When seeking to improve your physical, emotional or mental health, learning to play piano may not seem the obvious choice, however having taught piano to thousands of older adults / senior citizens across the globe, I can safely say that - in addition to learning a new skill – our students are enjoying enhanced mental and physical wellbeing, and even making new friends!  

My name is Declan Cosgrove and I’d like to share, what I’ve witnessed, show how anyone can benefit from learning to play piano and show how traditional barriers, such as age, lack of time, cost and 'not being musical' are no longer impediments to learning piano.

Health Benefits of Playing Piano

Many of our students were moved to take up piano as an older adult, following a significant health issue, such as cancer, stroke, heart and lung transplants etc....

Often when we have a life threatening illness, we reassess our priorities in life and for many students, they had an unfulfilled life long desire to play piano, which they now want to satisfy. For others, it is to cheer themselves up and improve their mental and emotional wellbeing, after a cancer diagnosis. 

The benefits our students have experienced by learning piano include:-

1. improved confidence
2. a sense of purpose and achievement 
3. social contact and new friends
4. achieving a lifetime dream to play piano
5. reduced symptoms of arthritis
6. relaxation
7. fun and lifting of spirits
8. reduced feelings of depression
9. brain training / improved focus and alertness 
10. create deep connections with others through music
11. opportunity to express creativity and emotions
12. distraction from physical pain
13. improved dexterity of hands / arms

Unique Piano Tuition Method (DecPlay)

Here's a quick note about the unique piano tuition method we use that removes the traditional barriers that have previously prevented people from succeeding at learning to play the piano.  

The DecPlay method is so unique, it has been awarded a patent and has been featured several times on international TV and radio, including the BBC.

At DecPlay, we teach piano to older adults / Senior Citizens via an online course using a ground breaking system of numbers and patterns.  I developed, and revised this system over many years to create an incredibly intuitive and simple method, in order to make the joys of piano accessible to everyone.  

Why Many People Fail to Learn Piano By Traditional Methods

Many people give up on the piano after finding traditional lessons a bit of a grind, or after struggling to learn the abstract language of notation (the dots on lines which is the traditional way of writing out music).  Frustrated that so many people were missing out, I made it my goal to come up with a system that would make it as easy as possible for anyone to learn.  

After spending 12 years in formal training myself, and having spent over 40 years exploring different styles of music (popular, blues, jazz, playing by ear, improvisation etc…) I took the most effective techniques from all I’d learnt and distilled them into the DecPlay method.  DecPlay reveals the simple patterns inherent in popular music and replaces traditional notation with a more intuitive way of setting out music.  This demystifies the way music is constructed and presents it in a way anyone can understand, within minutes. 

How the DecPlay Piano Method Works

This intuitive 'patterns' based approach of the DecPlay method not only makes music more accessible, it also facilitates incredibly rapid progress. Understanding the patterns minimises the amount of information your brain needs to retain in order to play a piece of music and, as a result, beginners can advance their skills rapidly.  An additional benefit of DecPlay is that players of all levels can play from the same song sheet so students don’t need to access multiple versions of the same song as they progress. 

The DecPlay method also allows flexibility in how the accompaniment is played, and which fingers are used.  This makes it much easier for people with limited hand movement to play piano, lending itself particularly well to Senior Citizens.  By using numbers instead of letters, the distance between piano keys is instantly clearer, making it much easier for players to follow the instructions on the song sheets.

Learning Piano aged 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s

Many of our students are in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s and some of their challenges include dyslexia, low sight, arthritis, low hearing and muscular atrophy.  The simplicity of the DecPlay method suits people with these challenges very well, and leads to remarkable results.  Many students are playing music for the first time in their lives, and are confident enough to play in public within weeks of starting to learn.  For example, Jean (aged 91) had been unable to play piano after a stroke, and was struggling to re-learn using traditional methods. Within one week of joining the DecPlay course, she was able to play several songs, and has even given inspirational talks to the other students.  

Support From The Piano Community

The level of support our students provide for each other is heart-warming.  They interact with, and support, each other via the Student Facebook Group and fortnightly Zoom Q&A sessions.  In fact, some tell me that the Facebook group feels like a second family and, indeed, for those who have lost partners or missed out on visits from friends and family during the pandemic, it has proved to be a lifeline.  As one Senior student put it “Being part of this group has been inspirational for me.  Everyone supports everyone else, which is wonderful.”  The braver among them upload videos of themselves playing as a way of sharing their progress and encouraging the others.  While this doesn’t come naturally to some, once they take the leap, there is generally no looking back!  

This sense of belonging and achievement appears to have bolstered the mental wellbeing of many. One student told us “It has been great for mental health and getting a little more life back” – a statement which is backed up by research which shows that making music can lessen depression and anxiety: https://www.livescience.com/40597-playing-musical-instrument-good-health.html.  

Piano and Arthritis

Pam who has suffered from arthritis for years, explains how using the DecPlay Piano method, she was able to ease the symptoms of arthritis significantly, to the point where she no longer needed to take anti inflammatories. Over time, her dexterity and the span of her hand increased noticeably too. For a more detailed article and video interview with Pam, go to Learning Piano With Arthritis  

Cognitive and Dexterity Benefits of Playing Piano 

It appears it’s not only mental wellbeing that is enhanced.  According to this article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6368928/) there is evidence that learning to play the piano affects neural pathways, creating what the authors term “positive outcomes” for auditory & cognitive functioning, and for dexterity.  According to the article, osteoarthritis sufferers who practise regularly on an electronic keyboard experience a decrease in arthritic pain and an increase in strength in their fingers – a benefit which carries on into other aspects of their lives.  One of our students, a long-time arthritis sufferer, told me recently that after a few months of playing regularly she no longer experiences pain in her fingers, and finds she no longer needs her pain relief gel.  Another student commented “the piano has been a great way to stretch my hand and get movement back.”  In this article from the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/27/nyregion/for-arthritis-victim-piano-is-treatment.html) a doctor overseeing a patient’s arthritis as she plays piano, notes “I think it has helped her hands … it maintains strength and range of motion in the joints.”  What a great way to give your fingers the workout they may need!

You Are Never Too Old to Learn Piano

In conclusion - I always believed that you are never too old to learn piano, but I never anticipated it would actually help relieve pain, or enhance their general sense of wellness to such an extent.  As another of our Seniors says, “I've achieved my childhood dream in my 80s - I love it!”

It seems it’s never too late to try something new and reap the rewards…….

Declan Cosgrove

Founder of www.decplay.com