Am I too old to learn blues piano?

Did you learn piano when you were younger? Do you wish you had kept it up? You’re not alone. One of the most common questions I hear is, “Am I too old to learn blues piano?”

The simple answer is no. And if you need more convincing, here are a few reasons to dust off that keyboard and start playing blues today.

Piano blues is not hard to learn 

Unlike learning to play classical piano, blues music is easier to learn and doesn’t require you to be an expert in reading music. Although there are some very advanced methods of playing blues and boogie woogie piano, this style of music is great in that even the beginner foundation level sounds amazing.

As well as my piano blues video course, I also provide one to one tuition to local residence. Within the first lesson I will have someone playing a few nice blues licks, and they always walk away with a huge smile on their face. Why? Because it only took 30 minutes to learn how to play something on the piano that they never thought possible.

What I love about the piano is that it’s a much easier instrument to pick up and learn quickly than any other. The layout of a piano or keyboard is much more logical than any other instrument, and finding the notes, playing chords, and understanding the blues scale doesn’t take very long

The 12 bar blues is simple 

You may have heard of the 12 bar blues and always wondered what it meant. Essentially, this is the main structure used in blues music, and it’s a chord progression that remains very consistent and repetitive. When comparing this three-chord structure with classical, you can see very quickly that it’s far simpler and doesn’t take a very long time to understand.

My piano blues video course will show you how to play the 12 bar blues, and once you see how it works you will be very shocked at its simplicity. Again, what I love about blues music is its straight forward no-nonsense approach, and the perfect style to learn for anyone who doesn’t want to spend hours playing scales just to play one song.

Improvisation is not what it seems 

Improvisation can feel like the holy grail of music. But it’s not as hard as it seems. Once you understand it, you’ll see that anyone can learn.

You don’t need natural talent to play or improvise blues piano. Like any skill, it can be learned. The key is to understand what improvisation really means.

In short, improvising is not “making it up on the spot.” It’s more structured than you might think. Imagine learning a blues lick in your right hand and memorising it. Then you learn another, and then another. Over time, you build a library of ideas you can play anytime.

After a while, you realise you have many patterns ready to use. At that point, you’re already close to improvising.

Put simply, improvisation is about using what you already know in a musical way. You choose ideas that fit the rhythm, key, and tempo. You’re not inventing from nothing. You’re using phrases you’ve played many times before.

My piano blues course will show you how to improvise and create your own music. Keep an open mind, and you’ll be well on your way.

Kids are not smarter than you 

A huge misconception when it comes to learning piano is how much of a difference age makes. A child cannot learn any faster or slower than you just because they are young, and when you think about it, how does that even make sense anyway?

The reason why a child appears to learn much faster is that they are much more focused on the task at hand, and find it easier to absorb information because they have no other distractions – like paying the mortgage, redecorating the living room, and other stressful things that life throws at us.

Most adults I teach piano don’t practice as much as they should or could, because they are often distracted with what’s going on around them, and of course lead very busy lives. A child on the other hand will spend hours and hours at a keyboard of piano playing the same thing over and over again, because they haven’t been spending the last 30 years listening to BB King, Ray Charles, or the Beatles – and don’t have to do a 12 hour shift tomorrow.

Remember, you are not stupid and have more than enough brain cells to learn to play the piano, especially when the blues doesn’t require a huge amount of understanding of musical theory. The same four beats per bar, and the same three chords is simple and yet very effective.

It won’t cost an arm and a leg 

Learning to play piano blues does not cost as much as you think, and my video course is extremely affordable and offers great value. For just the cost of one piano lesson, you have access to a huge amount of content ranging from videos, sheet music and handy notes.

When it comes to buying either a piano or keyboard, you don’t have to spend thousands or even hundreds of pounds. A keyboard is more than enough to get you started, and you can spend less than a hundred pounds for one with a quality piano sound – and you’ll get loads of other sounds too which are fun, like organs, strings, electric pianos, and so on.

A digital piano can cost anything from around £250 up, and that will give you the full weighted 88 keys, a sustain pedal – and a great sound! Of course, if you want to spend more you certainly can, and the quality of the keys and the sound will also rise with the cost. But spending much more than a few hundred pounds isn’t usually something I recommend when starting from scratch, as you don’t really need it.

You don’t need one to one tuition 

It can be hard to find a piano teacher who teaches blues or boogie woogie. Weekly lessons can also be difficult to fit into a busy schedule. You could try a tutorial book, but that’s often one of the hardest ways to learn. You have to guess if you’re playing things correctly.

A better option for many people is online video lessons. They are convenient and easy to access from home. You can watch them anywhere in the world. If you travel, you can take a keyboard and keep learning.

My videos cover a wide range of blues topics. These include scales, rhythm, licks, and left-hand bass lines. I also provide sheet music if you want to read or improve your skills. But it’s not required. You can learn everything you need just by watching the videos.

Final thoughts…

If you have the desire to learn how to play piano blues and boogie woogie and have watched and admired people like Jools Holland and Little Richard for many years – then what’s stopping you from learning? My online tutorial video course is a low cost and convenient way of getting started right now, and there’s no pressure to attend weekly lessons. You can practice whenever you want!

One of the main reasons why most people don’t take the plunge is because they are afraid they won’t be able to play. But I have never come across anyone that I’ve taught that couldn’t sit and play some blues piano within a few lessons. You can go at your own pace with no pressure whatsoever. If you don’t feel like watching a video and playing because you’ve had a long day at work – then don’t bother! Completely at your convenience.

You can choose when to play and what to learn. Do you want to skip practicing the blues scale today and play some Ray Charles instead? Then why not! The choice is yours.

If you want more information about me and my course, don’t hesitate to email me directly at – [email protected]

Martin 🙂