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Piano Players: A Question About Older Learners

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NextBuck

NextBuck

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Well I've always wanted to learn, so I signed up for a class this Fall at my college. I've played in the past, but nothing ever serious (I was too young).

I told my friends who play the piano about this and they said that while I can be very good that I'll never be able to "master" it the way children who start at 6-11 years old can.

This is my question. Why do they think this? Obviously it is better to start young, but if you put the practice and motivation into it, it shouldnt matter. I googled this and there are plenty of people agreeing with my friends. Obviously it helps playing become second nature when you start young, but learning as a young adult can have it's advantages as well.

So why is there this conception?
 
Kids may pick it up faster, as they do with languages, but motivation and dedication are probably bigger factors. You have to be patient starting with simple and likely boring tasks, give it awhile to get your hands used to playing and develop muscle memory, and develop practice habits at a point where most of your habits are set. But there's no reason that in 5 years, you couldn't be playing like a kid who has played for 5 years if that's what you want to do.

As for being some sort of concert pianist, well, those folks normally do start very early and work at it for more hours a day than you're likely to have or want to use for the purpose, so yes, adults would be at a serious disadvantage there. Nothing like seeing a stage mom walk in with three kids under 8 with freaking bags under their eyes from the pressure of practicing non-stop... but that's usually par for the course for the ones who become professional. I've worked with tons of professional pianists from accompanists to the "greats," and have never known one who started playing as an adult.

It's worth doing just for the effects on mental acuity, aside from the more aesthetic reasons. Learning new stuff is always good, but studies show in particular that learning and maintaining skills that require fine muscle control in the non-dominant hand are excellent for maintaining memory and possibly even lowering the risks of Alzheimer's later in life. Violin and piano are both great for this as the skill sets are intricate and the learning is continual as long as you keep moving forward.

It kills me that I've spent years around some of the finest pianos you'll find without having time for formal lessons - I took a few years ago, but had another focus. Too bad, as it would have come in handy many times. It's on the list!
 
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Deety;1513178; said:
Kids may pick it up faster, as they do with languages, but motivation and dedication are probably bigger factors.
Click to expand...

This is true...Supposedly kids that age can learn things easier because their brains are not as developed as adults. I can't exactly remember why, but they taught it in psychology, but I must not have been paying too much attention, nothing new...:)
 
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