Piano progress 1 year practicing less than an hour a day
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 พ.ค. 2024
- 1 year piano progress by a complete beginner. I practised playing the piano for around 280 hours during my first year. My piano progress started self-taught but I soon started working with a teacher.
I am very happy with my first year of piano progress as an adult beginner. In total, I learned 28 actual pieces, not including the exercises from the Adult Piano Adventures book. While my progression may seem slow compared to other one year piano progress videos on TH-cam, I believe I have laid a good foundation from which to continue. Especially as I only practised for an hour or less each day.
Shortly after this video was uploaded, I re-recorded Sonatina in C:
• Day 374 - Clementi Son...
One year later, I made a 2 year piano progress video:
• 2 years piano progress...
I answer common questions I have received in this video:
• 1000 Subs Q&A - My Pia...
0:00 Introduction
0:21 Day 10 - Shepherd's Song (Adult Piano Adventures)
0:53 Day 12 - French Minuet (Adult Piano Adventures)
1:09 Day 22 - When the Saints Go Marching In (Adult Piano Adventures)
1:35 Day 30 - Musette (Adult Piano Adventures)
1:48 Day 36 - Half-Time Band (Adult Piano Adventures)
2:12 Day 39 - Sleeping Beauty Waltz (Adult Piano Adventures)
2:52 Day 53 - Viva la France (Adult Piano Adventures)
3:16 Day 82 - Little Sonata (Classics to Moderns, Book 1)
3:44 Day 119 - Quadrille (Classics to Moderns, Book 1)
4:11 Day 123 - Mission Impossible (Up-grade! Piano Grades 0-1)
4:42 Day 154 - Bagatelle (Classics to Moderns, Book 1)
5:22 Day 169 - Rondino (Classics to Moderns, Book 1)
6:03 Day 271 - The Egyptian Level (Piano Exam Pieces 2019 & 2020)
6:37 Day 317 - Theme (Piano Exam Pieces 2019 & 2020)
7:06 Day 335 - Musette (Classics to Moderns, Book 2)
8:02 Day 363 - Sonatina in C (Clementi - Sonatinas, complete Op.36 & Op.4)
Q&A
9:37 Why did I record these videos?
11:25 What do I think about my progress?
12:49 Am I happy with my progress?
14:14 Have I played an instrument before?
16:34 How could you progress faster?
Please note: Sections were removed from Little Sonata, Quadrille, Bagatelle and Rondino in TH-cam Studio editor on 9 May 2021. This was to improve the pacing of the video as these pieces dragged on.
All the 60+ pieces I learned during my first year were uploaded on the day I felt I could play them well enough. You can view them all in order using this playlist:
• Playlist
🎞 Check out my progress from the start:
• Day 10 - Shepherd's So...
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The TH-cam piano progress community is incredibly supportive. But, TH-cam isn't always the best way to communicate. As such, some of us have established a Discord server where we can get together and discuss our piano journies.
Visit our Piano Learners Discord server here:
/ discord
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The links below are affiliate links that provide me with a few pennies which I use to purchase my piano books.
📚 The books I have used during my piano progress have been:
Faber’s Adult Piano Adventures, All-in-one - geni.us/kgozc
Classics to Moderns, Book 1 - geni.us/84AB6NQ
Up-grade! Piano Grades 0-1 - geni.us/HQTuKNp
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces, Grade 1, 2019-2020 - geni.us/4gLjB8B
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces, Grade 1, 2021-2022 - geni.us/iQHqFdc
Clementi Sonatinas, ABRSM - geni.us/RKJ7n
Up-grade! Christmas Piano Grades 1-2 - geni.us/keAT
Classics to Moderns, Book 2 - geni.us/PCfXx
Up-grade! Piano Grades 1-2 - geni.us/lQeI
Jazz, Rags & Blues, Book 1 - geni.us/Yp0g5
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces, Grade 2, 2021-2022 - geni.us/toS6JDI
25 Progressive & Easy Studies - geni.us/ziCx
Rockschool Piano, Grade 1, 2019 - geni.us/quNK
Rockschool Piano, Grade 2, 2019 - geni.us/7a1Gog0
ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces, Grade 3, 2021-2022 - geni.us/laME
Classics to Moderns, Book 3 - geni.us/c2m3
🎹 The pianos I have used while learning have been:
Roland FP30 - geni.us/fTyL
Kawai CA99 - www.kawai.co.uk/products/digi...
🖥 The app I use for my scores is:
forScore - forscore.co
🎬 The audio & video equipment I use:
Sony A7iv - geni.us/sony_a7_iv
Sony A7iii - geni.us/3G4KrD
Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 Lens - geni.us/Ru62Z
Sony 24-105mm F4 Lens - geni.us/xTyk0o
RØDE VideoMic Pro+ - geni.us/iG3YLV
Atomos Ninja V - geni.us/cw0JeWd
Shure SM7B Mic - geni.us/cBdlOq
Cloudlifter Mic Amp - geni.us/0E0W
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#piano #pianoprogress #adultpianoprogress #1yearpianoprogress #pianoprogression1year #piano1yearprogress #pianoprogress1year
*Update: Feb 14, 2022*
I've been playing the piano for two years now. Watch my 2 year piano progress here: th-cam.com/video/k4MYcxwRRRw/w-d-xo.html
*Please note:* This video was trimmed down using the TH-cam Studio editor on 28 April 2021. Several whole pieces were removed and a couple of sections from the remaining pieces (Little Sonata, Bagatelle). This was only to improve the pacing of the video as some of the performances dragged on.
I have no intention of hiding anything. All of the pieces that were removed and many others that I learned during my first year are available on my channel as they have been since I was first able to play.
All the 60+ pieces I learnt during my first year were uploaded on the day I felt I could play them well enough. You can view them all in order using this playlist:
th-cam.com/play/PLd918-xKxopYHEhRG7-c8_vAAYb3BqB1H.html
*Original Comment:*
1968weedsmoke wanted to see my mistakes. Here they are! Watch me fall to pieces trying to record a 1-minute piece. Contains bad language and anger management issues.
th-cam.com/video/7DWVrB1Jf7A/w-d-xo.html
Yes I think it would be nice to see the moments where you failed or made mistakes. It would give people idea of your progression.
@@Chlrintruc I definitely intend to do that in future videos.
