Tries to Learn to Play Piano Again

Kymberly started learning pianoforte at age 5 and picked up a range of instruments in high school. She loves all kinds of music and instruments.

A Guide to Relearning Piano Later on Years

After a fifteen+ twelvemonth break from creating music, I am finally returning to the pianoforte.

It is easy to go discouraged at how much skill, strength, and dexterity has been lost during the years of no practice. However, with patience and diligence, y'all can return to your previous form and beyond!

My old piano had given up the ghost many years ago; stuck keys and woods damage meant the repair cost was much more than a new pianoforte.

After an overseas motion, I vowed to go back to the keys and splurged on a fantastic new Clavinova, an electric piano that sounds and feels only like a real one!

Offset Slowly

Information technology's also tempting to play for hours on terminate like you in one case did. Simply reign in your enthusiasm for extended practice sessions for a while.

Your easily (and unabridged body) need time to remember their previous skills, build strength and regain flexibility.

Almost hated, of import volume: scales & arpeggios.

Kymberly Fergusson (nifwlseirff)

Over-practicing will cause pain and frustration, which tin lead to quitting all over over again.

Commit to a short practice session every day to restore and maintain the brain-finger connection. Start at 20 minutes, then gradually increase the time and the difficulty of your exercises and music.

Tip: Use a timer to limit your practise session - when it rings, terminate for the day, stretch and massage your hands.

Warm Upwardly and Stretch

Scales and arpeggios are the best warm upward for sluggish fingers. Start slowly and permit yourself to recollect the right finger progressions and cardinal signatures. Over time, speed things up, and add involvement with staccato, thirds, sixths and octaves.

Keep an centre on hand posture, and ensure each finger performs evenly and smoothly.

Be careful when stretching for octaves or larger spreads - it is easy to overstretch as your fingers remember the music, but oasis't yet gained back their strength and flexibility.

After a practice session, massage and stretch your fingers and wrists to reward your hands and release tension.

Gyre to Continue

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Correct Your Posture

With computers now in most workplaces, the posture of many people has go slumped and unhealthy.

Poor piano posture will increase fatigue and put strain on wrists. It volition brand some techniques difficult to perform, and may crusade pain.

Make sure that your stool is at the right height and distance from the keys, both for your hands on the keyboard, and your feet on the pedals.

If yous must utilise a chair, choose a sturdy one without arms and wheels.

Watch that you are sitting with a straight back, without tension (especially in the neck and shoulders), and that your wrists are loose and relaxed, fingers slightly curved.

Attempt to continue this posture when you return to work (or play) at your computer likewise!

Tip: The Alexander technique was developed by and for actors and musicians.

You may find it useful to detect an Alexander technique teacher, experienced with pianists. They tin watch your playing posture and correct any errors.

Watch Out for Pain

A fiddling soreness when returning to the keys is normal. If you practiced a slice consistently for a few days using your muscles in ways they haven't previously been used, yous will become sore. Have a break, and play something else using different techniques for a few days to recover.

Stronger, lasting, or sharp pain is an indication that something is wrong. You lot may be moving in poor or incorrect ways. Information technology may exist time to have a lesson with an experienced teacher to have your technique corrected, or see a physiotherapist for advice. If you have persistent joint pain, please see your doctor to rule out any underlying illnesses.

Y'all may detect force exercises away from the keyboards useful. For example:

• Using a rubber band for resistance, stretch the fingers apart.
• Squish silly putty or play dough between the fingers (pressing the fingers together confronting resistance).
• Squish a stress ball for overall paw strength (and stress relief).

A modest collection of my sail music.

Kymberly Fergusson (nifwlseirff)

Play real music

Play real pieces of music, non merely exercises!

While Hanon'southward Virtuoso Pianist and Czerny'due south School of Velocity are wonderful for increasing strength, stamina and evenness, they become boring rapidly.

You want to avert condign bored at all costs!

Some skillful pieces for rebuilding your skills, include:

• Friedrich Burgmüller: 25 Études, Op. 100
• Béla Bartók: Mikokosmos and For Children studies
• Johann Sebastian Bach: 15 Inventions and 15 Sinfonias
• Frédéric Chopin: Études
• Carl Humphries: The Piano Handbook

Of course, the more than difficult pieces should be played slowly, and put together a department at a fourth dimension, focusing on correct technique.

Brand sure you lot actually read and follow the music, and don't guess at which notation comes side by side!

It is very encouraging to run into these pieces progress in speed, accuracy and fluency as time passes!

