09 Apr Am I too old to play the piano?

Am I Too Old To Play The Piano?

Ok, Let’s go back in time to high school. What were your favorite activities? Today most teenagers love to play sports, shopping, and of course spending their parents’ money. However, when you become an adult, your priorities change in your life. Many adults develop the desire to learn new hobbies. Did you know the brain is always able to learn new skills at any age? Let’s find out if you can learn to play after your youth years.

When is the best time to learn the piano?

Certainly, this answer varies for each child and family. Yes, you can find videos on YouTube of child prodigies learning to play the piano at an early age. However, all kids learn and respond differently to personal instruction. It is true that all young kids will not have the patience and discipline to listen to specific instructions of their piano teacher. Unfortunately, sometimes the piano teacher must redirect and give critical feedback which can be tough. Thankfully, it is great to know that you can always learn the piano as you grow older at any age.

 What can I do to become a great piano player?

There are three factors to consider becoming a great piano player.

1.    How big is your hand? – Believe it or not, the size of your hand is important when learning to place your hand on the keys. With a child’s hand, the space between your fingers and touching the keys is a big factor. Unfortunately, your hand must be a larger size to play correctly.

2.    Moving your fingers – When playing the piano the finger placement is very important. A great way to judge if a child is ready to play is wiggling your fingers. Of course, a bigger hand has no problem completing these commands. For instance, one example is to try Hoffman’s Academy Lesson Number 1 first lesson of “Hot Crossed Buns”.  Lastly, it is a great test for learning the piano.

3.    The desire to learn music  – The desire to listen and understand music develops as you grow older. As a child, it begins with parent instructions. However, the older you become you learn the different types of music and develop your style of the genre such as songwriters and composers. According to Rebecca K, a piano teacher in Vallejo, California, the 30 – 40 age group is the perfect time to learn. “Self-care is something we must practice, especially in finding something that brings you joy,” says Rebecca. Thankfully, you can learn the piano at any age no matter what age.