So far I'd only recorded anything when a piece is finished but I have started recording other clips as I'm learning new pieces so I can show how they develop over time.
It's going to require a lot more work but, hopefully, it will tell a better story.
I know exactly how you feel. When I was learning a Bach Prelude, I had it right off pat - until I tried to record it and then it fell to pieces. My language would have made the video unpublishable!!
@@DavideMazzetti This is what I'm talking about. I was planning to release this uncensored. However, I don't think that's necessary, as it's quite gratuitous. So a censored version will be what's on offer.
Agreed need some mistakes in there if it’s progress not performances!
You're too hard on yourself! That is an incredible amount of progress for a beginner adult in 1 year. Keep at it!! You have a natural flair for the piano and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the beginning of your, hopefully long and very rewarding, musical journey
Thank you. I don’t think I am hard on myself. However, I may have a skewed perception of how people progress. As an adult in lockdown the only other progress I see is on TH-cam and there is probably a bias to better progress as it’s only those comfortable sharing that I see.
In the past I’ve had a habit of taking up a lot of new hobbies and not continuing with them. I thought playing the piano could be the same. But now it’s been over a year I’m confident this is something I’m going to continue for years and years. And I am very excited to see where this takes me.
This is a good progressing video not like others that made for earn viewers and it’s fake progression. Good informations here and good job !
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.
Yes, those geniuses - especially the melodic and always fun Mozart are so.....boring :-/
Is learning rondo all turca in 2 months fake?
@@lastbornrelic3430 Someone once messaged me saying they had just started learning and could play La Campanella. I checked out their channel to discover they could play the first measure. Badly.
Can someone play Rondo alla Turca after 2 months? Maybe. Can they play it well? Unlikely.
@@DanielLearnsPiano i can play it quite well and yes 2 months well almost at 2 so if ur saying im lying now i know not to listen to any1 online thx
You knew how tempo and rythmic subdivision is supposed to work. That's a huge head start, I was suprised by your day1 timing
Yes, this is true. I didn't come at the piano as a complete music novice. My rhythm and understanding of rhythmic notation from when I was young did obviously help a great deal at the beginning. I tried to make this clear in the video.
This was awesome. Here's the thing about learning the piano and why some people progress faster or not. It all depends on how you are being taught. If they are memorizing songs as they go, they will progress faster in playing. If they are working with a teacher then they will also learn to read music and learn the theory. If you are learning from books, with an occasional teacher, your progress is going to look very different. Teaching from books is a slower way to learn but you probably learned more theory as you went vs those who just memorize music. I don't think one is better than the other.
For what it's worth, I have been playing the piano for 36 years and I still have pieces that take a long time to get to performance level. Some are easier and some more challenging. it's just something we keep working on.
I absolutely love the piano. I quit for a few years. It was a conflict of interest in my marriage. I am back to sitting at the piano daily. I love practicing for 20 to 30 minutes a day and then occasionally when I feel like it. :D I don't think you have to spend hours at the piano unless you are doing piano as a career.
Thank you. Yes, I'm sure there are all sorts of reasons why people will progress at different paces. I guess the comments in this video were more directed at people that claim to practice 15-30 minutes a day, but progress 5x quicker.
If can take you a long time to get a piece to performance level after 36 years, it makes you wonder how a complete beginner can do the same with multiple advanced pieces in one year. But anyway...
I'm glad to hear that you are playing still (though I do hope that didn't affect your marriage). I'm extremely happy I have started and hope I can be playing for as long as you have been already.
I think you have progressed really well for a year. Pat yourself on the back.
Thank you. I’m pleased with my progress.
Ahhh Im a piano teacher and LOVE your dynamics. That is a huge thing a lot of students forget about (even me when learning something new sometimes). Bravoooooo
Thank you. This is mainly what my teacher focuses on in our lessons.
It helps that you already knew how to read music and played an instrument before you took up piano. Its nice to see the progression in this video.
Yes, I’m sure it helped a little. Personally, I don’t think reading music is as difficult as people make out. Given enough time anyone can figure out what to play.
Actual sight-reading, on the other hand, that is incredibly difficult. That’s definitely not a skill I had to start with, or even now.
this is such a cool video! i’m 13 years old and started playing when i was around 7 years old and i’m currently at level 8. your progress is so inspiring especially to me since i sometimes lack motivation to practice. not to mention how amazing your rhythm and dynamics are! keep up the great work 😁
Thanks! It means a lot. It’ll be great if I could ever reach your level.
I am 45 years old from Greece and I have just bought a digital piano and trying to find a teacher to start lessons.I have a bussiness, I have family and I have a very similar backround in music, I play electric guitar and last year I started vocal lessons for singing, so naturally your video spoke right into my mind and heart. I too, found your video very inspiring and honest and I hope you make more.For me personally the yearly progress is the most usefull-inspiring way but more frequent feedback would be welcome just to be in touch with a guy in a similar situation but a few steps ahead from me so that I have someone to look up to.I wish you the best for your family, bussiness and music! I wish you health, happiness and endless apettite for creativity!
Great, I'm glad the video spoke to you. I'm going to continue with my regular update videos, as well as yearly updates (as these have way better reach). I hope you find and teacher soon and wish you all the best for your musical journey.
Nearly all beginners of piano have one thing own common. They allow their wrists to go under the level of the keyboard. High wrists allow playing on the pads as it should be.
I really appreciate your honesty and vulnerability in sharing your journey. Well done and thank you!
Very encouraging, thank you for this!
I’ve been wanting to teach myself piano for years. I studied music theory but have barely touched a piano. Woke up this morning and said I’m going to start today for up to 1 hour a day! Thanks for the inspiration!
Go for it! An hour a day is a reasonable amount of time to find in a day and if you are consistent with your practice you can make serious progress. I would recommend getting a teacher if that is an option. They really help guide you and can save you wasting time.
Your thoughts about your progress are very helpful. You help people think about what they want to do with piano lessons.
Thank you. I hope this helps some people.
I enjoyed seeing the progress over time in one video. That's awesome and motivating.
I like the way you recorded your progression. It’s very motivating.
Thanks for sharing! We both started playing piano around the same time and posted the 1 year progress video lately. After watching the longer version of Musette you played in the video beautifully, I wanna try that too! Please keep on posting.
