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Claire (alias)

Adult starting learning piano

Latest Post: May 6, 2010 at 9:55 PM

6 followers

Hello,
I would like to hear your feelings about starting learning an instrument (piano) as an adult.
I'm 35 and started to learn piano two years ago. I love it, I'm discovering a world I had no idea about.
Since always, I have been fascinated by dancing (cha cha, rumba, samba...) but for family reasons, I could not continue my passion and haven't danced for the last 10 years. Since then I had been looking for something that would give me the same feelings as dancing and could never find one until I discovered the piano. Thanks to my wonderful teacher, I discovered the piano as a partner as sensitive as a dance partner, reacting to any change of pressure, any stressed movements, any change of mood. I imagine all the feelings I could transmit, all the emotions I could tell if only I had the right technique... And there comes my question ... Do you think that it is possible, starting so late to be able to share these emotions with anyonelse than my piano one day?

Reply to:

Amy Silberman, Hi, I'm a graduate student in Geology. I enjoy...

April 23, 2010 at 2:35 AM

14 followers

Hi Claire,
I think that's a great thing to do! Friends of mine who started playing the piano when they were already adults loved it.

Starting as a kid, it takes one years to learn to play technically difficult passages, while adults seem to jump very quickly to these levels, having already developed a fair bit of hand-eye coordination. It is unlikely that you'll get to a concert pianist levels, but I'm sure you can get to a level where your friends will very much enjoy listening to you. It will require a teacher (which you have), and some practice (which you'll enjoy), but it should fit whatever schedule you have and as long as you'll stick with it you should improve considerably. The technique will come.
I liked your dance partner metaphor.

Having myself restarted playing not long ago, it's a lot of fun. There are few things as good for the soul as playing the piano.

If you need suggestions for pieces, feel free to ask here.

Reply to: or

John P Starrs, Curiouser and curiouser . . .

In response to Amy Silberman

April 23, 2010 at 3:20 AM

11 followers

Bravo -- to both of you! I know a couple of other happy adults who took, or returned to, this path -- but after age 50 -- a math prof and another lawyer. Wish I had joined them but I let "condo considerations" and other excuses get in the way. Pianos "given away" for such reasons are like good friends lost out of one's neglect. I must at least get a keyboard. -- In any event, Thanks for rekindling all this. -- And, Claire, if you haven't done so already, try the First Movement of the Moonlight Sonata. It's quite accessible, continually responsive, and tolerant of endless practice (especially by amateurs like me who only play in our heads). Best\J

Reply to: or

Claire (alias)

In response to John P Starrs

April 23, 2010 at 3:32 PM

6 followers

Hi John and Amy,

Thank you both for your kind reply.

I received the moonlight sonata notes for christmas last year, it was quite a hard work to go through but I finally made it and enjoyed it very much! I am now starting a quite ambitious piece (at least for me) which is the Nocturne op.9 no1 from Chopin (by Maria Joao Pires: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IlOlvlTLLY). I am so impatient to be able to play it , it's so beautiful. I wish I would have more time to practice.
At the same time I'm trying the invention no2 from Bach (by Glenn Gould: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb-LhVJszWE). It's interesting because, this piece seems so much easier than the nocturne and actually it gives me much more of a hard time. I'm not sure why. I think the fact there are 2 voices totally independant in the invention makes the complexity whereas in Chopin, there is one voice and an accompaniment.

Amy, any suggestion you would have for someone who hardly has any technique but is willing to spend hours on a bar to finally be able to play it would be very much appreciated.

kindest regards,

Claire

PS: John, since I had children (12 years ago), I always found a good reason not to do something like this. I can tell you, it really feels good to make the step and now I'm always so much looking forward to these little moments I can spend on my piano. So get you a keyboard! It would probably be sufficient to give you the virus again, and it would probably not take you long until you invest again in a piano!