r/pianolearning

Best way to learn the piano as a 24 F

Hi!

So I'm 24 and I want to start learning the piano again. I learned it when I was 9 and stopped soon after due to personal reasons. (Also is 24 too late to learn the piano?) The tutor I found ghosted me after she said she'll check her schedule and let me know but she took in my niece who's 7 years old, made me think that it was because I'm too old. And though there are lots of music academy around where I stay I wish to learn from a private tutor or by my self.

So I was wondering whether you could suggest an app or website where I could learn the piano.

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u/Frosty_Medicine8307 — 23 hours ago
▲ 17 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

Piano exam!!

Hello everyone! It is my first time ever learning the piano, and I have an exam this coming Monday. Our teacher unfortunately focuses only on the students who already have experience, so I am completely lost. I am practicing the song in the picture. Could someone who has a piano be so kind as to draw/mark directly onto a photo of a piano keyboard which exact notes I need to press and in what order as I am still struggling to translate the sheet music to the keyboard? Thank you so much in advance for your time and help!

u/itsmewatersheep — 1 day ago

A Total Clueless Beginner

Hello Good morning/afternoon/evening!

I am currently looking for ways to study and learn about music notes on piano and ways to learn efficiently, I am beginner that is planning to make a hobby of playing the piano.

Thank you very much for you Time! And sorry for the bad grammar!

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u/Own-Bicycle-3242 — 1 day ago
▲ 16 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

What crowd pleasing pieces or songs do you play in public?

I like to play in public classical pieces, but is obvious that most people walking by don’t really know much about those pieces or their difficulty and for them is probably background noise sometimes depending on the piece.

I want to get ideas of what kind of rather simpler pieces or songs one can play to get the people surprised or engaged with what they listening. I think people like to hear something familiar and that’s when they click with it, or some music that suddenly feels relaxing or calming meaningfully (I feel Chopin nocturnes have this effect even if they don’t know the pieces)

So what simple songs do you have in your repertoire to play along in public and create a nice atmosphere?

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u/Herno8 — 1 day ago

How do I know when to press the pedal?

This is my second time playing the piano. I know I’m supposed to have short nails but for now the song I’m learning is fairly simple to where I don’t have to cut them. I just had the pedal pressed the whole time for this clip and am wondering when to press it? The tutorial I watched did not mention it. Are there any songs when the pedal is pressed the whole time or does it always just eventually muddy the sound? (I’m thinking maybe slower songs it’s okay?) Sorry for my lack of knowledge!

**Edit: I know everyone is worried about my flat hands- I only played like that bc of my long nails! It didn’t cause any pain or anything but I know it’s bad technique. I don’t plan on becoming a piano master or anything I just want to be able to play while singing some of my favorite songs, as I’m more into singing. But anyways one of my nails broke today so I’ll be able to practice with better technique going forward.

Edit 2**: Also thank you for the supportive comments and genuine feedback! Y’all are a lot more kind than the r/singing subreddit lol

▲ 36 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

Help me to improve ! :)

Hi guys about 6 months ago i started piano(self tought) with alfreds book one and after finishing it i immediatly started the second one but i quitted while i am in the middle of it because even though i know its a great book its hella boring . And i started to play what i want . Thing is i feel like i need another book lol but i dont want to start with alfreds can you recommend me a book with considering what level i am :)
For reference this slopy play took my two week :).
Also i know its very early to think that but i wanted to Do this at pro level in future so can you rate my progress ( am i going slow or am i going good ?)
And for me comparing is not a thief of joy :) thanks for your comments.

u/FoxOk801 — 1 day ago

Beginner Pianist

Hi, just looking out for some answers.

I am a beginner, mostly self-taught and have basic knowledge about major and minor chords and scales. I can play very simple pieces from the John Thompson Grade 1 book.

I want to be able to play in church well. Right now I just follow chords but it sounds very basic. Should I learn sheet music or just follow chords and improvise it? Also, would be very helpful if you could suggest YouTube channel or sources that could help me improve.

Would love and appreciate to hear your thoughts and opinions as I'm very passionate about this.

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u/No_Hurry_532 — 1 day ago

Question

Do we play again the note in the yellow circle?
Also, what does the line in the blue circle mean, what does the peak of the line show? (on the left hand in the second picture)

u/Otherwise_Seat_2950 — 1 day ago

Why don’t these keys match up on my 61 key piano?

I’m trying to learn how to play and read music. The article I got this image from says it shows all 88 keys, but when I compare it to my 61 key piano, it’s missing 7 white keys (8 if you count the fully white key at the far right end) and 5 black keys.