Thank you. You’re very kind. Something tells me you’re going to go a lot further than I am.
Quite refreshing to here truthful progress on your piano journey, so many you tubers with fantastic progress that I find it hard to believe!
Thank you. I am sceptical some of the claims made on TH-cam. If someone says they have practised 3+ hours a day for a year, then fair play to them. They have worked hard for their progress. But when others claim they only practice 30 minutes a day, from an absolute beginner, and progress at the same pace... You have to ask yourself "is this for real?"
If I'm honest, even my progress appears better than it is as it's only a snapshot of the times I play through the pieces without mistakes, which is less often than I would like.
Gotta say, this and all of your other videos were a big part of why I returned to piano. You did a fantastic job, both playing and production wise!
this is such a nice walk through memory lane back to childhood, when all of these piano ideas were new ones to me. thanks for making such a sincere video.
Good for you and keep at it! I’m much older and started in April 2020 and thoroughly enjoying the challenge. Thanks for sharing your video.
Thank you. That’s great to hear. It is really challenging. But in a good way. It’s so rewarding when it goes well.
I just bought a FP-30 myself and find your video really motivating. Congratulations to your progress, I think it is impressive!
Thank you. Best of luck with your own piano journey. I hope you find it as rewarding as I do.
Excellent video. Thank u
Very insightful !
Having lessons is most important to learn to play
You did well this past year .thank you for sharing keep playing and learning
Thank you. I agree about the lessons. I think it would have been difficult to progress without an expert guiding me.
Great Progress Mate ! You're on your way !
Thanks. Still a long way to go.
Awesome progress video buddy!
I love these piano progress videos
I found this video very inspiring; I started learning the piano in May 2019 and have realised how small steps (like playing for half an hour a day) slowly build into something more. I see how many people can get put off as the rewards are slow to come. You just have to trust in the process that you will improve and learn to play through practice. Good luck with the rest of your journey, keep going! 😃
Thanks! You really hit the nail on the head. It really is like that. Continued incremental progress leads to big results over time. That really is the only way to look at it. My goal has always been to be a proficient piano play in 5 years. I think it’s really important to think long term learning a skill like this.
This is incredible and I'm feeling really inspired... I would have never thought this was "regular" or "normal" progress because this is what I aiming for! Congratulations on your journey and thank you for sharing, I hope I will become this good in a year as well 🌞🌞
Thank you. Stay consistent with your practice and there is no reason why you shouldn’t.
That's definitely the best piano progress video i'd ever seen. Keep it up man, awesome content!!
Thank you. That’s very kind.
I like the consistent updates vs just day one to one year. I think your progress is amazing. I am getting my digital piano tomorrow. I am old and have never played.
I am super impressed, especially with your hand/ finger shape etc from very early on. You show incredible finger and hand independence. I would hope yours is not " average" progress because you are light years ahead of me in terms of musicality and I practice way more than an hour a day ( I have not got the year mark yet but by your milestones I am way way behind.! ) Congratulations
Thanks. I’d watched a load of ‘top beginner mistakes’ videos and such before taking the plunge so I had an idea about hand position before I actually started.
Hand independence was definitely a struggle. But what worked for me was not to think of my hands as independent but as one thing that needs to be in different positions at different times. I still think like this.
Yes, his fingers position is very graceful.
@@DanielLearnsPiano yeah since I found this technique very fast my hands became independent I could play fur Elise both hands and now learning ode to joy it a little bit easier since I practiced a few pieces with both hanfs
Congratulations on your progress! When I started playing, it was a rough start. You should keep on posting on progress vids.
Thank you! I have no intention of stopping the progress videos. When I started I was unsure if I would either keep up the piano or keep up the videos so I didn’t really want to put my face to it. Now that I’m a year in a show no signs of stopping I’m happy to make the videos a little more personal and talk about my progress more. It’s also really fun to look back on every now and then.
Thank you for the explanation. Fair enough. Have a great day 😉
I enjoyed the video; thanks for sharing your experience. I’ve played drums for 18 years, and can relate to the frustrating experience of starting at square one learning a new genre or skill when others are already developed- for me it was jazz and double bass.
I’m just beginning piano lessons now, and it’s refreshing to have a renewed excitement and passion for music from a different vantage.
All the best!
I am quite surprised, how fast you learned to play really well. It is nice to see, how much joy people get from learning an instrument. Keep it up!
Thanks. I think to describe this as playing really well is quite a stretch but I’m happy if with the steady progress I am making. I’m definitely enjoying the process even if quite a lot of the time it can be quite frustrating.
Congrats brother! Keep working on that Clementi Sonatina, it's a beautiful piece that I still enjoy playing after 30 years!
Thanks! Yeah, it’s got a long way to go. My teacher has not heard me play it yet so she’ll have plenty of feedback for me to work through.
Great progress! Keep it up.
congratulations! You're doing well, keep on practicing everyday!
Thank you! I will. It’s getting easier to practice for longer as the pieces become more interesting.
nice and congratulations to your progress, this is one the best beginner video on youtube, I like how you frame it and edit it too
Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.
I like rewarding myself for my achievements as well. Every time I made the Deans list in college I used to splurge and buy gifts for my loved ones as their happiness was my biggest reward and they gave me the love and support needed for my successes.
Awesome! I appreciate this progress video of yours because I now understand that it’s never too late to start!
That's fantastic! As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is now!
If you are interested in learning the piano, or anything else, now is the time to start. All the best!
I appreciate your persistence and humility. I am inspired to dig in and practice! Good on ya!
Thank you.
Where's all the mistakes? Not one wrong note played. I'm learning to play too and I make heaps of mistakes.
They are in the hours of footage that I shot and didn’t upload. Please don’t be under the impression that this how I play whenever I sit at the piano. That could not be further from the truth. Sometimes it can taken 30 minutes to get the clip that I upload. I am aware that this is an impression that can be taken from watching videos like this. In future, I intend to post more of the learning process and show more of the mistakes and talk of the challenges I face. But when uploading all these clips originally I didn’t think anyone would want to watch me fumbling through the pieces.
@@DanielLearnsPiano which would you choose for the exam ABRSM or Trinity ?
My teacher is an ABRSM examiner. So I would go with them.
@@DanielLearnsPiano good luck 👍
@@DanielLearnsPiano I get it.
