Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Why You Really Are Never Too Old To Learn To Play The Piano

By Adriana Noton

You may be thinking that piano teachers only tell you that you are never too old to learn to play the piano because they want your money. Think again. Experienced teachers tell you that because they know that it is true for nearly everyone. As long as you are motivated, it is possible to learn piano. Expert teachers know the reasons, and you should too.

You actually may start piano lessons at any age. Teachers often disagree about the best ages to start, but most will agree that an average starting age may be around 6 years old. The reason? This is when you start to read and write, and learning to read piano music is simply another language. You can learn to read and write your own language and music all together at the same time. And, the coordination it takes to navigate over piano keys starts to form around that time.

Since the time around 1960, however, music teachers began to study early childhood development as it related to musical development. It has been discovered that most anyone has the ability to play piano, or be musical in some way. The reality is that children develop certain skills at certain times. Their physical development depends on many things, such as how well their nervous system is developed. Now it is known that it may be better to start formal private piano lessons beginning anywhere between the ages of 7 to 11. And, there are special music training programs that focus on younger children ages 2 to 6. When you add adult beginner programs to the mix, it becomes pretty clear that you can be very young and very old to learn piano skills.

The frustration that adults feel when they practice piano is that their intellectual abilities are in stark contrast to their physical ones. Adult fingers can feel very clumsy when starting out on the keys. Adults simply need to be patient with themselves when developing their piano technique. Lots of slow and steady practice is important, but most adults master their fingers well enough to enjoy playing favorite tunes.

Finding time to practice can be another factor to consider. If you are a working adult, you may feel challenged to find time to practice. Adult responsibilities often collide with wishes to play. It is not that there is no desire, it is that there may not be enough time available on any given day.

Helping an older student learn can be as easy as modeling good time management habits. Setting up an area to store piano music, theory workbooks, manuscript paper, pencils and erasers, and a lesson assignment notebook are the first step. Make sure your piano has good light so eyes do not become strained. Try different practice times over the course of one week, and choose what works best for everyone in the family. Stick to the routine until it becomes normal.

Scheduling practice time is essential. Many older students actually block out regular times in their appointment calendars to make certain that nothing else interferes. Develop a routine that works and stick to it.

Desiring to take up lessons can surface when your children or grandchildren start their studies. This can be a springboard to creating shared learning experiences that last a lifetime. It really is true that you are never too old to learn to play the piano. - 40728

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