Teaching myself piano from scratch at 65- any advice.

I learned piano, reluctantly, at school, then in my 60s I bought a piano and started again. I was too self conscious to have lessons or ever play in front of others.
My learning music phase lasted about 10 years. I loved the theory and got far on my own but I never became fluent at playing the piano. I know I should have had lessons.
Age doesn’t matter but I don’t think you can make much progress without lessons.

watermeadow

I learned piano, reluctantly, at school, then in my 60s I bought a piano and started again. I was too self conscious to have lessons or ever play in front of others.
My learning music phase lasted about 10 years. I loved the theory and got far on my own but I never became fluent at playing the piano. I know I should have had lessons.
Age doesn’t matter but I don’t think you can make much progress without lessons.

OK. Thanks for sharing your experience.
You say loved you the theory, so it sounds like you got something positive from it even if you never became fluent ☺

It wasn’t quite from scratch, since I’d passed grade 2 over 50 years previously, but I went back to it after so many decades, using Carol Barratt’s course for adult beginners (classical piano). I would recommend them.

There are books 1-3 and no prior knowledge is assumed. I found them 2nd hand online.

I think you need to set realistic goals.

When children learn their brains internalise the distance between notes so that as they develop they can play the right notes without having to keep looking up and down from music to keyboard ... which slows things down! I think adults find this much harder.

There are various series of books ... e.g. Adult Piano Adventures, the It's Easy to Play series ... each book features a different style e.g. ragtime, Christmas, classical etc.

Another really really simple series is The Easy Tune Book of ... and then again different genres like Christmas Music, Incidental Music.

It is good to try and learn to play very very simple tunes but play them well.
This is far better than setting sights too high and finishing up feeling frustrated and dissatisfied.

Go for it!

I bought a piano for my 40th birthday. I had a lesson each week and passed my grade 4 in a year despite my sight reading being pretty poor. I absolutely loved my lessons and I know my teacher loved teaching me. We both moved house and I stopped having lessons but I still play badly but with much enjoyment tbh I work out the notes and find I then play by ear as my sight reading is still rubbish. Go for it, it's never too late

I had piano lessons as a child and then didn’t touch a piano again until I was 36 when we had our first proper home and bought a piano. I found a good teacher, struggled to grade 5, hated theory and then gave up lessons and stayed within my limits. Like Vintagewhine I tend to go off piste with the left hand and put my own interpretation on things a lot of the time. I also agree with Lucky about playing simple tunes well to start with. You will need to learn basic notation. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain so give it a go.

Luckygirl13
I think you need to set realistic goals.

When children learn their brains internalise the distance between notes so that as they develop they can play the right notes without having to keep looking up and down from music to keyboard ... which slows things down! I think adults find this much harder.
[...]
It is good to try and learn to play very very simple tunes but play them well.
This is far better than setting sights too high and finishing up feeling frustrated and dissatisfied.

After day one of self-teaching, I know exactly what you mean and think that your advice /observations are spot on - It became obvious to me pretty quickly yesterday that I will need to put a lot of practice into internalising the distance between notes if i am ever to play satisfactorily.

I plan to take my time. Today, I will be practising yesterday's lesson again and don't intend to move on to the next until I am happy with it.

Thanks to all of you for your book suggestions, advice and encouragement. It is all really helpful. ☺

I also learnt a little as a child and took it up again in my fifties. During Covid my teacher taught her GC on zoom, so perhaps this might be something to consider alongside the books?

I did exactly the same as you at your age though I had had a few lessons so knew the notes. I used the Its not too late to play piano book or a title to tht effect. I did love it but it became increasingly difficult as my eyesight was not good enough to read the music comfortably and I could not remember the notes like I used to.

I would love to learn piano but I can’t remember the notes now. I did learn at age 10 for a couple of years but I had a very good memory then !

Re sight reading, at one point not long after I went back to the piano, I told the piano tuner chap how rubbish my sight reading was. He said, you need to get lots of different (unfamiliar) music and just play it, just keep going, regardless of mistakes.

I did just that, bought lots of very cheap 2nd hand music at the right level online, and it soon improved a lot. Putting it simply, I went from looking at (say) a C and F sharp chord, and having to remember where both were on the keyboard, before playing them.
But after plenty of practice, a sort of short cut was forged in my brain, more or less straight from eyes to fingers on keyboard, without the ‘thinking’ process first.
If that makes sense!

Witzend

Re sight reading, at one point not long after I went back to the piano, I told the piano tuner chap how rubbish my sight reading was. He said, you need to get lots of different (unfamiliar) music and just play it, just keep going, regardless of mistakes.

I did just that, bought lots of very cheap 2nd hand music at the right level online, and it soon improved a lot. Putting it simply, I went from looking at (say) a C and F sharp chord, and having to remember where both were on the keyboard, before playing them.
But after plenty of practice, a sort of short cut was forged in my brain, more or less straight from eyes to fingers on keyboard, without the ‘thinking’ process first.
If that makes sense!

