Can you learn to play the piano without a teacher/alone?

#piano #tip #teacher

[deaver]

I was forced to practice and take lessons and did not excel as a child learner(9 yrs total). now at nearly 50 yrs of age I have a year of practice and no teacher and can't believe how much I have exceeded my own expectations. Big difference.

[DanielLearnsPiano]

I understand that maybe not everyone can have a teacher for various reasons. But I really feel like they are missing out. When I started I binged on content about how best to start the piano and one overwhelming message was “get a teacher.” So after a couple of weeks with a Faber book I realised I was enjoying what I was doing and I searched for a teacher. It was the best decision I made.

In hindsight, I don’t remember what I was expecting at the time. But it certainly wasn’t what I got. What I got was advice on musicality, music history, practice techniques, performance advice. Basically, I got a lot of answers to things that I didn’t even know were questions. And I feel this is the absolute main reason why it’s important to have a teacher.

As you mention in the video, beginners don’t know what they are getting wrong until it’s pointed out. You can be playing all the right notes in the correct rhythm but your articulation can be completely wrong because you are playing a baroque piece which played in certain way. It’s not written in the score, it’s just knowledge you acquire. That happened to me. As well as countless other examples.

I feel like such a piano teacher evangelist. But seriously, if you can, get the teacher you can find.

[ViraDrama]

Thanks, I think it’s also depends on the experience with the teacher. I had a teacher that yawning while teaching me the piano lesson. So, I stopped taking the lesson after the end of that course. Now, I learn to play piano by myself. Watching your videos and many others on YouTube also helpful.😃🎼🎶🎵

[nicholashenleybeats]

I've only been playing for 11 months, but I never had a teacher. I wanted to play the Interstellar theme but at that point I was probably struggling with Chopsticks. But I ended up just pulling up the YouTube video and just started learning it. And come 6 months, I finished the piece. I know it's slow, but progress really feels rewarding, and especially when you can play it perfectly in the end. I never had any courses or apps or anything like that, I didn't even know anything about music theory, let alone reading sheets. I was learning it by watching the notes fall down onto the piano (Synthesia).

My main advice for anyone scrolling aimlessly through the comments, is find a piece you really like and just start. Maybe get a teacher, maybe don't, but just get started. There's no point sitting here and debating with yourself if you need a teacher or not or other shit. Just get started, if you like piano you slave your life away to it, if you don't you get your soul back.

[crystalmontalbano]

I have come to the conclusion that I have never had a good teacher (four bad ones). I am using Pam Wedgwood book Never Too Late to Learn Piano which is excellent. . It's a good tip to record yourself.

[ICoulntThinkofAUserNam]

It depends on your goals 100%, and a good teacher can figure that out and modify approach :) I play for fun, not to take an exam, so I don't want "mastery of a piece" being measured by "note-to-sound-transcription" - it leaves 0 room for creativity or exploration, and I'd rather be challenged there. If I can do "Moonlight Sonata" to a level that is very recognizable and sounds amazing, the only people who will care that there's an extra pause or rhythm is different are music teachers and people who play professionally. The same is true of things like cooking - where prof. chefs are adding all sorts of nuance to dishes that isn't discernible by most folks, so it isn't as appreciated

[sarabarbeau]

As an adult learner, I find it difficult to respond to teacher’s expectations. Yes, you learn from them but at the same time we don’t necessarily learn according to a specific curve. Adults have learning disabilities just as kids. The reason we stopped lessons when were kids are often the same as adults. I enjoy playing even if it is totally imperfect but I understand that it is annoying for a trained musician unfortunately . Lessons with a teacher reached a limit for me and I am glad for the online ressources because I am still improving.

[WorstSanta]

It’s nit only a teacher but rather a pair of a student and a teacher. If student is dedicated and teacher feels that his time is rewarded, that’s a totally different story. It’s not about being paid but about that feeling of success. Thanks for the great video, man!

[ltheh]

The answer without watching the video: yes, if you are that kind of person. When I was a kid there wasn't internet and I learned to play piano from a total simple elementary school music book (some of them were 2 handed!). But... because I didn't practice (for decades), of course I forgot it.

[vincentmaloney]

I'm 63 and I took the Piano Class 1 (for he beginners) at out local community college (I live in USA). It was a group class. Still, the teacher gave me good avice about my hands position, rhythm etc. Next semester I'm taking Piano Class 2. We use Alfred's Group Piano for Adults Student Book 1 (Second Edition). It has a disc (CD) with mp3 files which is very helpful.

[maggiesmusic]

Thank you for your channel, I like your channel very much. I'm a piano player and guitar player, down side is I've learned myself to play on hearing. So every song I do is on hearing. I bought myself piano adventures adult as well as John Thompson and I also have like the Alfred All in one method book so I combine these with assistance on you tube and so on. With popular songs, luckily for me I can hear when I play too fast or too long. I'm a new beginner with notes notation and music theory, and sight reading so I hope I will be ok without a teacher. Thank you for all your videos

[DivineSource]

In addition to not receiving immediate one-to-one feedback from an App, Apps also don't teach musicality, technique, tone, articulation, musicianship, applications of theory and the million & one other "pearls of wisdom" the teacher has gained over the sometimes decades of experience from years of teaching & training. You have to find the right teacher for you. One that you feel comfortable with and one that is willing to work with you to reach your musical goals. You can't build a house without a solid foundation.

[sallywfu]

The key is “good” teacher. I just had one who was really grumpy when I played wrong note

[siennayuan]

Thanks for the video. I know it's been a long time since you put this video out, can you make a follow-up video about how to get a teacher that suit you the best, especially for adults. Thank you.

[crystalmontalbano]

It never occurred to me that you could have lessons periodically as I always had weekly lessons when young, but when you are self teaching I think it could be a good idea if you can find a teacher willing to do that. I am not sure I would know how to find a suitable teacher though.

[sleepingsuga]

So, I'm a teenager and I started piano literally a month ago and my biggest thing was an app didn't give the same feedback a real person can and so I often turned to a friend who played piano for at least a few years, and that gave me a lot of feedback that I needed and because of my friends, I'm able to improve in a way an app can't teach me.

[aleksandersilva]

I'd rather looking for an experience teacher rather than study for long term the same piece alone without someone to support me. The results come up faster than you can imagine.

[guygatineau]

I was going to say something but you covered everything...damned!

[ying-ge]

my main problem is, i live in a quite small area so theres not any teachers here and the next bigger town is an hour away from mine, since i work in a full time job i dont really have the time to drive an hour to the teacher and then an hour back home every week O.O

[doonguitarlessons]

Hi, can you recommend a method book for piano? My major is Guitar and am looking for a book for minor.