Your teaching is so nice and easy to apply. I am a classical 8th Grade pianist but love jazz too. After struggling with jazz theory and going from one youtube site to another, I finally found you and you style of teaching.last week. am making good progress. Thank you so much. I am a 68 year old lady from India. Started playing classical piano at 10. Did my 8th Grade Trinity practicals at 60 and then got interested in jazz too.
Getting older (71), the number one thing I make sure of is that I enjoy every piano lesson, every piece I play, all of the time I spend. Sometimes this means I don't do everything the "best"way as defined by the most efficient and fastest way to get ahead, if it means I stop enjoying it. No joy, then I find reasons not to play. With joy I work really hard every day, and most importantly, however far I get with learning the piano I will always be able to say I didn't waste a single minute left of my life. You are right, we adults won't accept authority :) . I am sure learning scales is of great benefit, but for me, after learning a few, and getting both hands working together that was the end of it. I was not having any fun at all, until I put on a backing track and used scales to improvise over it. Even then, improvisation is still not my short term goal, and there are just too many rabbit holes to go down as you mentioned. So what is the goal that works for me and keeps me playing an hour a day average for the last 6 years? Quite simply I love hearing new and familiar tunes materialise however slowly and haltingly I read them. Every week I receive one or two carefully graded... new ones to add to my library, and every year I keep getting much better and faster at reading them. That's it for me, all I need :)
I am 71 also….we are not old..we are mature. We have such a vast knowledge of music that has been around over the many years, have you ever noticed that when you improvise you inevitably start playing something that sounds similar to songs you already know!
genuinely thank you so much for this and all of your videos!!! i am definitely on the younger end of the adult scale (i’m in my early 20s lol) but having this kind of instruction is SO valuable! i have taken piano classes and lessons many times, and you are the first person who has actually been able to get me to UNDERSTAND what i’m doing! thank you so much for your time and effort, you are changing many lives, including this young musician
Thanks Bill. You're video sparked so many thoughts and feelings that now I'm fighting off the impulse in writing a 3000 word comment. At 74, I definitely feel the loss of sponge-like learning that I had in my younger years though now my appreciation for what I do learn is so much greater. It's my love of the piano that propels me forward. My enthusiasm sometimes results in burnout but the love always seems to get me going again. Gaps are never more than a few days...barring a bicycle accident that makes the view of you on idyllic rural roads in England seem a little bittersweet and out of reach. YT videos in general also are so helpful and simultaneously so distracting. Having (also) an intown teacher provides a wonderful (though somewhat pricey) connection with a real flesh-and-blood piano person. ...Being here as just an appreciative consumer who has enjoyed your videos (and your book) over the last few years.
I just wanted to say, I think your videos are amazing! I am an adult learner myself in the US. I'm on lesson six of your online course. I plan on buying your ebooks once I finish up all of the lessons. My family is very impressed by how far I have come in just a few months. Take care, friend!
Thank you, Drew - I always love to hear from people who are enjoying the beginners' course. Let me know how you get on, and shout if you run into any difficulties/have any questions!
Love your videos and enthusiasm, Bill. I'm in my late 20s so I'm not old but also not young, your content has been very helpful over the last few months.
Thanks Steve, and you're welcome! In many ways you're in a bit of a sweet spot, age-wise, because you have maturity, life experience under your belt etc etc but still tons of time in front of you in which to make progress. I was terribly slack about practising in my twenties (I *played* a lot, but I didn't really get any better). So if you're really jumping on it now you should make great progress. Let me know how you get on!
Dexterity is getting worse when you get older. I’m 51 and I can’t play guitar as fast as when I was in my 20s-30s and I can’t do the spreads as easily anymore as tendons get stiffer. So as a result I tend to play more melodic leads and focus more on phrasing instead of shredding.
Bill, you are an outstanding teacher. I'm an adult guitar player learning more about playing piano and music theory, and the resources you've put together are some of the best learning materials I've ever had the pleasure of utilizing. Your insight on practicing is invaluable and this video is fantastic reinforcement. I wish you all the best, man! Thank you!
