Is learning how to play the piano at age 23+ incredibly hard?

[JDub02]

I started playing guitar at 23. Took lessons and picked it up quick. I've also had piano lessons in the past and IMO, piano is much easier than guitar.

 

[Fritzo]

The problem is not your age, it's the time you have to devote to it.

As a child, you can spend all day doing one thing. Often, you are forced by an adult to do something you dont want to do for your own good. This leads to memorization of the skills needed

As an adult, you have responsibilities (you have to work, kids, errands, etc). You don't have as much time to devote to one thing, and you don't have someone telling you what to do.

So, your age doesn't have anything to do with learning an instrument, it's the time you have to spend on it. Learning to play takes a LONG time---years in some cases, but it is rewarding to no end if you can do it.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
What about learning to play the guitar at 39? I can read music (a bit rusty though) and am not tone deaf. I got my son some 'learn to play guitar' software awhile back. Do I have any remote chance of learning to play using that to begin with?

Get yourself some lessons first so you get your fingering down right. Once you learn the mechanics, you can learn the music from about anywhere.

 

[aceO07]

Finding time/dedication to practice is probably the hardest part of it. I thought I was interested in trying to learn last year and now... well, a year has passed.

On a tangent, what's a good beginner piano?

 

[soccerballtux]

Suzuki method is pretty good for teaching technique. Just make sure your teacher will pressure you to learn to read as well.
With suzuki you learn by memorization at first-- your teacher teaching you the notes. This way you get to jump right into some pretty exciting stuff (compared to what you would play if you were simply learning to play by reading. Helps keep your attention.

 

[Krazy4Real]

I would love to play the piano. Does playing expert drums on Rockband count as musical experience?

 

[alpineranger]

A good beginner piano is something reasonably inexpensive and in good condition where all the keys work and have a consistent feel. Beware pianos that are way out of tune. Beyond that, make, model and age don't matter. If you aren't a piano player and you go looking at used instruments, bring someone who knows what they are doing because you probably won't be able to make a good evaluation yourself.

 

[nanette1985]

I've been a piano teacher for years. The good thing about adult students is that they are taking lessons because they want to, not because they are being forced to. The bad thing is that they've seen too many "learn to play piano in a week" ads and get annoyed when it takes more than a week. I always tell them to get one of those "learn to play fast" videos or programs and work on that, and then come back to me when they've mastered that.

Once I weed out the unrealistic ones, adult students are awesome, they learn better and faster than kids.

 

[Triumph]

I started learning piano when I was 21, I think. My school had music rooms where you could go and practice, and I already knew some theory and could read music from playing guitar and taking music theory. There's no reason you CAN'T learn it. You just aren't going to be as good as some Chinese 15 year old that was forced to practice 19 hours a day since age 6 and beaten with bamboo reeds for every mistake they made.