Is it Difficult to Learn to Play The Piano?
In one respect, no, because all the keys are so conveniently placed side by side. In another respect, yes, because you need to be able to develop the skill of playing two independent parts at the same time, one with your right hand and one with your left.
If you've heard a tune somewhere, it's often easier to pick it out by ear on a piano than on another instrument, since all the notes are easy to find and you can find them with just one finger.
But, to play the piano properly you need more than one finger. You usually play the melody with your right hand and the accompaniment with your left, although it can be the opposite. Or, you play two voices, one with the left hand and one with the right. You can also play big chords, with four or even five notes per hand.
One of the great advantage of a piano is that, if the instrument is properly tuned, you'll never sound out of tune: you don't need to play the notes exactly the right place or make them sound right, as you do on a violin.
If you have lessons you will learn to read music. It's not really that hard. The trick is that when you are playing the piano you need to keep an eye on two staves at once.
Of course, there are fine pianists who can't read a note, but can hear a piece of music and can repeat it at once, by ear. And there have even been countless pieces 'written' on the piano by musicians who couldn't read a note either.
You can play without learning to read music. You can learn without a teacher. But there's no substitute for practice. And when you practice the piano everyone can hear you unless you mute the sound in any way: a piano is one of the loudest instruments. A piano produces more volume than most other instruments, and the sound travels thorough walls and floors to reach your neighbours and the other rooms in the house. How do you keep everyone happy?
And finally: listen to as much music as you can. One of good ways to learn to play is to watch other musicians at work. But the best way of all to learn is to play as often as you can, alone or with other, and practice hard.
