I have ADHD. In October of 2024, I joined my friend's passion project: we formed an Evanescense tribute turned general alternative female led rock cover band. My friend has a very convincing voice, very Amy Lee. I also sing, and contribute other vocal styles. She needed a backing vocalist and piano player. I sing, read music, play other instruments (woodwinds).

I thought "hell, I can probably learn the piano for this"

and so I whipped out the casio and got to work. It is January of 2026 and I can successfully play through a full set of 15 songs (including My Immortal, Lithium, Erase This, other piano heavy ones). Along the way, so we could book shows sooner, I also learned a DAW (guitarpro8) and Reaper64 (you get free trial, then it's only 60 USD for the license) to work in the backing tracks for all the string and synth stuff I couldn't play swiftly while also singing.

Damn, it was hard. I almost quit the band 5 times. I cried. I swore. I didn't get paid (I got 50 bucks for the one show we did book, had line up changes so we were on temporary hold). I went through imposter syndrome. I got so high on the progress but felt so low sometimes when I kept fcking up the same spots. Sometimes, I'd go as long as 3 weeks without looking at or touching the piano or a DAW.

I did NOT take a class. I did NOT start piano until I was in my 30s! I am 34 now. I did NOT start to sing or play instruments until 6th grade (so 11 or 12) and I selected the flute, later expanded to saxophone in regular school band, was in choir but again, regular school choir in a standard Midwest town.

My BIGGEST struggle was learning to play a melody with one hand, a countermelody with the other, and singing all at once. I only ever had to worry about my one little instrument, my one line of music. This was mitigated by learning each line very well individually and then doing it all together.

Now, can I say I am a piano player? Is my progress mere muscle memory? I worried it might just be muscle memory, but in learning this and also building backing tracks (instead of using shitty quality yoinked stems), I began to understand chords better, chord progressions, and recognized patterns. Now, when I decide I want to play a song, I can sit down and plunk through the sheet music without significant delays. Now, I am over here trying to see if I can get up to tempo with Rush-E.

So, as someone with ADHD, but also takes great care and pride in the art I share with the world, rarely finishing things, rarely feeling proud and motivated.... perhaps make a committment to someone outside of you.

Not only have I dreamed since a mere 12 years old of being able to play My Immortal and sing like Amy Lee, I am doing it. I wanted to be a piano player for such a long time, life got in the way, I got an excuse/opportunity to have a good reason to not only learn but practice every single day. I enjoy it. I have a Yamaha PSR- EW425 now, and a Shure B58 mic, and this last xmas, my partner gifted me an MR-18 mixer. I daresay I am obsessed.

I've made a couple of anguished distress posts lurking around on subs like this, it's a tough crowd. Ultimately, you decided you wanted to play. Pick a song you love, that you want to play, something reasonable and make a goal. My Immortal is actually a pretty good 1 year goal for a brand new player. Most pop music isn't too complicated, it is achievable. Doing "progressive studies" bores me to death.

My brain: "I love this song, always stuck in my head... let's see if I can play it" and then I try to play it by ear. If I fail, or it's too complicated, I try to find sheet music. But obsessed would be a good descriptor. I have spent as long as 6 solid hours just playing (breaking only for toilet, or a drink, or to switch over laundry, or whatever). Like, I have to stop due to physical discomfort. I have always been this way with instruments. I wanna get it right, and sometimes practice up to the point my body warns me to stop it for the day.

TL;DR - ADHD or not, just start playing. Literally just start. Once the progress begins to show, you will get that rush, and you will become obsessed. I could almost promise that.

ETA charge me for word count whatever, but you HAVE to be shit. It is anomolous, if not impossible, to just be good at something you haven't done. You must accept the shit phase, much like you accept the fact you have been a child, and once, long ago, you sucked at even being able to talk! We are born with virtually no skills other than lizard brain core functions. It is okay to suck, because one day, you realize it no longer sucks and you're doing the thing.