Tip: The Mutopia Projection, the Pianoforte Lodge, and the International Music Score Library Projection all offering free sheet music for a number of instruments, including the piano.

Increment Motivation

Listening to a range of classical piano music (or the style y'all are re-learning), and watching alive (or recorded) performances tin can exercise wonders for motivation.

One of my favorite musical Japanese anime series, Nodame Cantabile, follows the progress of a young and talented pianist. It is full of wonderful classical music, and was made into a alive-action serial. Listening to the soundtrack, or watching an episode encourages me to fit in a practice session.

I've even started to learn some of the piano music featured in Nodame Cantabile, even though they are technically very difficult! It'southward very encouraging to come across my skills improve over time.

Tip: Follow some blogging musicians for tips and inspiration!

Or you can notice out about musical locations in your town and visit them. I'm lucky to live in Leipzig - the abode of Bach, Schumann and Mendelssohn and the birthplace of Wagner. There's plenty of museums, concert halls and exhibitions along the Notenspur, plus a daily offering of concerts, operas and ballets to go to.

Structure Your Practice Sessions

20 minutes of planned, structured exercise, is worth so much more randomly playing through the pieces that you like, ignoring whatever errors you make. When y'all work to a plan, y'all actively develop your skills.

Priorities in whatsoever practice session will change over time.
Mayhap a good starting bespeak would be:

• 20% on scales and arpeggios
• 50% on mastering a moderately challenging slice
• thirty% playing the pieces that you dearest (and which keep your fingers supple)

Keep a practice diary, noting what yous take played and your progress. This helps with motivation, setting goals, prioritizing practice sessions, and is a good reminder that you lot are continuously improving.

Master a Slice Gradually

Playing with a metronome can strength you to deadening things down, and increase your accuracy.

Yous can gradually speed up once your fingers get more familiar.

To Improve a Difficult Passage

1. Play the passage one hand at a time, slowly and carefully, using a metronome.

   If there are multiple melody/harmony lines inside i paw, you can break information technology down further, simply make certain the fingering remains correct.

2. Echo each hand separately multiple times.
3. Once both hands are familiar with the passage, play with both hands together. Slowly to begin with, and then gradually increasing in speed.

If you exercise this over multiple exercise sessions, you can master a more difficult pieces, and better your technique. This approach as well works when memorizing a piece of music.

Don't forget to too play pieces you enjoy and that you have previously mastered - this maintains motivation and enthusiasm.

Pianoforte street offers practical and useful communication for learning piano, and has an active forum for pianists and piano teachers.

Topics range from music, teaching, piano recommendations, and also suggestions to deal with pain from practicing - a fantastic resources when you lot don't have access to a teacher!

Above All, Have Fun!

You are returning to the piano because you want to.

Savor your fingers twinkling over the keys, the music surrounding y'all.

Reward your progress and diligence with a CD or a new piece of sheet music.

Pianoforte playing tin be very relaxing - playing any instrument is a peachy stress relief method.

Although recovering rusty skills will have time and effort, enjoy the journey! Have fun playing your onetime favorites and finding new pieces to explore.

What are your tips for picking upward an instrument you have not played in a long time?

Zheng You lot on Nov 03, 2017:

Not just beingness unable to play on my own, only as well I accept no interest in classical music. I think I am more than towards pop music and sometimes ballads.

Zheng Y'all on Nov 03, 2017:

I have been playing the piano for almost ix yr simply I observe that I am not getting anywhere. I got a pass in Form five. I am struggling because I am not able to play whatsoever piece without my teacher's guidance. What should I practice?

Lyn Halper on July 26, 2017:

Reassuring words here. I stopped playing x years agone, simply wish to resume at present. Arthritis has caused a contraction in right mitt and can no longer span an octave. Too practice, I am using visualization since the heed cannot tell the difference between reality and imaging. Information technology helps.

Thank you for your forum.

Michelle on March 20, 2017:

Thanks so much for this post! I'm playing on a 61 key keyboard - total size, of course, but plenty to get me back into it. I'g going to follow the tips you've posted here. I've played on & off over the past ii decades, but I'thou definitely not where I used to be. I expect forward to getting back to playing regularly. Cheers once again for the pointers & approach you shared here.

AlbertoVilela on November 21, 2016:

How-do-you-do, I´ve been away from piano playing and practising for most ten years now, during this fourth dimension I practised now and then merely nil compared to my daily iii, 4 hours dorsum in the days. I notice this web log very encouraging, thank you for that.