You won't believe what I say. I've started at 70 and in one year playing my favorite songs pretty pretty well. My son's friends enjoy my style, as I mix in a jazzy upbeat. Just spend time with the instrument and the rest is automatic. Thank God😊
Great video Bill! I've definitely found running through various piano exercises to be an almost meditative activity. I guess one other big difference between younger and older learners is the adult learners are much more likely to be learning for intrinsic rather than extrinsic reasons. I certainly didn't pay much attention at my music classes in school, but absolutely loving learning instruments as an adult.
You're welcome, Mick! Also.... bahhhh, I wish I'd thought of saying that both of those things! It's weird how intrinsic motivations actually change as an adult. E.g. for a while now I've been motivated to try to improve some challenging skills that I shunned as too difficult at school precisely because they're difficult: I find the wrestling with difficulty itself more rewarding than I did as a kid. None of which is to say I now have the patience of an angel or don't get frustated etc etc - just that the emotional reaction is different.
@@BillHilton Indeed! These days I'm more likely to take on challenging things as I know the rewarding feeling I'll have when I become competent with it. As opposed to the frustration I'd more likely be feeling if I was effectively being forced to do something difficult "just for the sake of it", at least that's how I probably felt as a kid! Also there's probably something to be said for the more "boring" exercises being something that's welcome in an adult's life (as a nice break from the usual adult stresses), where a younger person is more likely to want to more constant novelty (again, just thinking back to when I was a kid!).
@_mickmccarthy Absolutely - these days I’m likely to practise my scales when I need to calm down, which my 12-year-old self would have found completely baffling 😂
Three weeks ago, at 47, I picked up my flute that had been resting in its case for 20+ years. Since then, I'm shredding scales and arpeggios all over the place, for like 4 or 5 hours a day (sometimes more)! it's so rewarding, and I totally recognize myself in all your points :) Edit: I forgot to mention that I do about 90% these practices with a metronome! I'm loving what kids hate. I"m having the most fun when switching keys, I love going up/down a semi-tone or minor thirds (I blast a CM arpeggio and connect it with an AM then an F#M and a EbM and just switch between these 4, and then switch to the group Db, E, G, Bb, and the group D, F, Ab, B, and just randomly switch keys, blasting arpeggios and/or scales). What I find challenging is to "randomly" change key: play a scales arpeggio in any key and any mode, and then make your little "story" to go from one tonality to another one: Em, then I think oh let's do a II-V, so switch to A7, oh but what about a tritone subs, so yeah let's play Eb7 oh no rather Eaug, and let's not resolve and go a semitone up instead, so quick, what's the fingering for Fm7 again? oh yeah, so now Bh7, let's resolve it ... oh to what? oh yeah, EbMaj7, eh but I love going down minor thirds, CMaj7, AMaj7, F#Maj7, hey let's break the pattern, FMaj7, enough of major, Em7 why not? Bb7 why not? .... and I can go on like this for hours, playing triplets, or quarter notes. I fail every other bar, but I'm really getting better and better, and that's a priceless reward :) and then it's a lot of fun to make your little story to go from a tonality to another, and the scales/arpeggios/tonalities are like old friends: "Oh hello C#m".
@@BillHilton FYI and to your point, my piano tuner's father started playing piano at age 82 and now at 102, has also taken up guitar. Playing piano keeps you young =)
Great info. The first thing is to convince an adult learner that he/she can learn piano to at least an intermediate level. When the Suzuki method came out of Japan over half a century ago, people assumed that the ideal age for learning an instrument is before 10. This is based on the assumption kids learn their native languages easily. Many avoided learning an instrument because of age. The next thing is to set realistic expectations. Many young people would go to a teacher for weekly lessons, learn Classical music at a conservatory level and take music exams every few years. Many adults learn to play music as a hobby instead of to pursuit a career as a concert pianist or a performer. The need to reach the highest conservatory grade level is arbitrary. As an adult learner myself, the goal is to be able to play a few tunes at social gatherings than passing conservatory exams.
