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What about skipping the classic part because you're only interested in pop/jazz/blues and don't need to read sheet music but it is an advantage to read chord sheet. The vast majority of piano beginners quit because they were forced down the classic path and completely lost interest because it takes 2 years to play a complex classic piece when they could have learned hundreds of contemporary popular songs that they could play at parties family gatherings and even church. I understand that reading sheet music is important if you go down the classic path but what percentage is that that will succeed (maybe 0.5%). Hardly anyone. The guys that are addressing this like the dude from Piano in 21 days will eventually clean up in my opinion.
I think the first thing a piano teacher needs to find out what the student wants to accomplish with their piano experience. If it is to develop a classical education then fine go that route with all that that entails. If it is to be able to jam with their friends or family or as part of a band then scratch all the pre-classical training and get them familiar with all the basic chords and they can start to see progress very quickly and won't be discouraged and give up. More and more people are entering the piano music world because of the quality of digital pianos over the last decade. You no longer have to fork over $1000s of dollars for an acoustic piano anymore as the quality of the likes of Roland or Yamaha's digital concert piano samplings are more than sufficient as a cheaper replacement for the much more expensive acoustic upright and grand pianos.
I am now 72 years old. When I was a child I REALLY wanted to learn to play the piano. I was fascinated with the ability of accomplished people I saw playing piano on television. I begged to learn to play. Back in those days (the 1950’s) there were no electronic keyboards. You had to have a real acoustic piano. My parents just could not afford it. I thought it was cruel fate that I had friends who had a piano, they hated it, but their mother made them practice anyway. To my parents' credit, they did get me a trombone and a few private lessons. I did well earning some awards in solo recitals. I also played first chair in our high school band. I learned the bass clef very well with the trombone. I finally retired from working at 71 years of age. I purchased an electronic keyboard, purchased your on-line lessons, Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano books and got to work. I practice 7 days a week for at least an hour. I find the time flies by. It is truly a Zen experience. I have not lost the love or the desire to learn this instrument and am so thankful that I now have the time (being retired) and the ability to finally learn. So, I guess that would make me a “motivated hobbyist”. I’m very happy with that.
HI Steve Your comment on how time flies by is so true for me . Unlike yourself I was a total a novice with anything musical , after learning a little about how to read music through watching Tims videos I then bought myself a keyboard and started my journey, Great to hear your story which is very sadly to common these days ie I think ALL kids should be giving the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. I now relax by getting ZENED out trying to learn the piano. All the best .
@@MKisJ MKisJ: I purchased a Yamaha P-125. I looked at and evaluated several keyboards before settling on the Yamaha. I made the purchase about a year and a half ago. I got a bundle which also included a stand and a bench seat. I also purchased a dust cover separately for the keyboard. All items worked out very well for me. The P-125 was not on the absolute cheap end of the spectrum nor was it overly expensive - it hit nicely in the middle. I am very happy with the purchase. I have played it nearly every day for a year and a half. The sound is good, the feel is good, it is easily portable - it is working out very nicely for me. When comparing similarly priced keyboards by several makers there are many features to consider. No single keyboard scored at the top on all features, but the Yamaha scored the best in my opinion. I have not regretted the purchase and would make the same choice again. A nice feature of the Yamaha P-125 is the ability to connect an Apple iPad to it through a USB interface. I downloaded a note-reading app onto the iPad and practice every day doing rapid note reading on the grand staff. The iPad detects (through the USB interface) whether or not I hit the correct note and scores me on accuracy and speed. It has really helped me in my sight-reading training. Good luck with your decision!
Its taken me probably 8 years to reach that hobbyist level. I spent far less than 7 days a week studying, it was very off and on, and I only had a piano teacher through a course in highschool. So almost everything I have learned, including all of the theory, has been self taught from books. Anyone who may read this, dont let anything hold you back from learning. Not lack money for a teacher, or lack of money for a quality keyboard, or not enough time after work/school, every little bit counts and soon you will look back on your decision and be happy you chose to learn!!!
Woow that's awesome good for you.. I am kinda beginner (have started 10 years ago for 2 years then stoped and forgot most of it so 😅) Pls can u give me a few sources where i can learn how to play piano and also music theory, books to download or websites...any thing. And thank h so much ^^
@@souha9208 As for how to just sit down and learn to play, I’d recommend just checking CZcams. Important videos to look for would be on how to read sheet and all the proper hand techniques for playing piano. What books are worth your money depend on what music you want to play. Because all the very very basics of playing piano can be learned on CZcams. It’s the more genre specific stuff that you may want to turn to books for. I play exclusively jazz piano and my favorite book that I used was The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine. It goes over all but the very basics of harmony and theory in jazz. It will go over important beginner things for theory, like the circle of fifths, different scales and modes, chords and their extensions. These things can be applied to other genres as well. CZcams channels I watch (they are all very Jazz focused): Noah Kellman, PianoPig, Aimee Nolte, Pianogroove.
Than u so much for your answer and for your time i really appreciate that it was so helpfull.. u remind me of my piano teacher who playrd jazz. Wish u all the best ^^
I'm a hobbyist. Unfortunately i had a stroke about 5 yrs ago and totally forgot everything I learnt and had to start again from the beginning. It's been a long hard slog but I'm definitely improving. My biggest struggle is my left hand playing chords and arpeggios with my left hand which is still quite weak😔
Sorry to hear about your stroke - don't give up though, I know it must be frustrating, but it will be rewarding for you when you reach each goal! All the best!
On the bright side you are very smart to start over, fight through this and motivate yourself to get back to what you lost and then some. Not only will you find it very rewarding as you progress but you are going to be getting great brain rehab and healing. God bless you.
I have a suggestion, the way I built strength in my hand to do arpeggios is by learning songs that you play octaves in the left hand. For example never ending story requires you to go pretty fast alternating between your pinky and thumb on your octave and then learn the piano part for a song like Mess Around by Ray Charles. That will built your strength and then move onto 1,5,1 or 1,5,8 (8 being the other side of the octave) Your hand will get stronger 10x faster using this
At least your mind still functions ok. You can always find pieces with easy LH parts playing 1 note at a time or 2 note intervals instead of chords or arpeggios until you regain LH strength. Someone in the family was diagnosed with dementia and completely lost the ability to play an instrument unfortunately.
Professional. I started my career in 1970 at age 13 when I started giving lessons to neighborhood children , studied piano and pipe organ performance at USC in 1974. Been organist at the same church for 48 years and still teaching private lessons now for 52 years. I have accompanied opera singers, violinists, cellists, and a solo piano concert every once in a while. Just turned 65 and still learning every day. It does take a lifetime so patience is key to success. I started at age 5 and was quite proficient by 13. My private teacher encouraged me to start teaching. Best wishes to everyone in your musical journey.
There's a comment above of somebody saying he only started learning now at age 71 after wanting to learn it all his life. That comment is motivating. You saying "I started at age 5" is, honestly, not. Neither is you saying "It does take a lifetime". I disagree. You still learning new songs, music theory etc. does not mean "it takes a lifetime", it only means that you can improve all your lifetime. Please differenciate.
@@WritersMoment Everyone is entitled to their narrative, he can only give a perspective from his without apology, I appreciate what he had to say, Life is a lifetime.
@@rayaytatatuntatnafurtat2029 I agree. My narrative is, that this does not exactly feel motivating (which I'm simply saying honestly), but I don't mind since I read the other comment. :)
I am 76 and decided to learn piano to keep my mind as sharp as possible. But, now that I have started I find it fascinating and am on the hobbyist road.
I’m a hobbyist, been playing for almost 10 years but never had a teacher or pushed myself to learn technique, music theory was my only strong suit. In the last year I’ve improved so much by going through the fundamentals, I wanna push myself to that professional level. I don’t plan on making it a career, but that’s the skill level I’d love to achieve one day.
Hobbyist. Learned at lot through Tim's classes. Started with an in person instructor several months ago. I am improving but it is S L O W. I've never been challenged like my instructor challenges me. Someday I will hopefully feel like I am a piano player. I'm a struggling wannabe most days. But, motivation is still quite strong.
Keep going Kathy, definitely a marathon and not a sprint. To be able to play even half decent with music reading and correct fingering is about 2 years at 5 hours a week just like he said, and even then you won't be able to play loads of fancy stuff. I can now play lots of Einaudi pieces and the usual Fur Elise and stuff but it was around 3-4 years for me and I'm taking lessons every week.
Thank you for being honest. I want to learn as fast as humanly possible but 3 months in, 7 days a week, a few hours a day, I’m beginning to realize it’s going to take more time than I thought. I’m still going to push my goals. I’m 42 and I want to play NOW.
Patience, you're still young.......just hang in there, early on is tough, then you'll hit a period of rapid growth if you put in the time and effort. That is the normal cycle as you advance, rest assured, you'll never regret it.
Hi Tim. I am a motivated hobbyist, to be sure. I always wondered about how much time I should devote each day for my goal. Now after watching your video, I am clear. I am definitely pleased to hear that one hour a day is enough for me. I play for my own enjoyment and also to keep my brain active..I am highly interested in neuroplasticism.. A few days ago I heard a neurologist talking about how to keep the brain healthy.. She said “I advise you to play the piano “. She said “ learn a new language “. I am very happy to hear that… Because I am playing the piano and I am learning a new language. Arabic… Thats my second hobby..
I aspire to be a professional, solely for classical music.. I recently started playing a few months ago because I fell into the hole of classical music, I have no other music experience but I am so happy now because of it! I’ve been practicing 4-5 hours a day 5-7 days a week and it’s super helpful. Also I think really studying music theory is helpful for beginners but that’s just my opinion, I study science in school so I always learn things best when it’s from that approach
I can say that mastering music theory is super helpful in a couple of ways for a classical pianist: 1. No doubt as a professional pianist you'll probably accompany singers rehearse or perform opera arias and such, where the piano part is often unplayable (or it doesn't actually sound good when played correctly) because the piano transcription has often been made by someone that simply copies the orchestral score down into a piano part without knowledge or care about neither how it actually plays or sounds on a real piano. So frequently you'll have to simplify or alter those things anyway, and thus you need to have a firm grasp what chords and scales and such are appropriate. 2. Singers might occasionally want you to change the key on a piece, so it's useful to be able to transpose a piece. 3. Also, you are occasionally expected to improvise introductions or endings if the singer/soloist, have decided to only sing part of an aria/piece and/or the "real" introduction/ending is very long. Especially in settings such as accompanying students on lessons, or singers on a wedding or such things. Again, you need a firm grasp on music theory to be able to do that. 4. If you get lost in a piece that you play by heart, it's nice to be able to improvise something fitting to either end it or get back to something familiar. And as a church musician I frequently have to end pieces early or keep them going for much longer than they are depending on some other factor that I'm not in control over, like for example how long the communion takes or how long it takes the wedding couple to walk down the aisle, or how long it takes for the guys who are supposed to carry the coffin away to show up or whatever. 5. If you play early music that involves figured bass, again you often see the same problem as with opera transcriptions, they are often made to look good theoretically on paper by someone that doesn't know how it actually plays and sounds on a piano, so you'll frequently feel the urge to alter it, and you are free to do so since the written piano score, except the bass line, isn't actually written by the composer anyway. 6. Music theory makes it easier to memorize stuff.
