tips

Finding the Right Music For Adult Piano Students

Are you one of many adults who finds themselves eager to learn or relearn the piano? If so, congratulations! It’s never too late to learn to play the piano. Playing the piano is a wonderful lifelong hobby that anyone can pursue. When you’re first getting started, it can be hard to find the right mus

Musicnotes

Jul 8, 2021 • 4 min read

Are you one of many adults who finds themselves eager to learn or relearn the piano? If so, congratulations! It’s never too late to learn to play the piano.

Playing the piano is a wonderful lifelong hobby that anyone can pursue.

When you’re first getting started, it can be hard to find the right music to help you learn piano. Some music might feel too easy, while some is just too challenging. Some music might seem boring, or some might feel completely out of reach.

There are so many options for music to learn as an adult and it can be really overwhelming to find just the right music that will motivate you and set you up to learn the skills needed to play the piano.

Here are some things to consider as you’re exploring music to learn.

Don’t use books designed for kids

If you visit a local music store or search online, it will be really easy to find piano method books geared towards kids, while books for adults are a little less common.

As an adult, you don’t have to play from a book that was designed for kids. There are plenty of other options that will suit you better.

You may have books lying around your house that your kids or grandkids used. While it might be fun to try them out or learn alongside your kids, your time will be better spent using material that is designed for adults.

Adults have the capacity to think about music and discipline their time in a completely different way than kids do, so it doesn’t make sense to use what the kids use.

Don’t use the same books you used as a kid

Similarly, if you played the piano as a kid and still have your original piano books, know that there is likely something better for you now.

All things that involve learning change over time. Common approaches to teaching music are always evolving, but more importantly, you have changed.

There is likely still value to those old books, but finding music that is up-to-date and relevant will be far more motivating than relearning the same thing that you already learned years ago.

Evaluate your goals and find a style of music that motivates you

Music is such a vast field. There isn’t one right or wrong way to approach learning music. Many older piano methods had the primary goal of teaching students to read music using fairly traditional music.

However, that’s definitely not the only way to learn music, and it may not be the most efficient route for you.

If you’re interested in skills such as improvising, playing jazz, or reading from chord charts, you might get bored easily using a more traditional approach.

There is plenty of material out there that can help you pursue your musical goals so take some time to learn what it is that you’re really looking for.

Follow a method, but be ready to apply your skills to other music as well

It can be tempting to wander around different approaches and styles of music, but you’ll be set up for success if you commit to one method or approach.

It might feel cumbersome to wade through some of the material that seems too easy, but focus on the skills that you are practicing through that music.

As you are following your method, look for ways to transfer what you are learning to other music that interests you. This will help you see the value and purpose of learning basic skills in the early stages.

Try multiple approaches to find the one that is right for you

While you don’t want to dabble around in a bunch of different books, it’s also okay to shop around and try out several approaches before you settle on what works best for you. Don’t be discouraged if it seems like your music isn’t right for you.

If you aren’t enjoying your music, don’t assume that something is wrong with you or that you are not cut out to learn music. That is a myth that a lot of adult learners start to believe when learning music doesn’t satisfy them the way they first envisioned it.

Instead, keep searching and stay focused on what inspired you to learn the piano in the first place.

Trust the process of learning simpler music

Learning music can be messy. Sometimes you have to trust that if you are committed to the process of learning music, you will start to see progress.

Stay committed to learning through the early, messy stages. There is often a specific reason why certain skills and topics are presented at certain times. This will set you up for success as you become ready to learn more complicated music.

Master skills, not songs

Most people are inspired to learn piano because of specific songs or pieces they would love to be able to play. It’s definitely important to keep your eye on the prize, but don’t jump into difficult music too early in your music study.

Along the lines of trusting the process, it’s important to master skills that will help you approach difficult music. So, spend your time acquiring new skills at the piano, not learning just one specific piece of music.

Find arrangers who are also teachers

There are tons of composers who are creating and arranging music specifically with adult learners in mind.

If you are searching for music online, you’ll find a huge range of results and it can be hard to tell if they are actually good arrangements.

Instead, search for music by specific arrangers who are teachers. These arrangers are mindful of the skills that you already have or should be learning. They design their music to be accessible for learners while also maintaining artistry and style.

Browse Musicnotes.com for these arrangers: