Returning to keyboard as an adult — excited but overwhelmed!

L-M

Hi everyone,
This is my first discussion here — I’m really happy to have found this community!

I learned electronic keyboard as a kid and recently decided to pick it up again as an adult. It’s been both exciting and humbling! So many things feel familiar, but I’m also realizing how much I have to re-learn — especially technique and hand coordination.

Right now, I’m trying to build good habits from the beginning (which means lots of slow practice and correcting my hand position 😅). Some days I feel super motivated, and other days I wonder if I’m just banging my head against the keys.

If any of you have gone through something similar — returning to an instrument after years away — I’d love to hear how you managed the ups and downs. What helped you stay motivated? Did you also struggle with feeling “too slow” at first?

Thanks in advance — looking forward to learning with you all!

rsl12

L-M welcome to the forum! Out of curiosity, how did you find this little website?

L-M Did you also struggle with feeling “too slow” at first?

It's interesting to hear beginners say this. Perhaps you are comparing yourself to others. But I always hear a big difference in pretty much all beginners' playing after half a year, compared to an intermediate or expert. So even though you might feel too slow, hopefully you can enjoy the fact that you are on the fast part of the learning curve (though it might feel slow. Hmmm... Is this a demotivational speech I just gave?) 🫢

ShiroKuro

L-M Hi L-M, welcome to Piano Tell! 🙂

I started piano as an adult but I’ve now been playing for a pretty long time. As to the question of motivation, many things help me stay motivated. I almost always take lessons, and when I’ve had to stop because of work or moving, I always end up returning to lessons. This is partly because I learn more and progress faster when working with a teacher, and if I get stuck on a problem, the teacher helps me get unstuck. Since being stuck can be incredibly frustrating, I assume this is another part of helping me stay motivated. Yet another benefit I get from lessons is just having someone to talk about music with, having something, and someone, to prepare for, all of those things are incredibly motivating.

I also actively try to find or create opportunities to play for and with others, yet another motivator. Sharing videos here on PT helps too.

Lastly, I have always enjoyed the process, rather than only focusing on an outcome. What I mean is, I have always enjoyed practicing and just being at the piano, even if I couldn’t yet play or couldn’t play some particular goal piece etc. I generally keep a record of my practicing, writing a “P” on the calendar each day I practice. I started doing this years ago — it comes from Jerry Seinfeld actually, his idea of “don’t break the chain” was talked about in online piano forums and a bunch of us started doing this probably 20 years ago! So just getting that P on the calendar each day was a goal, and kept me at the piano, even when work got busy or I was feeling frustrated… it got me through those rough patches and just helped keep me going. And there’s nothing like daily practice to help you improve, so this has been really beneficial for me.

In 2023, we moved across several states and I started a new job and I was having a really hard time getting/making piano time… and so after a few years of not doing the calendar thing, I started doing it again, and then here on PT, we have Practice Accountability Challenge https://forum.pianotell.com/d/1455-pianotells-2nd-annual-practice-accountability-challenge-team-2025-pact2025 which aligns with that as well.

So that’s another way to stay motivated.

In other words, although I have various goals at different times (i.e., prepping for a recital or trying to get something recorded to share online), the one core goal I always have, and maybe the goal that is always the main goal, is simply “daily practice,” rather than something like “be able to this piece.”

As it happens, daily practice is consistently more achievable than most of the goal-pieces or dream pieces I pick. And lots of people advocate for this kind of goal. Here’s one example:

https://www.matthewcawood.com/monday-music-tips/how-to-regain-motivation-for-the-piano

Sorry this post got a little long! 😅

In conclusion, welcome to PT. If you’re looking for people to “talk piano” with ~~and give you too-long answers to straightforward questions~~, you’re in the right place! 😃

Sophia

L-M If any of you have gone through something similar

Welcome to the forum! I’m definitely a re-re-beginner 🙂 so I can relate for sure. I started again in January last year and this forum has been so helpful and motivational!! It’s so rewarding to see the progress that fellow beginners are making. And in those inevitable moments where we feel stuck or overwhelmed, we have each other to help each other through the challenges.