I started about two years ago. My goal is to master the instrument. I would like to sit down and play like Chopin and Liszt etc with my own feeling and even my personal touch and elaborate on the pieces I play. It’s an amazingly individual journey learning piano.
Started practicing notes and music theory in last August. Bought piano in August after having some sense of the theory. Started practicing, one hand at a time and it. was. challenging. at first. 🤯 Been practicing since then anything between 15 minutes to 3 hours a day 6-7 days a week. Always when there is time. Only when I bought Hanon exercise book things really took off. Practicing Hanons constantly as a beginner has developed everything they promise those will do. Finger control and sense of position and location on keys. Stamina and dexterity - of BOTH hands. 🙌🏻 In addition to Hanons, I practice simple piano songs I like and something more complex, yet doable. After 3-4 months I can read from notes slowly and practice new songs. Would call myself a "motivated hobbyist". Your videos have given me many good ideas for practicing and technique ideas. One of the best is how to read chords fast. Thank you so much for making the videos! 😄
Motivated hobbyist purely for my own enjoyment, always loved the piano, had a keyboard most my life, just never spent the time to learn, now 43 and find I have far more patience so just started my journey, got a Yamaha P-45 a couple of months back and been playing every day 1-4 hours since, love it so much and don't care how long it takes.
Took me 1 month and 2 weeks to fully learn chopin nocturn in e flat major and I was a total beginner I'm 15 now and I can play hard pieces such as la campanella, moonlight sonata 3rd movement. Etc practiced 7 hours every single day for a whole year. hard work will get you far.
I've been playing for a year and started lessons 2 months ago. My biggest improvement came when he put Bach Prélude in C in front of me without all the notes written in above the staff, and I had to read the notes. So I dived into learning sightreading, and voilà. I'm still not at a Grade 1 level, but I'm getting there. Tim has many great videos about this. I want to be like my Mom, who bought a piano at 65 yoa and played for another 20 years. I remember listening to her in her 80s and she played a decent level, without You Tube.
I struggle with finger substitutions when reading a score. When to use what fingers and why are what I need to understand. I really appreciated your clarity in your instructions, Tim. Thank you!
I began playing piano when I was 6yrs old and I’m now 19. For 13 years I’ve played the piano, and my biggest regret is putting the pieces I’ve learnt to play behind me when learning new ones. A tip for anyone starting up is to never let go of the pieces you learn, because I did, and nowadays, I can only play a handful...
@@Bvic3 Absolutely, I find myself looking over past pieces and sometimes instead of thinking about it too much, I just let my hands go and muscle memory helps me remember it.
Motivated hobbyist into it for my own enjoyment. and to maintain mental and physical dexterity as I get older. I've also developed a greater appreciation for the music I enjoy listening to. Have been playing almost 8 years; first 4 taking group lessons and self directed for the last 4. Recently started taking your intermediate course which is helping cement my knowledge and skills. The key is practice, practice, practice.
I’m a “dedicated hobbyist”. At 73, I practice for at least an hour 6 days a week plus have a 1/2 hour private lesson each week. We use the Alfred 1 book which I find very well thought out. My teacher is amazing. I’m now near the end of the book after 20 months and it takes 2 to 4 weeks to learn a piece. My biggest challenge is not comparing my rate of learning with others. I’m making progress and my enthusiasm has grown stronger. I play a Roland FP-10 which serves me well. At school I play a Yamaha electronic piano.
Hobbiest...had my first recital at age 54.. after a year and a half of lessons... I was very nervous at my recital and by hands were shaking and felt like sausages but I pushed through the recital and was glad I did it.. I'm continuing to do piano because I am trying to improve myself and things I've never tried before and my children are grown up and I have time to practice.. it's more of a self-love thing.. at first it was kind of hard because it's hard to read music for me but now I'm able to see the music and play.. I just keep challenging myself different songs I enjoy and I'm getting faster at learning them.. it took 3 days to learn fur Elise.. where before I worked on the song for 9 months before I had it down... Going to keep playing I figure in 5 years I'll be really good ❤️
Why watching stop here? Make sure to check out my catalog of videos! Piano Practice Strategy bit.ly/piano-practice-strats Two Hand Playing bit.ly/twohandpianolessons Playing Mistakes to Watch Out For bit.ly/PianoMistakesList Reading Music bit.ly/notereadstrats Rhythm Counting Strategies bit.ly/RhythmStratsList Music Theory bit.ly/musictheorypiano Course for Getting Started bit.ly/homepianocourse
Determined hobbyist, and I’ll see where it leads from there. I’ve had a love of and appreciation for music and the piano for most of my life. I’m 56 and still a beginner, just more determined, focused and relaxed about it. I had set for myself unrealistic goals in the past which is why I never could stick with it, I always felt I wasn’t progressing fast enough. Now from the higher hill of my middle age I’m ready to take the necessary journey however long it takes. I set myself a time frame, before seeing your video, of about 2-3 years for reasonable proficiency. I practice about an hour every day, and weekends 2-3 hours a day in sessions throughout the day. When I have more time away from the day job I put that time into my piano (a Yamaha P-125 with 88 weighted keys as I know that is important to proper learning). Thank you for posting this and reinforcing my time frame of 2-3 years.
Motivated hobbyist in my late 60s. Age DEFINITELY makes a difference. I have been trying to learn on my own for the last 5 years. I don't learn in my 60s like I did in my 20s. I don't have the human growth hormone I had when I was younger, so I don't develop the muscles in the fingers and hands as fast as a younger man (or woman). Plus I have had 4 hand surgeries for Dupuytren's Contracture so my hands are no longer the hands of a younger man. Sure, I can still learn and improve and have fun and I am. But I have to be realistic with myself and my goals. It would be like if I took up skiing at my age. I could still learn to ski, but not as quickly as someone in their 20s and I would never ultimately get as good at it as I could have in my 20s. But, not complaining, it beats the alternative! (lol)
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I'm in my late 40s and just started learning to play piano in late November 2023. I'm a Motivated Hobbyist. Thank you for this video! I have been using an instructional book for adult beginners, CZcams videos, and trying to practice at least a little while every day. There were a few weeks I didn't due to a vacation and due to exhaustion caused by work stress. I have branched out to other easy beginners pieces outside of the instructional book because I found myself getting a bit bored. Now I feel like I can get back to the books, which I'm almost done with part 1 of 2 of the 2 beginner's books. All the piano teachers locally only have time slots available for kids after school or for retired adults...thus why I'm using books and videos. So I've been trying to find videos with realistic progress ideals for beginners to gauge my progress. The last few months I have been recording audio of my progress and to hear how it sounds more objectively. I found another channel, finally, with a woman like me who started playing in her 40s who also works. She's had actual piano lessons; and I feel like compared to her, I'm making good progress. Every other progress video I've found seemed to be made by musical prodigies. That is cool for them, but was making me feel like I was lagging behind. So thank you to you as well for giving the truth about how long it takes to learn piano. I have subscribed to your channel. 🙂
I'm giving myself 20 years to learn the organ for being a music director at church when I might get bored with tree work. I'm 31 years old now, and I practice the piano and organ 2-5 hours a day. My biggest challenge is motivating myself to learn new pieces because I kindof suck at sight reading. But I'm very good at locking in music pieces into my memory!
We are very blessed to have all the videos on CZcams that teach you how to play. There is so much that we can learn and it's right at the tips of our fingers. So, you can definitely teach yourself how to play the piano.....to a certain extent. However, you want to make sure you're learning the right way. There's a certain order in which to learn different things. It's best not to get ahead of yourself. If you're going to learn online, the courses are usually the best way to do it, as opposed to the channels that have just a few clips showing you how to play a certain song, or technique. It's better to have a good teacher that will show you step by step what you need to practice on. Because, it may very we be that you're not learning anymore once you've reached a certain plateau and you're just playing the same stuff over and over. There are a lot of free courses as well. But, sometimes it may be worth paying for lessons if you want to get professional teaching.
Sorry to “encourage” you watchers but this just is not true. Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and even Silent Night can be taught in a day. Now if you are referring to reading music then maybe a week. But playing? A day max.
An instrument in general is a life time thing. There's no limit. You learn every day. Even for professionals. If we talk about classical genre alone. It would take about 40-50 years to learn all pieces. I don't even know if that's even enough to master every single piece. Just learning is one thing. My goal is to have a decent repertoire. Im able to have fun, got a good ear and im satisfied with my level. Im not pushing to be a pro but I don't wanna struggle too much. I practice daily and i do follow a classical routine because for me personally. That's the fastest way to get better.
Casual with hopes of being a hobbyist. Like many others here in the comments, I'm in my 70s and wished I had taken lessons years ago. I've been taking online lessons for a little over a year, and my progress is slow. Still having hand independence issues and I get discouraged but keep trying. If I practice one piece for 2 or 3 weeks, I get comfortable with it, then move on to the next lesson. But If I try to play that lesson a month later, I've forgotten most of it and it's like starting all over. I know there is no "secret" but I wish I got better faster. I practice 60-90 minutes at least 5 days a week and I feel like I would make more progress if I practiced 8 hours a day, but I have other interests. It's still fun though, so I will keep at it.
