The Secret Advantage All Adult Pianists Share: a guest post by Carol Brotherston
“I’m too old to play the piano.”
“I’m too busy to play the piano.”
“I tried to play but failed at it.”
Every pianist and piano teacher hears these statements when people discover what they do for a living. What was once a lifetime passion has in many people’s minds become something that can only be learned in childhood or by “talented” people. As a result, many adults give up on their desire to play the piano, and in doing so, rob themselves of a life-enriching encounter with music that they might have truly enjoyed.
Piano educator, adult learning and development advocate, and founder of Perfect Piano Academy Carol Brotherson knows differently. Through her daily work with adults of all ages, she sees excuses and self-imposed limitations melt away as people put aside their preconceptions and choose to play the piano. She knows they can learn, and she knows their ability to do so rests in the secret advantages all adults possess, regardless of age. I’m honored to feature her insightful observations and encouraging words on No Dead Guys.
The Secret Advantage All Adult Pianists Share
by Carol Brotherson
After 25+ years teaching both adults and children piano, I’ve discovered that adults have a secret advantage - if they actually begin. Many never start, and many more give up too soon…
Whilst it is true that children remember things better than the majority of adults, there are multiple truths that apply to adults but not to children. However, before we get to that, I’ve spent a long time reflecting on the reasons adults either never begin, or just give up. For the record I wish I had £1 for every time I’ve heard one of these first 4 reasons cited. I call these “excuses.”
I don’t have a piano
I can’t afford lessons
I can’t find a teacher
I don’t have time to practice
These excuses come from the group of people I’ll call the non-committers, or perhaps more accurately, the won’t committers. These are people with barriers they could remove fairly easily if they truly wanted to. “Truly” being the most important word.
Because somehow these same people still manage to:
find and buy a rainbow-coloured car on marketplace
spend £6.40 on a coffee flavoured milkshake
scroll Facebook for 97 minutes a day
and research air fryers with the intensity of a NASA engineer
Digging a little deeper, another group – called the self-doubters – have completely different concerns:
I think I’m too old
I’m too slow
My brain doesn’t work the same way it used to
I should have learned as a child
Now, we are no longer dealing with excuses. We are dealing with confidence.
Many adults genuinely believe they are somehow “less capable” because they’ve had a few birthdays. As though turning 50 automatically wipes out all ability to learn anything more complicated than how to use the microwave.
This group simply needs kindness, reassurance, and guidance from someone who understands the process. Doubters need a coach. Someone on the sidelines blowing the whistle, giving direction, encouragement, and, occasionally, a push. A coach notices problems before they become habits. They provide motivation, guidance, reassurance and healthy perspective when doubt creeps in. Doubters need someone in their corner for when the going gets tough, because sometimes it does.
The coach is the one who says:
“It’s OK, this is normal. You’re not failing, you’re learning. Keep going. You’ll get there. I believe in you.”
Then there are the “had a bad experience” group, the musical walking wounded. The ones who have tried before and quietly and sometimes painfully concluded that piano “just wasn’t for them.”
Notably, it was nothing to do with age or ability that stopped them. It was straight forward confusion.
Too much choice
Uncertainty about which method book to use
Believing they don’t need a teacher… whilst simultaneously being completely stuck
Discovering that “easy” sheet music is apparently only easy if your middle name is Amadeus
Not knowing what to practise
Not knowing how to practise
Realising they haven’t improved despite “learning” for ten years, but are certain they still don’t need expert guidance
This group does not need more random information from YouTube, another app, or a 437-page PDF titled Learn Piano Fast! downloaded at 1am in a moment of optimism.This group needs clarity. They need a pathway. And they likely need somebody to shine a torch up the mountain and say:
“Go that way. Ignore the babble. Do these things, in this order.”
In truth this group is not so different from the doubters. For different reasons they too would thrive with a coach. Someone to point out the gaps, suggest correction, routines and exercises. And stop them wandering in circles for another decade.
And this is where things become interesting. Because once adults remove the excuses, overcome the self-doubt, and stop wandering in the wilderness, something surprising happens: many begin progressing not just well, but often faster than children. This is not because adults are more “talented,” but because they possess certain qualities children simply don’t. The truth is, successful piano learning has far less to do with age or giftedness and far more to do with mindset, consistency, discipline, structure, direction, and understanding how to practise properly in the first place.