I’m not sure how that’s even possible if it’s an 88 key diagram but I’m pretty sure it’s off because I think it’s supposed to end with a C.

I’m not sure what the last 12/13 keys are supposed to be labeled in this context (I think I know the letters, but not the notes). Should it restart the bass or the treble clef? Or is it an entirely different note I don’t know of yet?

I know labeling keys is frowned upon on here (I looked at some posts trying to figure this out), but I need it to visualize what I’m doing as I’m a visual learner, and I like having all these details on the keys. All the other diagrams I’ve found just have the letters, which is not helpful for reading music. I’m trying to learn both so this diagram, with both the letters and the notes, is the best one, but the missing keys are driving me crazy.

If anyone has a different version of this type of diagram with both the letters and notes that could be helpful as well!

Thank you in advance for any help and/or advice!

u/AntRose104 — 1 day ago

How am I supposed to play the left hand on those two measures ?

Bit confused with the triplet inclusion on the left hand

The way I read it for the first pic would be :

Play F & B on the start off the measure then play B again to start the triplet, hold it on the 2nd tempo of triplet, and on third play B flat - unsure then whether or not I should play B flat again to end the measure

I would apply a similar logic for the measure on the 2nd pic, but im doubting if the 3 at the bottom is for the fingering or also asking me to play triplets with only 2 notes

(Apologies if the post is a bit confusing, I don’t know very well piano/music related lingo in English)

u/GodLifeHurtsSoMuch — 1 day ago

Feedback request

Hi! I have been enjoying learning playing the piano for 11 months now and this is me playing Bach Invention 4. I would appreciate any kind of feedback 🙏

u/NesKZ — 2 days ago

Fingering suggestions

I’ve encountered some trouble while playing this single bar from a Horn and Piano duet of Gilbert Vinter’s “Hunter’s Moon” because the fingerings I’m using are kinda weird, and the overall shapes of the chords make it hard to play, does anyone have fingering suggestions?

u/Own-Mycologist-8928 — 1 day ago

Is buying 61 keys keyboard worth it?

I'm not a professional pianist, it is my greatest hobby though. I've been playing for ~10 years now, I just like to play compositions and proper chords of songs. I've a 48 key keyboard rn, planning to buy a 61 key. Will I be able to play (some) historic compositions on it? Like parts of it not the complete. And sing along to songs with piano instrumental. Is it a good decision to buy?

(I didn't play much in the past like 3 years cus of academics so my skills like sheet reading and fluency is a bit rusted. Played fur elise that I learnt perfectly years ago today and positioning was a bit wrong in the accompaniment. Honestly disappointment. (and part of fur elise are the easiest thing ever).

Edit - I'm a college student I don't think there's time or the budget to buy 88 keys unfortunately. I really appreciate everyone's time and advice, did not expect replies at all when posting. You guys are nice.

But I'm looking for opinions with respect to simpler composition and songs' chords - whether it'll be possible on 61 keys or not. The cons and pros of it. I don't think I will persue proper piano professionally in the future either sorry

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u/Warm_Resident_4318 — 2 days ago
▲ 71 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

5 Months of Piano, Burgmüller: Tendre Fleur

Hi, im here with my monthly progress video, and looking for feedback as usual.

This month i slacked off a little bit (there were some days where i didnt play or only played for a few minutes) , i guess its impossible to play for hours everyday without getting burnout, how do you keep your motivation?

Im still not quite happy with how i play this piece right now, ill probably keep working on it for another week or two, but one thing that got me wondering is, are there any tricks as to how to use rubato? by tricks i mean music theory concepts or rules, or is it more of a "feel" kinda thing and im just not musically mature enough yet to apply it correctly?.

As always any kind of feedback is encouraged and appreciated!

p.s.

I absolutely love Burgmüller, and i encourage every fellow beginner to take a look at his op. 100 or op. 109 if you are a little more advanced

u/HugeAppointment524 — 2 days ago

Two hand practice?

I desperately want to learn to play piano, but I’m having such a difficult time learning coordination for playing with two hands at once, and trying to relax my fingers instead of being so stiff. I don’t feel as if my fingers flow, and I often lose my fingering… Any advice is appreciated!

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u/Expert_Question9232 — 2 days ago

Piano app comparisons are weirdly useless, so I made my own

I’ve been looking at piano learning apps recently, and the odd thing is how useless most comparisons are.

They usually go: “Best overall”, “Best for beginners”, “Best value”, and then list the same five apps with slightly different wording.

