When I started playing the piano, I was very young (seven years old). I did not think about whether or not it would be easy or hard to learn how to play. It was what it was. But, if you really need to know the answer to the question, “is learning to play piano hard”, then continue reading to find out!
Is learning to play the piano hard? No. learning to play the
piano is not hard, if you are amateur. However, playing the piano as a
professional performer is a different story.
If you are a novice, you can make some mistakes here and there when you are performing for family and friends. They will not criticize you. You will receive applause from people who love you regardless of your ability. However, when you are a professional who makes mistakes on stage, it will not be forgiven by the public (or the press) so easily. They will ridicule you and ‘eat you alive’ while you are still on stage!
So, if you are planning to play some songs next Sunday, just for fun, it should not be that difficult. However, if you have broader plans like attending Juilliard, for example, that could be a challenge and will require a sufficient amount of effort.
The key to becoming an excellent piano player is the number of hours you put into practice. If you are going to be easy on yourself and practice only ten minutes a week, your family will still love you no matter how you play, but you will not advance in your skill level.
The question remains, however, “are you going to be satisfied with the results”? The serious piano player practices six to ten hours a day to become a successful professional. This does not mean that you need to practice that much if you want to play the piano simply for enjoyment. As a beginner/ amateur, an hour a day should be sufficient to become an average piano player.
The other important factor when practicing the piano is concentration. You cannot be practicing an instrument and think about something else, like what you are going to wear on Friday night. Then you may as well not be practicing at all. So make sure you put other thoughts aside when you sit at the piano to practice. It is better to practice with full concentration for ten minutes than it is to be semi-concentrating while practicing for two hours.
So, Is it Easy to Learn Piano?
There are two answers to that question. If you want to be a ‘party animal’ and play some easy songs for your friends or to impress some girls or boys – the answer is yes, it is very easy and you can do it in a month or so. Get some videos online and follow it through and you can be a piano playing party animal in no time!
However, if you want to be a professional or semi-professional piano player, it is not so easy and requires a lot of time, work and sacrifice. But people, it is important to remember, we are a very intelligent species and can do anything we set our minds to, if we are determined enough to succeed.
Can you Learn to Play the Piano at Any Age?
If you are young, you have fewer things on your mind – like how to provide for your family – so it is much easier to learn to play the piano than when you are older. You can focus more on playing an instrument and that makes all the difference. At any age, it is possible to learn new skills and the piano is a skill just like any other.
Do not be discouraged when some people look at you like you are crazy or something for wanting to learn! Just because they may not be able to do it does not mean that you cannot. A positive attitude is essential.
I personally know of many people who have started to play the piano or organ later in life and are doing quite well. Actually, I was attending a class on harmony for organ performers and I was the youngest (twelve years old at that time) person there! It was a one-year course, once a week on Saturday. Everyone else was in their thirties, forties or even fifties, with no skills whatsoever.
We began by first learning the keyboard layout, then how to read and write notes and then the basics of the harmony. Based on the melody only, we learned which chords to use and when to use them. Everybody finished the course and we all played a concert at the end. So as stated earlier, with proper guidance and self-determination, anyone can learn how to play and when given only a melody, can do it using both hands.
Can You Learn To Play The Piano Also When You Are Older?
Sometimes people have doubts and think that they are too old to learn how to play the piano. And yes, you can learn to play the piano even when you are older. You might not achieve the same results as you would if you were younger, but that does not mean that you will not be successful.
Being older, you probably have more time, which you can use to practice. Most importantly, since you are more mature, it is probably easier for you to concentrate. This is harder to do when you are younger. It may not be as easy for you to achieve full-finger motor skills, however, there is plenty of music pieces that require less speed but are far more advanced in details.
Making beautiful music it is not only about how fast you can play. More importantly, it is how you play the piece. Are you using the entire dynamic range of the piano? Are you slowing down or playing faster when necessary? This is how you make the music unique (and how you make it more interesting to listen to). This is what people appreciate.
It is not only about the ability to play faster than the speed of light! If that were the case, anyone could program a computer or robot to play for them. It is the ability to make a piece of music ‘human’ that makes it beautiful.
How Long Does It Take To Learn a Song On The Piano?
To learn an average song should not take too long. An hour of practice should be sufficient. This depends on the length of the song and the difficulty of the arrangement. If you think you have chosen a piece that may be too difficult to learn than perhaps you should choose an easier arrangement. Your attitude and approach to learning is what matters most.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to learn to play the piano at any age. It is not hard, but it does require time, practice and commitment. A novice player, who plays for friends and family is not the same as a professional pianist, who is under much more pressure to perform perfectly in public.
It is never too late to become the next Chopin if you have the dedication, determination, and love for music that is required. Best of luck in your future music endeavors. Now, off you go to ‘tickle the ivories’!