I’ve been playing piano almost daily for around 5-7 month and I would say I’m a hobbyist, I just learn pieces I love the sound of hard or not and will sit for hours on end sometimes 4 hours max just going at it til I’m happy with the outcome, I’ve realised lately that songs I’d not look twice at when I started I now have no problem learning within a day or 2 of practice, my dream is to one day have a real piano instead of a keyboard I thrive to play the pieces I know more beautifully, most recent song I’ve learned is je te laisserai des mots, it’s a French song but I also learned the lyrics, my favourite piece at the moment
I am 69yo I have played several instruments over the years. But piano has always been on my bucket list. But I realized I needed the theory first. Right now I am concentrating on Theory and scales. Understanding the theory, not only with piano, but the other instruments I have played. I am retired, so I practice 1hr twice a day. If I get frustrated or tired, I stop immediately, and start again in my next practice session. It keeps my interest high. I found, if you are frstratustrated or tired, you will make more mistakes and diminish your confidence. You have great content on this channel!
Thank-you! I have recently taken up playing piano and I was struggling to articulate my goals. From your descriptions in this video I am confident my goal is to be a motivated hobbyist. This really clarifies my aims for piano, thank-you!
I'm turning 18 in a 3 months, and I've been playing piano for almost 13 years now. After spending 10 years on classical piano, I shifted my attention to jazz among other genres, along with composition and songwriting. I don't practice tons everyday, but simply engaging with music for such a large portion of my life has helped me to understand this instrument a bit better. I find that the best part about piano is its flexibility, that you can branch out to work with almost any western genre, be it performance or composition.
Lucky u got into playing at a young age (around 5). I wasn't ready for piano until I'm in my mid-30s. Wish I had the talent to start much earlier. Anyway, I practice almost everyday and enjoy every minute playing music.
@@thepianoplayer416 Just listened to some of your playing - I'm not sure how long you've been playing for, but you've made pretty significant progress! Best of luck to you, fellow piano-enjoyer :D
@@chuukki At some point I suffered from stress at work and had personal issues. I needed a balance in life and getting into piano playing was a lifesaver. Once I watched a man doing easy songs on a keyboard who said adults can learn piano. Got a keyboard and never looked back. The attitude of family members wasn't positive. The people around know I played violin in school and assumed it's my main instrument and my only 1 since it's too late to start something new. The fact that people in the family passed conservatory exams didn't bother me. They stopped playing piano years ago while I still practice an hour a day. Many still think of me as a violinist from my school days. I'm comfortable playing a few pieces on a public piano while my cousins who got their Gr.5 piano have certificates on the wall. They're not comfortable playing in front of people.
@@chuukki Learning piano is a long & never-ending process. During 2 years of pandemic lockdown, can't do without my keyboard & my music. It's stressful listening to bad news all the time. Sometimes I get into playing an advanced piece because I like the challenge. Partly because there is an expectation people my age are too old to be starting piano / playing beginner pieces. People in the family who took lessons before don't even play some of the pieces I get into.
I'm definitely a motivated hobbyist.. i've taken up the piano after a lifetime of loving music.. our family couldn't afford a piano when i grew up.. and i diverted into choir and musical theatre, learning pieces by ear.. now have the resources, time and space.. and with the progression of amazing and affordable electric piano's i've started on this journey.. and i'm averaging 5 practice days a week, 30 minutes to an hour.. my goals.. all of the ones you stated plus being able to play and improvise on the 12 bar blues...
I would be in between a casual player and hobbyist. I would like to get back into playing music. Im interested in learning to play piano. I played saxophone in hs and i picked that up rather quickly.
Motivated hobbiest. Have played by ear for years, and now want to learn all the theory and explore more sheet music. I'm gaining confidence with Simply Piano and have bought Piano Adventures Adult course books and practicebooks, for deeper understanding.
I probably am a motivated hobbyist. I've been wanting to learn the piano ever since I was a teen, but the older I got, the less I felt motivated to actually really start because I thought it was too late to ever wish to get good. Well, here I am now a few years later. I've changed my mind and have decided that I don't care anymore about it "being too late" or not, I just want to play because I love music and I love the instrument :) Thanks for providing us with such helpful tips!
started as a hobbiest but slipped back to casual. I feel i need help with structuring my practice ie Having a folder that I can go to that takes me through all the steps in a format I can systematically go through which encompasses everything from scales, theory, sight reading , exercises to learning a new piece would be priceless for me because I have never felt so engaged with any other interest as i have when learning piano. The best way I can describe it is time dissolves before i know it I have been sitting for 4-5 hours but it feels like an hour , its the most amazing feeling . For me I know I just need a structure a routine, While your courses maybe have everything you need , I need it all decompartmentalized and spliced within each other to not get bogged down or distracted with any one subject . Simply put read this watch this. practice this, then move on to this when you've hit this target or level or speed etc
Some good points there. Maybe there is a market niche for a guide like that. I feel exactly like that. How to structure my practice and approach to make best use of my practice. I too find 2 hours has just gone and wonder what did I actually do. Something must be sinking in.
I play only for myself, just for fun. I'm not going to perform in front of people. I enjoy learning to play my favorite classical & pop tunes at Flowkey. Starting my 3rd year, everything kind of fell into place whereas I can sight read most intermediate level music on the piano.
Hobbyist. Started at 40... and 44 now. Ur vid is so true! I started wanting to learn fast and be able to play as a pro! Haha. But no, it's not like that at all. Ended frustrated so eventually managed my expectations. Practiced more regularly the last 2 years (had more time coz of covid) and im currently learning 2 more songs for abrsm gr 3 exam. Hopefully, i can learn and confidently play so i can take exam in April or May.
No no. Don't get discouraged people. I'm a dumb person honestly, slow learning in everything. I dedicated myself to learning river flows through you perfectly in just under a month, not years like he's telling you. If you give yourself 3 hours to clean your house, it will be clean in 3 hours, if you give yourself 3 weeks to clean your house, it will take you 3 weeks.
I am also pleased that my goal isnt to become a professional . That would give me a lot of stress, of which I think is harmful for an elderly person… After I found you on YT. a couple of years ago,I started to learn theory. Now this helps me a lot while I am learning the songs on my own. I can see the progressive is faster. Before I found you, I would mindlessly practise Hanon and Cherny… I was at the piano but my mind wasnt there. Now I practise sightreading and the songs much more.. Thanks a lot for everything.
Yes, years for some of those pieces! Even Fur Elise has that middle section of doom that requires some tenacity and healthy technique! Enjoyed listening in!
I used to play the cello for 6 years, no where near professional. I understand piano will take years for me to master. But I am grateful I am a little ahead since I still have my left hand motor skills from playing the cello and I am right handed. It’s always been my dream to play piano and my goal is to play Yiruma pieces. I cannot wait 🥰
right now, im somewhere in between the motivated hobbyist and professional aspirationalist. i love music, i practice the piano anytime i can but im stuck in between because i only started learning the piano at the age 14 while many professionals out there has been playing since they were like, 5 years old sooo yeah, pretty sad.
I got a piano last year for Christmas. I learned it without a few weeks because I played guitar before. I learned notes and chords and transcribed them to piano. It wasn’t hard but it does get challenging the more complex you make it and the more complex the music is.
I've been a casual for nearly 10 years. I learned a couple pieces and was happy enough to play them regularly for fun, learning a new one every once in a while. Lately I've become more interested in music theory, actually learning to read notes and noting them down, so I guess I'm transitioning towards motivated hobbyist, because one day I want to write a piece on my own. However I have no professional aspirations in this regard whatsoever, aside of maybe posting the finished pieces on CZcams.
I'm a hobbyist, but I'm starting to learn composition now and I'd like to share what I create eventually. I have no expectations that music will earn me a living. I do it because it brings more beauty into my life. I've been playing piano for just over 2 years - it's been a huge challenge. I love music, but I'm not very musical (I don't think of melodic ideas and I've really struggled understanding music theory).
I am 59, and always wanted to learn the organ. My parents did buy us one, but after the first few lessons, we never continued for some reason. My daughter played the piano that my husband and I bought for her from age 5 until 13, when sports took over. I wanted to learn to play it after I retired. But my husband retired first and sold the piano before i could retire. After I did retire, and in Oct. of 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and spent the end of 2020 and half of 2021 recovering from surgeries. I am well now and in August bought myself a keyboard. The keyboard came with online lessons and i have been practicing 1 to 2 hours a day. I love it! Goal - Motivated Hobbyist! I only wish I had started 54 years ago!
Serious Hobbyist here ... i want to read music and then play it. You 'Ball Parking' this is really helpful. I know what i should expect Now, and what i can expect in 2yrs if i keep to it.
I am a hobbyist and on average I practice 2 hours a day. I learned piano as a kid but I was not very motivated back then. Now I started it again and finally have enough dedication.
I been playing for 3/4 weeks I can now play most of Experience, Autre Ete and interstellar. I been teaching myself I play in VR with my mini hook to the headset in app Piano Vision.
I go to the Royal academy of music in London and it’s really really worth taking an extra year to increase and develop your skills as you will find it much less stressful to get through music school and you will preform better.
Hobbyist. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 9 and continued for 6 years. Now I'm 72 and retired and spend 2 or more, sometimes 4 hours a day on the keyboard. I have a Yamaha YPG 235 which I hope to upgrade in time, but for now it's fine.
i just got a keyboard yesterday and i learned happy birthday, we wish you a merry christmas, the intro of only hope and impromptu op 90 no 4 it's a fast piano piece and im already moderately fast now. i even figured out rudolf the red nose reindeer by sound on my own
I'm a motivated hobbyist. I always wanted to learn piano and be able to read sheet music. I mainly want to be able to play to entertain myself and my family. I was in chorus and choir in high school (many, many years ago) and always sat near our piano accompanist. She was only 16 years old and was such an excellent sight reader. Granted, she had probably been studying piano since second grade, but I aspire to be like her. My sisters and I love to sing and I think it would be really cool to develop the skills to play piano accompaniment as well as the soprano I and II and alto voice parts, so we could learn songs and sing together. I have been studying with another online teacher and he's a good one, but I think he gives students pieces to practice that are too far above the students' abilities at a given point. I liken it to going from arithmetic to algebra with no bridge to the higher skill and development and understanding of it. I have been frustrated frequently because I feel that my progress has stalled. I'm at the point where I'm starting to learn about intervals and playing little songs using them. In the course I'm taking, the teacher has jumps from one interval to the next. He has also instructed that we not look at our hands, but keep our eyes glued to the music, which I've adhered to. I just don't think I'm ready to jump around the keyboard yet. The assignments seem to be above the level of the lesson level. I found you on the web out of frustration and wanting a clear explanation of topics and skill development.
