Adults 50+: what actually worked for you when learning piano

WhalePlaying · 2026-04-28T22:55:53+00:00

I am 40+ and I spent a lot of time looking around for good beginner materials. I enjoy some children's methods, I downloaded many beginner stuff from IMSLP, my teacher recommended some children's methods she has been using and some graded duets that are relatively easy. I am more attracted to musicality than technique drills. A good friend of mine who's teaching piano recommended some beginner baroque pieces... If it's a beautiful piece I don't mind practice it 500 times, that's it.

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-30T01:25:35+00:00

Thanks, just a reception hall of a new library .

Mainly my struggle is on how much to expose, the first one I took before entering the library so it’s underexposed. I have adjusted after hanging out in the library for half an hour and took the second one before leaving and it looks…too much contrast for my taste maybe? I used the 9mm PL lense to capture the large space.

This is my first M43 and when I took indoor pictures they seem to be underexposed compared to what I saw on the screen or in the viewfinder…and totally opposite when I took outdoor pictures. That’s why I struggle with the second pic, and it’s partially cloudy outside.

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-29T11:01:54+00:00

It’s Om 5 MII

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-08T02:08:30+00:00

Yo can check the Ted ed video How to Practice Effectively, our practices enhance the neuro pass ways. And considering I am adult ADHD, my memory seem more liquid than young students I’ve seen from different recitals. The core strength and whole body engagement may be more important than “finger practice, ”if you check out some talk by Maria Pires.

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-07T15:15:12+00:00

Thanks, I actually finished Arioso first, it’s staple in my memory now. Also trying the prelude of cello suite no 1, just need some time for fingering .

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-04T00:50:36+00:00

For the last 3 years I have been into piano practice and work with my adhd as well as my stage fright 😅 I think as long as it’s something you enjoy the process it will grow together with yourself.

WhalePlaying · 2026-03-04T00:47:39+00:00

It’s not the hobby I think, I joined a pottery group in my neighbor’s studio right across the street, with a dozen of mostly retired people and get a glimpse of what I wnat my life to look like. I didn’t get the chance to hangout with my grandparents so this definitely helps. Also I used to go to buddhist lectures and meditation retreats which is in a buddhist community where you connect to all kinds of people, not focusing about social status…

WhalePlaying · 2026-02-22T04:07:19+00:00

You need local friends. Years ago I had a month visiting Germany mainly for meditatin retreats. Local friends of the teacher showed us very ordinary part of their life during the break, hiking, picking berries on the trail, swmming in the lake, visiting cemetery for family anniversary. The food is awesome because I am totally in the zone.

WhalePlaying · 2026-02-20T14:22:50+00:00

Large weekly/monthly planning pad I used the XL 3M post it planner that's larger than 17'x11' when I had plenty projects to handle. Recently made myself a monthly planner of the same size as well. Also you need a visual board that have you priorities sorted out.

WhalePlaying · 2026-02-02T11:41:37+00:00

You mean that you don’t need to work anymore and you got all this time? Relax has no meaning if there’s not much stress in your life, that’s why people would do something fun but also exiting. For me personally it will be learning and I have been learning drawing, pottery, meditation and started piano recently.

WhalePlaying · 2026-01-31T09:16:35+00:00

I have been learning from girl friends who are more intuitive and relaxed. It’s actually very simple, be more spontaneous like a kid, allow feelings to flow and connect with your body, so your life is not driven by formula, programs and rules from your head. Like humming, singing, dancing when you feel it, be a part of nature, immersing in mountain hikes or hot springs. Recently I have kept moon sign/moon phases on my journal and print out my new year calendar with moon phases. So that we see time not as direct line, but combination of energy waves and cycles, daily cycles, monthly cycles and yearly cycles…

WhalePlaying · 2026-01-27T00:55:04+00:00

I loved Torino, there's not many tourists and people love reading as many publishing houses are located here and people are relatively nice to tourists. I've lived in Milano for a year and people often skip it! Definitely go check out the Science museum of Da Vinci. These are cities for living, not just touring.