These are excellent points. I think the whole thing about lessons being designed to produce (ultimately) conservatory-grade pianists is key: it's so often a straight path from learning where middle C is to playing Beethoven sonatas for your diploma recital. Now, that's great, and I would absolutely encourage anyone to learn classical piano to as good a standard as they can (for its own sake, but also because it's incredibly useful for learning other styles, too) and the existing systems are excellent tools for doing that, especially if you're starting young. But they are absolutely not set up for learners with your kind of goals. This is where (and I guess I would say this, but I'll say it anyway 🤣) resources like TH-cam have been pretty revolutionary.
Some great insights there Bill. Thanks for the video and excellent advice. What a co-incidence seeing you on a bike. I used to ride with a bloke called Bill Hilton. He had been a professional and once held the Australian track mile record.
I had some experience in my teens, but gave up because I couldn’t read music and took up guitar. Restarted piano at age 45 and am pretty darn good at 52 now. Oh, and dove so heavy into theory, so no need for reading “music” anymore 😊
As an adult learner who has made tons of progress in recent years (I’m in several bands), this is spot on. I learn much better as an adult because I’ve become a student of how my brain’s learning process works. That plus discipline and remembering that it’s about the journey and not the destination are my superpowers.
Merci, Bill. You said to go back to chapter 6 or 7 if there is a problem with chapter 8. Actually I went back to lesson 1 of my John Thompson book, and several times. And I finally started to sing along, and feel the rhythm. I've powered through the book again (!!) but am ready to tackle Book 2 with a fresh mental outlook. And I have your books and Piano Packs, and hope to really gain the most out of them. BTW be careful riding on the wrong side of the road.
One super power you have not as much, is a quick development of muscle memory and superb speed. I spend more time learning things nope that I’m 51 than in my 30s and if I look at my speed at guitar it’s not as fast as when I was 22 and learned to shred. What I got instead is more melodic playing and phrasing. As you suggest, lean into your strengths and workaround your weaknesses.
Yep, slowing down somewhat is absolutely something that happens - I just think people tend to overestimate the extent to which it does. It's quite a damaging myth: I've had 25 year olds say to me, "oh, I guess my brain has slowed down now - it's too late to learn anything new!"
@@BillHilton But that's with most diagnosis, people tend to embrace them. But you definitely notice your tendons getting stiffer and learning new things is a bit harder. Although you tend to also learn more deeper knowledge because (as you said) you already accumulated so much shallow knowledge that we now go down, generally.
I think adults can be too goal-oriented and impatient. That's been my challenge, to relax and enjoy. I do try to always play musically - even scales and arpeggios!
Dead right, Mick - it's crucial to enjoy the process. And I think always playing musically is CRUCIAL: a big problem for learners of all ages is falling into the trap of focussing so much on pressing the right notes at the right time (which, let's face it, is pretty demanding in itself) and forgetting to listen to the sound that's been made and shape it musically.
I started 20ish years old to play piano. Self taught. Playing whenever I find the time as I am actually a drummer. At this current moment I can say I can play most Chopin nocturnes decently which I learned throught synthesia and it took me ~9 years but I did stop and start a few times
Having “a” plan is an absolute because you can see weaknesses in the plan an improve it. If you don’t have a plan all you will be doing is just going around and around getting no where. Having no plan is a plan of failure.
This makes perfect sense to me and have often considered this idea myself.( Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part as an aspiring somewhat older student ) 👍🏽
Morning - thanks for your interest! There are several adult beginners signed up at the basic tier, and I don't make any judgement about the level people are at, and indeed often post stuff that's beginner-friendly (assuming "beginner" means "early stage but past the absolute basics"). If you do want help with absolute basics, my free beginners' course right here on TH-cam could be a good starting point. Here's the playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLpOuhygfD7QnP46wUgQudOySX_z2UOhXs.html --- re: kids' stuff, I don't really have any of that because I design everything with adult piano learners (and especially older adult piano learners) in mind. As such, if you want to support your children's learning, you'll probably find better teaching materials for them elsewhere. Give me a shout if you want any pointers on that!
One other advantage adults have is motivation. Adults practice because they want to learn the instrument whereas some kids have lessons only because their parents want them to, though the kids themselves would rather be doing something else. At the age of 57 I finally decided to have lessons. the first teacher I went to spoke to me as if I was a kid, I therefore ditched her and went to an elderley gentleman teacher who spoke to me like an adult. I learnt a lot with him.
