FIRST POST - Hello to EVERYONE

[rvPianist]

Hello pianists and piano-players!   Want to thank every person who has contributed to this forum with their advice, insight, humour, and of course, their questions. I've spent nearly 2 months wandering through the myriad posts here, and found lots of useful information, motivation, and sometimes (usually) cause for envy!   I dearly love the company of others who share the same passions (who doesn't want that)...and it's hard to find like-minded ppl waaay Down Under...hint hint...I hope I can get lots of correspondence from all!
                                         
Let me introduce myself. I have roughly 4 years of solid piano experience, interspersed in about 6 years (time away from piano for various reasons).
Throughout the 4 years, I've had few lessons (about 15-20) but found these to be nerve-racking because of less-than-personable teachers. I guess my bad experience with 'reputed' teachers have left me very anxious about ever attending another piano lesson, so I've been 'on my own' for a long time, so to speak. My technical abilities aren't too bad, considering the above scenario; my earliest "difficult" piece was after 2 years - Kreisleriana by Schumann (Just No 1, not the whole work!  ). I suppose it's my bad habit to tackle 'heavy-duty' works - but, my heart lies in Romanticism. Thus, I've ignored much Classical and Baroque. My  Bach extends to about 2 or 3 preludes from WTC 1.  
                                         
Without a teacher, progess has been slow and difficult, and I've been teetering on discouragement for a long time. I've wanted to enter college/university, but that's a long story. Fear of auditioning?  
                                         
So...some of the pieces I am practising, or have PLAYED, include Chopin: Etudes Op 10-1,2,4,5,12, some Preludes (biggest thrill is the bb minor, #16), Rachmaninov: Preludes c# minor, Op 23-5,6, Liszt: Un Sospiro, some Debussy (Pour Le Piano - Prelude, Claire de Lune), Chopin: various Nocturnes, Schubert: 2  impromptus, Saint-Saens: g minor concerto...uuhmmm...
                                         
etc etc...can't think of others right now...most of these I studied/studying on my own...
                                         
I love to play...want to play everything. There are many others here who feel this way, I'm sure. I hope to hear from many ppl...nothing thrills more, than ppl sharing their passions and motivating one another...
What's stopping me from getting a teacher?  

[shatteringpulse]

I never played the Baroque and no classical, unless of course you consider Beethoven classical--but he's more at the intersection of Classicism and Romanticism.

Of course, everyone wants to play the romantics--and why shouldn't they!!!

[DAwud7]

HEllo Also too everyone i am new too this site and also too the piano in general. Ive had interest for about a year but only had a piano about 6 months. Rv pianist interesting post we share in common the kinda music we like and the expierience weve had with teachers. Well too start i taught my self piano for a couple months by ear and with these sequences i have of music, learned things like a chopin waltz mazurka op67 no2, um Schuman op 15 no 1. that was about all i had good at the point i went for lessons and the first teacher i ran into i hated he taught me like a child and im 21 so i didnt respect that much. so i stopped and taught my self more music, and found a teacher that helps me alot i enjoy with this teacher. For one he doesnt treat me like a child and he helps me use my ear too learn music as i had been doin on my own and also he is slowly teaching me too read music. Well scince ive had my teacher the past couple months Ive finished and am in the middle of numerous pieces like A Ignacio Cervantes Danza "Adios A cuba" Chopin Etude 10-9 Scriabin etude 8-4 MArgarita A puerto rican danza by manuel tavarez, Granada by albeniz, and numerous other pieces, oh my favorite im learning right now im nearly done with though is THe Adolph Von Henselt etude opus 2 no 6 'Si oiseau j'étais' too bad its the only song people know of henselt i luv his music i plan on learning more later. But basically my teacher really doesnt teach me much other than reading music because the rest just seems too come but reading is so hard but as i plan too audition for a school within the next year or so ima have too learn it at some point. I also am very much into latin piano music me being of that decent i guess its just in me too like it. Oh and alos if your interested The composers Ignacio Cervantes And Manuel Tavarez they where romantic composers from puerto rico and Cuba back in the 19th century i believed both of them actually studied piano at the paris conservatory cervantes i believe with ALkan, unfourtanetly thier music is out of print only way i can learn cervantes dances are by some midi files i got from someone who put them into their computer in cuba. But it works.

[mozart]

Maybe these less than personable teachers are just more strict which is not a bad thing. Ultimately the best piano teacher for you will be the one that makes you the best. I've had four piano teachers and the meanest one I made the most progress with and the nice ones I progressed very little. Anyways you are not there to make friends you are there to improve. I think you should get a piano teacher asap before you develop bad habits which will force you to work from a deficit position later when you need to play the harder pieces at a performance level.

Some of the pieces you mentioned such as Un Sospiro by Lizst are concert pieces. Maybe you don't want a teacher because you know you won't be working on something like this. Be honest with yourself about the whole situation. Working on these pieces now without all the technique down is probably short-sighted. Get a teacher for a while and they will probably improve all your technique with some easier things and eventually you will face your concert pieces again and be fully prepared to master them.

[rvPianist]

Thanks for the reply mozart - your opinion about teachers is probably more fact. My first teacher wasn't too helpful for me, because after a few days of lessons with her, both wrists and hands needed straps to prevent pain from any twisting... Her method for Hanon was to undulate the wrists, and this caused ganglions for me. Another teacher - well, her lessons were grounds for pouring out her emotional problems and difficulties with staff members...I don't want to criticise much, but a teacher that lacked a solid drive and goal-oriented outlook for her student isn't going to benefit the student...

Incidently, I did work with a teacher with some of the Chopin studies, the Un Sospiro, and the Rachmaninov Preludes. I've also managed to pick up many 'hints and tips'...thus far, nothing in my playing hurts, so I might be in the general right track. I would think that Kreisleriana is a much tougher piece than Un Sospiro, but in the days when I was able to play it, I managed very well, for my experience.

My worst habit (or rather, most deficient skill) is SIGHT READING!! aaargghh...I need to work harder and harder to get it up to the level of technical ability...