Asking how long it takes to learn piano is like asking how long a piece of string. I'm rubbish at music theory but My piano in My music sounds like it's made by a top professional. I just play by sound and record its midi and then fix any notes I dont like. Piano is in about 80% of My music. I can play My own compositions by memory and ear. I just remember where by fingers should be on the keyboard to play.
A very difficult instrument. I've been playing for about 10 years. Very slow progress , if compared to a guitar , when after 5 years I would call myself a semi-professional guitarist. Talking about the piano I've chosen mainly boogie-woogie, rock-n-roll and pop-rock and yet, it's difficult and frustrating at times. My inspration was Ray Manzarek from the Doors.
Hobbyist for me, I'm 26 so I'd have to go a long way before I got to the professional level ( and I don't even own a piano yet ) I would love to be good enough to play with others, I've played guitar on and off for 8 years and I feel I've learnt all I wanted to learn on guitar so my progress has plateaued, I've been thinking about picking up a new instrument for a couple of years so I've chosen piano. It is a sort of bucket list thing for me to play for an audience at least once in my life, I'm not a good enough guitarist to play Infront of anyone who I don't know. Listening to classical music and piano sections in other songs has reignited the flame for me to learn new music again. Fortunately, having learnt guitar I know to expect brick walls and hurdles to jump and not to expect constant day after day improvement, hopefully some of what I know will transfer over, and learning piano will finally give me the much needed kick up the backside to learn music theory and read sheet music.
Motivated Hobbyist. I am on a dedicated path of improvement! I have a dedicated practice journal and use it to plan practices. I am able to learn on my own-researching when needed. Practice is sporadic, being an active retiree who has other hobbies as well. I had piano lessons as a child, played for Sunday School, taught lessons through the years and now am newly motivated to become the “ well rounded” musician. Problems are many though. I cannot memorize. So, away from home, I can play nothing. I am drilling through the Scales and Chords book to get smoother and drilling “technical sections” to improve accuracy at home, but my repertoire is lacking. Suggestions?
What a great video. Began piano with lessons 7 months ago. Knowing music and playing saxophone when I was younger definitely helped learn quicker. Struggle with Bass clef after 10 years of only reading treble.
I started learning the piano with the goal to play stuff like March turka e. g. Figured I had to start the theory first because I not only wanted to learn a piece from a CZcams tutorial but being able to read the notes myself from sheet music. So I started doing that. After month of learning from books and CZcams I can now say that I can read sheed music,but my technique is far away from being able to play all the complex stuff. I know chords and how they work from playing guitar for many years and so I started playing my favorite pop/rock/balad songs from e. g. guitar tabs universe. I relized that this is so much fun and now I see myself (happily) stuck at the level, where I can play any song I want with cords, sing to it and if not singing, figure out how to play the melody to the chords. I'm not motivated to earn learn the stuff like Turkish March anymore, as it is so much more enjoyable to hear a new song in the radio, sit at the piano on the evening and just play that new song. On my way to that I watched a lot of your videos on scales and so on and I wanna thank you (and other youtubers) that you brought me to that state.
A way to speed up the process is by learning different styles at ones. For example I teach Tango, but all the material works for any lead sheet. Pair that with Classical technique and some Jazz and you will profile half the time it takes! Good luck!
I’m on no timeline, but do play hours a day, usually 6 days a week. Music school is a pipe dream. Makes me sad. But, still without a degree I am impressing my friends. But I want more. I buy hard arrangements because they all teach me something. The passion burns like a forest fire. At 62, I just want to keep learning! Last week, I played 6 hours on one day. I want to be proficient.
Piano is the third instrument I'm adding to my arsenal though I don't have any real goals really. Just enjoy learning and the process. Really enjoy your vids Tim, I've learned a lot. Thanks and cheers! However long it takes to get there, who cares, I just know eventually I will
Rocking my Yamaha PSR-160 recently almost everyday. It has the perfect looks for the level I am on - I did get Volca FM to make it sound pleasant because if I am gonna listen to something for hours let it be proper FM synthesis and not cheap FM with cheap samples. I also got Minilogue synthesizer and want to make music with it. Its fun to just improvise and actual piano skills needed for what I want isn't exactly Chopin level but it would still be nice to be actually avoid filling note spreadsheets in DAWs and even in parts and with some corrections (like note aligning, moving misplayed notes, etc) but still mostly playing it on keyboard. Having some basic keyboard skills to use synths is I guess one of the common use case these days with synthesizers not being very expensive (unless someone wants to have vintage Moog or something) and fun hobby.
I'm 13 and currently at around abrsm grade 4 in theory, and I'm confident im at around grade 4 at playing the piano, I aspire to be a professional 😌 🙌. Currently spending 1 hour per day on theory and 4 hours a day playing my favourite songs to keep me motivated. I learn quite quickly but need to work a little more on irregular time signatures. I hope I can do it!
He's not wrong. You can't learn to play the piano in just 7 days. I've been teaching myself how to play since I was 15 years old. I'm 38 now, and I'm still learning. I need to get back to practicing, because I let life get in the way. In short, practice practice practice.
Very interesting Tim. I was unfortunately born with a certain ' gift ' which has been more of a curse . From the age of 4 l played as my mother termed "proper tunes". I played 'by ear' nearly all the time. I replicated Rhacmaninov, Debussy, Gershwin et al constantly. I played ' duets' with a girl taking her concert degree who said " l wish l could do that!". But in all this l DID NOT POSSESS the trained technique nor theory which would liberate what was in my head. That has been a genuine curse. I left the keyboard alone for 25 years. Now l have gently lifted the lid if my baby Grand and although it is badly in need of tuning, l have started to regain a feel for playing. I always aspired to the concert platform as from childhood. This is a kind of confessional for those alike myself. Those who have Prokofiev in their pianistic head like a well known poem but cannot transfer to the keyboard simply because the technical know how evades them. I have embarked upon Hanon and will see ( at 74) what happens. I respect your honesty in stating the realistic time scale to achieve certain levels of ability. As a schoolboy l was asked to play hyms in assembly. I did so rather nervously. Then when the assembly filed out l would play 'by ear' or muddle through a piece of Chopin. Girls told me years later that they would hang around near the hall door to listen to what l was playing. They thought l was gifted. I knew the truth as l do now. I know precisely that the reality has no short cuts and practice - a lot of practice - is a must. So I'll see what happens. Thank you Tim for, in a way, motivating that move by all you have said.
I’m a professional. I started late at the age of 14 but I was motivated and had good teachers. I accompany full time for a living and play for a college. I’m by far not the best player to this day but there is always more to learn and I am not afraid to make myself uncomfortable to grow. Sink or swim situations made me learn a lot faster. That’s my advice. When I first started playing in the jazz band in high school I didn’t know hardly anything but I got good real fast. I had no choice😅
52 y/o adult learner. I would say i fall into the hobbyist category. Been taking lessons for almost 3 months and absolutely love it. Practice every day for at least 30 min.Love your channel by the way, have already learned alot 🎹👍
Hobbyist! ☺️ , ❤️ your channel! I played for a short period when I was younger but, it’s been just a couple of years now that I have picked it back up and practicing daily. I record all the songs I’m learning, makes a big difference with improvement. this was one of your tips too, so thanks again!!
But isn’t there a fourth category between hobbyist and professional eg someone who plays in a band or performs just not at that elite level? And if you teach piano and sometimes perform.
I've been practicing piano every day, with a teacher, for 3 years. I couldn't learn Fur Elise in a month. I feel like I can barely do early intermediate pieces. It's just my personal experience but it feels like 5 years locks you in to "squarely intermediate" and "able to play 'respectable' non-trivial repertoire." Maybe I'm just a slow learner though.
I actually read through the comments before watching the video, but now I’ve watched half of it and realise there is no need to watch the rest because this guy is saying nothing. What does he mean it takes 7 hours a week for 2 years to learn pieces on your own? How would you learn them up until that point? 2.5 hours a week and you can learn Fur Elise in a month? After how many years?
I can play Etude op 10 no 3 “Tristesse” through interpretation skill and relaxation. It didn’t take me that long to actually do it but I self taught though soundtracks of how to play for example Prelude in C sharp minor and eventually improve tempo. I also learned how to improve tempo on Etude op 10 no 2 “Chromatic” and extend songs.
Thank you for this! I am a beginner, but my son is a prodigy; I laughed when you said if you are a prodigy, you will probably get in right away because that is precisely what happened when he got right into Berklee.
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I was thinking about in two hours
What about skipping the classic part because you're only interested in pop/jazz/blues and don't need to read sheet music but it is an advantage to read chord sheet. The vast majority of piano beginners quit because they were forced down the classic path and completely lost interest because it takes 2 years to play a complex classic piece when they could have learned hundreds of contemporary popular songs that they could play at parties family gatherings and even church. I understand that reading sheet music is important if you go down the classic path but what percentage is that that will succeed (maybe 0.5%). Hardly anyone. The guys that are addressing this like the dude from Piano in 21 days will eventually clean up in my opinion.
I think the first thing a piano teacher needs to find out what the student wants to accomplish with their piano experience. If it is to develop a classical education then fine go that route with all that that entails. If it is to be able to jam with their friends or family or as part of a band then scratch all the pre-classical training and get them familiar with all the basic chords and they can start to see progress very quickly and won't be discouraged and give up. More and more people are entering the piano music world because of the quality of digital pianos over the last decade. You no longer have to fork over $1000s of dollars for an acoustic piano anymore as the quality of the likes of Roland or Yamaha's digital concert piano samplings are more than sufficient as a cheaper replacement for the much more expensive acoustic upright and grand pianos.
I am now 72 years old. When I was a child I REALLY wanted to learn to play the piano. I was fascinated with the ability of accomplished people I saw playing piano on television. I begged to learn to play. Back in those days (the 1950’s) there were no electronic keyboards. You had to have a real acoustic piano. My parents just could not afford it. I thought it was cruel fate that I had friends who had a piano, they hated it, but their mother made them practice anyway. To my parents' credit, they did get me a trombone and a few private lessons. I did well earning some awards in solo recitals. I also played first chair in our high school band. I learned the bass clef very well with the trombone. I finally retired from working at 71 years of age. I purchased an electronic keyboard, purchased your on-line lessons, Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano books and got to work. I practice 7 days a week for at least an hour. I find the time flies by. It is truly a Zen experience. I have not lost the love or the desire to learn this instrument and am so thankful that I now have the time (being retired) and the ability to finally learn. So, I guess that would make me a “motivated hobbyist”. I’m very happy with that.