I agree! Adult learners don't learn less well than kids, but we learn differently and in a completely different context. That in itself is a secret super power.
It's weird, isn't it? I can't even pinpoint the age at which the change happens (and I doubt it's the same age for everyone, and maybe some people stay "childlike" in their learning, and maybe some kids are prematurely "grown-up" in theirs etc etc)
I also agree. The process of assimilating information into the brain might perhaps be quicker in kids, hence the sponge analogy, but adults can pre-sift the info (based upon superpowers pointed out by Bill) and discard what they know they don't need, kids tend to just hoover the lot up, so they actually learn stuff that might not be relevant. I'm sensing the tortoise & hare fable......
No indeed - I’m aware that for many it’s not. I hope in the video I was careful enough to stress the “if you can” bit, because I’m all too aware that many people struggle with all three of the factors. Good luck with the keyboard and let me know how you get on/if you have any questions/need any guidance!
@@deelicious1610 No problem! I agonised over that whole section because I wanted to say _something_ but I was aware that it’s a subject a lot of people are very sensitive about, and with good reason…!
No doubt you are a fine educator, Bill. I have already commited to an education path for the first year. I gots to know, It looks like you might iv been in a public allotment, garden. Do you ever toss some batteries in tgat little keyboard and pkay out in the garden by your lonesome? I was in in England in 70 and 71 and absolutely loved it. I'm 60 and just started myself. I love a delicious challenge. If you ever met my favorite ex-wife, you would understand.😅 My initial goal is fighting back against long-covid brain fog. And faint baby strokes. Nowvit us more about having some fun.
We learn that it is not necessary to take the traditional approach and waste so much time and money, when all we want to do is play for enjoyment. Grown-ups don't want to be concert pianists or performers.
If you visit www.patreon.com/billhilton you SHOULD find the prices denominated in your local currency. However, the system isn't totally reliable (esp if you're using a VPN or a corporate or institutional network). If you want to sign up and have any questions or problems, do drop me an email - www.billspianopages.com/contact - and I'll be happy to help!
Most beginner books start there because children don't know how to read either. Various methods are going to have different pacing that feels more or less appropriate to both your level of note-reading and physical coordination. It takes patience, but through a combination of landmark notes and intervallic reading, I think I most beginners will quickly reach a point where their reading ability and playing ability start to sync up. I also recommend learning chord theory and practicing from lead sheets. If you are one who is strong on rhythm and improv, you may also find a lot of satisfaction once you understand how to pull a song off the lead sheet. I would personally recommend every player incorporate both approaches into their learning plan.
Bill is my teacher. I started lessons at 76. What he says is so true!
Thanks Donna - you were definitely one of the people I had in mind when I made this!
Ich bin 73 und habe vor 2 Jahren ein Klavier gekauft und freu mich über jeden kleinen Fortschritt. 😊
Vielen Gluck.
Gut gemacht, Arlette! 73 ist noch jung - ich kenne Studenten in ihren Achtzigern!
@@lawrencetaylor4101 Dankeschön
Your teaching is so nice and easy to apply. I am a classical 8th Grade pianist but love jazz too. After struggling with jazz theory and going from one youtube site to another, I finally found you and you style of teaching.last week. am making good progress.
Thank you so much.
I am a 68 year old lady from India. Started playing classical piano at 10. Did my 8th Grade Trinity practicals at 60 and then got interested in jazz too.
This information is super encouraging. I'm grateful you compiled it this way. The editing of your video is also engaging and fun! 😊
Thank you - really glad you liked it!
Thanks Bill!! I just need to keep practicing.
