Hey all, I’m trying really hard to get better at playing the piano, but it has always been difficult for me. I end up relying way too much on my ear and muscle memory, which gets me fairly far, but then I get lost in my own thoughts and have no idea where I am / how to recover if I make a mistake. It feels like the better I get at playing something, the more susceptible I am to completely biffing it because I got there by relying on my crutches instead of actually processing it the way (I think?) it’s supposed to be learned, if that makes sense. I can read music and all that, but between the attention span and the hand eye coordination issues, I start to glaze over the actual notes on the page. Any good pianists with ADHD? Any tips? I know slow and steady is the main thing, but the glazing over makes that so hard to manage. Maybe I just need to accept that this will always be difficult for me, but I would love to hear others’ perspectives. (Also this community seems pretty dead, so if there are any more active non-meme ADHD communities that Beehaw federates with, please point me in the right direction!)
i have no advice about learning music but as far as reading things on paper/white backgrounds, it night be worth trying to change the colors of the sheet music or somehow add visual stimulation, maybe using some kind of app.
My Dad is undiagnosed, but we’re pretty sure. Once he got out of the initial beginners rut piano became easier for him. He also had a piano teacher twice a week then too. He has his favorite composers and his sheet music has to match his level. Also, like gardening, he says being stubborn (aka sticking with it) is the key. Sounds like you’re doing your best and are on the right track!