❤️
HI Steve Your comment on how time flies by is so true for me . Unlike yourself I was a total a novice with anything musical , after learning a little about how to read music through watching
Tims videos I then bought myself a keyboard and started my journey, Great to hear your story which is very sadly to common these days ie I think ALL kids should be giving the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. I now relax by getting ZENED out trying to learn the piano. All the best .
Never too late! Just started violin at 30. I won’t let those 9 year old prodigies hit my self esteem like the piano prodigies did when I was a lad.
hi Steve, i'm looking to buy a new keyboard which one did you purchase and how do you like it?
@@MKisJ MKisJ: I purchased a Yamaha P-125. I looked at and evaluated several keyboards before settling on the Yamaha. I made the purchase about a year and a half ago. I got a bundle which also included a stand and a bench seat. I also purchased a dust cover separately for the keyboard. All items worked out very well for me. The P-125 was not on the absolute cheap end of the spectrum nor was it overly expensive - it hit nicely in the middle. I am very happy with the purchase. I have played it nearly every day for a year and a half. The sound is good, the feel is good, it is easily portable - it is working out very nicely for me. When comparing similarly priced keyboards by several makers there are many features to consider. No single keyboard scored at the top on all features, but the Yamaha scored the best in my opinion. I have not regretted the purchase and would make the same choice again. A nice feature of the Yamaha P-125 is the ability to connect an Apple iPad to it through a USB interface. I downloaded a note-reading app onto the iPad and practice every day doing rapid note reading on the grand staff. The iPad detects (through the USB interface) whether or not I hit the correct note and scores me on accuracy and speed. It has really helped me in my sight-reading training.
Good luck with your decision!
Its taken me probably 8 years to reach that hobbyist level. I spent far less than 7 days a week studying, it was very off and on, and I only had a piano teacher through a course in highschool. So almost everything I have learned, including all of the theory, has been self taught from books. Anyone who may read this, dont let anything hold you back from learning. Not lack money for a teacher, or lack of money for a quality keyboard, or not enough time after work/school, every little bit counts and soon you will look back on your decision and be happy you chose to learn!!!
Woow that's awesome good for you.. I am kinda beginner (have started 10 years ago for 2 years then stoped and forgot most of it so 😅) Pls can u give me a few sources where i can learn how to play piano and also music theory, books to download or websites...any thing. And thank h so much ^^
@@souha9208 As for how to just sit down and learn to play, I’d recommend just checking CZcams. Important videos to look for would be on how to read sheet and all the proper hand techniques for playing piano. What books are worth your money depend on what music you want to play. Because all the very very basics of playing piano can be learned on CZcams. It’s the more genre specific stuff that you may want to turn to books for.
I play exclusively jazz piano and my favorite book that I used was The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine. It goes over all but the very basics of harmony and theory in jazz. It will go over important beginner things for theory, like the circle of fifths, different scales and modes, chords and their extensions. These things can be applied to other genres as well.
CZcams channels I watch (they are all very Jazz focused): Noah Kellman, PianoPig, Aimee Nolte, Pianogroove.
Than u so much for your answer and for your time i really appreciate that it was so helpfull.. u remind me of my piano teacher who playrd jazz. Wish u all the best ^^
What books would you suggest for self study?
It took me about 3 years. Didn't have keyboards, CZcams, apps, etc. back then so it took time to learn.
I'm a hobbyist. Unfortunately i had a stroke about 5 yrs ago and totally forgot everything I learnt and had to start again from the beginning. It's been a long hard slog but I'm definitely improving. My biggest struggle is my left hand playing chords and arpeggios with my left hand which is still quite weak😔
Sorry to hear about your stroke - don't give up though, I know it must be frustrating, but it will be rewarding for you when you reach each goal!
All the best!
On the bright side you are very smart to start over, fight through this and motivate yourself to get back to what you lost and then some. Not only will you find it very rewarding as you progress but you are going to be getting great brain rehab and healing. God bless you.
Sorry to hear about your stroke. Hope things will get better for you
I have a suggestion, the way I built strength in my hand to do arpeggios is by learning songs that you play octaves in the left hand. For example never ending story requires you to go pretty fast alternating between your pinky and thumb on your octave and then learn the piano part for a song like Mess Around by Ray Charles. That will built your strength and then move onto 1,5,1 or 1,5,8 (8 being the other side of the octave) Your hand will get stronger 10x faster using this
At least your mind still functions ok. You can always find pieces with easy LH parts playing 1 note at a time or 2 note intervals instead of chords or arpeggios until you regain LH strength.
Someone in the family was diagnosed with dementia and completely lost the ability to play an instrument unfortunately.
Professional. I started my career in 1970 at age 13 when I started giving lessons to neighborhood children , studied piano and pipe organ performance at USC in 1974. Been organist at the same church for 48 years and still teaching private lessons now for 52 years. I have accompanied opera singers, violinists, cellists, and a solo piano concert every once in a while. Just turned 65 and still learning every day. It does take a lifetime so patience is key to success. I started at age 5 and was quite proficient by 13. My private teacher encouraged me to start teaching. Best wishes to everyone in your musical journey.
Thanks for teaching. Mostly, thanks for sharing your love of music.
There's a comment above of somebody saying he only started learning now at age 71 after wanting to learn it all his life. That comment is motivating.
You saying "I started at age 5" is, honestly, not. Neither is you saying "It does take a lifetime". I disagree. You still learning new songs, music theory etc. does not mean "it takes a lifetime", it only means that you can improve all your lifetime.
Please differenciate.
@@WritersMoment Everyone is entitled to their narrative, he can only give a perspective from his without apology, I appreciate what he had to say, Life is a lifetime.
@@rayaytatatuntatnafurtat2029 I agree. My narrative is, that this does not exactly feel motivating (which I'm simply saying honestly), but I don't mind since I read the other comment. :)
@@WritersMoment ok understood.
I am 76 and decided to learn piano to keep my mind as sharp as possible. But, now that I have started I find it fascinating and am on the hobbyist road.
I’m a hobbyist, been playing for almost 10 years but never had a teacher or pushed myself to learn technique, music theory was my only strong suit. In the last year I’ve improved so much by going through the fundamentals, I wanna push myself to that professional level. I don’t plan on making it a career, but that’s the skill level I’d love to achieve one day.
Hobbyist. Learned at lot through Tim's classes. Started with an in person instructor several months ago. I am improving but it is S L O W. I've never been challenged like my instructor challenges me. Someday I will hopefully feel like I am a piano player. I'm a struggling wannabe most days. But, motivation is still quite strong.
Keep going Kathy, definitely a marathon and not a sprint. To be able to play even half decent with music reading and correct fingering is about 2 years at 5 hours a week just like he said, and even then you won't be able to play loads of fancy stuff. I can now play lots of Einaudi pieces and the usual Fur Elise and stuff but it was around 3-4 years for me and I'm taking lessons every week.
Thank you for being honest. I want to learn as fast as humanly possible but 3 months in, 7 days a week, a few hours a day, I’m beginning to realize it’s going to take more time than I thought. I’m still going to push my goals. I’m 42 and I want to play NOW.
Patience, you're still young.......just hang in there, early on is tough, then you'll hit a period of rapid growth if you put in the time and effort. That is the normal cycle as you advance, rest assured, you'll never regret it.
@@johnnyappleseed5029 this was really encouraging learning piano / music theory is like learning a foreign custom or language
Hi Tim. I am a motivated hobbyist, to be sure. I always wondered about how much time I should devote each day for my goal. Now after watching your video, I am clear. I am definitely pleased to hear that one hour a day is enough for me. I play for my own enjoyment and also to keep my brain active..I am highly interested in neuroplasticism.. A few days ago I heard a neurologist talking about how to keep the brain healthy.. She said “I advise you to play the piano “. She said “ learn a new language “. I am very happy to hear that… Because I am playing the piano and I am learning a new language. Arabic… Thats my second hobby..
I aspire to be a professional, solely for classical music..
I recently started playing a few months ago because I fell into the hole of classical music, I have no other music experience but I am so happy now because of it! I’ve been practicing 4-5 hours a day 5-7 days a week and it’s super helpful. Also I think really studying music theory is helpful for beginners but that’s just my opinion, I study science in school so I always learn things best when it’s from that approach
I recommend checking out Bartok pitch axis theory if you haven’t already, really useful for chromaticism.
I can say that mastering music theory is super helpful in a couple of ways for a classical pianist:
1. No doubt as a professional pianist you'll probably accompany singers rehearse or perform opera arias and such, where the piano part is often unplayable (or it doesn't actually sound good when played correctly) because the piano transcription has often been made by someone that simply copies the orchestral score down into a piano part without knowledge or care about neither how it actually plays or sounds on a real piano. So frequently you'll have to simplify or alter those things anyway, and thus you need to have a firm grasp what chords and scales and such are appropriate.
2. Singers might occasionally want you to change the key on a piece, so it's useful to be able to transpose a piece.
3. Also, you are occasionally expected to improvise introductions or endings if the singer/soloist, have decided to only sing part of an aria/piece and/or the "real" introduction/ending is very long. Especially in settings such as accompanying students on lessons, or singers on a wedding or such things. Again, you need a firm grasp on music theory to be able to do that.
4. If you get lost in a piece that you play by heart, it's nice to be able to improvise something fitting to either end it or get back to something familiar. And as a church musician I frequently have to end pieces early or keep them going for much longer than they are depending on some other factor that I'm not in control over, like for example how long the communion takes or how long it takes the wedding couple to walk down the aisle, or how long it takes for the guys who are supposed to carry the coffin away to show up or whatever.
5. If you play early music that involves figured bass, again you often see the same problem as with opera transcriptions, they are often made to look good theoretically on paper by someone that doesn't know how it actually plays and sounds on a piano, so you'll frequently feel the urge to alter it, and you are free to do so since the written piano score, except the bass line, isn't actually written by the composer anyway.
6. Music theory makes it easier to memorize stuff.
I started about two years ago. My goal is to master the instrument. I would like to sit down and play like Chopin and Liszt etc with my own feeling and even my personal touch and elaborate on the pieces I play. It’s an amazingly individual journey learning piano.