You are more than welcome to participate in the various threads! Nice to see a new face around 😊

Sgisela

L-M welcome! I re-started in 2020 after nearly 20 years without playing, but I had many years of lessons as a kid, and a lot came back pretty quickly. It’s a little ambiguous from your posts how much experience you had as a kid, where you are now, and what your goals are. So I’m not sure if the details of my ‘return to piano’ story will resonate with you.

Anyways, I will say that the decision to return to playing was really one of the best decisions I’ve made, as piano is such a wonderful part of my life. It’s a selfish activity, in that it is very much something I do for myself and my satisfaction. It’s something I do after work, and it challenges me and also provides me a way to unwind and just have my mind in a different place.

I think if you give us some more information about how you’re currently learning and what your goals are, folks may be able to provide some more directed advice. I agree with @rsl12 that of you’re working on beginner pieces, 2-3 months is probably an indication that you should be working through easier things. And feeling frustrated by lack of progress may also be an indication to step back and work through easier things.

thepianoplayer416

I tried piano unsuccessfully at age 5. I only had a few lessons. Besides knowing the middle C didn’t learn enough to be considered a re-starter.
After that I learned violin in school. My playing wasn’t great but the teacher taught me a lot of theory including all the major & minor scales, intervals & chords.

Sometime later I started piano as an adult. Getting access to beginner books wasn’t a big deal. I got myself books from the Bastien series. Later got Alfred’s 1 & 2 for adults. After 2 years got myself a teacher and got Faber Adult Piano Adventures books.

People who learned an instrument from scratch can get frustrated. At least I learned to read music reasonably well playing violin in school. I know what my pieces are supposed to sound like so I could focus on the hands coordination.

My first 2 pieces out of a Bastien book was “When the Saints Go Marching In” & “Ode to Joy” both easy arrangements. Didn’t take more than an hour in 1 afternoon to learn them.

As always I’d learn pieces by playing slowly. After a few tries I’d be able to play much closer to the ideal tempo. A lot of technical pieces I can’t get to the ideal fast tempo yet. Learning the notes is less of a problem.

Finding sheet music at any level online is easy. Many pieces students would play you find dozens of recordings on social media like YouTube. Before learning a piece you can hear what it sounds like.

The first thing is to decide whether you want a teacher from day 1, learn on your own entirely or for a while before finding a teacher.

Next get a book from the Alfred’s or Faber series and work through the songs. When I started, I’d go online regularly and hear student performances at various ABRSM & RCM levels. These are pieces they would play out of standard repertoire books. Over the years I downloaded interesting songs including “Love Story” theme, Simon & Garfunkel “Sound of Silence”.

At age 5 I had no access to the Internet. Now just about everything is online. The motivation to continue is finding interesting pieces to play. I record my playing regularly. As I’m learning I don’t think of wrong notes mistakes but part of the process to achieve an ideal sound.

BartK

Having a teacher and showing your work every week does help somewhat staying on track but in the end motivation has to be intrinsic. What is it that draws you to the piano? What are your long term goals/dreams? What is it that you enjoy about the piano? Keep that always in mind when practicing.

L-M

rsl12 Thank you for your reply! I actually came across this forum by chance online, and I’m really glad to have found such a supportive community here. I do understand that there’s a big gap between beginners and experts, so I’m trying to keep my expectations reasonable — I’d be happy if I can learn to play one complete piece in two or three months.
The reason I mentioned “did others also struggle with feeling too slow” because I was hoping to hear if others felt the same way when they first started. I’m looking for ways to manage those feelings and avoid getting too discouraged by slow progress.😄

HeartKeys

ShiroKuro I have always enjoyed the process, rather than only focusing on an outcome.

+1 for me here.

