Are you toying with the idea of learning how to play the piano as an adult? Do it! Learning piano as an adult is often so much better than it was when you were a kid. You have the time, you have the headspace, and you know what a valuable skill it can be to enjoy a fulfilling hobby at home. There are loads of benefits to learning how to play as an adult!

A growing trend shows that people regret not having devoted themselves to their piano lessons with greater vigor, and they are now subjecting themselves to practicing scales. A BBC report from a year ago (October 2014) investigated why, and discovered that beyond music being a passion in general (and we know that it is), the percussive element of hitting 88 keys (or some percentage thereof) can be therapeutic. Moreover, playing any musical instrument rewires the brain, as it were, with increased connectivity and therefore sophistication. It’s not incidental – or inaccurate – that people say playing an instrument makes you smarter!

[bctt tweet=” Playing any musical instrument rewires the brain with increased connectivity and sophistication.”]

In fact, being an adult gives you several advantages when it comes time to learn to play.

Your mom’s not nagging

First and foremost is the fact that you are doing so on your own volition, and not because your parents or grandparents have insisted that you learn an instrument. When you choose your own path, you are more likely to find your passion in it.

You KNOW that practice makes perfect.

The odds are good that you have had experience with the effects of practice in the past, and you know that if you want to develop a skill truly, you need to practice. Even if you don’t aspire to Carnegie Hall, you still know that whatever practice, practice, practice you undertake will serve you well (a tidbit that many children don’t realize as they are burdened with practice sessions).

Your ear has earned the advantage of time

Finally, the fact that you want to learn to play as an adult suggests that you have a love of music, and the very fact that you have been listening to music your entire life puts you in an enviable position when it comes to learning the technicalities. That is, once you already have a feel for the music itself, learning which keys to depress is a matter of fulfilling what you already know, as compared to the child who starts from nothing.

Music education isn’t what it used to be!

The other advantage you have is the advancement of educational technology, which has harnessed gaming features that provide feedback in real time, and applies them to learning to play piano, so that the student is guided through the process note by note.

Check out Simply Piano, the latest app from Simply (formerly JoyTunes) to learn the piano basics step-by-step.

Read more:

• How to learn piano in 5 easy steps 

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While “Best Picture” might be the most well-known award in the Oscars, there have been some incredible award-winning songs throughout the years as well. Here is a collection of some of the most unforgettable pieces of music that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

1930s – “Over The Rainbow”

In 1939, the movie The Wizard of Oz came out and took the world by storm. Contained in the fantastic film were numerous hit songs, with “Over The Rainbow” standing out as the most popular. “Over The Rainbow”, sung by Judy Garland, is listed as the best movie song of all time by the American Film Institute in their 100 song list.

1940s- “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”

“Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”, composed by Allie Wrubel with lyrics by Ray Gilbert, came out in 1946 in the Disney movie Song of the South. It’s a cheerful tune that has remained popular in all age groups. Multiple artists have covered this song, including legend Johnny Mercer.

1950s – “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”

This hopeful song was introduced in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock film, The Man Who Knew Too Much. This song featured actress/singer Doris Day, and quickly became one of the songs she was most known for. “Que Sera, Sera” was written by songwriting duo Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

1960s -“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head“

“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1969. It was featured in the movie  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and was written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. This song was hugely popular when it first came out, and reached #1 on charts in the USA, Canada, and Norway.

1970s- “Theme from Shaft“

This song was written and sung by artist Isaac Hayes for the 1971 film Shaft.  This academy-award was significant because it made Hayes the first African-American to receive the Oscar for original songs. “Theme from Shaft” went on to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA.

1980s-“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” 

Written for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” was/still is an extremely popular song. It went on to win multiple awards besides the Oscar, including A Golden Globe and a Grammy. This song was written by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz, and recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warner.

1990s- “My Heart Will Go On“

Also known as “Love Theme from Titanic,” this award-winner was the theme song from James Cameron’s record-breaking movie. This song was performed by Celine Dion, and quickly became her signature piece. This smash-hit reached number 1 on charts all around the world, and became one of the best-selling in history.

2000s – Lose Yourself

“Lose Yourself”, written by Eminem for the 2002 movie 8 Mile, was the first rap song to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This was a massively popular song, and went on to win a Grammy and secure the #1 spot on Billboards Hot 100. The quintuple platinum song was also on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

2010s- Let It Go

Even though we’re only half-way through the Oscars of the 2010’s, “Let It Go” has surely sealed its reputation as one of the most well-known movie songs in the world. The 2013 Disney movie Frozen was the highest grossing animated film, which can be largely accredited to its soundtrack. Let It Go reached the top 5 in the Hot 100 Billboard chart, and was covered in multiple languages, making it one of the most globally recorded Disney songs.