You're welcome, Martin... and yes, so do I! 🤣
Getting older (71), the number one thing I make sure of is that I enjoy every piano lesson, every piece I play, all of the time I spend. Sometimes this means I don't do everything the "best"way as defined by the most efficient and fastest way to get ahead, if it means I stop enjoying it. No joy, then I find reasons not to play. With joy I work really hard every day, and most importantly, however far I get with learning the piano I will always be able to say I didn't waste a single minute left of my life. You are right, we adults won't accept authority :) . I am sure learning scales is of great benefit, but for me, after learning a few, and getting both hands working together that was the end of it. I was not having any fun at all, until I put on a backing track and used scales to improvise over it. Even then, improvisation is still not my short term goal, and there are just too many rabbit holes to go down as you mentioned. So what is the goal that works for me and keeps me playing an hour a day average for the last 6 years? Quite simply I love hearing new and familiar tunes materialise however slowly and haltingly I read them. Every week I receive one or two carefully graded... new ones to add to my library, and every year I keep getting much better and faster at reading them. That's it for me, all I need :)
I am 71 also….we are not old..we are mature. We have such a vast knowledge of music that has been around over the many years, have you ever noticed that when you improvise you inevitably start playing something that sounds similar to songs you already know!
genuinely thank you so much for this and all of your videos!!! i am definitely on the younger end of the adult scale (i’m in my early 20s lol) but having this kind of instruction is SO valuable! i have taken piano classes and lessons many times, and you are the first person who has actually been able to get me to UNDERSTAND what i’m doing! thank you so much for your time and effort, you are changing many lives, including this young musician
Thanks Bill. You're video sparked so many thoughts and feelings that now I'm fighting off the impulse in writing a 3000 word comment. At 74, I definitely feel the loss of sponge-like learning that I had in my younger years though now my appreciation for what I do learn is so much greater. It's my love of the piano that propels me forward. My enthusiasm sometimes results in burnout but the love always seems to get me going again. Gaps are never more than a few days...barring a bicycle accident that makes the view of you on idyllic rural roads in England seem a little bittersweet and out of reach. YT videos in general also are so helpful and simultaneously so distracting. Having (also) an intown teacher provides a wonderful (though somewhat pricey) connection with a real flesh-and-blood piano person. ...Being here as just an appreciative consumer who has enjoyed your videos (and your book) over the last few years.
I just wanted to say, I think your videos are amazing! I am an adult learner myself in the US. I'm on lesson six of your online course. I plan on buying your ebooks once I finish up all of the lessons. My family is very impressed by how far I have come in just a few months. Take care, friend!
Thank you, Drew - I always love to hear from people who are enjoying the beginners' course. Let me know how you get on, and shout if you run into any difficulties/have any questions!
@@BillHilton will do!!!
Surely listening to music for a lifetime is a superpower
Love your videos and enthusiasm, Bill. I'm in my late 20s so I'm not old but also not young, your content has been very helpful over the last few months.
Thanks Steve, and you're welcome! In many ways you're in a bit of a sweet spot, age-wise, because you have maturity, life experience under your belt etc etc but still tons of time in front of you in which to make progress. I was terribly slack about practising in my twenties (I *played* a lot, but I didn't really get any better). So if you're really jumping on it now you should make great progress. Let me know how you get on!
YOU ARE YOUNG.
Trust us on this. 😊
We have more exposure to music, thus an inbuilt repertoire. Dexterity is better developed. Hohum, the list goes on. I'm 75. It's fun.
Dexterity is getting worse when you get older. I’m 51 and I can’t play guitar as fast as when I was in my 20s-30s and I can’t do the spreads as easily anymore as tendons get stiffer. So as a result I tend to play more melodic leads and focus more on phrasing instead of shredding.
Bill, you are an outstanding teacher. I'm an adult guitar player learning more about playing piano and music theory, and the resources you've put together are some of the best learning materials I've ever had the pleasure of utilizing. Your insight on practicing is invaluable and this video is fantastic reinforcement. I wish you all the best, man! Thank you!
You won't believe what I say. I've started at 70 and in one year playing my favorite songs pretty pretty well. My son's friends enjoy my style, as I mix in a jazzy upbeat. Just spend time with the instrument and the rest is automatic. Thank God😊
Great video Bill!
I've definitely found running through various piano exercises to be an almost meditative activity.
I guess one other big difference between younger and older learners is the adult learners are much more likely to be learning for intrinsic rather than extrinsic reasons. I certainly didn't pay much attention at my music classes in school, but absolutely loving learning instruments as an adult.
