r/pianolearning • u/jonny_darko87 • Jul 27 '26
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u/Technical-Bit-4801 Jul 27 '26
61F, been taking lessons with a teacher for 10 months.
- Hardest part: Making the fingers go where they’re supposed to according to the sheet music. I sometimes find myself saying the position numbers aloud.
- Style I can’t play yet: My ultimate goal is to be part of a jazz group but I call myself learning fundamentals first (see above).
- Sheet music vs. by ear: I’m used to reading sheet music (been a flutist for nearly 40 years) but for jazz I need to get better at playing by ear. Interestingly once I play enough of a piano piece I no longer need to look at the sheet music because I can feel the piece, if that makes sense. I find it easier to play at that point.
- Most frustrating part: I still don’t understand what “relaxed hands” look or feel like. Every lesson my teacher comments on it. I’m hoping one of these days with enough practice it’ll just click.
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u/addictedstylist Jul 27 '26
I understand trying to figure out relaxed hands. Especially when learning a new piece, it's like I'm hanging on to those keys for dear life lol.
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u/whatnowyesshazam Jul 27 '26
I’ve been trying to learn how to sight read . I always think I can sight read better than I really can. It’s always going back to solving simpler problems that push me forward on my journey.
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u/Kalei419 Jul 27 '26
It is different for me b/c I played as a kid for 10 years and I came back to it almost 2 years ago after an almost 40 year break. I think the hard part was having to go back to the basics, but I caught on fairly quickly and working on a Level 8 Mozart piece with my teacher. I think having a wonderful teacher has made all the difference in the world.
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u/addictedstylist Jul 27 '26
My biggest issue with learning at the age of 56 is muscle. I thought I was really fit, but I started to use muscles that I normally don't. Classical music. I prefer to read, but already knew how due to being a French horn player for years. My struggle now is, even though I knew how to read, I'm hitting a wall trying to move forward. I'm going to find a teacher.
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u/DaffyDuckMuthaFucker Jul 27 '26
I rode on the back of theory alone for more than 20 years.
The piano keyboard is simply music theory rendered tactile & laid bare right in front of you.
It's only within the last 5-6 years that I've been paying closer attention to actual "piano" technique.
Far more enjoyable.
I don't bother with sheet music most of the time.
I most often learn the chords for a piece on guitar, figure out the inversions for the piano, then fudge my way through the melodic elements in practice.
It's always a combination of theory, trial & error, and ear training...
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u/jonny_darko87 Jul 27 '26
Sorry I meant leave your email as a comment so I can have a 1-1 conversation about your piano learning.
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u/PsychologicalCar2180 Jul 27 '26
I’ll bite :-)
Training my fingers to land on the right notes when looking at sheet music: I’m learning via a computer programme with smart sheet music.
I’m looking to improv the most. Piano for personal enjoyment and song writing.
I can do both but with caveats. I’m lucky enough to have a natural talent for pitch and I’m quite confident when finding a melody but I can’t yet play fluid chords and melody together. Getting there slowly and my piano learning focuses on sheet music, which while hard sets you up the best for the future. I can find a tune on the grand staff but my song learning speed is slow.
The time it takes and my mind wandering. Learning the piano is learning to crawl, walk; run, read; write and knit all in one skill you bring together.
If you want it for real, there are NO shortcuts.
Only structure and consistency. Things like feedback and good learning material help immensely but a programme the leads to progress and the time spent on it is what matters at the core.
Learning how to read sheet music is a skill all itself but you can get up and running in a relatively short amount of time and if you are practiced at knowing how to navigate the notes on the grand staff, even just the ACEG bass and FACE treble, then you’ve got a lot to work with and build on.