Read more: 

• Piano accompaniment and how to master it
• 35 Beatles songs you probably didn’t know
• The 6 most famous female pianists

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My name is Ms. Becki, and I am a private music teacher.  I mostly teach piano, but also teach drums, guitar, and many other instruments.  I learned them because I have ADD but totally did not know it while growing up.  My husband and I have two kids who also suffer from ADD.  Between the ages of four to twelve, I had no idea what ADD/ADHD (no, I’m not going to talk about the differences between them—I’m not a doctor. Focus!) looked like in my son. He is bright, artistic, good with his hands, and has no difficulty with authority. However, he cannot remember to put on two socks when we leave the house, and his grades are hit or miss—and mostly miss because he can never remember to put his name on his papers.  Fast forward to today: after he was diagnosed and began treatment, his overall concentration showed much improvement.

As an educator, you’d think that I would have recognized the symptoms earlier.  ADHD 1 and 2 look different on everyone. Since music lessons are great for ADHD kids, I want to share with you some of the recommended music apps (and one company in particular) I used with my own son. See: an ad. I’m sorry!

Keezy Drummer

I love Keezy Drummer because it teaches rhythm.  It’s a creative yet concrete way to teach your musician the structure and fractions of rhythm. It will also help with math and algebra, but don’t tell the kids that! I also a way

SoundBrenner Pulse

I’ve just ordered the SoundBrenner Pulse; it’s an app that physically taps you. If you have a serious musician in the house, this will really help them “feel” time.  My son is super excited to get it; I, sadly, don’t need it because I slept with a metronome under my pillow for years to learn tempos. This, however, would have been much better. Technology for the win! 

Piano Maestro 

Piano Maestro is an app that, quite simply, teaches piano skills and is a real game changer for teachers, but also this company’s really amazing to its parent- and student-users. You create a login and begin to play: no cables, no setup, no hassle.  Put your iPad on the piano or keyboard and, when you see the highlighted key on the iPad, press the corresponding key on your instrument to play the song.  

When it’s over you get your results. Three stars? Whoot, you mastered it!  For the ADHD crowd, it’s great to receive that feedback. The songs are short and the library is full of current top-forty pop hits; in other words, songs that every kid wants to learn. The app also has video game and movie themes.

You’ll have a hard time stopping your child from playing this app, but why would you want to anyway if they’re having such a good time and learning so much? 

Another great aspect of this company: if you need a teacher who’s trained in music technology, they will help you find one in your area.  Yup. They certify thousands of teachers who are ready and able to help make the musical journey a great experience for your child. It kind of makes you want to learn to play too, doesn’t it? If so, check out Simply Piano, also by JoyTunes. 

As you can tell, I get super excited about teaching—you might even say I get jump-up-and-down, can barely be contained excited when I find apps that really connect with my kids. 

The combination of music and an ADHD musician is the most wonderful way to bring new music into the world.  An ADHD musician’s creativity and energy is amazing to see and experience.  Give your kids the tools to be all they can be!    

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Are you curious about what is the most expensive piano ever? Here is the list of the most expensive pianos in the world in 2022.

If you are in the market for a new piano, you know that a good-quality piano doesn’t come cheap. Just for an upright, you can easily pay $3,000 for a low-end upright, and some high-end uprights can cost as much as $25,000. Grand pianos are some of the most expensive keys you can buy for as much as $190,000. 

But the most expensive pianos in the world make even grand pianos look cheap by comparison. 

Let’s look at the pianos with a top-dollar value worldwide and see what factors make them valuable.

Which aspects give a piano value?

Pianos happen to be more expensive than many other instruments on the market. Many of the materials are high quality and can take up to nine months to build pianos. Here are some of the reasons that some pianos cost more.

High-quality materials

Expensive pianos are built with high-quality, exotic wood types. They may incorporate birch, maple, fir, mahogany, ebony, or spruce. These wood types allow the soundboard to resonate. Some pianos may incorporate ivory keys, wood inlays, or precious metals.

The brand

Just like shoes, clothes, and cars, the brand name may influence the cost of a piano. Some brands have made a name for themselves by building quality pianos that satisfy customers and make their way into stage performances. Some of the most expensive brands are Bechstein, Bluthner, Steinway & Sons, Stuart & Sons, Bösendorfer, and Baldwin, among others. 

Brands such as Yamaha and Kawai may not belong in the “luxury piano” category. Still, these brands can deliver a durable, good-quality piano. Many pianists are willing to invest in a piano with a solid brand name rather than choosing a cheaper, unknown brand.