Yes, it all makes perfect sense.

My first YouTube lesson yesterday included a couple of bars of Fly me to the Moon. First just the melody with the right hand, then adding some chords on the left hand.

Even when looking at the keys, I was a bit hit and miss on whether I managed to hit the right keys for both notes of each chord. I wasn't doing too badly by the end, though.

Then this morning, I went back through the lesson and started trying to do the chords without looking, and did better than I expected, so am feeling quite pleased right now 😌

nanna8

I would love to learn piano but I can’t remember the notes now. I did learn at age 10 for a couple of years but I had a very good memory then !

I'm hoping to learn the notes as I go along.

Like you, I did once learn the (basic) notes. I was about seven at the time and learning recorder at school. Unfortunately, that didn't last long as my recorder fell out of the bottom of its case as I walked home from school one day (it turned out that the case had split open), and when it couldn't be found, there was no way my parents were going to buy me a new one so that was the end of my musical education.

I started with a recorder too and learnt to read music in the treble clef very quickly. When I moved on to the piano I found it very hard to play right and left hands in different clefs.
It took several years of practice later in life to sightread well.

What a fabulous thread. I’ve always wanted to play but thought it had passed me by at 62. You’ve inspired me.

Basgetti

What a fabulous thread. I’ve always wanted to play but thought it had passed me by at 62. You’ve inspired me.

For a few years I attended piano/keyboard classes run by the local Adult Education sector. Shortly before the classes stopped because of wretched Covid, one woman I met there told me she’d just passed her Grade 3, having never even touched a piano until about 3 years previously.

She was probably around late 40s /early 50s.

Having always been too chicken to face exams, although by then I was playing G5 pieces, I admired her enormously!

If ever you decide to learn a bit of theory, can I recommend "Music Matters" on You Tube.
There is a series of free lessons for beginners, which are excellent. There is a subscription service and payment options for in-depth subjects and for experienced musicians; but the series of 12 or 13 lessons for beginners are free and the tutor Gareth Green, is exceptional.

Sapphire1

If ever you decide to learn a bit of theory, can I recommend "Music Matters" on You Tube.
There is a series of free lessons for beginners, which are excellent. There is a subscription service and payment options for in-depth subjects and for experienced musicians; but the series of 12 or 13 lessons for beginners are free and the tutor Gareth Green, is exceptional.

Thanks Sapphire1. I will bear that in mind.

Witzend

It wasn’t quite from scratch, since I’d passed grade 2 over 50 years previously, but I went back to it after so many decades, using Carol Barratt’s course for adult beginners (classical piano). I would recommend them.

There are books 1-3 and no prior knowledge is assumed. I found them 2nd hand online.

... that's interesting Witzend - like you, I passed Grade II - 70 (!) years ago.

I have no idea how much time I have left on this earth, but would like to fill some of it by picking up where I left off.

Googling Carol Barratt indicates these books are still available, so I might well take your recommendation and purchase them.

I'm grateful to you Oldnproud for starting this interesting and useful thread - and good luck in your endeavour!

Basgetti

What a fabulous thread. I’ve always wanted to play but thought it had passed me by at 62. You’ve inspired me.

I think exactly the same! I’ve only mastered the recorder and a few guitar chords, way way back, but it’s made me want to try a keyboard and give it a go!

Well done!!!!

Cossy

Basgetti

What a fabulous thread. I’ve always wanted to play but thought it had passed me by at 62. You’ve inspired me.

I think exactly the same! I’ve only mastered the recorder and a few guitar chords, way way back, but it’s made me want to try a keyboard and give it a go!

Well done!!!!

Cossy

... but it’s made me want to try a keyboard and give it a go!

DO IT !!

Some years ago, when I was coming out of our railway station, I spotted a street piano. I had always wanted to play a street piano but every time I saw one, my courage deserted me, but this time I sat down, played “These Foolish Things Remind me of You” through a couple of times, got up and fled before anyone had the time to throw anything at me! I’ve never done it since, but it was something to cross of my bucket list😁! I’ve stopped and listened to many better players than me play street pianos. Love it!

You are all inspirational! My grandson purchased a bell kit second hand, wasn't using it, so last winter I asked to have it over at my house. I have no musical training at all, and played around a little using you tube videos.

I'm afraid I didn't last very long and lost interest after a few weeks. It's still sitting in my office, so perhaps I will look for some music books/videos and try to get going again on it.

I played piano from 4 with formal classical lessons, graded exams and musi festivals. Very strict and not fun at all. 4 decades later I started to teach DD and gave her the basics, then she found a tutor on line. She learned in a completely different way from me, more fun and also by ear.
I would have a look at the many resources on YouTube some are free. Don't bother with graded exams unless you really want to, instead play the music you like and listen to recordings to give you an idea if tempo, expression and a general feel for the piece. At our age you may not want to spend years on practising scales and finger exercises.