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on August 08, 2016:

Hi Dot, Congrats on keeping it up for two years!

I learnt rhythms at the kickoff, with exercises on a blackboard - non music/notes, just rhythms. We'd clap or tap our fingers, or slap our knees in time to those rhythms.

Whenever I had problem with rhythms in a piece of mysic, I took it away from the piano, and practiced on my legs or on table tops. Simply the rhythms. First the melody line or the right manus, and so the left mitt, and so both together. First slowly, then gradually speeding upward. Subsequently I was comfortable with both hands, I'd play the right, left and then both together on the piano slowly.

I still become tripped upward sometimes, and return to this method to practice difficult rhythms.

I hope this helps!

Dot on August 08, 2016:

How-do-you-do i am almost 14 and i accept been taking piano lessons for near ii years. Simply when i started taking lessons, i didnt actually empathise the rhythym and everything. The notes and keys were piece of cake to remember and everything. And everytime when i played the pianoforte i would never sympathise the rhythym thing. And now, i have practiced 2 pieces for a whole year and i still cant play them both very well. Simply the the outset page and then i lose it. I need help on how to non allow my past two years get waste. All the coin, fourth dimension. and people's trust. Just thinking about it makes me very depressed. Would really appreciate it if you can give me advice. thanks

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Frg on Jan 25, 2016:

How-do-you-do Filipe!

I'm struggling with the lack of time too, and the physical limitations from arthritis and synovitis at the moment. I'm enjoying playing new pieces, perchance a little easier than my exam pieces, but fun. I call up the key is to find composers and pieces that you can have fun with.

Filipe Kramer on January 21, 2016:

that's amazing you to have written this blog! those words are encouraging, however, as to me, I stopped studying and playing the piano for roughly 10 years. I used to play amazing songs such as ballade n 1, F major, Chopin, and I had so much technique and momentum. but now I wonder how long would it accept to most go back to square i and get all that I had in one case! besides, I do non have the same free-time I used to take to practice through 6 hours a twenty-four hours! what shall I do? want to play with the same technique and momentum I played 10 years ago.

Barb Johnson from Alaska'south Kenai Peninsula on July 28, 2015:

This was very encouraging Kymberly. I purchased an electric Yamaha recently myself. Information technology's been 20 years at the nearly. Will certainly be using your tips to ease back into the flow. Broken-hearted to just bask playing once more. Cheers!

Kymberly Fergusson (writer) from Federal republic of germany on April 21, 2015:

You're welcome Penny! It took my fingers a while to remember how to move on the keys, and the more difficult pieces I used to play are all the same out of reach. But they are getting closer!

Penny on April xviii, 2015:

I bought both a yamaha electric piano and a rocket electric double bass and bow this week afterwards 13 years of playing neither. This morning my fingers touched piano keys and then I froze. I didn't know where to offset. I started with a couple of scales and arpeggios and so my musculus memory started to remember snippets from songs I used to play like Gershwins Prelude No 2, Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto 2, Fur Elise and more randomly the James Bond Theme tune. I wish my musculus memory would remember the rest of the songs though! My books should exist arriving today so I'll be able to start relearning from scratch on both instruments. Because I was grade viii double bass and grade 6 piano when I was 23 I call back its safe to say I'k back at grade ii until my body and brain commencement to recall stuff. Thank you for your helpful guide.

Joyfulcrown on January 13, 2015:

I played the piano for 6 years, from 3rd grade to loftier schoolhouse. I enjoyed playing but I got distracted past loftier school activities. I do wish I had kept it up. Peradventure one day and I go a piano or key boards and play again.

ideadesigns on January 06, 2015:

I did pianoforte for 3 years when I was little. I appreciate music a fiddling more than if I hadn't washed that. I appreciate my parents taking me!

Anna Stevens from U.s.a. on September 21, 2013:

I remember that the guide which you shared tin actually help to relearn piano and the people can really learn it back quickly by following these tips.

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on June 24, 2013:

Dreamhowl - Autonomously from how you movement your fingers, piano is very much keyboard percussion. I loved playing marimba and timpani dorsum in high school. Thanks!

Jessica Peri from U.s.a. on June 21, 2013:

I don't play piano, but I used to play mallet percussion in high school. My family used to make me play the piano at Christmas for simple songs but because I could read the notes. Voted upwards!

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on May fifteen, 2013:

Lesley - it'southward much nicer to exist naughty and keep playing existent music than to run scales endlessly! Bask your return to the keys and good luck with buying a new keyboard!