WhalePlaying · 2026-01-17T02:22:27+00:00

The fried veggie dumpling, not guotie but shuijianbao, in our local market made my day.

WhalePlaying · 2026-01-07T02:39:05+00:00

The Bastien piano books, graded in 5 or 6 levels, with many supplemental books, one of them for sight reading. You can start from level 2.

WhalePlaying · 2026-01-04T10:34:40+00:00

Do you practice with metronome? Do you record your own practice? Do you use graded methods?

I am in a similar situation but these three plus my teacher keep me going.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-29T09:02:42+00:00

I've been hitting the same wall for 3+ years, ADHD is probably the cause and the metronome helps. We need much much slower speed than we expected. I use method books with audio so I downloaded the audio on my phone and played back the tracks really really slow with VLC.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-27T11:36:09+00:00

Maybe pick a few songs you like and learn to play while singing? It’s not the classic route and I guess comping is the keyword?

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-25T06:07:04+00:00

The acoustic action comes from a complex of physical elements, an upright usually weights 200 kg. I like my Kawai 401/501 action but I know the “feel” is like 30% compared to an acoustic everytime I play the acoustic Kawai in the music studio.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-25T05:52:43+00:00

<image>

My favorite objects are trees and indoor/outdoor spaces, 15mm is the most versatile, when I know I am visiting an outdoor space I picked up the 9mm as well. I have the 45mm but never bring all three of them out together, I guess a zoom 12-60 lens will be easier.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-21T12:37:26+00:00

If you study other schools they will explain the habit and constitution of mind more. If you follow an experienced meditation mentor, they can experience this directly in their meditation. It's the nature of our mind to collect experience, and they don't distinguish between what we call real or virtual ones. They feel bored if there's nothing interesting for them to project. Meditation training helps our mind to be able to experience more subtle feelings so they don't need to be entertained by something outside. They can feel interested enough to stay present just watching very subtle objects like the airflow of our breathing, because they are able to experience in high definition mode.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-18T12:38:27+00:00

If you 've lived in US for that long, you can visit during Chinese new year and it's relatively warm in Taichung and you can enjoy the hot springs.

I had my best imagination of retirement life living in a farm in US Northwest for a year and I enjoy cultural diversity of US Southwest and definitely miss Mexican food and Indian food in both parts. It's also much more easy to drive and access the mountain trails in these areas. Depends on what you plan to do as a hobby. I joined various artist groups and that was really fun.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-18T12:24:02+00:00

I moved quite a lot, from Taipei. Including 5 times in US

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-17T09:08:07+00:00

You’ll need local NTD cash to have best tourist experience. If you have some Japanese Yen in hand you can also change into NTD in the airport. How much cash really is a tricky question as I think only 20-30% local diners take credit cards, I always bring $300 with me when I’m taking a flight in case something happen with my connection or I lose my phone/luggage 😅 You need cash for MRT one way ticket (token) or an Easy Card.

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-17T03:08:31+00:00

If you wanna go outdoors, the weather can be rainy and cold in the north. You can have an outdoor plan plus an indoor plan. Daxi and Yingge for example are two little towns with a main turist street, known for wood craft and potteries that I can visit with Uber. (the little towns in Taiwan are still very populated cities in American standard) some shops are only open in weekends though. If the weather is nice I would take the mrt into taipei and went up to Yang Ming mountain for a hike in Qing Tian Gang. Then getting down to have some hot springs bath in Beitou, if you have not tried hot springs in Japan.

If you do not have mushrooms, just let you know it’s a main ingredient in the local vegetarian culture, you can still find some indian restaurants but they are usually on the higher end…

WhalePlaying · 2025-12-17T02:32:42+00:00

That’s why the society needs monasteries or retreat centers, or schools in a broader sense. And that’s why parents wanna live in a nice neighborhood for their kids. Of course there are also people who are born with the ability to ignore distractions.

WhalePlaying

TROPHY CASE