I would prefer to see you making lots of mistakes in week 1, then week 12 a lot less mistakes, and by week 52 you're playing Rachmaninoff flawlessly, that way you can see the progress.
Good video.
This is really great. I practice up to an hour a day and it takes me 6-8 weeks to generally learn a grade 1 piece. I'm 51 and started 12 months ago. I'm also learning all major and minor scales (parallel and contrary motion). So my practice on actual songs each day is only 15-30 mins. My piano teacher has PHD so it's a bit awkward because I'm pretty average lol
Thanks. That sounds about right really. The ABRSM grade 1 pieces vary quite wildly in difficulty I think. Theme took me at least 8 weeks, whereas The Egyptian Level was much quicker. Minuet in C was also a challenge.
I spend about 15 minutes on sight-reading practice and scales before I get into my pieces. I'm usually working on 3 at once. I'll spend about 25 minutes on the newest piece, 15 on getting the next up to tempo, and 5 polishing the most complete piece.
My piano teacher has so many letters after her name you could write a sentence. She was a former concert pianist, and now works for an exam board, and mainly teaches teachers rather than beginners like me. So I wouldn't feel awkward, just be grateful you have a great teacher. I really think it makes a difference.
Can you memorize pieces? I have a hard time memorizing. I am an old student so that may be part of it for me.
Yes, I mémorise all the pieces I play fairly early when learning them. I don’t do this consciously. It just happens due to the number of times I need to repeat sections of a piece before being able to play it.
I’d prefer it if could read the score quick enough to use that as reference while I was playing. Because if I forget what’s next it can take a while to recover.
I've been playing for about 16 months and I persevere and I can't play any thing like this on day 53 after all this time. I don't have confidence but determined to keep going.
@@DanielLearnsPiano I memorize all my music too. I usually have all the notes memorized before I can play it all in one go without mistakes - that makes it nice since I can practice without needing the sheets! And there's nothing better than sitting down at a piano and just playing something straight. No flip flip flip! I also look at my hands quite a lot... At least one hand if both are playing.
I enjoyed your sincerity, clarity, and groundedness. You should be proud of the video alone, not to mention the wonderful progress you've made. I'm 45 and started learning the piano about 10 months ago. I've had the luxury of practicing about 2 hours a day on average and I feel that your conclusion that you made decent progress with 1 hour of practice a day to be very reasonable. Thanks again!
Well done man! Really encouraging to see your continued progress throughout, keep going!
Thanks! Will do!
Thank you for an honest down-to-earth account of your piano progress which i found encouraging as like yourself i am an adult playing the keyboard for the very first time largely self taught from a book and youtube input - i have been playing for approx 9 months for between 30-60 mins most days - from your account i now think a piano teacher would be worthwhile. Keep up the good work and have fun.
Thank you, I’m glad my video has been some help. I thoroughly recommend finding a good teacher.
As I am learning from sheet music, my teacher’s input is absolutely necessary. She explains all the aspects of a piece that are not written down. Things that you learn through knowing the era and the composer etc.
I imagine learning from videos online you would pick up and play some of these subtleties though you may not know what you are doing and why.
Thank you for your communication which was useful; out of interest i a thinking of upgrading my 61 key Yamaha keyboard (my first and only keyboard at present for learning) to a Roland FP30 which i believe you use ? any thoughts on this ?. Several FREE music theory sites that may warrant a look are 1)Dave Conservatoire ; 2)www.musictheoryacademy.com;
@@terrydobson5312 Hi Terry thoroughly recommend roland fp30...I am doing my grade 6...so it has got me to this point....I think for the money it's very close to a real piano with the graded hammer action keys....I want to upgrade to a roland rd2000 when funds allow...
@@davegill7614 Thanks Dave, I sure this is going to be my first upgrade; good luck with your future piano journey. Terry.
You have made exceptional progress in 1 year. I noticed from the very beginning that your hand and finger positioning was excellent, as if you had been trained in the past because that does not come natural to almost everyone. You also, as you progressed, exhibited an excellent independence between the hands. It is not easy to play one hand at a different volume than that of the other hand or to play one hand with a staccato touch and the other hand with a smooth touch [legato]. Your ability to keep the beat moving without hesitation is also impressive. Your final piece, the Clementi Sonatina op. 36 #1 after 1 year is truly commendable and will improve even more with patient practice and attention to detail. Well done and a shout out to your excellent teacher as well. I have been a private piano teacher for 50 years and appreciate the amount of time you have committed to this endeavor. I will subscribe to your channel to continue watching your progress. Greetings from California.
Thank you. You are very kind.
I'm not sure I would say any of this has come naturally. If my initial hand positioning was good it was because I immersed myself with beginner piano tips videos while I was deciding whether this was something I wanted to embark on.
Some of the things you mention such as balance of volume and staccato/legato between hands was incredibly difficult for me and took a lot of incredibly slow practice. Maybe I have picked them up quicker than others, I have no way of knowing, but it certainly didn't feel like it was coming easily.
You are correct in that my teacher has helped me enormously though. She has been able to provide some great insight and tips that would have taken me ages to discover on my own (if managed to discover them at all) that have helped my playing massively.
This is a great video and is inspirational to me, as i try to imagine my progress a year from now... so thank you! Keep practicing 👍
Brilliant! I hope it helps. Keep at it and you’ll do great.
Thank you for sharing your progress, that's inspiring! I started playing around the same time as you (january 2020) self taught at first then with a teacher 3 months later, so I really saw myself in your video! Learning piano is really fun and rewarding :)
Thanks! That’s great to hear. Yes, I’m really enjoying the process (even if it can be frustrating at times). Are we at a similar level? What pieces are you working on?
What a fantastic video!! And so professional. You’re progress is amazing and i’m looking forward to seeing you progress over the next year. We are not too far apart when it comes to when we started so it’s nice to have your frequent videos for sure.
I too have no interest in taking exams!! And Love your dog haha!
Haha, thanks. Over the top is probably a better description.
I’m slightly conflicted on exams. On the one hand it would be nice to have official recognition of what I have a achieved. But on the other, I have absolutely no need for it. I’m only playing for fun and what really matters is what I can play rather than what a certificate might say I can play. I may try and take one at some point for the experience, it must be incredibly nerve racking. It’s good to feel uncomfortable now and again.
