Some people can be quite weird when you tell them that you have started learning to play the piano. Some people might rudely scoff or find all sorts of reasons why you won’t be able to learn to play the piano. There are also some people that expect you to be able to play anything that they care to name. I certainly remember as a kid, various acquaintances or friends of my parents would start to request that I play certain tunes, when clearly I was only a piano student. Some of the music that they requested, I had never even heard of before, let alone knowing how to play it!
If you are just starting out learning to play the piano, or have re-started learning to play the piano again after many years of not playing, don’t allow yourself to either be discouraged by others comments, or feel inadequate about not being able to play requested songs.
First of all, if someone is doubting whether you can learn to play the piano, just remember that their comments are a reflection about how they feel incapable to learn to play the piano, or any other instrument. It has actually got nothing to do as to how capable you are.
If you have someone making requests for you to play specific pieces of music, unless you happen to know what they are asking for, then you could give them a number of different responses. You could explain that you are only learning right now and are not ready to give concerts just yet. If you feel comfortable, you could offer to play them something that you have already learned. You need to do what you are most comfortable.
What you are not to let happen, is for you to listen to anyone who is not encouraging and supportive. You are also not allowed to let people just demand you play for them. Some of you will relish these moments and happily play the piano for others. Some of you will not enjoy playing for others and would much prefer just playing the piano for your own enjoyment. If I wasn’t a piano teacher, I would have probably never played for anyone at all. I would have stuck to just playing the piano for my own pleasure.
While a lot of people can be encouraging, there are those that are not encouraging and there are those that are completely clueless about how much goes into learning to play the piano and will ask too much of you. Don’t let their expectations have a negative impact on you.