L-M

ShiroKuro Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience — it really means a lot to me. I found your post incredibly helpful and encouraging. As someone just starting out, it’s so reassuring to hear how others have navigated their own piano journeys and stayed motivated over the long term. Your approach to daily practice, enjoying the process, and finding support through lessons and community is something I’ll definitely keep in mind. I'm really grateful for your insight!🥰

rsl12

L-M I’d be happy if I can learn to play one complete piece in two or three months.

If your definition of "beginner" is the same as mine and you're spending two or three months per piece, you might be picking pieces that are too hard. Are you working through an instruction book?

At the beginner level, small pieces with a single challenge to overcome will be more useful (and more satisfying) to tackle than a big piece with multiple challenges. At the very beginning, a student can get through an instruction book at a pace of one new piece every week, but as the student advances, it takes longer per piece. I wouldn't spend two to three months on a piece until the intermediate level. Which makes me think your frustration might be due to trying to play things that are above your level.

thepianoplayer416

The first year of piano I was learning on my own like many people. I would listen to pieces other students would play and find interesting pieces online to play.

Many people including myself have a teacher and many would play only the assigned pieces. It's understandable when we're not playing at a high level and need to rely on a teacher to improve our techniques. Years ago I learned violin in school and went through ups & downs. Although some of the assigned pieces can be interesting, relying on the teacher having 1 lesson a week for an hour is not an effective way of learning. Although I lerned to read at an intermediate level, my progress was going nowhere. Then I decided go to the library and find interesting pieces at my level. It's taking my playing to a new direction discovering many pieces I can read through already. The more pieces I play, the more pieces I want to play.

There are people in the family who took music lessons in the past. After their last lesson they stopped playing altogether and never touch an instrument again. Playing piano for them had become a routine of going to the teacher, practice at home and work on the assigned pieces in front of him/her, onto the next assigned pieces. Today I'm always finding & downloading interesting pieces to play so the motivation is to learn songs for myself (as an amateur musician), not for my teacher (as a student).

Last Christmas I showed up at a party playing an easy version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Seeing happy, smiling faces made learning & playing the piece enjoyable. A few years ago I was travelling during COVID. I was surprise to find a piano by the hotel lobby I was staying. Everybody who sat down to play would wipe the keys with tissues and rub their hands with hand sanitizer to avoid catching something. Played movements out of a Handel suite in Dm with somebody watching. Instead of playing only for the teacher during weekly lessons, I enjoy playing on a public piano.

Learning music is very much like learnng a foreign language. There are people who would go the class every week and only rely on learning from phrase books. And then there are people who would watch TV programs regularly, read foreign newspapers & magazines outside class. The more exposure to the language the faster the progress. The ones who rely on going to class regularly turned learning into a routine. After a while they don't make much progress, lose interest and quit.

Many years ago I was invited to a birthday gathering. There were 3 kids from the same family sitting in front of a digital piano with a 1-page sheet music. It's a piece their teacher assigned as appropriate for their level. For an hour they took turns trying the piece but none of them was able to reproduce something that sounded like the song. Assuming they're at the same level, Person A looked totally lost as B & C instead of each contributing to figuring out the song. Recently I connected with a playing partner online. We'd take turns exchanging sheet music. After a week we'd make a recording to share and comment on each other's playing.

Player1

L-M

You didn't say what kind of methodology you're using. Formal lessons? Method books? Self teaching/stumbling along in the dark?

If you're not doing formal lessons, then I suggest you pick up one of the method book programs like Alfred's or Faber instead of trying to teach yourself what you don't know by banging on the keyboard and hoping for inspirational lightening to strike. Many of us here have done those programs and learned to play.

Slow is normal in the beginning. You have to think about everything and that slows down your hands/fingers. You'll get faster as well as more lyrical as you progress.

Motivation is hard when you're sitting in front of your keyboard day after day. It's up to you to keep finding ways to sit there and do your homework. The recitals here help a lot because they allow you to display your progress. You can also post videos of you playing your keyboard in the Member Recordings sub forum at any time. This also helps keep you motivated because you get to show off how you're doing. My only advise is to not overdo it because that leads to burnout. Slow but steady really is the key.