@@DanielLearnsPiano can you imagine the young examiners face when I walked in...ha ha she had had kids all day between 7 and 16...then in walks a 50 year old...dont think she was expecting that...I was as nervous as hell I have to be honest...kids have no fear...but she was lovely I have to be honest and they want you to do well...its good to challenge yourself...and I do think the grades push you on to new levels and make you practice harder.. otherwise it's easy to skip practicing....
You may be persuading me to give it a try. Though I kinda like the idea of doing a grade below where I might be for the comfort level. I get nervous performing to my teacher. Over Skype!
@@DanielLearnsPiano go for it start at grade 1 it will push you forward. I have a busy life with 2 young kids..work..when the kids are in bed I am either drumming in the garage or on the piano...what else would I be doing...watching the rubbish telly box....who knows where you could be in ten years....grade 8 pianist...wouldn't that be some achievement!!!.....I can do so can you!
Sounds very much like my life. Maybe I’m convinced.
On your point about zero-to-hero progress videos, there was a great thing I read recently which nicely illustrates what I think goes on behind the scenes with those - “progressing without improving”.
I’m going to do a video myself at some point giving my thoughts on it, but most of those types of videos involve ploughing all efforts into force-learning advanced pieces by rote alone, not doing any scales or sight-reading, and having no musical understanding of what’s going on. Impressive for a video, but that’s about it. Advanced pieces are seductive, for sure - I gave a few a go myself early on before coming to my senses - but playing them too early means one is learning to play ‘that piece’, rather than ‘the piano’ itself.
Keep doing what you’re doing man; proper, gradual learning of an instrument. It will pay dividends down the line (for us both I hope!) and it’s awesome to keep up to date with. You were one of the accounts I followed that got me started playing the piano as an adult! All the best
You're absolutely right. That definitely does happen and when I first started my piano teacher told me of someone she had taught who had done just that with a Rachmaninoff piece that he had learnt. When she asked him to show her his scales, he was unable to because he hadn't learnt anything else.
Obviously, TH-cam as a medium lends itself to this style of learning if all you want to do it impress people, as you can put together a video of selective clips rather than whole pieces and people will lap it up. That was definitely something I wanted to avoid when I started this channel which is why I always post a whole piece and even this video contains whole pieces (though I have since edited via the YT editor to remove some of the repeats just to bring the overall length down). And even that makes me sound better than I actually am, because I will reshoot a piece until I get it how I want to which usually take many takes.
But on the other hand, there are videos out there that are frankly ludicrous. One I saw recently had someone playing Bach, Prelude in C with comically incorrect posture after a week, and finished 1 year of at least an hour a day practice (which I guess could mean 40 hours a day) with Fantaisie Impromptu and Liebestraum No. 3.
If progress like that is real, and even is just the 30 second clips they post in a video, it's impressive. But I don't think it helps anyone. I certainly don't think it's inspiring like many others claim. To me, it's more discouraging than anything else. Even my progress, which is average at best, is greeted with comments like "Your day 10 is my day 222" which feels like even I am discouraging some people.
I started this channel as a simple log of what I could play. It's become much bigger than I imagined. I'm astonished how many people have viewed this particular video. If it's inspired some people, I'm happy. If it's discouraged others, I'm sorry.
I think more channels like mine, yours and all the other learners that post regularly are ultimately a good thing though when viewed collectively. They show a pretty broad range of how learning the piano can go and can provide realistic expectations to people thinking about starting the piano.
Wow, this turned out pretty long. I'll keep an eye out for your video discussing all this.
Thanks for this video learning piano is in my bucket list and this year I'm planning to start is very helpful to see my self in you and be realistic
No problem. I think my channel is a pretty good representation of what can be achieved with an hour a day. Bear in mind that I cover a lot of simpler pieces rather than dedicate hours upon hours to show-pieces.
I wish you all the best when you get started.
Really appreciate this video.
Glad it was helpful!
I am 53, and started practicing seriously for almost a year now. It’s an encouragement to learn your story. Thank you for sharing:) My goal is to keep practicing a couple of hours every day. Battle with theory and develop myself as far as I am able to do so. Blessings to you! Keep playing:)
Thanks. You must progressing nicely with a couple of hours a day of practice. I’ve recently started catching up with the theory side of things. It’s actually more tough than I imagined. I can’t believe 8 year olds learn this stuff!
@@DanielLearnsPiano how did you learn to do both hands without messing up. For me, playing a bass guitar with 2 hands is easy for me, i dont have to look at either hand most of the time, i can't imagine how hard it is to play piano when both hands have to move and land at the same time. Bass guitar the right hand dont really move, its all left hand.
@@bigbubba4001 It’s all about repetition. Starting slowly and repeating it over and over again. I make plenty of mistakes along the way. And even when I can play something well enough to record it still may take 20 attempts to get a recording without mistakes.
I still need to look at my hands often. Particularly if there is a large movement. The trickiest parts are where both hands move a larger distance at once. But then you just try and make note of a landmark with one hand and then quickly look to the other to see where that is going.
@@DanielLearnsPiano What I do when there's a big jump in both hands, but different distances, I try to move one hand slightly before the other instead of at once. It helps! I've played piano before, but didn't learn any real songs or notes until last Fall. You could say I'm addicted to it...
you doing great. reaching a grade 1/2 in a year is a great result. few years more and you will be shocked about your results.
Thank you. That's my hope. Starting piano was never about rapid improvement. My goal has always been to be a competent player in 5-10 years. I will be great if I can keep the motivation up to keep posting to this channel and document the whole thing.
This motivates me. Greetings from Serbia maestro. God Bless you. ❤❤❤
I loved this video. I’m an 80’s kid whose far from a kid anymore and I was and will always be into the rock and metal of the 80’s and the greats of the 70’s and 60’s too. I am close to buying a fairly decent keyboard to learn piano same as you have been. I’m studying with a couple TH-cam teachers at the moment and am looking forward to getting going.
Thanks for sharing. 🤙🏻
Really nice channel, I also started playing in May 2019. You are really diligent 👏😍👍 I subscribed you because I'm interesting on your progress.
Thank you. I hope to post more videos where I show the development of the pieces I am working on and the struggles and challenges I face as I learn them. Videos like this can make it look easy. It's definitely not.
