Best way to get back into Piano

[ganderson25]

Hi all,

I am 26 (about to turn 27) and would love to get back into piano.

I stopped lessons when I was about 14 years old.

I can read music (not sight read) and can learn songs by 'decoding' the music.

I am going to get back into piano and was wondering the best ways to learn.

Is it okay if I just purchase sheet music and learn music that way? Is that the most efficient way to get better at piano?

Or should I be doing scales etc?

Should I be getting lessons?

Thoughts?

[outin]

Based on your questions I think you should get lessons if you can. You will need help to find efficient ways to study.

[hfmadopter]

I got back in after many years away by purchasing sheet music. The difference perhaps is that I had 15 years of music study and lessons with two instruments behind me already, so I had a plan of attack sort to speak. I knew going in that while yes I purchased a couple of sheets of music, I also needed to work on the associated chords and scales that make them up. It takes a plan to follow to get back up and running again.

In your case ( we don't know your educational background in music/piano) it may be that you need a teacher to guide you and as mentioned, make it more efficient. Additionally, getting lessons also makes it more of a commitment and puts you on a scheduled routine, if nothing else..

I may have gone back to my teacher but she has either passed on now or otherwise isn't around any longer, so I used some of her model and some ideas from an auxiliary course I took many years ago to continue on my own. I found first I needed to take a good sized step backwards from where I left off years ago and slowly work it back up ! I'm getting there and am committed enough on my own to continue. I hope in the next year to get up to level 7 which is still below where I left off but up from where I dropped back to ( I've been doing work from about level 3-6 so far because that's as much as I could handle coming back in after years away).

Nobody can tell you what to do or how but if you do it on your own I suggest that you form a plan and stick to a routine. Don't alter you plan willy nilly, do it with forthoughta nd really only if you find something isn't working. If you are not willing to do this much then get a teacher and the teacher will do this for you behind the scenes.

[sucom]

I think lessons would help you if only because they would give you some structure to work with.  Regarding what you should be playing - hmmm, what level were you when you stopped taking lessons? If slightly more advanced, you might find you are a little rusty at first but you might be surprised how quickly you find yourself picking it back up again.

If perhaps a little less advanced, find some music which is a little easier than the level you previously found and work your way back up again, using scales, arpeggios, pieces, studies AND any other music, of any genre, that you enjoy playing.  In other words, just start playing again, playing as much music as you can while at the same time, deliberately studying and working on specific pieces, exercises, scales and arpeggios.

I wish you all the best in your refounded endeavours!