The Piano Journey of an Adult Learner | What I do and Why I do it!

[@ll1773]

I’m also a returning pianist. I was about Turkish March level when I stopped 20 years ago as a child. I’m lucky that I found a great teacher this time and she helped me progressed faster this time. In the past three years, We played through Chopin waltz, nocturnes. I spent almost a year working on fantasie impromptu and I finally able to play it at reasonable speed. I’m starting on easy Chopin Etudes now. I’ve worked harder this time, and I certainly also hit on walls couple times. It’s a fun roller coaster journey. I’m loving it.😍

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Looks like we have a similar story and face similar challenges! Speed was always my nemesis and I avoided dealing with it by simply avoiding anything fast lol. Even something like Turkish March I would avoid as there are a couple of ‘fast’ passages in it! Oddly, I could comfortably play some nocturnes, Clair de Lune, Liebestraum yet wouldn’t even contemplate Turkish March. Since restarting, I have been on a mission to learn to play fast - which is paying off as now I would say I can play fast, just not as consistently as I’d like. For me this is a significant advance lol Good luck with your ongoing roller coaster :-)

[@jameshoeve4466]

Thank you, aTommy, for creating this channel. As a 64yo returning pianist, I am using somewhat of a beginners mindset approach to practicing. I know what I know, but still remain curious as to the unknown. I spend a lot of time working more slowly and focused.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Nice to hear. Learning how to practice more effectively is something I have spent lots of time researching. I have a playlist with lots of tips that I have uncovered on my journey. Different approaches tend work well for different types of music so it is helpful to have lots of ideas in our toolkit.

[@johnmcelhoney3585]

I took up piano at 57! Almost three years ago. Took grade 1 and scraped by. To stressful to take any more exams. But I’m learning grade 3 currently as if I’m taking the exam. Struggling so much still!! Thanks for the tips.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

I think you’re probably right just preparing the exams rather than taking them. I have been studying the current Grade 8 repertoire recently (and similar level pieces) to see where I fit. I think struggling goes with the territory. If it helps, I think I could now sit Grade 8 and do reasonably well so perhaps my hard work is paying off (if somewhat slowly)!

[@charlesknudsen4466]

Thank you for sharing your story. I am a returning pianist myself and have been struggling. Your openness really helped. Thanks!

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Piano is far from easy … I guess that’s what makes it rewarding. Keep up the good work - I’m sure you’ll get there.

[@LiliVG]

Super excellent suggestions and many apply to my particular situation. Thank you so much!!

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Delighted to hear :-)

[@thewordbtrue2461]

Merry Christmas and my jouney sounds much like yours! As a young girl... my piano lessons ended and i just on my own by 15 and mom bought me a Lyon & Healy piano , i began the favorires of that time, Somewhere my love, the beatles, Mercy Mercy. i had enough knowledge to play those well. fast forward. Marriage and six children, I'm now 71.. Children all grown, still no teacher, only knowing the C scale and no knowledge of the CIRCLE of ? , etc. I hear a classical song and make my way to play the 1st page.. i.e. Moonlight sonata. But i do not persist to finish the piece. Bad on me. But I'm pleased with what I do accomplish. Chopin, Bach.. but incomplete. Most of Satie is very manageable... much emotion. Play on everyone! The best players are on the bench😊

[@TommysPianoCorner]

The most important think is still finding joy in working on things. I have lots of unfinished pieces that I go back to - often managing to get them done on my second or third attempt :-)

[@thewordbtrue2461]

@@TommysPianoCorner 😊

[@rothschildianum]

I started learning electronic organ at 11 years old till I was about 22 years old. I was pretty good, then I stopped playing musical instrument for 16 years. Finally at the age of 40, I started learning piano properly. At the beginning, I was nearly giving up. But, 16 years later, I played pretty well, I even entered several amateur piano competitions and advanced too. I have not placed yet.... I will someday. One good thing of me is that I am very persistent.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

That’s very interesting. I had not thought of entering competitions. It might be fun :-)

[@rothschildianum]

@@TommysPianoCorner It forces us play our best!

[@TommysPianoCorner]

@@rothschildianum as a teenager, I entered lots of competitions and very much enjoyed it. Now, I find the idea quite scary lol I suspect you’re right though and it does force us to level up our game.

[@rothschildianum]

@@TommysPianoCorner I join adult amateur piano group, therefore, I became good in performing in front of people. It is not satisfying for not being able to play in front of people. I am not a shy person.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

@@rothschildianum I’m actually planning to create such a group where I live for this very reason. A good environment to get into performing and also sharing the passion with others !

[@madmary]

I always enjoy your videos and you and I agave quite similar philosophies. I restarted piano about 3 years ago just before the pandemic hit. Unlike you I didn’t have lessons but my grandmother gave me the barest instruction on the names of the white and black keys and how to read music. She then let me loose on her collection of sheet music which included all sorts of difficult piece by Chopin and the like. I would plug away learning a few bars then hit brick walls. So gave up. In the last three years I returned to get more than four bars of music achieved and I now have a teacher who is wonderful. The main thing about adults is that they probably have sorted out their musical tastes so are often over ambitious. They also don’t necessarily have the goal of a career in music or even performing on a small scale. This is for me the hardest part because I have to rely on pure pleasure in attempting to recreate beautiful sounds. Your videos inspire me to keep going. One thing though I wouldn’t want to be your teacher. You seem to have a deadly effect on them.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Great to hear that you’re now making progress with your teacher. I won’t ask you recommend me to her as I do seem to have a bit of an unfortunate track record on those who have been unlucky enough to take me on :-) I think you’re right that as adults we do have a tendency to bite off a little more than we can chew. I’m certainly guilty as charged but whilst I’m enjoying myself, I’ll not worry too much.

