Teaching myself piano from scratch at 65- any advice.

Greyduster

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!

Wow, well done However well someone plays it must take some guts to do that!

I can't give you any advice for learning as I learnt piano from age 7 and I learnt to read music practically as early as reading words.

However I would suggest:

- set yourself a specific time, daily if possible, even if it's only 20 minutes.

- don't let the bad days put you off

- Be very mindful of what you are doing. I did a church music course a few years ago and on the day of the organ exam I practised for about 4 hours in the morning. Come the exam I sat down to play and had no idea where I was or what I was supposed to be doing. All that practice had been superficial - I was thinking of other things the whole time and nothing had sunk in. So: concentrate! Remove any distractions for those 20 minutes!

- Use every opportunity to play to whoever will listen. They know you are a beginner and will be kind to you. If they are musicians themselves, they may have some tips.

- remember: Music isn't just about hitting the right notes. You can put expression into your playing from the start

- If you want to be able to sing along with yourself, start practising this right from the beginning. Listen to your voice in conjunction with the instrument.

- Don't forget to use the recording function on your phone to listen back to yourself

Some of the music I liked to buy 2nd hand, was the official ABRSM exam books, but previous ones (a lot cheaper!) with the accompanying CDs, so I could a) tell whether I liked the pieces enough to bother with them, and b) hear how they were supposed to sound!

To my delight I once found among a collection of ‘beginner’ music, was one of the pieces I’d learned for my Grade One exam when I was 9 or 10. It was the only one I really remembered - a Lullaby, by whoever it was.

This is an interesting and lovely thread! I’m a retired music teacher and it’s
Yes, Yes, Yes!! the piano can+does give so much joy and happiness. Any YouTube or other online piano lessons are great, if you’re enjoying them.
You are best learning the theory with the help of a book, and then transfer what you learned to your playing.
I recommend the Melanie Spanswick book 1. It is written for adults so is very age-appropriate.
Good luck and keep on enjoying it!
🤩🎵🎉🎶🤗

I’ve just checked and there is a Prep book too which sounds great. It is more of a classical approach but once you’ve got the basics you can play any style.
If you google “Melanie Spanswick Play it again books” all the info is there.

I learned the piano as a child, but was lazy about practising as I could play by ear to amuse myself. I took it up again in my 50's and it became a passion for many years. I had weekly lessons and though I passed the exams up to Grade 7, I never got to the point where I could sight read a piece. It gave me the greatest pleasure and made me really listen to music more too. Don't be put off if you have a bad day and think you are rubbish, you will soon make progress. Above all, enjoy it!

I've dabbled a little with the keyboard over the last few years and found a chap on YouTube called Zach Evans who does some good tutorials especially this one
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D3aWUx771A
He also does a lot of prank videos where he pretends he can't play then impresses everyone, I would love to be able to do that😁

Thanks Sapphire for the advice on theory - I've always played but I have a 3 year lull at the moment (I'm deaf & although I can hear enough to enjoy, I worry about the neighbours if I'm constantly going off-key).
Do want to get back to it as my piano isn't that hearable from other properties, & I haven't done any theory since I was 14, so that definitely sounds something for my "to do " list.
I know I should've got an electronic piano that will bluetooth to my hearing aids, but a lovely 2nd hand Bentley came up a few roads away, & I couldn't resist.

Do not get too hung up on theory - you do not need to delve into harmony. You just need to know the note names and values and how they relate to the keys on the piano. And you need to clock the sharps or flats at the beginning of the piece.

I started piano at the age of 60, when my daughter decided she didn’t want to do it anymore, but we had a lovely teacher, who taught other oldies. Couldn’t have done it without her,
You can buy the books, “Beethoven, Mozart, Elgar etc, Made Easy. They are excellent when learning. Someone borrowed my theory files, and gave them to a charity shop. Heartbroken and cannot get back into it now. Practice, practice, practice. Good Luck, it’s lovely

I started learning again at 62 and now at grade 7. I have lessons on zoom with a very experienced teacher. Zoom works very well, just as if he was in the room with me. I don't think it's really possible to teach yourself, there are all sorts of fingerings and arm/hand positions timing etc that I wouldn't know about myself. Many teachers teach online now, I would find one that you like.

