Learning to play piano as an adult

Hi Braxton,

I got past the first month by making a 20 minute template and sticking to it. Do 5 minutes of five-finger patterns in C, G, and F with a metronome at 60 bpm, right hand 1-2-3-4-5 then back, then left hand, then both hands at 50 bpm. Spend 10 minutes on one piece, hands separate first, aim for 8 clean reps, then together at a tempo where you make zero mistakes for two runs before bumping the metronome by 5 bpm. Finish with 5 minutes of chord work and for example C–G–Am–F in the left hand as whole notes while the right hand plays the melody from your app. On most digitals there is a Metronome button and a Tempo or +/- control and and if not, put your phone by the music stand with a free metronome app.

The milestones that kept me motivated were small and weekly. Week 1 was posture and a complete eight bar tune like Ode to Joy hands separate, Week 2 both hands at 60 bpm, Week 3 a recorded clean take, Week 4 one playthrough from memory. Recording helps a lot because you hear progress even when you feel clumsy, and many keyboards have a Record or Song function in the Function menu, but if yours does not, use your phone voice memo. Names vary by model. I also tracked a tiny daily checkbox like 5 clean reps or 5 minutes with the click, and I stopped the session as soon as I hit the target rather than grinding on and burning out. With a small budget and limited time, keep one slightly too easy piece and one stretch piece, and alternate days so you feel a win every session.

Stop chasing motivation. Use a tiny routine you can pass on bad days. Do 5 minutes slow five‑finger patterns with a metronome, 10 minutes on one easy song hands separate at half speed, 5 minutes chords or a single scale in two keys. Milestones: by week two, clean hands‑together at 50–60 bpm on one song. by week four, two pieces end to end without stops at any slow tempo. Log each session and only bump tempo when you hit about 90 percent accuracy. Stick with the same two songs for a month instead of hopping around.

Between daycare drop‑offs and a boss who throws 5 pm calls at me and the only quiet I get is dishwasher o'clock. The apps keep nagging for upgrades and sheet music isn't cheap, so I parked the keyboard where I pass it ten times a day and leave it on. The one thing that kept me going was picking one song and one exercise, leaving them open, and sneaking three five‑minute reps while coffee brews or the kids zone out.

Forget the apps if they're not clicking. Just pick one simple song you like & break it into tiny parts & like one hand at a time for five minutes each. Set a daily goal that's stupidly easy, say nailing one measure perfectly. Track it on a calendar to see streaks, that builds habit. Don't beat yourself up over clumsy hands, it'll improve with consistency. Aim for playing something recognizable by month end, that's your milestone.

Hey Braxton,

Apps are overrated for motivation. Drill basics like finger exercises for 10 minutes, then play a fun tune for the rest. Milestones: play a scale smoothly after a week, a simple song after a month. That's it, no fluff.

Oh man, with kids screaming and work piling up, I barely get 10 minutes sometimes and but I force myself to sit down right after dinner. I just focus on chord progressions because anything more structured falls apart with interruptions. It helps to have the piano in a spot where I can glance at it and remember to practice & even if it's messy.