You're welcome, Mick! Also.... bahhhh, I wish I'd thought of saying that both of those things! It's weird how intrinsic motivations actually change as an adult. E.g. for a while now I've been motivated to try to improve some challenging skills that I shunned as too difficult at school precisely because they're difficult: I find the wrestling with difficulty itself more rewarding than I did as a kid. None of which is to say I now have the patience of an angel or don't get frustated etc etc - just that the emotional reaction is different.
@@BillHilton Indeed!
These days I'm more likely to take on challenging things as I know the rewarding feeling I'll have when I become competent with it. As opposed to the frustration I'd more likely be feeling if I was effectively being forced to do something difficult "just for the sake of it", at least that's how I probably felt as a kid!
Also there's probably something to be said for the more "boring" exercises being something that's welcome in an adult's life (as a nice break from the usual adult stresses), where a younger person is more likely to want to more constant novelty (again, just thinking back to when I was a kid!).
@_mickmccarthy Absolutely - these days I’m likely to practise my scales when I need to calm down, which my 12-year-old self would have found completely baffling 😂
Three weeks ago, at 47, I picked up my flute that had been resting in its case for 20+ years. Since then, I'm shredding scales and arpeggios all over the place, for like 4 or 5 hours a day (sometimes more)! it's so rewarding, and I totally recognize myself in all your points :)
Edit: I forgot to mention that I do about 90% these practices with a metronome! I'm loving what kids hate.
I"m having the most fun when switching keys, I love going up/down a semi-tone or minor thirds (I blast a CM arpeggio and connect it with an AM then an F#M and a EbM and just switch between these 4, and then switch to the group Db, E, G, Bb, and the group D, F, Ab, B, and just randomly switch keys, blasting arpeggios and/or scales).
What I find challenging is to "randomly" change key: play a scales arpeggio in any key and any mode, and then make your little "story" to go from one tonality to another one: Em, then I think oh let's do a II-V, so switch to A7, oh but what about a tritone subs, so yeah let's play Eb7 oh no rather Eaug, and let's not resolve and go a semitone up instead, so quick, what's the fingering for Fm7 again? oh yeah, so now Bh7, let's resolve it ... oh to what? oh yeah, EbMaj7, eh but I love going down minor thirds, CMaj7, AMaj7, F#Maj7, hey let's break the pattern, FMaj7, enough of major, Em7 why not? Bb7 why not? .... and I can go on like this for hours, playing triplets, or quarter notes. I fail every other bar, but I'm really getting better and better, and that's a priceless reward :) and then it's a lot of fun to make your little story to go from a tonality to another, and the scales/arpeggios/tonalities are like old friends: "Oh hello C#m".
Awesome Bill! I will be sharing this with my piano friends.
Please do! And yes, you're welcome!
@@BillHilton FYI and to your point, my piano tuner's father started playing piano at age 82 and now at 102, has also taken up guitar. Playing piano keeps you young =)
@bonusbaseballtours9995 That’s amazing!
Great info.
The first thing is to convince an adult learner that he/she can learn piano to at least an intermediate level. When the Suzuki method came out of Japan over half a century ago, people assumed that the ideal age for learning an instrument is before 10. This is based on the assumption kids learn their native languages easily. Many avoided learning an instrument because of age.
The next thing is to set realistic expectations. Many young people would go to a teacher for weekly lessons, learn Classical music at a conservatory level and take music exams every few years. Many adults learn to play music as a hobby instead of to pursuit a career as a concert pianist or a performer. The need to reach the highest conservatory grade level is arbitrary. As an adult learner myself, the goal is to be able to play a few tunes at social gatherings than passing conservatory exams.
These are excellent points. I think the whole thing about lessons being designed to produce (ultimately) conservatory-grade pianists is key: it's so often a straight path from learning where middle C is to playing Beethoven sonatas for your diploma recital. Now, that's great, and I would absolutely encourage anyone to learn classical piano to as good a standard as they can (for its own sake, but also because it's incredibly useful for learning other styles, too) and the existing systems are excellent tools for doing that, especially if you're starting young. But they are absolutely not set up for learners with your kind of goals. This is where (and I guess I would say this, but I'll say it anyway 🤣) resources like TH-cam have been pretty revolutionary.