The best advice I ever got since starting to play last year at 62 was ~IT'S A JOURNEY ~ ENJOY THE JOURNEY!
Motivated hobbyist. I am now 18 years old and I’m playing for a few years now. I’m currently learning the Moonlight Sonata 3rd Momement :)
What grade are u in
Started practicing notes and music theory in last August. Bought piano in August after having some sense of the theory. Started practicing, one hand at a time and it. was. challenging. at first. 🤯
Been practicing since then anything between 15 minutes to 3 hours a day 6-7 days a week. Always when there is time.
Only when I bought Hanon exercise book things really took off. Practicing Hanons constantly as a beginner has developed everything they promise those will do. Finger control and sense of position and location on keys. Stamina and dexterity - of BOTH hands. 🙌🏻
In addition to Hanons, I practice simple piano songs I like and something more complex, yet doable.
After 3-4 months I can read from notes slowly and practice new songs. Would call myself a "motivated hobbyist".
Your videos have given me many good ideas for practicing and technique ideas. One of the best is how to read chords fast. Thank you so much for making the videos! 😄
Motivated hobbyist purely for my own enjoyment, always loved the piano, had a keyboard most my life, just never spent the time to learn, now 43 and find I have far more patience so just started my journey, got a Yamaha P-45 a couple of months back and been playing every day 1-4 hours since, love it so much and don't care how long it takes.
Took me 1 month and 2 weeks to fully learn chopin nocturn in e flat major and I was a total beginner I'm 15 now and I can play hard pieces such as la campanella, moonlight sonata 3rd movement. Etc practiced 7 hours every single day for a whole year. hard work will get you far.
Hobbyist - I also told my wife my retirement job was going to play a piano in a hotel lobby that everybody ignores 😆
I've been playing for a year and started lessons 2 months ago. My biggest improvement came when he put Bach Prélude in C in front of me without all the notes written in above the staff, and I had to read the notes. So I dived into learning sightreading, and voilà. I'm still not at a Grade 1 level, but I'm getting there. Tim has many great videos about this.
I want to be like my Mom, who bought a piano at 65 yoa and played for another 20 years. I remember listening to her in her 80s and she played a decent level, without You Tube.
What grade are u in now and how old r u
I struggle with finger substitutions when reading a score. When to use what fingers and why are what I need to understand. I really appreciated your clarity in your instructions, Tim. Thank you!
I began playing piano when I was 6yrs old and I’m now 19. For 13 years I’ve played the piano, and my biggest regret is putting the pieces I’ve learnt to play behind me when learning new ones. A tip for anyone starting up is to never let go of the pieces you learn, because I did, and nowadays, I can only play a handful...
As your general level improves, you can relearn previous easier pieces much much faster.
@@Bvic3 Absolutely, I find myself looking over past pieces and sometimes instead of thinking about it too much, I just let my hands go and muscle memory helps me remember it.
Motivated hobbyist for 8 to 10 years, then a professional for sure. Making Piano my career after leaving Law.
I play in church, mostly from the hymnal, after practicing the hymns 3-4 hours. I'm up to the John Thompson Fourth Grade book.
Motivated hobbyist into it for my own enjoyment. and to maintain mental and physical dexterity as I get older. I've also developed a greater appreciation for the music I enjoy listening to. Have been playing almost 8 years; first 4 taking group lessons and self directed for the last 4. Recently started taking your intermediate course which is helping cement my knowledge and skills. The key is practice, practice, practice.
I put myself somewhere between hobby and professional. I want to teach music at a secondary school when I'm older. I am 14 now
I’m a “dedicated hobbyist”. At 73, I practice for at least an hour 6 days a week plus have a 1/2 hour private lesson each week. We use the Alfred 1 book which I find very well thought out. My teacher is amazing. I’m now near the end of the book after 20 months and it takes 2 to 4 weeks to learn a piece. My biggest challenge is not comparing my rate of learning with others. I’m making progress and my enthusiasm has grown stronger. I play a Roland FP-10 which serves me well. At school I play a Yamaha electronic piano.
Hobbiest...had my first recital at age 54.. after a year and a half of lessons... I was very nervous at my recital and by hands were shaking and felt like sausages but I pushed through the recital and was glad I did it.. I'm continuing to do piano because I am trying to improve myself and things I've never tried before and my children are grown up and I have time to practice.. it's more of a self-love thing.. at first it was kind of hard because it's hard to read music for me but now I'm able to see the music and play.. I just keep challenging myself different songs I enjoy and I'm getting faster at learning them.. it took 3 days to learn fur Elise.. where before I worked on the song for 9 months before I had it down... Going to keep playing I figure in 5 years I'll be really good ❤️
Why watching stop here? Make sure to check out my catalog of videos!
Piano Practice Strategy bit.ly/piano-practice-strats
Two Hand Playing bit.ly/twohandpianolessons
Playing Mistakes to Watch Out For bit.ly/PianoMistakesList
Reading Music bit.ly/notereadstrats
Rhythm Counting Strategies bit.ly/RhythmStratsList
Music Theory bit.ly/musictheorypiano
Course for Getting Started bit.ly/homepianocourse
Determined hobbyist, and I’ll see where it leads from there. I’ve had a love of and appreciation for music and the piano for most of my life. I’m 56 and still a beginner, just more determined, focused and relaxed about it. I had set for myself unrealistic goals in the past which is why I never could stick with it, I always felt I wasn’t progressing fast enough. Now from the higher hill of my middle age I’m ready to take the necessary journey however long it takes.
I set myself a time frame, before seeing your video, of about 2-3 years for reasonable proficiency. I practice about an hour every day, and weekends 2-3 hours a day in sessions throughout the day. When I have more time away from the day job I put that time into my piano (a Yamaha P-125 with 88 weighted keys as I know that is important to proper learning). Thank you for posting this and reinforcing my time frame of 2-3 years.
How is it coming along my dude?
Your definition of the Motivated Hobbyist is just what I'm trying to do. Thank you for articulating those goals.
Motivated hobbyist in my late 60s. Age DEFINITELY makes a difference. I have been trying to learn on my own for the last 5 years. I don't learn in my 60s like I did in my 20s. I don't have the human growth hormone I had when I was younger, so I don't develop the muscles in the fingers and hands as fast as a younger man (or woman). Plus I have had 4 hand surgeries for Dupuytren's Contracture so my hands are no longer the hands of a younger man. Sure, I can still learn and improve and have fun and I am. But I have to be realistic with myself and my goals. It would be like if I took up skiing at my age. I could still learn to ski, but not as quickly as someone in their 20s and I would never ultimately get as good at it as I could have in my 20s. But, not complaining, it beats the alternative! (lol)
Hey man keep it up as long as you're enjoying it that's all that matters 😀
I’m right there with you! This is for me!
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Hobbyist. I started too late to aspire to a professional career. But it’s what I’ve wanted since childhood. Thank you for your lessons!
I'm in my late 40s and just started learning to play piano in late November 2023. I'm a Motivated Hobbyist. Thank you for this video! I have been using an instructional book for adult beginners, CZcams videos, and trying to practice at least a little while every day. There were a few weeks I didn't due to a vacation and due to exhaustion caused by work stress. I have branched out to other easy beginners pieces outside of the instructional book because I found myself getting a bit bored. Now I feel like I can get back to the books, which I'm almost done with part 1 of 2 of the 2 beginner's books. All the piano teachers locally only have time slots available for kids after school or for retired adults...thus why I'm using books and videos. So I've been trying to find videos with realistic progress ideals for beginners to gauge my progress. The last few months I have been recording audio of my progress and to hear how it sounds more objectively. I found another channel, finally, with a woman like me who started playing in her 40s who also works. She's had actual piano lessons; and I feel like compared to her, I'm making good progress. Every other progress video I've found seemed to be made by musical prodigies. That is cool for them, but was making me feel like I was lagging behind. So thank you to you as well for giving the truth about how long it takes to learn piano. I have subscribed to your channel. 🙂
My challenge is it's hard to find a coach near me - most keep ghosting some say im fully booked and one shows up 20min late lol.
I'm giving myself 20 years to learn the organ for being a music director at church when I might get bored with tree work. I'm 31 years old now, and I practice the piano and organ 2-5 hours a day. My biggest challenge is motivating myself to learn new pieces because I kindof suck at sight reading. But I'm very good at locking in music pieces into my memory!
We are very blessed to have all the videos on CZcams that teach you how to play. There is so much that we can learn and it's right at the tips of our fingers. So, you can definitely teach yourself how to play the piano.....to a certain extent. However, you want to make sure you're learning the right way. There's a certain order in which to learn different things. It's best not to get ahead of yourself. If you're going to learn online, the courses are usually the best way to do it, as opposed to the channels that have just a few clips showing you how to play a certain song, or technique. It's better to have a good teacher that will show you step by step what you need to practice on. Because, it may very we be that you're not learning anymore once you've reached a certain plateau and you're just playing the same stuff over and over. There are a lot of free courses as well. But, sometimes it may be worth paying for lessons if you want to get professional teaching.
Sorry to “encourage” you watchers but this just is not true. Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and even Silent Night can be taught in a day. Now if you are referring to reading music then maybe a week. But playing? A day max.
An instrument in general is a life time thing. There's no limit. You learn every day. Even for professionals. If we talk about classical genre alone. It would take about 40-50 years to learn all pieces. I don't even know if that's even enough to master every single piece. Just learning is one thing. My goal is to have a decent repertoire. Im able to have fun, got a good ear and im satisfied with my level. Im not pushing to be a pro but I don't wanna struggle too much. I practice daily and i do follow a classical routine because for me personally. That's the fastest way to get better.
Casual with hopes of being a hobbyist. Like many others here in the comments, I'm in my 70s and wished I had taken lessons years ago. I've been taking online lessons for a little over a year, and my progress is slow. Still having hand independence issues and I get discouraged but keep trying. If I practice one piece for 2 or 3 weeks, I get comfortable with it, then move on to the next lesson. But If I try to play that lesson a month later, I've forgotten most of it and it's like starting all over. I know there is no "secret" but I wish I got better faster. I practice 60-90 minutes at least 5 days a week and I feel like I would make more progress if I practiced 8 hours a day, but I have other interests. It's still fun though, so I will keep at it.
I am a beginner - started 6 weeks ago. I’m a motivated hobbyist.