Skilled engineers

The more time and effort put into a piano, the more it can cost. More expensive pianos are usually carefully built by qualified engineers. With all the intricate pieces in a piano, it is essential to have skilled workers on the job. A poorly constructed piano can affect its durability and sound quality. 

A brush with fame

Pianos also may cost more depending on their history. Some of the most expensive pianos in the world may look rough on the outside. However, if they may have been involved in a well-loved film or owned by a famous musician. In this case, the piano’s brush with fame adds intrinsic value.

Let’s look at some of the most expensive pianos in the world.

The top 5 most expensive pianos.

While any piano can be expensive, the pianos on this list take the price tag to the extreme. Look at the most costly pianos ever sold and find out what makes them valuable.

1. Casablanca “As Time Goes By” Piano

$3.4 Million

The upright piano featured in the 1943 film, Casablanca, became the most expensive piano ever sold. This piano takes the stage in many well-loved scenes in the film. Sam sings the song “As Time Goes By” at this piano, which is the love song of Humphrey Bogart’s and Ingrid Bergman’s characters. This song is a classic next to Humphrey Bogart’s unforgettable line: “Here’s looking at you, Kid.” The piano is present in a few key scenes and is a symbolic part of the film. 

Dr. Milan owned the famous piano for years before selling it at Bonham’s auction house to an anonymous buyer. The price tag included a photograph signed by Humphrey Bogart and the chewing gum stuck under the keyboard (possibly from one of the actors in the film). This upright, wooden piano is decorated with intricate designs and has only 58 keys. 

The sound quality of this famous piano remains a mystery since nobody played it in the film. Instead, a pianist off-stage played the song while the characters acted out their parts.

2. The Heintzman Crystal Piano 

3.22 Million

The Heintzman Crystal Piano gets second place among the most expensive pianos in the world. While most crystal pianos are made from acrylic, the rumor is that this piano was crafted entirely from crystal. Its transparent case is stunning to view and shows off the inner workings of the keys. The Japanese pianist Lang Lang played the Yellow River Cantata on this piano in the opening ceremony of the Bejing Olympics in 2008.

Since this piano is too fragile for regular use, it was retired after this one use. It sold for 3.22 million at auction.

3. Steinway & Sons “Pictures at an Exhibition”

$2.5 million

The Pictures at an Exhibition piano references a musical piece written in 1874 by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. Paul Wyse painted this Model D Steinway in intricate detail. Looking closely, you can see a portrait of Mussorgsky amongst cuckoo clocks and Russian scenery. 

So far, no one seems to have put down the cash to bring this fantastic work of art home. For now, it is waiting in Steinway’s vault until the perfect buyer comes along. For the tune of 2.5 million dollars, you could own the most expensive Steinway piano and the third most expensive piano in the world.

4. Steinway & Sons Fibonacci 

$2.4 million 

Steinway seems to have several pianos on the top 5 most valuable pianos. This Fibonacci piano was built to honor the making of Steinway’s 600,000th piano. It took over four years and 6,000 hours to make it right. 

This limited edition piano was built by Frank Pollaro using Fibonacci’s “Golden Ratio” as inspiration. The wood veneer is placed by hand to look like a three-dimensional spiral design. The long hours put into this piece and the expensive wood pieces are reflected in its $2.4 million price tag.

5. John Lennon’s Steinway & Sons Model Z

$2.37 million

John Lennon bought this simple-looking Steinway Model Z piano in 1970. The wooden piano only cost him £1,000 at the time. However, this piano only appreciated in value. In 2000, George Michael outbid Robbie Williams and other musicians to buy this piano for a stunning $2.37 million. Not only was this piano played by a master musician, but John Lennon also used these unassuming keys to write his classic song Imagine and other singles. It is even autographed with a cigarette burn mark from the Beatle’s musician. 

The famous Model Z piano returned to the Strawberry Field exhibition in honor of John Lennon’s 80th birthday in 2020.

While owning one of the most expensive pianos in the world might not be a realistic goal for everyone, the world of music is open to a variety of budgets. If you are interested in playing an instrument but don’t have thousands of dollars, you can Learn to Love Playing Music for Less. 

Instruments like recorders, tambourines, xylophones, and keyboards are more affordable for the average household.  Even John Lennon’s piano was a relatively cheap instrument when he bought it. However, the touch of a master pianist and musical artist gave a regular piano its high-dollar value.

Whether you bring home a piano that is fit for a king’s palace or find a more budget-friendly option, anyone can learn to play music. 

On the other hand, save time and resources with the Simply Piano app that teaches you piano in 5 minutes a day.

FAQs.

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