Some great insights there Bill. Thanks for the video and excellent advice. What a co-incidence seeing you on a bike. I used to ride with a bloke called Bill Hilton. He had been a professional and once held the Australian track mile record.
I would have labled #1 "Desire" however, I suppose determination still covers that.🤔🎶🎹Play On🎹🎶 Just for the joy.
I had some experience in my teens, but gave up because I couldn’t read music and took up guitar. Restarted piano at age 45 and am pretty darn good at 52 now. Oh, and dove so heavy into theory, so no need for reading “music” anymore 😊
He said the main thing...Keep on practicing...👍
yes, I find scales and chords rewarding now
Thanks Bill.
You're welcome Karen!
Thank you sir for sharing ❤
Really helpful
You're really welcome!
As an adult learner who has made tons of progress in recent years (I’m in several bands), this is spot on. I learn much better as an adult because I’ve become a student of how my brain’s learning process works. That plus discipline and remembering that it’s about the journey and not the destination are my superpowers.
Merci, Bill. You said to go back to chapter 6 or 7 if there is a problem with chapter 8. Actually I went back to lesson 1 of my John Thompson book, and several times. And I finally started to sing along, and feel the rhythm. I've powered through the book again (!!) but am ready to tackle Book 2 with a fresh mental outlook. And I have your books and Piano Packs, and hope to really gain the most out of them.
BTW be careful riding on the wrong side of the road.
One super power you have not as much, is a quick development of muscle memory and superb speed.
I spend more time learning things nope that I’m 51 than in my 30s and if I look at my speed at guitar it’s not as fast as when I was 22 and learned to shred. What I got instead is more melodic playing and phrasing.
As you suggest, lean into your strengths and workaround your weaknesses.
Yep, slowing down somewhat is absolutely something that happens - I just think people tend to overestimate the extent to which it does. It's quite a damaging myth: I've had 25 year olds say to me, "oh, I guess my brain has slowed down now - it's too late to learn anything new!"
@@BillHilton But that's with most diagnosis, people tend to embrace them. But you definitely notice your tendons getting stiffer and learning new things is a bit harder. Although you tend to also learn more deeper knowledge because (as you said) you already accumulated so much shallow knowledge that we now go down, generally.
I needed this! Thank you!
You're really welcome Jen!
I think adults can be too goal-oriented and impatient. That's been my challenge, to relax and enjoy. I do try to always play musically - even scales and arpeggios!
Dead right, Mick - it's crucial to enjoy the process. And I think always playing musically is CRUCIAL: a big problem for learners of all ages is falling into the trap of focussing so much on pressing the right notes at the right time (which, let's face it, is pretty demanding in itself) and forgetting to listen to the sound that's been made and shape it musically.
Grande Bill Hilton! Grazie
Prego!
I started 20ish years old to play piano. Self taught. Playing whenever I find the time as I am actually a drummer. At this current moment I can say I can play most Chopin nocturnes decently which I learned throught synthesia and it took me ~9 years but I did stop and start a few times
Having “a” plan is an absolute because you can see weaknesses in the plan an improve it. If you don’t have a plan all you will be doing is just going around and around getting no where. Having no plan is a plan of failure.
good stuff!
Thank you!
great video
Thanks for your info…👍👍🌏🌎🌍🎹🎧
This makes perfect sense to me and have often considered this idea myself.( Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part as an aspiring somewhat older student ) 👍🏽
Hi Bill. Do you have a Patreon tier for children/beginners? Thank you.
Morning - thanks for your interest! There are several adult beginners signed up at the basic tier, and I don't make any judgement about the level people are at, and indeed often post stuff that's beginner-friendly (assuming "beginner" means "early stage but past the absolute basics"). If you do want help with absolute basics, my free beginners' course right here on TH-cam could be a good starting point. Here's the playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLpOuhygfD7QnP46wUgQudOySX_z2UOhXs.html --- re: kids' stuff, I don't really have any of that because I design everything with adult piano learners (and especially older adult piano learners) in mind. As such, if you want to support your children's learning, you'll probably find better teaching materials for them elsewhere. Give me a shout if you want any pointers on that!