@@DanielLearnsPiano No I know it isn't easy and it's good that you look that your pieces without a mistakes. The one is the practise, the other is the Performance of a piece and you did both really good.👍💛☀️
At last: a real piano progress video. This time I can believe the progress.
And it's really nice to hear the different pieces. I played many of these songs in the past.
And I like your descriptions below the pieces. Hopefully you will have a lot of fun with your piano in the future.
Musical greetings, Nicoline
Thank you, Nicoline! There are plenty of other progress videos out there that have similar progress (or usually slightly better) than mine. It was these that inspired me to start learning.
Well, most of the progress videos I come across go from beginner to pro in one year. And I can't believe that. And I think it's not a good motivation for someone who truly starts practising. But I'm glad to see you got motivated by watching the right videos!
@@nicolinevangoorpianomusic5912 A healthy dose of scepticism is required when watching most things on TH-cam.
😁👍
It's not real though. The finger curves. He watched his many videos before hand for how many hours and how days. And the metronome he was a musician in a band so already knows timing and note lengths and music moods. He ain't a novice.
So wonderful to see your progress and celebrate it with you. Bravo!
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
Enjoyable and really honest evaluation of many aspects. Thanks and keep it up !!
Thanks, will do!
Well done, keep it up!! I started from nothing when I was 40 and played/learned for 10 years. As you say it's all about your other commitments so you can only do what you can do. My commitments ebbed and flowed which reflected my progress (one lesson most weeks) and I never took and exam. I got to a stage when I could play Clair de Lune and Rachmaninoffs C# Minor prelude albeit badly.
Thanks! I’m so excited by the idea of having played for that length of time. Right now it does feel like everything is practice. I can’t really sit down at the piano and play something just for the enjoyment. But that must change after a couple of years when you have good pieces, that are not on the bleeding edge of your ability, in your repertoire.
@@DanielLearnsPiano Even after 10 years it can still feel like everything is practice 😉
@@brubeck67 Yeah, I get that. And it's required if you want to keep progressing. But even now, there are easier pieces that I can play comfortably. I just imagine that after 10 years the easier pieces that can be played comfortably sound a lot better.
The day 335 and 363 pieces are etched into the back of my mind from my piano lessons as a kid because of how long I spent trying to learn them. I definitely wasn’t playing those in my first year of piano.
Ha! Yeah, I spent a good deal of time on both of those pieces as well. Both were quite a stretch from the pieces I’d played previously. How much were you practicing as a child? I didn’t think it was common for children in their first year to be doing 30-60 minutes a day.
Dude! Your progress is great. Keep it up. Congrats 👏👏
Thank you! I definitely intend to.
Thanks for your honesty. You earned my sub
Thanks.
Thanks for the realism! You're doing great though. I bought a digital piano that's arriving today and I'm so excited. I used to play by ear for fun when I was a kid 15+ years ago (I'm sure I wasn't good), but I want to do it the "right" way and learn to read sheet music and play some classical too. Should be interesting!
P.s. appreciate the doggo cameo.
No worries and thanks! I'm sure your past experience will help, even if just a little. Try and get a teacher if you can. They make the process much easier in my opinion and will guide you along your journey so you don't end up wasting time.
Our other dog made a cameo in this video:
th-cam.com/video/tOvVsXn_suY/w-d-xo.html
How did you decide which digital piano to buy? I'm looking to get one at the moment.
First of all, I loved your video. Finally something realistic, and not one of those Fantasie Impromptus in a year videos .. I myself have been playing for 8 months now, I have lessons once a week and like you, I practice about an hour a day (due to lack of time). I did get a little bit ahead of you I think, but I also struggle with a lot of things that maybe someone would find easy. We all learn differently. I'm looking forward to more of your videos! Keep up the good work 😊 Greetings from Croatia!
Thank you. That's great to hear you are doing so well. We certainly do all learn differently, and I am not trying to say this is the maximum anyone could achieve with an hour a day practice. This is just an example.
To be honest, it's only really from October time it has been an hour a day on a more consistent basis. Before that, it was probably worked out more like 40 minutes a day.
It's only since I've been using the forScore app that I have an accurate idea of how much I practised as that logs the time each score is open on the screen for. Now, I make a point of always having that open if I am practising. It also has the benefit of keeping my piano tidier.
Hi! Do you have a "live" teacher or online? I've moved to Croatia and just got a piano and started thinking about finding a teacher🙈
@@DreamingGirlLola Hi. I have a live teacher, luckily she lives in my neighborhood. I know some piano teachers, I could ask them if they would do online classes for you :)
VERY much appreciate people like you 😊 you've given me motivation to continue learning 💝
That’s great news! Keep on striving.
Learning to play the piano is one of my 2022 goals. I just came across your video. This was so encouraging! THANKS SO MUCH for doing this!!!
Excellent. The best time to start is now!
I am in my 50s and doing my grade 6...hopefully grade 8 before I snuff it :-)
Brilliant! How long have you been playing to get to Grade 6?
@@DanielLearnsPiano hi matey I took grade 5 after 2 years of lessons..and passed at christmas I have learnt 2 of my grade 6 pieces already....I find the biggest help of all is learning all the major..melodic and harmonic scales...as so many pieces contain these key ingredients I am working hard on my theory that also helps...I practice anywhere between half an hour to 3 hours a day...Short sharp bursts...I did play a little bit when I was young but had forgotten pretty much everything...so it was all new again...the best piece of advice i can give you it's a long journey with setbacks...but keep plodding on and the gains come...I'm hoping to get to grade 8 standard in 5 years...will give it my best
Great advice. I’m working my way through my scales. I know all white key major scales and 4 harmonic minor. Sight-reading is my Achilles heal. I just take too long to parse the notes. It’s slowly improving though and I’m gradually working through my Grade 2 book.
Grade 8 is five would be a great achievement. I wish you all the best!
@@DanielLearnsPiano my best advice for sight reading is take a couple of minutes to look through it....try and sing it in your head look at all the dynamics and key...all the sharps and flats and fingering
Sounds good. ABRSM exams only give you 30 seconds though😳
if I get to the end of this video and see him play "The art of fugue" im gonna scream. Great progress!
Haha. Thanks. Just regular progress here.
