I'm here after the rollercoaster that was a first term of piano lessons. I am still a little emotionally shellshocked to have a piano in my home and to have the release that comes from playing. I gave up the piano aged 15 following a house move, new teacher and a monumental row that followed the ultimatum that I had to sit an exam so that I had something on paper to show for the previous three years of lessons (with my beloved previous teacher). Needless to say I refused to sit the exam and I hadn't once touched a key till April this year.

But that's all in the past and here I am dabbling with Grieg's Lyric Pieces, and tripping up all over the Bach Sinfonia's.

My hands are clumsy and heavy, my wrists ache, I have lost any chance of peddaling! But still I'm here and starting out anew. It's terrifying, I can't play to my teacher openly yet...music turns into a bunch of dots on the page and I just can't dare to let him hear me 'play'. It's so stupid, to me music is about 'music' and emotion but I turn into a robot when I walk into the teaching room! I'm hoping I can warm up soon and dare to 'let' myself out as it can't be any fun for him either hearing dry notes!

I'm hoping to be able to contribute usefully here, but I am really just nervously dipping my toe in the water I have three very young children and three years before I will be going back to work...so maybe I can make some progress in that time and post something useful in the end.

Thanks for reading.

Hi,

You'll love playing again I'm sure, especially when you relax and start to enjoy it don't worry about playing to your teacher it will come, there are plenty of threads on here about nervous adults, but persevere and it will get much easier. We've all taught adults who go to pieces the moment they get through the door but honestly you can still tell what has improved from the previous week and I'm sure it's nowhere near as bad as you think it is and I'm sure you can tell the improvement when you play at home.

As for posting on the forum - I don't think I've posted anything useful yet, so welcome and enjoy.

Welcome to the forums. You'll find loads of good things and lots of support here. Take some time to learn the searching and sorting functions and you'll find loads of interesting stuff.

Thankyou both for your kind words.

PianissoMole, thanks for your tip to browse around first, I have been astonished by the depth and detail of some of the posts I've come across in the archives today, as someone new to forums in general I am amazed by the generosity of time people have displayed when posting answers.

And Digby, it's good to know piano teachers have a special 6th sense for detecting improvements!

As my teacher has pointed out on several occasions, not least to the audience when it comes to the end of year recital, I am a pupil not a professional. I'm sure your teacher does not expect a performance every time you turn up for your lesson; it's work in progress. Try to be patient and come to your lesson well-prepared, even if it's only a small bit with solid notes at a slow, even tempo. His job is to guide you to the techniques that will eventually enable to to express your own musicality. It takes time too, especially as an adult, to learn to trust yourself and your teacher, to learn to let go a bit and take a risk. It'll all come together, (well, now and again) !!

Welcome to the forums - it was lovely to read your post - not dissimilar to my story - I stopped playing at the age of 11 (having literally scraped through grade 3) and didn't touch a piano again until my eldest started to learn -some 26 years or so later. In those 1st years I had to take my youngest to piano lessons - she was about 3 & sat on the floor colouring in pictures during my lesson.
I know very well about not being able to play in lessons - it has taken years to be able to play in a lesson without my hands shaking -under stress it still happens though. I took grades 5, 6 & then 8 in March 2008. And I'm now doing some teaching & very much enjoying it.
Just a warning that 1 thing often leads to another - I started playing the flute in 2004 and now have grade 8 in that too....