But that doesn’t really help, because these apps are not all trying to solve the same problem.

Some are basically games.
Some are video courses.
Some are song libraries.
Some are sight-reading drills.
Some are trying to recreate a teacher.
Some are just a keyboard on your phone pretending to be a piano app.

So this is my rough attempt to sort them by what they actually seem to be useful for.

Not saying any of these replace a good teacher. Obviously they don’t. But for an adult beginner, a returning player, a parent, or someone who just wants to start without turning it into a life admin project, they can be useful.

The big beginner apps

Simply Piano
Probably the easiest place to start. Very clear, very guided, very gamified. It has that Duolingo-ish feeling of “do this tiny thing, now do the next tiny thing”. That can be brilliant if you need momentum. It can also feel a bit like being gently processed through a factory.

Flowkey
More song-focused. This feels like the one for people who mainly want to sit down and play something they recognise. The hands-separate practice and wait-style features make sense for beginners. I’d put this more in the “learn songs with help” category than the “become a rounded musician” category.

Yousician
Very game-like. Scores, progress, streaks, all that stuff. Good if you need motivation and like being pushed along by the app. Slight downside: because it covers multiple instruments, it doesn’t always feel like the most piano-specific option.

Skoove
A bit more adult and lesson-like. Less shiny than some of the others, but that might be the point. It feels more like a structured path than a game. Probably better for someone who wants guidance without everything feeling like confetti.

Piano Academy
Another very beginner-friendly option. Similar world to Simply Piano and Yousician: visual, simple, interactive, designed to get you moving quickly if you’re starting from nothing.

Artie
Newer than the big names, but interesting because it leans into the AI teacher idea rather than just being a fixed course. Falling notes, wait mode, hands-separate practice, looping tricky sections, and feedback after you play. I’d put it in the “guided practice partner” category rather than the “traditional course” category.

The more serious / structured options

Playground Sessions
Feels like a more structured song-based learning system. Still built around songs, but less like a casual mobile game. Probably a middle ground between “I want to play music I know” and “I want an actual learning path”.

Piano Marvel
This seems to be the serious practice one. Sight-reading, assessment, methodical progress. Probably not the sexiest app in the world, but if you care about reading and measurable improvement, that may not matter.

Pianote
Not really the same category as the app-game stuff. More like online piano lessons: teacher-led videos, proper explanations, practice advice, that kind of thing. Better if you like watching a real person demonstrate rather than following falling notes.

Hoffman Academy
More family/kids/traditional lesson energy. Friendly, structured, and probably useful if you want something that feels closer to conventional piano lessons without actually booking a teacher.

The song tutorial / falling-notes world

Synthesia
The classic falling-notes thing. Fun, visual, instantly understandable. But on its own, it’s not really a complete piano education. It can show you what to press. It won’t necessarily teach you why anything works.

La Touche Musicale
Another song-learning platform. Useful if your goal is mainly to learn specific pieces with visual guidance.

OnlinePianist
Song tutorials and arrangements. More “show me how to play this song” than “teach me piano from the ground up”.

HDpiano
Video song lessons, especially pop/rock. Good if you like learning from someone showing you the part slowly.

The support tools

These are not really full piano-learning apps, but they might be useful alongside one.

Tenuto
Theory and note-reading practice. Dry, useful, and probably better for you than another flashy app promising you can play anything in 10 minutes.

Perfect Ear
Ear training, rhythm and theory. Not piano-specific, but good for becoming less dependent on purely visual learning.

Note Rush
A note-reading game. Especially useful for kids or beginners who need to get faster at recognising notes.

Vivace
Sight-reading and theory practice. More of a training tool than a full course.

Complete Music Reading Trainer
Exactly what it sounds like. Good if reading music is your weak spot.

Keyboard-brand apps

Roland Piano App / Roland Piano Partner-type apps
Useful if you have a Roland digital piano. More of an ecosystem thing than a universal piano app.

Casio Music Space / Chordana Play
Same sort of idea for Casio keyboards. Worth using if your keyboard supports it, probably not something you’d choose in isolation.

The smaller / odd ones

Piano in 21 Days
More of a quick-start chord system. Probably useful if you want to play simple songs quickly without going too deep into reading or classical technique.

Perfect Piano
More like a piano keyboard app than a proper learning system, though it appears in app stores all the time.

Real Piano Teacher
Older/smaller app. It exists in the free-app universe, but I’m not sure I’d put it in the same serious category as the bigger platforms.

