Teaching myself piano from scratch at 65- any advice.

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.

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.

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😁

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 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.

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!
🤩🎵🎉🎶🤗

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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!

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 !!

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!!!!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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 😌

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!

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 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.