Turn Up Your Charisma by 180 Degrees-Learn to Play the Piano

A word of caution: Beware that you will be pulled by an unseen force to learn to play the piano after reading this article. Proceed at your own risk!

Let's face it-tickling the ivories delivers a high that simply cannot be matched. I could go on and on(and probably will) about the sheer awesomeness of it. I will let you in on a secret-you, the adult learner who has never touched a piano in your life can do it!

So why is it that so many adults question the possibility of it. It is possible and within your reach. Are you on your way to buy a keyboard yet? The sign above the door at my piano teaching studio says, “Lessons for ages 5 to 105. I am either very misguided or believe that learning to play the ivories is for all ages. Make no mistake, I am not misguided.

The truth is that adults sign up for lessons because they really want to. This is not always the case for child students. If I sign up for Italian lessons tomorrow it is because I really have a burning desire to learn to speak Italian. Come to think-maybe I'll do that.

Back to you. There are so many approaches to learning to play including:

You can learn chords and treble clef notes. With this basic knowledge, beginning you can be up and playing fairly quickly. Did you know that there are thousands of songs that use only three chords? The blues form uses three chords. Many Christmas songs use three chords and the list goes on.

You can also learn to compose your own music after learning some basic theory. Surprising enough, I have adults and children doing this in a matter of weeks.

If you would are a self directed learner, I can highly recommend one of Duane Shinn's courses. Learn to read music in hours not years with Read Music Fast.

You can learn with a piano teacher in your community.

Maybe you're a piano dropout who hated piano as kid but are ready to learn now.

So what do you think? I watched an episode of Oprah whereby Oprah was very impressed with a young woman who created impromptu music on her show voicing that it must just be a God given talent.

Consider this: When someone is able to read a book or perform arithmetic we never oooh and aaaah about their talent. We all realize that those skills are basic life skills that are taught and improved upon through practice. Frankly, it is the same with learning to play the piano.

Stated a little differently- We are all musical and just as capable as the next person. Oprah, and many other living, breathing, intelligent adults seem to view music as a mysterious art form that is only for the gifted few. John Lennon got it right when he said, “Music is for everybody.”

So where do you start if you are an adult who wants to learn to play? Let’ s assume for this article that you have decided on a formal approach to your studies, instead of self-teaching. So, you will need a qualified teacher to help you reach your goals. What should you look for?

Here are some tips for finding the piano teacher that's right for you:

* Decide what type of piano method you want to study. Do you want to learn by ear? Do you want to learn to read piano music? Do you want piano music theory study to be at the foundation of your learning? Do you want to learn jazz, gospel, new age, contemporary, classical? Spend some time talking with the prospective teacher and learn how he/she approaches your ideas. Do you want to learn many styles? Choose a teacher who is qualified to teach you the styles you want to learn.

* You probably have a firm grasp as an adult of the way you learn best. Discuss your learning style with the prospective teacher and get a feel for how the teacher would work with you. If you learn best with lots of encouragement and affirmation and the teacher shares that he/she never believes in giving a compliment, your inner guiding voice should tell you something.

* Decide whether you want to travel for lessons, or have the teacher come to you. Some teachers will travel to someone’s home and others will not.

* Word of mouth goes along way. Ask around about the teacher. Ask the teacher for references and then check them out.

* Find out about the teacher’s fees. But remember, this not a sell item at WalMart. You may have to pay a bit more for a teacher that you really feel will meet your desire to learn to play piano. It does you know good to go with a teacher based simply on price, get nowhere and have to engage the more expensive teacher down the road.

Finally, and most importantly, listen to your own intuition. After spending some time talking with different teachers you should have an idea of what the best fit is. If your intuition tells you that a teacher is not right for you, then listen to that voice. Happy teacher hunting! Best wishes as you embark on your musical journey. It is definitely one of the most satisfying trips you will ever take.