I love the constant updates, nice to see the gradual, honest progression
Great. There’s lot more to come.
I love this. I'm encouraged and reminded that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Big Up Bruh! 👊🏽😎
Thank you!
This is amazing! You seem to have a good grasp on musicality and rhythm. I can remember these early pieces from Grade 1 and 3 😁 I've been learning for two years now and will be sitting for Grade 5 exam in a month. Do you practice scales? I'd highly recommend them, keep up the great job
Thank you. Grade 5 is two years is impressive. I hope you do well. I do practice scales each day before I get into my repertoire.
I really enjoyed this video! It gave me a really good insight into how my progress will realistically look. I still think you progressed quite fast and it’ll probably take me a lot longer ahah. The style of this progress video is a lot better this way in my opinion:) thanks for sharing !
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Keep practicing and you’ll progress nicely.
this progress seems real, glad you posted this and glad youre going for it! KEEP PUSHING
Thanks! That’s the plan.
Congratulations! That's some solid progress! I'm just starting myself and I'd be delighted to progress as well as you have!
Thanks. Keep practicing consistently and you’ll do great.
Keep going it is not easy, and takes approximately 6 years to get to a standard that you want to achieve, the right thing you did was to go to a piano teacher, I had a brilliant one and over 6 years managed to achieve grade 7and pass it. Started at 71 am now 78 no more lessons because of the virus, so still practicing what I was taught, a piano teacher is a must, I am impressed with your progress, wish I had recorded my playing, but don't know how.
Thanks. Your story sounds fascinating and goes to show you are never told old to learn. If I can achieve a grade 7 standard in 6 years I’d be very happy.
I only had 2 or 3 lessons in person with my teacher. The rest have been over Skype. Do you not have this option?
Can you tell more of your story? I'm also not far off from the age you said you were when you started and it's very encouraging to hear you can get to grade 7 in 6 years! Did you start from scratch, or did you play when you were younger and went back to it?
I started quite a few years ago, but due to family commitments and work couldn't carry on, later I bought an organ and had some lessons with that, which taught me timing which is important, then went on to electric keyboard mostly self taught, but only learnt to read upper stave memorising chords mostly by shape, finally I achieved my dream of buying a piano, at this time I knew I needed tuition so embarked on the lessons, although I managed to get to grade 7 it was a hard long slog, many hours practice, the exams gave me goals to attain along the way, but they were nerve racking, especially the last one, and I realised to obtain grade 8 was beyond my capabilities. I still find reading two staves difficult, but continue to try and conquer this problem more now with easier music, my aim when I started was to play the moonlight sonata, this I can do, but not to a performance standard that I would like. Age means the memory is not as sharp as it was unfortunately, but I still love to try and never tire of practice. In fact I have to say, when on the piano I go to a special place where all the worries of the world disappear and I can get lost in the music. As I am now more or less retired from the work I used to do there is more time, previously I have spent most of my life as a professional heavy goods driver also coach driving at times, and have travelled many miles mostly in England but occasionally on the continent with coaches, when family commitments allowed, I am fortunate that my eldest son owns a transport company and I still get to go out in the trucks occasionally just local runs etc, as travel was my second ambition, but it has been a long and sometimes very hard job, many hours spent behind a wheel of a forty two ton vehicle is a huge responsibility and also a very lonely life, but I enjoyed all the ups and downs, and used to dream of the time I would be able to learn and do all the things I never had time to whilst at work and bringing up a family. To finalise, yes learning is hard but the rewards are great, so never say can't, always at least try, you will be amazed at what you can achieve if you don't give up. Best Wishes Julie
@@julieharris1212 Very inspiring! Thanks.
If at the end of the video i see him playing Chopin’s ballade no. 1, im quitting. Lol jk just started this june. Hope to progress as good as you ✊🏻
Just a bad rendition of Clementi’s Sonatina Op.36 No.1. 1st Movement.
I love this, Daniel! Very inspirational. Similar to you, guitar was and remains my primary musical focus. That being said, I've really just begun studying piano. This morning, I pulled the plug on a nice digital piano and should have it in about a week. I'm 59 and absolutely believe that, barring physical limitations, age is used by many as a self-imposed limitation to learning something new. With piano/keyboard, music theory, which I've learned at arm's length over the years, suddenly makes perfect sense on the piano keys layout. Your journey is like the "working man's" guide to piano....authentic and real. I certainly relate. Keep up the great work and thanks for the inspiration. You have a new fan in Northern VA (USA). Cheers!
I love how down your earth you are about where you are at and where you are going. Awesome job mate!!
Thanks. My progress is pretty slow, which is fine.
Nicely done, looking forward to the next pandemic just in case round 2 and 3 is around the tempo...I mean corner. 😂 #Props
Nice work, Guessing you could read sheet music from the start?
I could half read music. I discuss this in a recent video. th-cam.com/video/pqemwygOS7U/w-d-xo.html
@UCpGsGUYM-dKoBoTIh_5yzcQ Reading music like what? If you think I’m reading the music while I’m playing I’m not. Never have I suggested that. Being able to decipher the pitch of a simple melody like that is not beyond anyone.
And it does not take weeks to relate notes to the keys. The half of music I didn’t know was pitch. I had never read any pitch before owning the piano. For goodness sake, there are 7 white keys to learn. It’s not rocket science. How many different pitches are in that first melody? Not many.
It’s as if you think I turned the camera on, sat at the piano, opened some music I’d never seen before and started playing. Of course that’s not what happened. I’d probably been playing that piece for several days.
@@DanielLearnsPiano
sorry, I was just asking, this was the first video I had seen on your channel....
I missed @UCpGsGUYM-dKoBoTIh_5yzcQ comment, but I think they must have deleted the comment, deleted their hole channel :/
I have played other instruments, but never learnt to read sheet, not fast enought to play along to.
but your right it does not take long to 'remember' a set of notes. it's all just hand movements.
keep going, you are getting there nicely :)
@@FiddlingwithmyWhistle Don’t worry. The comment was not directed at you. Just someone claiming to be an experienced piano player or maybe even a teacher yet claiming it’s impossible to relate the notes to the keys for WEEKS! And how I must be lying about everything.
But you are exactly right. I can’t read the music while playing even if I know how to play the piece. It just becomes gibberish at that point.
