Easy Tips To Get Back Into Playing Piano

GETTING BACK INTO PLAYING PIANO

As ubiquitous as after-school sports or dance classes, piano lessons are part of nearly everyone’s childhood. There are always reasons not to get back into playing piano when you are older. We hope this article will reignite your inner musician and get you back playing and learning piano again.

As a child, there’s the thrill of more active pursuits or adventures outdoors and as a teenager and young adult, there’s studies and socializing. By the time you’ve finished college or started working full time, there’s partners, bills, children, bills, pets, bills…

All of this can leave little time for music, but if you have a passion for playing the piano, it’s something that stays with you forever. You can enjoy playing solo or with others, you can express yourself, and provide entertainment to your friends and family at events, formal occasions, parties, and gatherings.

Sometimes, an early experience with a teacher who isn’t the most patient or sympathetic can mar your progress. It can even discourage you from continuing to learn. However, there’s no reason why a bad experience should impede your passion for getting back into playing piano.

There’s no need to stress for exams anymore because the key reason to take up piano again is for fun. Of course, the option to pursue studies more actively is there if you want it, but it is certainly not crucial to your success.

If you learned piano as a child or have played sporadically over the years, you might not be aware of how drastically things have changed for learning.

Contributed by Byron Struck for the Roland Australia Blog

THE TIMES, THEY HAVE A’CHANGED

No longer do you need to cart around piles of sheet music or instructional books. You also don’t have to worry about the pressure of exams that seemed so daunting when you were first learning. Best of all, with the advent of digital pianos, you can tailor your learning to the way that best suits your lifestyle.

You can play at your own pace, learn in your own home and manage your own time to pursue your passion for playing. Even playing for 10 minutes a day can produce noticeable results when you get back into playing.

Technology offers fantastic innovations for learning and playing the piano. Digital sheet music allows thousands of books, scores, pieces, and notes to be stored on a tablet, smartphone or laptop.

Affordable digital keyboards and pianos have developed far beyond the dubious sounding machines of yesteryear. Getting back into learning piano has never been easier, or more importantly, more fun than right now.

TINKLING THE DIGITS

The first place to start when you decide to start playing again is of course at the instrument itself. But let’s consider pianos for a moment. Without a doubt, they are a timeless, beautiful sounding and versatile instrument.

On them, you can play classical pieces by the great composers, smooth and cool jazz, emotive ballads and so much more. They have a rich, full sound and a very wide range to play on. Aesthetically, a piano is also a nice addition to a home. Depending on the model, they can provide a certain elegant, nostalgic feel or a stylish, contemporary vibe.

However, acoustic pianos are not the most portable of instruments. Once they’re moved somewhere, that’s essentially where they have to stay. They can be quite loud too, even when using a soft pedal, which can become an issue for others in the house or the neighbors. Maintenance is also a factor, as we all know that an out of tune piano is akin to nails on a chalkboard.

Here’s where digital pianos can assist. Taking the best parts of what makes a piano appealing and discarding the less desirable aspects, a classy digital piano is the ideal accompaniment to the modern living space.

Intrusive volume isn’t an issue on digital pianos. Built-in speaker systems offer warm, enveloping sound to be set at any level you desire. A headphone connection allows for personal, externally silent playing, while also providing natural, realistic sound with plenty of ambience.

GETTING BACK INTO PLAYING PIANO WHEN YOU ARE OLDER

Of course, simply diving right back into playing isn’t always easy. Finger strength and dexterity can be an issue if you haven’t played for some time. But because digital pianos typically offer variable key touch settings, you can adjust exactly how hard or effortlessly you want to play.

Digital Pianos can also connect to tablets and smartphones via Bluetooth and USB, so you can use apps to assist you. Certain apps, such as Piano Partner 2, allow intuitive learning, whereby the app will play the right or left hand of a piece, while you play the other hand.

Combined with optional speed control, a built in metronome, and automatic page turning, learning a piece “one hand at a time” can allow a very helpful transition into playing it with both hands.

Free apps like PiaScore offer free sheet music, as well as the option to preview pieces of music and linking directly to YouTube clips of performances, enabling you to watch a piece being played.

Some digital pianos with built-in speakers also have the option to record your playing, allowing you to hear mistakes. They can also play your favorite songs, allowing you to join in or simply listen as you would a home stereo system!

These are just a few ways and reasons why it’s never too late to get back into playing piano. The following articles can assist you in deciding on which digital piano is right for you. Using intuitive and easy to use apps will help you progress quite quickly. Happy playing!