Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Terrible question: never too late?

Hallo. I have a question for you…
I have been writing music for synthesizer, computer & C. for more than 15 years, but lately I fall in love with the piano. What is the problem? Playing on an acoustic piano I realized that I really don’t know how to play! My technique is simply poor or better it’s a disaster.
My fingers are like little elephants on the keyboard… The main defects are the control over dynamic (accents in random position) and the “temporal” division of notes (i.e. if I play a sequence of notes of the same lengths the result is again poor even with a not so fast tempo).
Coming to my question: I’d like to improve my skills at piano, that’s sure. Do you think that “never too late” is a rule good also for playing the piano? I mean: being impossible to become a master at the age of 35, are there some hopes of attenuating the defects in my technique? Obviously I’m not starting from zero (I can write music), but I never studied piano with a teacher… I’m an autodidact.
I'm already looking for a piano teacher in my city, but have you got some advice for me?

Thank you!!!

Roby

Hi, Roby~
You won't know how good you can get until you try. Call a nearby university's music department to get a referral to a local teacher. Then apply yourself. My experience is it is actually much easier to learn as an adult--you have more patience, you understand the process, you're motivated, you understand music better.

don't say you can't achieve mastery at 35 until you try it.

Admittedly, I'm saying this from the perspective of a 21 year-old who fortunately already has many years of piano playing under his belt, but it's possible to achieve enormous improvements in musicianship if you use your time wisely.

Technical issues aside, my advice would be not to worry about "how long", but just to make the best of the talents and abilities you have and, most of all, enjoy it!

I'd also like to second pique's remark about learning as an adult. Since my teens ended, I have probably learnt more about music in the past couple of years than I have in the past 10 - no exaggeration. Go for it!

[ December 30, 2001: Message edited by: jazzyd ]

Pique and Jazzyd: thank you for your encouraging words. I’ll look for a good piano teacher and I’ll let you know when I’ll have good news.
Any other suggestions?

Bye

Roby