Tips for Adult Beginners

How hard is it in general for adults to learn how to play the piano?

That's a great question. It depends also if you are interested in playing classical music or popular music from the radio with chords, or jazz improvization or a bit of everything.

Potential Challenges
Adults will understand music theory, the structure of chords and why notes sound good together (mathematically) as well as the the concepts of note reading and rhythm, much easier than a young child would. However the the hand eye coordination may seem harder for an adult, the hands may be more rigid and tense (that is a generalization). But there's no reason that an adult couldn't learn to play piano.

The other challenges that adults may face are the distractions with work, tv, sports, life in general and some are not likely to practise.   All my students are young children or teenagers who started with me when they were younger.  The oldest beginner was 13 when he started.  I've had alot of inquiries from adult beginners but I've been relucant to accept one based on my schedule and personal preferences.

Finding a Teacher
If you are seriously looking for a teacher, it sounds funny but you could ask a piano teacher you already know for contacts, or look on usedottawa.com or kijii and browse the piano teacher ads. Some will actually say that they are accepting students of all ages and adults too, while others will say children only. So you know who to call.  Check out the Ottawa Folk Music Center or Long and McQuade music store or, Yamaha on Bank Street or Granata Music.

The Yellowcat Music Sheets that I use in my lessons for the kids work well for older beginners too.

Success Stories
The potential to succeed is there. It depends alot on your committment, your personal goals and the right teacher to tap into the talents you already have.  My mother's friend started taking beginners piano lessons as an empty nester when the kids went away for university and left the piano behind. She started from Beginners and Grade 1 and studied with her kids' piano teacher for about six to eight years.  She just used her kids' piano books.  At the time we talked a few years ago, she was playing Grade 10 RCM level pieces (classical music) and even offering substitute piano lessons when the senior teacher was not available.  This is an amazing feat because if a child starts piano lessons at age 6 an average or non-music-performance-major student would probably reach the Grade 10 level around age 15 or 16.

If you have the desire in your heart and the means to make it possible, just do it. You won't regret piano.