Quite a lot of people I know learned to play the piano by doing so, if they were fortunate enough to grow up with access to a piano and not in a home where it was held that you had to have lessons and never play chopsticks and the like !

I have not looked, but I imagine you can find YouTube videos to help if you run into sticky patches.

I had private lessons from 7 yrs old and passed Grade 1 (!) with distinction, but after that hiatus I lost interest in practising.
Forward nearly 70 years, I started the Simply Piano online course a year ago.
They take you through all the stages, covering chords and lots of different musical tastes. I enjoy the classical ones but also Elvis and Shania Twain! You learn to play along and it's exciting playing a new song well.
It's just over £100 a year subscription and I'm now on the Intermediate Advanced level.
I've found it helps using these note stickers for individual keys which were supplied with my Yamaha keyboard. They are available online too.
I took up piano again to keep the brain ticking over. You are given encouragement all the way on your journey with this app.

Wow, so much enouragement, and brilliant advice.
Thank you everyone, including those of you who I havent replied to personally. I'm really grateful for all your great suggestions and advice.
Some of the recommended books are on their way to me already, in fact I think might arrive today. I can't wait (smile].

RillaofIngleside

I started learning again at 62 and now at grade 7. I have lessons on zoom with a very experienced teacher. Zoom works very well, just as if he was in the room with me. I don't think it's really possible to teach yourself, there are all sorts of fingerings and arm/hand positions timing etc that I wouldn't know about myself. Many teachers teach online now, I would find one that you like.

Is it necessary to read music? I really struggle with maths so am nervous about that aspect (though I was excellent with shorthand and touch typing).

A lovely read.

Years ago we were give a short piano. It was delivered and put in the room it was to live in. My father popped in later on some errand for my mother and I mentioned I thought it would need tuning. He sat down and started playing. Looked up and said it "didn't sound too bad". He said this to my open mouth. I didn't know he could play!

I can't think of anything more wonderful than being able to entertain yourself or others in this way. Good luck to anyone willing to give it a try!

I only had a few mths lessons as a teenager. I decided to try teach myself during covid and got a good electronic keyboard. I am a good typist having done 'touch typing' when young. I suppose I am hoping to be able to do same on keyboard. I found progress slow. Later I did some lessons with a teacher. She taught the importance of correct finger for note and to slow down. I was inclined to keep going and play anything, skipping thru music books. I think I should have concentrated one one piece even a section of one piece before progressing. I must give it another go with tips from here, thanks all.

How wonderful !
Do persevere.
My biggest regret is not learning an instrument.
I enjoy art and teaching people how to paint if I can .

When I was very young, both sets of Grandparents had pianos. I wanted to learn but both my parents, forced to play as children, refused. One day, an Uncle showed me how to place my hands on the keys and told me the note just above the key hole was middle C. He showed me where middle C appeared in a simple piece of sheet music. That was it. Lesson 1.

A couple of years later at junior school we had music theory. We learnt the value of the notes and about sharps and flats (the black keys) and the "sounds" were demonstrated (but actually touching the piano was not allowed). Lesson 2.

When I was 42 I inherited one of the pianos from an Aunt (at my request). It was an ancient iron framed "over-strung upright", basically a pub honkey-tonk piano. A neighbour gifted me a basic piano primer designed for a young child.
I got quite good at it, practicing while the kids were at school. The younger child was herself learning to play, with a proper teacher, at school. I taught myself to sight read, something my daughter never really accomplished. Strangely, although my daughter plays really well "by ear", I can only play with the music score. Eventually, I could play to a level of around grade 3 or 4. Well enough to give me pleasure.

Sadly, I had Sepsis 10 years ago. I came out of it alive and relatively unscathed, except for my hand co-ordination. I can play with my right hand. I can play with my left hand. I can no longer play with both hands, no matter how hard I try.

Anyway, apart from a few early cues I suppose I can say I was self taught.