend a LONG LONG TIME on playing things like "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Don't get discouraged! This is, IMO, far better than "learning" to play one piece. Sure, you could wrangle through a "real" piece of classical music, but that'd be faking one piece of music instead of knowing how to play the piano. Playing silly, somewhat boring music builds a foundation of technique and fluidity that can be applied to the next level.
I started the piano new at 25 (I did know how to read music) and just fell in love. It is so wonderful to play classical music. Even the super, ridiculously simplified versions of "real" pieces are a total joy to play! There is something magical about hearing yourself play a string of notes that you recognize and love so much.
Good luck, and make sure you remember it's for fun -- you're learning for your own enjoyment, so don't get too frustrated when your fingers refuse to cooperate!
posted by missmary6 at 1:09 PM on February 22, 2010
I can't recommend getting a private teacher enough. Weekly lessons are the way to go in terms of technique and a logical progression of new information that would be hard to figure out on your own.
You'll spend a LONG LONG TIME on playing things like "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Don't get discouraged! This is, IMO, far better than "learning" to play one piece. Sure, you could wrangle through a "real" piece of classical music, but that'd be faking one piece of music instead of knowing how to play the piano. Playing silly, somewhat boring music builds a foundation of technique and fluidity that can be applied to the next level.
I started the piano new at 25 (I did know how to read music) and just fell in love. It is so wonderful to play classical music. Even the super, ridiculously simplified versions of "real" pieces are a total joy to play! There is something magical about hearing yourself play a string of notes that you recognize and love so much.
Good luck, and make sure you remember it's for fun -- you're learning for your own enjoyment, so don't get too frustrated when your fingers refuse to cooperate!
posted by missmary6 at 1:09 PM on February 22, 2010
I bought a Casio CDP-100. It's under $500 and has piano-weighted keys. The sound is not great, and sometimes it just feels cheap, but it sounds good enough to tell me when I'm doing something wrong and when I'm doing something right, which is the point, no?
I think I couldn't have made a better choice to start with. Two or three years from now, it may be worthwhile to get something in the thousands of dollars range.
Also, cheap used actual piano from Craigslist is totally an option. People will almost pay you to take them away. I didn't go that route simply because I don't have space for a real piano.
posted by Number Used Once at 1:56 PM on February 22, 2010
I think I couldn't have made a better choice to start with. Two or three years from now, it may be worthwhile to get something in the thousands of dollars range.
Also, cheap used actual piano from Craigslist is totally an option. People will almost pay you to take them away. I didn't go that route simply because I don't have space for a real piano.
posted by Number Used Once at 1:56 PM on February 22, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. I'll not mark best answers since this isn't really the "right or wrong" type question, but y'all helped me along a lot.
posted by themel at 1:23 AM on February 24, 2010
posted by themel at 1:23 AM on February 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
However, I did want to suggest two options after you've decided you want to stick with it: 1) you can find cheap/free used pianos all the time on Craiglist. If you rent a truck from Home Depot and feed some friends to help you, that's a cheap and labor-intensive option. 2) Look for a used Yamaha P-80 (or similar -- i.e. the P85 or earlier P70 or P60 models), which can be had for about $400-500.
posted by spiderskull at 2:36 AM on February 22, 2010