I’ve been playing piano almost daily for around 5-7 month and I would say I’m a hobbyist, I just learn pieces I love the sound of hard or not and will sit for hours on end sometimes 4 hours max just going at it til I’m happy with the outcome, I’ve realised lately that songs I’d not look twice at when I started I now have no problem learning within a day or 2 of practice, my dream is to one day have a real piano instead of a keyboard I thrive to play the pieces I know more beautifully, most recent song I’ve learned is je te laisserai des mots, it’s a French song but I also learned the lyrics, my favourite piece at the moment
I am 69yo I have played several instruments over the years. But piano has always been on my bucket list. But I realized I needed the theory first. Right now I am concentrating on Theory and scales. Understanding the theory, not only with piano, but the other instruments I have played. I am retired, so I practice 1hr twice a day. If I get frustrated or tired, I stop immediately, and start again in my next practice session. It keeps my interest high. I found, if you are frstratustrated or tired, you will make more mistakes and diminish your confidence.
You have great content on this channel!
Thank-you! I have recently taken up playing piano and I was struggling to articulate my goals. From your descriptions in this video I am confident my goal is to be a motivated hobbyist. This really clarifies my aims for piano, thank-you!
I'm turning 18 in a 3 months, and I've been playing piano for almost 13 years now. After spending 10 years on classical piano, I shifted my attention to jazz among other genres, along with composition and songwriting. I don't practice tons everyday, but simply engaging with music for such a large portion of my life has helped me to understand this instrument a bit better. I find that the best part about piano is its flexibility, that you can branch out to work with almost any western genre, be it performance or composition.
Lucky u got into playing at a young age (around 5). I wasn't ready for piano until I'm in my mid-30s. Wish I had the talent to start much earlier. Anyway, I practice almost everyday and enjoy every minute playing music.
@@thepianoplayer416 Just listened to some of your playing - I'm not sure how long you've been playing for, but you've made pretty significant progress! Best of luck to you, fellow piano-enjoyer :D
@@chuukki At some point I suffered from stress at work and had personal issues. I needed a balance in life and getting into piano playing was a lifesaver.
Once I watched a man doing easy songs on a keyboard who said adults can learn piano. Got a keyboard and never looked back.
The attitude of family members wasn't positive. The people around know I played violin in school and assumed it's my main instrument and my only 1 since it's too late to start something new. The fact that people in the family passed conservatory exams didn't bother me. They stopped playing piano years ago while I still practice an hour a day. Many still think of me as a violinist from my school days.
I'm comfortable playing a few pieces on a public piano while my cousins who got their Gr.5 piano have certificates on the wall. They're not comfortable playing in front of people.
@@thepianoplayer416 That's really incredible, and I hope you never stop playing. Piano has taken me through both my highs and lows as well.
@@chuukki Learning piano is a long & never-ending process. During 2 years of pandemic lockdown, can't do without my keyboard & my music. It's stressful listening to bad news all the time.
Sometimes I get into playing an advanced piece because I like the challenge. Partly because there is an expectation people my age are too old to be starting piano / playing beginner pieces. People in the family who took lessons before don't even play some of the pieces I get into.
I'm definitely a motivated hobbyist.. i've taken up the piano after a lifetime of loving music.. our family couldn't afford a piano when i grew up.. and i diverted into choir and musical theatre, learning pieces by ear.. now have the resources, time and space.. and with the progression of amazing and affordable electric piano's i've started on this journey.. and i'm averaging 5 practice days a week, 30 minutes to an hour.. my goals.. all of the ones you stated plus being able to play and improvise on the 12 bar blues...
I would be in between a casual player and hobbyist. I would like to get back into playing music. Im interested in learning to play piano. I played saxophone in hs and i picked that up rather quickly.
I've been playing piano for 4 weeks so far and learning Valse Op.64 No.2. I'm proud of myself
nice. almost 7 months here and i can play aeolian harp op25 no1. keep going, its such a rewarding feeling
"You can't learn piano in seven days"
Preach, brother. I happen to know it took the guy in the clip at 0:06 over 20 years to get that good.
Motivated hobbiest. Have played by ear for years, and now want to learn all the theory and explore more sheet music. I'm gaining confidence with Simply Piano and have bought Piano Adventures Adult course books and practicebooks, for deeper understanding.
I probably am a motivated hobbyist. I've been wanting to learn the piano ever since I was a teen, but the older I got, the less I felt motivated to actually really start because I thought it was too late to ever wish to get good. Well, here I am now a few years later. I've changed my mind and have decided that I don't care anymore about it "being too late" or not, I just want to play because I love music and I love the instrument :)
Thanks for providing us with such helpful tips!
started as a hobbiest but slipped back to casual. I feel i need help with structuring my practice ie Having a folder that I can go to that takes me through all the steps in a format I can systematically go through which encompasses everything from scales, theory, sight reading , exercises to learning a new piece would be priceless for me because I have never felt so engaged with any other interest as i have when learning piano. The best way I can describe it is time dissolves before i know it I have been sitting for 4-5 hours but it feels like an hour , its the most amazing feeling . For me I know I just need a structure a routine, While your courses maybe have everything you need , I need it all decompartmentalized and spliced within each other to not get bogged down or distracted with any one subject . Simply put read this watch this. practice this, then move on to this when you've hit this target or level or speed etc
Some good points there. Maybe there is a market niche for a guide like that. I feel exactly like that. How to structure my practice and approach to make best use of my practice. I too find 2 hours has just gone and wonder what did I actually do. Something must be sinking in.
Tim, a heart felt “THANK YOU”. I was getting so bummed out on my lack of progress, but your video really made sense.👍
I play only for myself, just for fun. I'm not going to perform in front of people. I enjoy learning to play my favorite classical & pop tunes at Flowkey. Starting my 3rd year, everything kind of fell into place whereas I can sight read most intermediate level music on the piano.
Hobbyist. Started at 40... and 44 now. Ur vid is so true! I started wanting to learn fast and be able to play as a pro! Haha. But no, it's not like that at all. Ended frustrated so eventually managed my expectations.
Practiced more regularly the last 2 years (had more time coz of covid) and im currently learning 2 more songs for abrsm gr 3 exam. Hopefully, i can learn and confidently play so i can take exam in April or May.
No no. Don't get discouraged people. I'm a dumb person honestly, slow learning in everything. I dedicated myself to learning river flows through you perfectly in just under a month, not years like he's telling you. If you give yourself 3 hours to clean your house, it will be clean in 3 hours, if you give yourself 3 weeks to clean your house, it will take you 3 weeks.
Love it that Saint-Petersburgh conservatory gets a shout-out!
When the Queen died , on TV it said she learned to play piano when she was 11. Nothing really works like that.
Motivated hobbyist bracket for me..doing between 6-8 hours per week split between scales and chords practice and learning pieces.
Thx for this videos, because in CZcams looks like:
Day 1 - Do, Re, Mi...
Day 10 - Litz - Campanella 😂😂
I am also pleased that my goal isnt to become a professional . That would give me a lot of stress, of which I think is harmful for an elderly person… After I found you on YT. a couple of years ago,I started to learn theory. Now this helps me a lot while I am learning the songs on my own. I can see the progressive is faster. Before I found you, I would mindlessly practise Hanon and Cherny… I was at the piano but my mind wasnt there. Now I practise sightreading and the songs much more.. Thanks a lot for everything.
Yes, years for some of those pieces! Even Fur Elise has that middle section of doom that requires some tenacity and healthy technique! Enjoyed listening in!
I used to play the cello for 6 years, no where near professional. I understand piano will take years for me to master. But I am grateful I am a little ahead since I still have my left hand motor skills from playing the cello and I am right handed. It’s always been my dream to play piano and my goal is to play Yiruma pieces. I cannot wait 🥰
Definitely a "motivated hobbyist", I just celebrated three years of piano lessons.
right now, im somewhere in between the motivated hobbyist and professional aspirationalist. i love music, i practice the piano anytime i can but im stuck in between because i only started learning the piano at the age 14 while many professionals out there has been playing since they were like, 5 years old sooo yeah, pretty sad.
I got a piano last year for Christmas. I learned it without a few weeks because I played guitar before. I learned notes and chords and transcribed them to piano. It wasn’t hard but it does get challenging the more complex you make it and the more complex the music is.
I've been a casual for nearly 10 years. I learned a couple pieces and was happy enough to play them regularly for fun, learning a new one every once in a while. Lately I've become more interested in music theory, actually learning to read notes and noting them down, so I guess I'm transitioning towards motivated hobbyist, because one day I want to write a piece on my own. However I have no professional aspirations in this regard whatsoever, aside of maybe posting the finished pieces on CZcams.
I'm a hobbyist, but I'm starting to learn composition now and I'd like to share what I create eventually. I have no expectations that music will earn me a living. I do it because it brings more beauty into my life. I've been playing piano for just over 2 years - it's been a huge challenge. I love music, but I'm not very musical (I don't think of melodic ideas and I've really struggled understanding music theory).
I am 59, and always wanted to learn the organ. My parents did buy us one, but after the first few lessons, we never continued for some reason. My daughter played the piano that my husband and I bought for her from age 5 until 13, when sports took over. I wanted to learn to play it after I retired. But my husband retired first and sold the piano before i could retire. After I did retire, and in Oct. of 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and spent the end of 2020 and half of 2021 recovering from surgeries. I am well now and in August bought myself a keyboard. The keyboard came with online lessons and i have been practicing 1 to 2 hours a day. I love it! Goal - Motivated Hobbyist! I only wish I had started 54 years ago!
It's a lifetime of study. Nobody ever arrives, and that's the struggle and the joy of it.
Serious Hobbyist here ...
i want to read music and then play it.
You 'Ball Parking' this is really helpful.
I know what i should expect Now, and what i can expect in 2yrs if i keep to it.
I am a hobbyist and on average I practice 2 hours a day. I learned piano as a kid but I was not very motivated back then. Now I started it again and finally have enough dedication.
I been playing for 3/4 weeks I can now play most of Experience, Autre Ete and interstellar. I been teaching myself I play in VR with my mini hook to the headset in app Piano Vision.
I go to the Royal academy of music in London and it’s really really worth taking an extra year to increase and develop your skills as you will find it much less stressful to get through music school and you will preform better.