Amen.
Thank you!
One other advantage adults have is motivation. Adults practice because they want to learn the instrument whereas some kids have lessons only because their parents want them to, though the kids themselves would rather be doing something else. At the age of 57 I finally decided to have lessons. the first teacher I went to spoke to me as if I was a kid, I therefore ditched her and went to an elderley gentleman teacher who spoke to me like an adult. I learnt a lot with him.
It's Bill!
I'm back! (Not that I've been away: just busy with other stuff 😁)
@@BillHilton yay, great teaching as always
I agree! Adult learners don't learn less well than kids, but we learn differently and in a completely different context. That in itself is a secret super power.
It's weird, isn't it? I can't even pinpoint the age at which the change happens (and I doubt it's the same age for everyone, and maybe some people stay "childlike" in their learning, and maybe some kids are prematurely "grown-up" in theirs etc etc)
I also agree. The process of assimilating information into the brain might perhaps be quicker in kids, hence the sponge analogy, but adults can pre-sift the info (based upon superpowers pointed out by Bill) and discard what they know they don't need, kids tend to just hoover the lot up, so they actually learn stuff that might not be relevant.
I'm sensing the tortoise & hare fable......
Sleep is not in my control! 43 years of insomnia. Just bought a keyboard.
No indeed - I’m aware that for many it’s not. I hope in the video I was careful enough to stress the “if you can” bit, because I’m all too aware that many people struggle with all three of the factors. Good luck with the keyboard and let me know how you get on/if you have any questions/need any guidance!
Listened again and yes, you said for most people. I am touchy on the topic of sleep. Apologies!!
@@deelicious1610 No problem! I agonised over that whole section because I wanted to say _something_ but I was aware that it’s a subject a lot of people are very sensitive about, and with good reason…!
insomnia? try lifting weights for 2 hours every other day and go to failure each single set. Still got insomnia? I don't think so..
Worked for me at 2am this morning.
No doubt you are a fine educator, Bill. I have already commited to an education path for the first year.
I gots to know,
It looks like you might iv been in a public allotment, garden. Do you ever toss some batteries in tgat little keyboard and pkay out in the garden by your lonesome?
I was in in England in 70 and 71 and absolutely loved it.
I'm 60 and just started myself. I love a delicious challenge. If you ever met my favorite ex-wife, you would understand.😅
My initial goal is fighting back against long-covid brain fog. And faint baby strokes. Nowvit us more about having some fun.
I could have sworn I have seen this video from you a long time ago.
It's similar in style to this one - th-cam.com/video/rJwY4JEG9_Y/w-d-xo.html - and the content overlaps in a couple of places, so that could be it!
@@BillHilton That is indeed it.
We learn that it is not necessary to take the traditional approach and waste so much time and money, when all we want to do is play for enjoyment. Grown-ups don't want to be concert pianists or performers.
The prices are all in pounds?
If you visit www.patreon.com/billhilton you SHOULD find the prices denominated in your local currency. However, the system isn't totally reliable (esp if you're using a VPN or a corporate or institutional network). If you want to sign up and have any questions or problems, do drop me an email - www.billspianopages.com/contact - and I'll be happy to help!
The core of the problem for adults might begin with the inability to read sheet music 🎼🎶
That's exactly why I used synthesia it fixed the core problem. Now I can even teach other adults (kids too) to use synthesia
@@radoslavdragnev8797 I think that was the title of an Andy Summers album. ( Synthsiea ) 🤔
Most beginner books start there because children don't know how to read either. Various methods are going to have different pacing that feels more or less appropriate to both your level of note-reading and physical coordination. It takes patience, but through a combination of landmark notes and intervallic reading, I think I most beginners will quickly reach a point where their reading ability and playing ability start to sync up. I also recommend learning chord theory and practicing from lead sheets. If you are one who is strong on rhythm and improv, you may also find a lot of satisfaction once you understand how to pull a song off the lead sheet. I would personally recommend every player incorporate both approaches into their learning plan.