How to Learn to Play the Piano as an Adult: It’s Not Too Late!

Many adults want to learn to play an instrument like the piano, but they worry that it’s too late for them. No matter how old you are, however, you can always learn a new skill.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it will necessarily be easy. Like with any other talent, learning piano requires hard work and dedication. But if you apply yourself to the task, you can achieve your goal.

How to Get Started

The biggest hindrance to adults trying to learn piano is time. We’re all very busy, and it can seem like it’s hard or even impossible to carve out enough time in the day to practice an instrument. That’s why taking a piano lesson with a real teacher is a great way to get started on your journey.

You might think that it would be easier to teach yourself with YouTube tutorials or books. When you’re just starting, however, trying to learn on your own can actually hurt you more than it helps.

You’ll be more likely to learn the wrong techniques, and when you eventually learn the right way to do things, you’ll have to start over and try to unlearn those bad habits.

As a beginner, having a piano teacher will help you progress faster because you’ll get real-time feedback and tips on what you’re doing right and wrong. Once you become proficient, then you can consider learning using online tutorials, though even then, an in-person instructor is almost always better.

Making Time for Piano Lessons

Another reason why taking lessons is one of the best ways for adults (or anyone, really) to get started with piano is that it forces you to make time for the practice. I don’t know about you, but I always feel more motivated to do something when I know another person is expecting me.

If you’re trying to learn on your own using online tutorials and books, it’s easy to say you’ll do the next lesson when you have more time and push practice sessions further and further back, until the next thing you know it’s been a month since the last time you touched the keyboard.

In-person lessons (or video chat lessons) force you to make time to learn piano because they usually have a set date and time.

Learning any new skill as an adult may not be as easy as it is for a child, but if you stay patient with yourself and work at it regularly, then you can reach your goal. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas on how to get started with piano lessons as an adult.