Hobbyist. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 9 and continued for 6 years. Now I'm 72 and retired and spend 2 or more, sometimes 4 hours a day on the keyboard. I have a Yamaha YPG 235 which I hope to upgrade in time, but for now it's fine.
i just got a keyboard yesterday and i learned happy birthday, we wish you a merry christmas, the intro of only hope and impromptu op 90 no 4 it's a fast piano piece and im already moderately fast now. i even figured out rudolf the red nose reindeer by sound on my own
I'm a motivated hobbyist. I always wanted to learn piano and be able to read sheet music. I mainly want to be able to play to entertain myself and my family. I was in chorus and choir in high school (many, many years ago) and always sat near our piano accompanist. She was only 16 years old and was such an excellent sight reader. Granted, she had probably been studying piano since second grade, but I aspire to be like her. My sisters and I love to sing and I think it would be really cool to develop the skills to play piano accompaniment as well as the soprano I and II and alto voice parts, so we could learn songs and sing together. I have been studying with another online teacher and he's a good one, but I think he gives students pieces to practice that are too far above the students' abilities at a given point. I liken it to going from arithmetic to algebra with no bridge to the higher skill and development and understanding of it. I have been frustrated frequently because I feel that my progress has stalled. I'm at the point where I'm starting to learn about intervals and playing little songs using them. In the course I'm taking, the teacher has jumps from one interval to the next. He has also instructed that we not look at our hands, but keep our eyes glued to the music, which I've adhered to. I just don't think I'm ready to jump around the keyboard yet. The assignments seem to be above the level of the lesson level. I found you on the web out of frustration and wanting a clear explanation of topics and skill development.
Check out Pianote!
Asking how long it takes to learn piano is like asking how long a piece of string. I'm rubbish at music theory but My piano in My music sounds like it's made by a top professional. I just play by sound and record its midi and then fix any notes I dont like. Piano is in about 80% of My music. I can play My own compositions by memory and ear. I just remember where by fingers should be on the keyboard to play.
A very difficult instrument. I've been playing for about 10 years. Very slow progress , if compared to a guitar , when after 5 years I would call myself a semi-professional guitarist. Talking about the piano I've chosen mainly boogie-woogie, rock-n-roll and pop-rock and yet, it's difficult and frustrating at times. My inspration was Ray Manzarek from the Doors.
Hobbyist for me, I'm 26 so I'd have to go a long way before I got to the professional level ( and I don't even own a piano yet ) I would love to be good enough to play with others, I've played guitar on and off for 8 years and I feel I've learnt all I wanted to learn on guitar so my progress has plateaued, I've been thinking about picking up a new instrument for a couple of years so I've chosen piano. It is a sort of bucket list thing for me to play for an audience at least once in my life, I'm not a good enough guitarist to play Infront of anyone who I don't know. Listening to classical music and piano sections in other songs has reignited the flame for me to learn new music again. Fortunately, having learnt guitar I know to expect brick walls and hurdles to jump and not to expect constant day after day improvement, hopefully some of what I know will transfer over, and learning piano will finally give me the much needed kick up the backside to learn music theory and read sheet music.
Motivated Hobbyist. I am on a dedicated path of improvement! I have a dedicated practice journal and use it to plan practices. I am able to learn on my own-researching when needed. Practice is sporadic, being an active retiree who has other hobbies as well. I had piano lessons as a child, played for Sunday School, taught lessons through the years and now am newly motivated to become the “ well rounded” musician. Problems are many though. I cannot memorize. So, away from home, I can play nothing. I am drilling through the Scales and Chords book to get smoother and drilling “technical sections” to improve accuracy at home, but my repertoire is lacking. Suggestions?
What a great video. Began piano with lessons 7 months ago. Knowing music and playing saxophone when I was younger definitely helped learn quicker. Struggle with Bass clef after 10 years of only reading treble.
I started learning the piano with the goal to play stuff like March turka e. g. Figured I had to start the theory first because I not only wanted to learn a piece from a CZcams tutorial but being able to read the notes myself from sheet music. So I started doing that. After month of learning from books and CZcams I can now say that I can read sheed music,but my technique is far away from being able to play all the complex stuff. I know chords and how they work from playing guitar for many years and so I started playing my favorite pop/rock/balad songs from e. g. guitar tabs universe. I relized that this is so much fun and now I see myself (happily) stuck at the level, where I can play any song I want with cords, sing to it and if not singing, figure out how to play the melody to the chords. I'm not motivated to earn learn the stuff like Turkish March anymore, as it is so much more enjoyable to hear a new song in the radio, sit at the piano on the evening and just play that new song. On my way to that I watched a lot of your videos on scales and so on and I wanna thank you (and other youtubers) that you brought me to that state.
I can relate. Hey if you're in a band playing live you could play guitar and also some keys
A way to speed up the process is by learning different styles at ones. For example I teach Tango, but all the material works for any lead sheet. Pair that with Classical technique and some Jazz and you will profile half the time it takes! Good luck!
I’m on no timeline, but do play hours a day, usually 6 days a week. Music school is a pipe dream. Makes me sad. But, still without a degree I am impressing my friends. But I want more. I buy hard arrangements because they all teach me something. The passion burns like a forest fire. At 62, I just want to keep learning! Last week, I played 6 hours on one day. I want to be proficient.
Piano is the third instrument I'm adding to my arsenal though I don't have any real goals really. Just enjoy learning and the process. Really enjoy your vids Tim, I've learned a lot. Thanks and cheers! However long it takes to get there, who cares, I just know eventually I will
I'm certainly a motivated hobbyist. Learned fantaisie on my own last year as a quarantine challenge and did the first arabesque this year.
Rocking my Yamaha PSR-160 recently almost everyday. It has the perfect looks for the level I am on - I did get Volca FM to make it sound pleasant because if I am gonna listen to something for hours let it be proper FM synthesis and not cheap FM with cheap samples. I also got Minilogue synthesizer and want to make music with it. Its fun to just improvise and actual piano skills needed for what I want isn't exactly Chopin level but it would still be nice to be actually avoid filling note spreadsheets in DAWs and even in parts and with some corrections (like note aligning, moving misplayed notes, etc) but still mostly playing it on keyboard. Having some basic keyboard skills to use synths is I guess one of the common use case these days with synthesizers not being very expensive (unless someone wants to have vintage Moog or something) and fun hobby.
Once I see sheet music, I run for the hills! Much easier to learn how to play piano by learning chords.
I'm 13 and currently at around abrsm grade 4 in theory, and I'm confident im at around grade 4 at playing the piano, I aspire to be a professional 😌 🙌. Currently spending 1 hour per day on theory and 4 hours a day playing my favourite songs to keep me motivated. I learn quite quickly but need to work a little more on irregular time signatures. I hope I can do it!
He's not wrong. You can't learn to play the piano in just 7 days. I've been teaching myself how to play since I was 15 years old. I'm 38 now, and I'm still learning. I need to get back to practicing, because I let life get in the way.
In short, practice practice practice.
Very interesting Tim. I was unfortunately born with a certain ' gift ' which has been more of a curse . From the age of 4 l played as my mother termed "proper tunes". I played 'by ear' nearly all the time. I replicated Rhacmaninov, Debussy, Gershwin et al constantly. I played ' duets' with a girl taking her concert degree who said " l wish l could do that!". But in all this l DID NOT POSSESS the trained technique nor theory which would liberate what was in my head. That has been a genuine curse. I left the keyboard alone for 25 years. Now l have gently lifted the lid if my baby Grand and although it is badly in need of tuning, l have started to regain a feel for playing. I always aspired to the concert platform as from childhood. This is a kind of confessional for those alike myself. Those who have Prokofiev in their pianistic head like a well known poem but cannot transfer to the keyboard simply because the technical know how evades them. I have embarked upon Hanon and will see ( at 74) what happens. I respect your honesty in stating the realistic time scale to achieve certain levels of ability. As a schoolboy l was asked to play hyms in assembly. I did so rather nervously. Then when the assembly filed out l would play 'by ear' or muddle through a piece of Chopin. Girls told me years later that they would hang around near the hall door to listen to what l was playing. They thought l was gifted. I knew the truth as l do now. I know precisely that the reality has no short cuts and practice - a lot of practice - is a must. So I'll see what happens. Thank you Tim for, in a way, motivating that move by all you have said.
I’m a professional. I started late at the age of 14 but I was motivated and had good teachers. I accompany full time for a living and play for a college. I’m by far not the best player to this day but there is always more to learn and I am not afraid to make myself uncomfortable to grow. Sink or swim situations made me learn a lot faster. That’s my advice. When I first started playing in the jazz band in high school I didn’t know hardly anything but I got good real fast. I had no choice😅
52 y/o adult learner. I would say i fall into the hobbyist category. Been taking lessons for almost 3 months and absolutely love it. Practice every day for at least 30 min.Love your channel by the way, have already learned alot 🎹👍
Hobbyist! ☺️ , ❤️ your channel! I played for a short period when I was younger but, it’s been just a couple of years now that I have picked it back up and practicing daily. I record all the songs I’m learning, makes a big difference with improvement. this was one of your tips too, so thanks again!!
But isn’t there a fourth category between hobbyist and professional eg someone who plays in a band or performs just not at that elite level? And if you teach piano and sometimes perform.
I've been practicing piano every day, with a teacher, for 3 years. I couldn't learn Fur Elise in a month. I feel like I can barely do early intermediate pieces. It's just my personal experience but it feels like 5 years locks you in to "squarely intermediate" and "able to play 'respectable' non-trivial repertoire." Maybe I'm just a slow learner though.
I actually read through the comments before watching the video, but now I’ve watched half of it and realise there is no need to watch the rest because this guy is saying nothing.
What does he mean it takes 7 hours a week for 2 years to learn pieces on your own? How would you learn them up until that point?
2.5 hours a week and you can learn Fur Elise in a month? After how many years?
I can play Etude op 10 no 3 “Tristesse” through interpretation skill and relaxation. It didn’t take me that long to actually do it but I self taught though soundtracks of how to play for example Prelude in C sharp minor and eventually improve tempo. I also learned how to improve tempo on Etude op 10 no 2 “Chromatic” and extend songs.
Thank you for this! I am a beginner, but my son is a prodigy; I laughed when you said if you are a prodigy, you will probably get in right away because that is precisely what happened when he got right into Berklee.
I'm a hobbyist. Looking to be able to play music in our home and bless my family and community with it.