Life Lessons from Learning Piano

Wala pang isang taon mula nung unang beses akong nag-decide to learn piano, which is one of the best decisions I've made in life.

But more than learning the instrument, I'm also learning about life and myself.

Eto yung mga reflections ko so far (as of 01/31/2026):

1. Kung sa piano may white and black keys, sa buhay may light and darkness.

Parehas silang part of the whole. Bawat isang key ay may unique na tunog, kaya lahat sila ay importante. Makakatugtog ka naman gamit yung puro white keys lang. Pero yung mga black keys — sharp (mataas na note) at flat (mababang note) — sila yung nagdadagdag ng kulay sa tunog, ng emotion sa music.

Parang sila yung up and down moments na nagbibigay kulay sa 'ting buhay. Kung wala sila, boring. Hindi tayo makakaranas ng iba't-ibang emotions, na precious gift from our human experience.

2. There are no wrong notes.

Sa music theory, may tinatawag na "scale," o yung group of notes depende sa key na gagamitin mo. Example, sa key of C major, ang scale nun is C-D-E-F-G-A-B. So, in theory, wrong note pag gumamit ka ng C sharp (C#) sa key of C kasi wala siya sa scale, 'di ba? Pero in reality, may mga parts ng kanta na sadyang ginagamitan ng "wrong note" kasi — balik tayo sa number 1 — eto yung nagbibigay ng kulay sa kabuuang tunog. Pag nagamit nang tama, mas gumaganda sa pandinig yung tugtog.

Gusto mo ng sample? Sige, pero 'wag muna ako kasi baka puro wrong notes matugtog ko. Eto, pa-sample tayo kay lodi Victor Wooten:

Sabi nga sa jazz music, there are no wrong notes. It's a matter of how we play them.

Ganun rin sa tugtog ng buhay, there are no wrong moments or wrong experiences. Nasa atin yun kung paano natin sila ii-interpret. If those experiences made you a better person, maituturing mo pa ba silang "wrong"?

3. Learning a good technique is easier than unlearning a bad one.

As a beginner sa piano, napakaimportante na matutunan yung mga good playing techniques. Kasi pag bad technique yung natutunan mo, mas mahirap siyang i-correct later on.

Napag-isip-isip ko, kung mahirap sa piano, what more yung mga deeply ingrained negative belief system na natutunan natin mula pa pagkabata?

Pwede kang ma-injury from bad technique. Similarly, yung mga pain at suffering na nae-experience natin ay nanggagaling sa mga negative beliefs na pinanghahawakan natin.

The good news is malleable ang utak natin — yung tinatawag na neuroplasticity, or yung ability natin to adapt, to change, to learn something new.

It will always be hard at first, but so much worth it at last.

4. Be a patient student.

Maraming skills at techniques ang need matutunan sa piano, being both a percussion and string instrument. Nakatulong sa 'kin na marunong na akong mag-gitara (string) at mag-drums (percussion) kaya familiar na ako sa music concepts like chords and rhythm. Pero, grabe man uy, ang dami pa rin palang need aralin sa piano. Not to mention yung sight-reading skill—pagbabasa ng music sheet habang tumutugtog—na essential rin to be a complete piano player.

Kaya need ng mahaba at maraming baon na pasensya. Pasensya sa panahong igugugol mo para matutunan ng katawan mo yung mechanics of playing. At pasensya sa sarili kasi paniguradong maraming beses ka munang magkakamali bago ka makatugtog nang maayos at maganda sa pandinig.

Ganun rin sa buhay natin sa mundo, which is a school for our soul. Kaya mas gusto kong bigyan ng emphasis yung pasensya sa sarili bilang student of life.

Ang totoo eh, tulad ng itinuturo sa 'tin ng A Course In Miracles, eto nga lang ang need nating matutunan: ang pagpapatawad sa sarili.

Just as making mistakes in piano doesn't make someone a "bad" player, making mistakes in life doesn't make someone a "bad" person.

Dun nga tayo natututo eh, sa mga mistakes. Dun tayo nagiging mas better version of ourselves.

5. Play and enjoy, relax and have fun.

Take it sloooooow. Yan ang famous advice sa mga nag-aaral tumugtog ng piano. Kung katulad ko na hobbyist at wala namang naka-schedule na solo piano concert, aba'y relaaaax—which, by the way, is another key to playing effortlessly good.

We learn to "play" the instrument. And to play, we have to unlearn yung mga bagay that cause stress and tension in us. Usually, tayo yung cause na yun — in the way we approach everything, mapa-piano or mapa-anuman sa buhay.

So, how do we approach it? With judgment of a rightful person, na bawal magkamali? Or with curiosity of an innocent child, na exploring and discovering while having fun?

Yung sagot, na-rereveal sa akin in learning piano. Nalalaman natin yung sagot in everything we do. Because how we approach one thing is how we approach everything.

Siguro nga, learning something new is not really about learning that thing.

Siguro yung talagang natututunan natin is how to be that innocent child again.

Sabi nga ni bestie Jon Batiste, "It's like an introduction to who you are as you learn more."

At dyan napuputol ang sulat na 'to. Pero hindi dito natatapos ang mga lessons, kasi there's more...

More to learn. More to play. More to enjoy.

In the meantime, relax and have fun!

[This article is updated regularly with new lesson/s added along my piano learning journey]

PS: Ikaw ba, may bago kang inaaral sa buhay? Anong isang life lesson ang natututunan mo from it? Let me know in the comments.

Thank you!