The first fairly obvious truth is that adults learn with purpose. While children are sent to piano lessons by their parents on purpose. Adults choose to learn. That one difference does change things a little, but it’s not the only thing adults have got going for them.
Adult learners sometimes have a clear reason for learning or an emotional connection to it, they are not simply there because Mum said so. They are there because something inside them makes them want to play. It could be personal fulfilment. It could be filling a gap after retirement. Sometimes it is emotional escape, identity, wellbeing, challenge, or simply the joy of doing something for themselves. Adults tend to value their time, and when committed they generally practice with great intention.
And ultimately, the single greatest factor affecting progress at any age is still this: How often somebody practises. An adult who practices will progress more quickly than a child who does not, and the same is true vice versa.
One of the greatest myths in music education is that some people are just “naturally gifted.” In reality, strong pianists are built through consistency, structure, guidance, and repetition. They show up and they do the work. While talent is certainly a thing, on its own it’s unlikely to be enough. A pianist of ANY age who practices well - and there is an entire discussion inside the word “well” - will eventually overtake the talented person who practices poorly, inconsistently or not at all.
Adults have a level of comprehension that young children simply have not yet developed. Adults tend to thrive when given:
a clear roadmap
logical progression
achievable milestones
feedback, correction, explanation and understanding
Children mainly “do what they are told” whilst adults want to understand why something is the way it is. This deeper quest for understanding accelerates development of their skillset.
Adults frequently analyse patterns, recognise systems, compare ideas, and self-reflect in ways younger learners cannot yet do consistently. Many of my own adult students ask questions between lessons. Partly because they have questions - and often children do not – but also because adults are pro-active. They search for clarity.
Strategic thinking and problem solving is incredibly valuable in piano learning. Far more quickly than a child, adults can often grasp:
rhythm patterns
chord structures
theory concepts
fingering logic
reading sheet music
In my opinion the real problem is not easily blamed on “age” - It’s direction
Many adults fail to progress not because they lack ability, but because they try to learn alone. The internet has created the illusion that piano can be mastered through random YouTube videos, apps, and shortcuts, but this often leads to gaps in knowledge, poor technique, inconsistent development, frustration, and eventually plateauing. Many self-taught learners unknowingly spend years reinforcing mistakes. Without structure and feedback, practice does not make perfect - it just makes permanent.
Ironically, children hold the advantage here, not because they learn faster, but because most receive regular lessons, structure, guidance, and correction. Just as an adult who practises consistently can progress faster than a child who does not, a child receiving expert feedback and structured instruction can progress faster than an adult who has neither.
The difference is not talent, or age. It’s protection against getting lost.
Practice can make perfect, but what if you become perfect at doing it badly?
One of the most misleading phrases in education is “Practice makes perfect.” It doesn’t. Practice makes permanent. If someone practises with:
poor hand position
misunderstanding of rhythm and theory
incorrect fingering
weak foundations
ineffective routines
They simply reinforce incomplete or incorrect habits.
The quality of practice matters far more than the quantity. An adult who understands “what to practice” and “how to practice” can achieve extraordinary progress.
The biggest barrier for adult learners is rarely ability. It is mindset. Many adults quietly carry the belief that they missed their chance. That musical proficiency belongs to prodigies or children who started aged six with a strict teacher and a metronome permanently attached to the grand piano. Like something from The Sound of Music.
Of those who do try, many assume they are lacking from the start, they worry progress is slow and that they should be “better by now.” Give an adult a proven pathway, expert feedback, encouragement and structure and often they’ll make remarkable progress in a surprisingly short time.
Final Thought
Adult beginners do have a secret advantage: They learn with intention. They made a choice.
When structure replaces confusion, when guidance replaces guesswork, and when consistent correction prevents bad habits, adults can progress rapidly, often far faster than they ever imagined possible.
The issue is not whether adults can learn piano.
The real question is:
What becomes possible when they finally learn the right way?
Carol Brotherston is a piano educator, entrepreneur and passionate advocate for lifelong learning. For more than 25 years she has helped adults discover that musical ability is not reserved for childhood prodigies. Through her Perfect Piano Academy and wider creative projects, she champions confidence, personal growth and the belief that it is never too late to start something new. A former founder of the Maidens of Music Festival and The Music Room, Carol's work sits at the intersection of music, wellbeing and transformation, helping people turn "one day" into Day One.