I do daily sight reading exercises but I really struggle once both hands are playing at the same time. It’s a challenge finding enough material to practice at the level I need. Which is one hand playing crotchets and quavers and the other semibreves and minims. That’s about my limit in actual sight reading.
@@DanielLearnsPiano 'claiming' to be...
i have had and known a few teachers, and most 'real' good teachers know that some people pick it up quicker and easier than others.
and the ones I know, i'm certain that not one of them, would make such a statement, using the word, impossible.
I watched a four year old, who had never seen or played a piano. I got him to close his eyes and I played a note, and he had to find it on the keyboard. He worked it out every time, and after about half an hour. he would only have to press 1 or 2 keys to find it.
I could not do that when I was four, but I bet he is not the only person of his age that can do it...
every thing is possible :)
Great video - very inspiring! I'd like to specialize in teaching adults in the future, so it's wonderful to find a channel like yours that would motivate students, as well as being a good measure of what is realistic to expect after a year of learning at about an hour a day. I really like that you post videos throughout the year and then this type of "summary" video once in a while. I'm looking forward to your future videos as well!
Thank you. I’m glad you like the videos. Initially when I started recording I wasn’t sure if I would keep it up so I didn’t want to include my face. But moving forward I want to give more perspective for each of the pieces I learn. What was difficult etc.
This is such a lovely video.
Thanks.
Your progress is really good, well done! How ofter and for how long are you playing?
Just saw the rest of your video where you already responded to my question. Again well done!
Thank you. I play for around an hour a day and have 30 lessons a year. Though last year I missed the first term so only had around 20 lessons.
That was a very helpful video, thank you for putting together!
Glad it was helpful!
Well done, a good honest video, good realistic progress for 1 year. Thanks mate
No worries. I think it’s good for people to know it’s normal that you can’t play Liszt Liebestraum no.3 in your first year.
Really amazing. I started 3 weeks back. One question if I may. Do you believe this would be possible if you were self taught but had a close friend who is ABRSM Grade 8, who reviews your progress remotely through video clips and providing feedback and corrections? ;)
Yeah, I would think so. I do think it is important to have that element of review from someone who is experienced. Currently my lessons are remote. That’s mostly what is involved. I thought it would mainly be technique, and while there is a little of that, most time in the lesson is getting the music to sound more musical. There is only so much written in the score, the details are through experience. So to begin with you need someone else to provide that experience.
@@DanielLearnsPiano Thanks a lot. I'll keep that in mind and move forward :)
So how did you learn to read sheet music and master your fingers in 10 days?
Lots of repetition. Don’t think that I’m reading that music playing it first go, or tenth go. I’d probably been practicing that tiny piece for several days. And I sure wasn’t reading the music while I was playing it.
@@DanielLearnsPiano Makes sense, thanks!
When I was a beginner I also started with those ABRSM book pieces and these songs bring back so many memories!
Awesome and motivating! I’ve been playing piano on and off for the past 14 years but not consistently. I only had about 6 years of “good” lessons and I didn’t practice that much. However I got pretty decent at playing by ear by the time I restarted lessons! I had to stop again but I am now hoping to get into a steady groove of progress like you (I’m at about RCM level 7/ABRSM level five? right now). Hope your piano journey is still going great, and thanks for inspiring me!
Hey, I'm in your pace. Started 2020 Jan and also had that Clementi sonatina with my teacher. That was hard, still have errors and it started to get boring so I left it. I think it's a bit hard for our level. Wanna upgrade my fp30 soon too, but looking to upper level portable pianos or stage one, did you tried any?
That’s great to hear we started at the same time and are working on the same piece. It is very hard, but I understand why my teacher suggested it. One of my big problems is moving around the keyboard and the Sonatina has a lot of that.
To be honest, I didn’t try any pianos even the one I choose. I just watched countless TH-cam reviews. Obviously the reviewers are also selling the piano so they rarely give a bad review, but for this particular model everyone was very enthusiastic so I just took the plunge. I don’t regret it, it’s really nice.
@@DanielLearnsPiano here's my last accomplishment, but I still found sonatina harder
th-cam.com/video/JPnTaPoXw4w/w-d-xo.html
I found drilling large hops into muscle memory helpful, but still struggling with it too.
@@EgorErohin That’s great! Speed is something that I struggle with so that piece sounds quite tricky to me.
Honestly, get a cheap second hand piano. Lots of people have them as furniture and you can get one for maybe a couple of hundred dollars or so. It’s worth having real key action that is hard to duplicate on all but the most expensive digital pianos.
@@PlatinumVanguard my neighbors will hate me))) I'm going to get one of the top portable pianos later.
Thanks for sharing this video. I am also an adult piano student and I feel our learning rates are comparable; maybe you’re a bit faster than I am. I practice about the same amount of time as you said.
What I picked up from your video is that you seem like a combination of diligent, deliberate, and patient. If that’s your formula, it works extremely well for you. You showed a ton of recordings in this compilation, and every one of them was relatively good (all things considered) with little to no mistakes. Compared to me, I tend to be impatient and rush to the finish line, and I don’t really buff out the pieces I learn as well as I could.
Your Clementi at the end, while still somewhat raw, was just still very clearly coordinated and well executed. You didn’t try to overdo something you couldn’t do, and you kept a steady pace through it. That’s hugely commendable and a mark of a really great student.
I’d love to continue to see progress updates, and I’d love to hear more about your struggles. What’s difficult? What’s frustrating? Where do you begin with a new piece?
And of course, hearty congratulations!
Thanks for your kind comments.
What’s important to remember, and may make my progress appear better than it really is, is that the pieces I upload are the times I’ve played the piece with no mistakes. This often can take a considerable number of attempts. I certainly cannot play them like this all the time, especially the pieces I’m working on at the time. Though I can often go back and bring back the older pieces and play them better.
This has been something I’ve been aware of for sometime and have been meaning to change about the way I present what I can play because part of the point of the channel was to what learning is really like, rather than what it’s like when all the stars align.
Moving forward I’ll probably share more thoughts, struggles etc. When I started I wasn’t sure if this was something I was going to stick at so didn’t really want to put a face to it. However, as I’ve made it to a year, and have no intention of stopping, I plan to make the channel more personal.
This is awesome! Keep up the good work^^
Thanks!
Thank you, this is very motivational 👍
No worries