Make the grade

[kop442000]

Hello everyone.

I am 27 and I have been knocking about on piano for years, but not really having formal teaching or getting any better. I am mostly just playing pop-chords kind of stuff and trying to write my own songs, but I did do a grade 1 about 10 years ago, and I would like to try and knuckle down and do a few more.

The thing is that I can't really afford to have piano lessons, and was wondering how reasonable it would be to try and get myself up to the standards required?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received.
Paul.

[kimba1055]

Hello everyone.

I am 27 and I have been knocking about on piano for years, but not really having formal teaching or getting any better. I am mostly just playing pop-chords kind of stuff and trying to write my own songs, but I did do a grade 1 about 10 years ago, and I would like to try and knuckle down and do a few more.

The thing is that I can't really afford to have piano lessons, and was wondering how reasonable it would be to try and get myself up to the standards required?

Any thoughts would be gratefully received.
Paul.

is very slow w out a teacher but if you really want to do it i recoment you what i do every day i practice 3 hour a day for the last 2 year and i'm playing level 6 and 7 so if you really want to learn play j s bach and czerny  and some beethoven sonotas they are hard to play but if you work hard you w do it  sorry abouth my english is not to good .

[kop442000]

Thanks for the reply Kimba!

I realise that with or without a teacher I will need to put a lot of practise in.

Any other thoughts from anyone?

Thanks,
Paul

[helga]

There's a lot of literature available that describes correct and incorrect hand positions, different technique and how to work on it. Probably start with some good quality self teaching manual. Get some demonstration videos done by teachers. Observe a lot, read about it in a book, then go to the piano and v-e-r-y slowly (so you can see very well what you're doing) practice. A simple search will produce good results for books. Also, if you ask teachers at this forum for advice on self-teaching books, they might have good ideas for you. Also it helps to know what muscles and arm and hand parts are involved in producing certain tone or quality of sound. If you have a knowledge of what goes into a certain kind of technique, you'll know what to look for when you observe your own playing.

[allthumbs]

Hello everyone.

I am 27 and I have been knocking about on piano for years, but not really having formal teaching or getting any better.

 Greetings kop442000

If there were no teacher in your area then I would say go for teaching yourself and use the advice already given.

Your statement sums up what many people who do not have a teacher go through.

Personally, I think that if your are serious about learning the piano and enjoy playing, you deserve and owe it to yourself to make the investment in your future of piano enjoyment.

Get a teacher, your progress will be much faster and you won't be learning any bad habits that will hamper your playing and/or causing you injury.

Good luck


allthumbs


PS - I came back to piano after a couple of decades without playing, got a teacher and make great strides in my playing. I did my RCM Grade 8 and 9 piano exams and am working on Grade 10.

 

[kop442000]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I will definitely make plans for getting a teacher, but will have to make a start on my own for now.

Thanks for the advice,
Paul.