Talented
Less famous, but seems to be another accessible/free learning option. Worth mentioning, though I’d want to hear from people who have actually used it long-term.

Musiah
More structured and curriculum-based. Less talked about, but seems closer to online lessons than a casual app.

Melodics
Not really traditional piano. More useful for MIDI keyboard, rhythm, finger drumming and producer-style playing. Great if that’s what you want, misleading if you think it’s going to teach you classical piano.

PianoVision
AR/VR piano learning. Interesting, but niche. Feels more like “this might be the future” than “this is what most beginners should start with tomorrow”.

My rough conclusion

The best app depends on what problem you’re actually trying to solve.

If you need the easiest possible start, I’d look at Simply Piano or Piano Academy.
If you mainly want songs, Flowkey, La Touche Musicale or OnlinePianist make sense.
If you need game-like motivation, Yousician is probably the obvious one.
If you want AI-style guided practice, Artie is the interesting newer option.
If you want video lessons, Pianote, Hoffman Academy or HDpiano are closer to that world.
If you care about reading and structured assessment, Piano Marvel seems stronger.
If you want theory/reading support, Tenuto, Perfect Ear and Note Rush are useful add-ons.
If you’re using a Roland or Casio keyboard, their own apps are worth checking first.
If you’re a producer/MIDI keyboard person, Melodics is probably more relevant than most traditional piano apps.

My main takeaway is that “best piano app” is almost the wrong question.

A better question is: what are you trying to avoid?

Avoiding boredom? Choose the one that gets you playing.
Avoiding confusion? Choose the one with the clearest path.
Avoiding bad habits? Add a teacher or at least some proper technique work.
Avoiding sheet music? Pick a visual/song-based app, but know what you’re giving up.
Avoiding giving up after a week? Honestly, choose whatever makes you come back.

Curious what people here have actually stuck with for more than a month — and which apps felt great at first but wore off quickly.

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u/Artistic_Page7587 — 2 days ago
▲ 79 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

I started piano at 30 with no musical background. This was one of the songs I wanted to play.

I started learning piano to reconnect with the songs that never really left me from my teenage years. Here is my piano take on The Kids From Yesterday.
What feeling does it leave you with? Please feel free to share your honest feedback :)

u/Evening-Dingo-5617 — 3 days ago

I have a question

Is it really the wrong way to say figure it out yourself?

My piano teacher once challenged me to figure out how to do scales in thirds. So C-A, D-B, etc. I learnt it and now im fluent in it and i can do it up down and in arpeggio style.

I'm also learning a lot of pieces independently from lessons. This includes classics like fur elise, moonlight etc and occasionally I play them or small sections for my teacher for additional input. By listening to recordings I can say ive learnt the pieces and im putting my own interpretations into them now.

So my question is with that in mind is it really the wrong method to do it yourself? It sounds harsh to my ears but also realistic because it seems to work.

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u/HomePianoGuy — 3 days ago

Help with technique

I have found that recently when I play I get pains in my forearm and when I look at recordings of my playing my fingers look very tense. I have played piano for I’d say almost a decade now just as a hobby and none of the teachers I have had have given much specific feedback on technique. I’ve been practicing hanon loads but I feel like Im just training to put up with tension and not actually improving technique. This videos my work in progress of Liszt’s liebestraum number 3 (Id say Ive been working on it for about a month or two) and I thought my playing just overall looked really scuffed. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated.

u/JIDglazer521189 — 3 days ago
▲ 3 r/pianolearning+1 crossposts

Some concerns about my playing/technique.

Hey :).

First post here, did try to publish it before but forgot the flair, hope i don't forget anything! (can't find my previous attempt to publish it.)

I had a couple of concerns about my playing, the video is just an example to illustrate my worries.

  1. is my bench alright in terms of height and distance from the piano? My teacher sometimes tells me I'm too far, but if I get closer my feet does not quite have the proper angle and its uncomfortable for me to use the pedal properly. Maybe I'm lacking ankle mobility or something else.

  2. I'm having trouble speeding up my Hannon exercises, which I believe mainly comes from my left hand speed, usually when I go past 60 bpm the hands start having about a third of so of difference when playing. I'm not sure whether It's a lack of techniche, or if I am just missing practice.

  3. Also worried when my fingers go straight, hope this does make sense, I can see multiple times in the video, is it about the tension I have when playing?

PD: I would really appreciate any other tip!

https://reddit.com/link/1thi30e/video/rg0uafzhg22h1/player

Thanks very much!

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u/richardffx — 3 days ago