Finally, there will be ups and down. Like everything else in life, you can't let that stop you.

pseudonym58

Welcome, @L-M
As a former piano teacher (children and adults, up to intermediate level) I recommend the first two books of the Piano Pageant series by composer Donald Waxman for beginners. Very short pieces at first, and more interesting than most others in that category.
Like anything else, I'd recommend consistency: try to play nearly every day, even if it's just 15 minutes. Try not to use self-imposed deadlines; you'll progress at your own pace. I do recommend finding a teacher who is willing to work with you to learn in this way. Have fun!
(Edit: You did not indicate how far along you are in your playing; obviously the above pertains to a beginner. 😉)

thepianoplayer416

Some self-learner would push themselves to learn a difficult piece in a few months like a Chopin Nocturne or a fast movement out of a Beethoven Sonata. The rest of us including myself would start with easy pieces that require no more than a week to finish. A piece with 3 or 4 lines in big print shouldn't take more than a few days to learn.

It's important to set achievable goals for yourself. After I learned a few pieces, I know how long it'd take so I have expectations when I learn similar pieces. Next tracking your progress. I always end a practice session with a recording. The next time before playing a note, I'd listen to the playback so I know which sections of the piece to work on. As always avoid the temptation to practice pieces from top to bottom untill you can play all the notes with few mistakes. In the beginning there would be a lot of trial & error. After a while there would be more consistency.

Animisha

Welcome L-M

Motivation... For me, motivation was never an issue until now. I enjoy practising. Maybe not every single time I practise, but basically. I push on keys, and out comes music. It is a miracle!

But motivation has become an issue since I have become very much occupied with other issues. For years, my signature has been "... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ..." and it seems as if the ship hit the iceberg some time ago and more and more water starts to pour in. The piano is still fine, music is still music, I can still sit and play, but how much longer?

I'm sorry, I realise that this is not much of an answer to you.
Here is my answer to you: enjoy your practising. Deliberately enjoy the process. And motivation comes naturally.

ShiroKuro

Animisha I push on keys, and out comes music. It is a miracle!

I love this way of putting it! It is a miracle, isn't it! 🙂

Nightowl

L-M Hello L-M, welcome to this friendly forum, you're in the right place to find support from others who are also in a piano learning curve (which includes some people who've been playing for decades, as they strive to improve their skills).
I began learning piano just over 18 months ago, using Alfred's AIO Adult method books. The books are designed to teach the basics, then gradually build skills to enable beginners to play some fairly nice pieces, including a few classical pieces arranged for beginners, plus various well known country tunes and folk songs. The books are well put together and although some of the pieces are not great, there are a few nice pieces in the second half of book 1 and things improve with book 2 (although the difficulty level means that progress is usually slower in book 2). There is a 3rd book, but since finishing book 2 I have chosen to continue with material from other sources. I'm at the stage where I would probably benefit from getting a teacher but I don't feel ready yet.
Progress can be slow at times but if you persist and work diligently through method books they will take you from beginner to early intermediate. The recitals are a great way to gain feedback from other forum members and they can help to motivate people to polish pieces, rather than skipping ahead to fresh material. Good luck with whatever route you choose, it's great to have another (returning) beginner around here - we seem to be outnumbered by experienced players.

pianoloverus

Nightowl I'm at the stage where I would probably benefit from getting a teacher but I don't feel ready yet.

Why don't you feel ready yet? If the expense and sufficient time to practice are not an issue, then I think that the earlier you start with a teacher, the better. This is especially true about learning proper technique, which is almost impossible to teach from a book or video. No matter how well a book or video tries to explain technique, it cannot correct the technical errors everyone makes, especially at the beginning. For that you need a good teacher who can observe you playing and make comments.

WieWaldi

L-M Also a big welcome hug from my side. Beeing a fellow beginner, we all sit in the same boat.

thepianoplayer416

Progress video of a 1-year self-learner: