"Can I Really Learn to Play the Piano?"
Yes, You Can!

by Amy Manderino

In the thirteen years that I've been teaching piano, people often ask me, "Do you really think I can learn to play the piano?" I'm always a bit amused by this question. It's like asking someone, "Do you really think I could build a birdhouse?" cook a cassarole?" or...you fill in the blank. It seems that many people believe you must have some special inborn gift or talent to play music or you might as well not even try. What a shame. Music is a language and each one of us has already shown the skill to become fluent in a language by learning to speak in our native tongue. To communicate clearly requires an understanding of our alphabet, vocabulary words, phrasing, punctuation and narrative structure...the very same elements that go into creating music. The "alphabet" of music is the twelve tones of the Western music system. The "vocabulary" is the scales and chords which are then used to build phrases (separated by rests) which, when strung together, create beautiful stories in sound.

The belief that musical proficiency is pre-ordained for the lucky few is absurd when you consider that music is the universal language which can reach across continents and touch people's hearts with understanding, regardless of nationality. During my travels in as varied places as Brazil, Tunisia and India I have been amazed at how much I can say to the people I meet through exchanging our music without uttering a word. Cultural barriers melt and there is instant understanding and recognition as strangers become friends. Music, one of the common denominators to being human across cultures, truly is for everyone.

It's easy to bring music into your life! A good instructor can take you through the steps of learning the fundamentals of music theory, ear training, improvisation and technique. Method books can be helpful, but remember when you tried to learn Spanish or French in high school from a book? How much of it do you remember? Probably only a few words. One-on-one lessons with a teacher can help you to listen to the language (through their example) and then carefully guide you step-by-step to "speaking" on your own. Before you know it, you'll be telling your own stories and touching other people's hearts with your song. Isn't it time you let the music inside you come out and play?