[@thewordbtrue2461]

Thank you for sharing!❤

[@TommysPianoCorner]

My pleasure

[@thewordbtrue2461]

@@TommysPianoCorner kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIfal3xojKp2nsUsi=mdqmdb_MhQPpPOcW Her playing inspired me. Touching,meditative.This one memorized. not hard at all. tenderness inspires me. Slower tempos attract me.

[@PianoRevisited]

I love your title Tommy ! Why DO we bother ?? I could easily spend an hour discussing the piano journey with you and I agree with your excellent points. I'm older than you ( 73 ) but had a similar story having had lessons in grade school then stopped and played only very sporadically until I retired 6 years ago. Then I decided to get serious. The first year I could only muster 30 minutes a day and it was exhausting. I gradually worked up to where I am now at 2 hours a day which I divide into 3-4 segments. I play a dozen classical pieces but mostly play a variety of more modern music from Misty to Bohemian Rhapsody. The two things that effect me more than anything else that are clearly age related are my vision is not optimal and I don't have the stamina I used to have. Practicing the piano is tiring and requires a lot of concentration. The one thing I wish I had was perfect pitch. I find quite a few of the successful pianists on KZbin that I try to emulate state in their Biographies that they have this gift. I thought that playing fast would be a problem but I can positively state that I can play much faster now than I could 4 years ago. Correct practice over time is what is necessary to get better. There is no substitute for putting in the hours. Things happen over time as you learn different pieces. For example, your 4th and 5th fingers get stronger and you find you are utilizing them much more which makes you more effective all over. I also see what happens over time is that I gradually can play a piece more " perfectly". Not perfect yet - but much better than 3 years ago. I think serious piano players tend to be bright and I guess we "bother" because we are by nature competitive and can't believe that we can't do what someone else can do. Keep practicing- you are getting better ! Great topic !

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Misty is my favourite piece :-) I got my mum to sing it for me so I could learn it. She sang in G and so that’s how I learned it - I only discovered many years later that it was actually in E flat. As you can see, I don’t have perfect pitch either and I’m not sure it would be that helpful. I have what my teacher called relative pitch - so if you play a C and ask me to sing a G I can easily enough. I probably spend 95% of my time in classical pieces but recently have started playing from lead sheets every couple of days as I think it is fantastic musical training (I’ll be doing a video on the topic). Practising is definitely hard work I totally agree. However, they do say that it is immensely beneficial to out mental acuity and so an ideal habit to maintain as we get older.

[@alexscott1257]

Thanks Tommy, great all round video. I found your story interesting and there were some similarities with my own story. I think that your focus on technique is a wise one. I also can't really remember much technique being taught to me when I was a teenager and I have been astounded as to why nobody ever mentioned certain techniques to me before (wrist circles for example). I am a piano teacher now and I always focus on technique with my students from the beginning. My goal is to leave my students with as few bad habits as possible!

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Thanks for sharing. I agree that teaching ‘technique’ often seems relegated to scales etc (which after all are called the ‘technique’ element of many exams). Learning to move is so important (wrist circles, rotation, in and out etc. etc. ) and I’m increasingly sure that this type of thing is the foundation of technique and not repeating patterns hands together (scales, Hanon etc.)

[@joanjohnstone7241]

Hi Tommy, thank you for telling us about your background, I found it interesting. Could you please do a tutorial on Minuet in G by Paderewski - he was a scholar of Chopin I believe. Kind wishes, Joan.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Let me look at that for you. I did do a tutorial on the second piece of that set - the Sarabande. You might find it interesting to be going on with. Piano Tutorial | Sarabande from 6 Humoresques | Paderewski kzbin.info/www/bejne/garPnaOonsqWoLM

[@amandajstar]

Poor you, with your teachers dropping like flies! Who knew that piano teaching was such a hazardous activity : )

[@TommysPianoCorner]

Yes, I did think I must be some kind of jinx. But they were real inspirations to my younger self and I’m grateful I got at least that limited time with them.

[@amandajstar]

@@TommysPianoCorner Good mentors do make a difference. Your comments are very interesting. Thanks for the insights.

[@TommysPianoCorner]

@@amandajstar I agree, they definitely are. I’m pleased you found the video interesting :-)

[@townnet]

About the Graham Fitch paid content at Piano Online Academy, is it any different compare to his piano magazine channel on KZbin?

[@TommysPianoCorner]

The content on the online academy is much wider and more in depth than on the KZbin channel. Equally, there are a number of different contributors to the Academy. You can actually get a free trial to check out for yourself. I have a link to the trial in the video description.

[@townnet]

@@TommysPianoCorner Ok , I will try it, thank you.

[@rothschildianum]

It is totally different. It is worth buying that course. I learned a lot from it.

[@townnet]

@@rothschildianum Is the course including video demostration?

[@rothschildianum]

@@townnet It was not video, it was written material. He taught so many important things.