Lesleysherwood on May 08, 2013:

I love your tips for exercising the fingers. I learnt the pianoforte as a kid and I remember my mum calling up the stairs, "end mucking around and do your exercises". May'be if I'd mucked effectually a teeny chip more I would be playing today. Unfortunately I don't own a pianoforte whatever more than, only nonetheless take political party pieces that I played SO often in my teens that I don't think I'l e'er lose the ability to evidence off at individual become togethers. I would honey to write music, I tried only to fail, not talented enough I'm agape. Your hub has made me want to look into buying a keyboard again, because it would be nice for ME. I know I will never be a Paul McCartney or Beethoven, but I do honey music and think I'd like to be naughty and NOT get on with my exercises. Thank y'all for writing such a expert hub.

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on May 29, 2012:

Sarah - Your Yamaha sounds absolutely lovely! I had never establish a Yamaha that wasn't too vivid for me, so I think y'all were very lucky!

I recollect the first pianoforte always has a special identify in our hearts -- mine had a beautiful dark tone, a muted upper annals, and an extremely heavy action, keen for darker emotional pieces, but terrible for annihilation bizarre.

Then glad y'all'll be keeping with the shorter practice sessions, they practise get in easier and less frustrating! Bask!

Sarah Jane Bacon from Dubai, United Arab Emirates on May 24, 2012:

I bought a Yamaha upright [beautiful tone, bright merely not Besides bright, great action, with a glorious upper register]. And so far, I'm thrilled with it. Of course, nothing comes close to one'southward 'original' piano [mine is all the same back in my home state at my parents' house and it's impossible to move it to my current temporary expat habitation]. It'due south a Ronisch, built plow of the 20th century and while many say pianos of this vintage aren't worth the trouble, mine's been in the family since purchase and has been tended lovingly e'er since.

Thanks for the uplifting words: I was feeling quite defeatist this morning until I googled for help and came beyond your page. The idea of sticking to a 20-min do session to get-go is such a slap-up idea; I did that today and will do the same tomorrow. I don't feel nearly so bad near things at present. :-)

I'll be keeping upward the good work, promise! Cheers!

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Deutschland on May 24, 2012:

Thank you Sarah! What pianoforte did you become - an upright / grand / electric? Information technology is soooooo tempting to spring into our one-time pieces that we could play, and then get depressed and frustrated considering our fingers accept forgotten the techniques and music. Glad to hear the exercises are helping - I find they assistance a heap with mobility and strength, but I oft pushed my hands too far when I first restarted. Have fun!

Sarah Jane Salary from Dubai, United Arab Emirates on May 23, 2012:

Thanks so much for this. I've just bought a new piano, intending to 'get back into information technology' after over 20 years without playing, and this, after a childhood/adolescence of playing seriously, doing music at university and finding the big leagues 'wasn't for me'. Starting manner back is a good tip [though information technology IS tempting to bound back into favourite Bach fugues of the past!] and so I'm going to take your advice and begin [almost] at the get-go. Hanon and Czerny ARE helping though, even if my fingers don't really desire to practise what I desire them to. Yet.

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on April 25, 2012:

Piano Street - Cheers! I had no idea you were on HubPages! The Piano Street forums are packed with wonderful information for beginners through the advanced players - I couldn't miss linking to them!

Piano Street from Stockholm, Sweden on April 18, 2012:

Lovely to read this! I congratulate you on having returned to playing the pianoforte! And with your defended approach I am sure you'll have many enjoyable hours together with your instrument in the future. A lot of good communication hither, which I promise a lot of people will accept into account. And thanks for the link! ;-) All best wishes, PianoStreet

Kymberly Fergusson (author) from Germany on March 02, 2012:

Ingenira - I practice demand to accept breaks every few days to permit my fingers a lilliputian more recovery fourth dimension. I hope they'll become stronger soon!

Ingenira on February xix, 2012:

I'd similar to exercise the same... but I am lack of commitment and then far. You are really determined and disciplined indeed.

Kymberly Fergusson (writer) from Germany on Feb 19, 2012:

Thank yous Ingenira! It'southward a fiddling tough to get back into a routine of practicing after such a long break, but I'1000 getting at that place!

Ingenira on February 19, 2012:

Wow, a really systematic approach to master pianoforte playing again. Splendid step by step guide to play well on the piano once more. :)

Voted upwards, useful and shared.

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Source: https://spinditty.com/learning/return-to-piano

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