thinking about taking lessons

[b0mbtrack]

I know it is best to take lessons but i'm worried about taking them for a few reasons.  I am currently working on a few books of my own like super sight reading secrets by howard richman and improvising blues piano by tim richards.  i barely have enough time to work on these books as well as a few simple pieces that i want to learn.  i'm worried that if i take lessons they will conflict with what i am doing with these books as well as add more practice that i already barely have enough time for.  should i just forget what i am doing with these books and take lessons, or try and do both?

[rc]

I think that if you sign up for lessons it makes sense to give that priority.  But teachers can be pretty flexible too, if you bring up the things you are currently working on the teacher may be able to address those issues (in his/her own way, which is what you'd be paying for).

What are you looking for in a teacher?

[b0mbtrack]

what i am looking for in a teacher is also something i'm not sure about, i want to be able to play classical (not at a performance level but just for being at home having fun as i know its too late for me to become good enough for performance).  On the other hand i would also like to be able to play blues/rock so when in a band i can jam.  So i don't know if this is something i should expect out of a teacher, is it too much of me to ask for both and not specialize in one specific style?

[Bob]

Sounds like you might want a jazz piano teacher.  Those are tougher to find.

But you can always find someone willing to tutor you in whatever you want. 

If that's the sight-reading book and I think it is, I wasn't impressed with it.  I wouldn't marry it. 

I'm not familiar with the Richards book.

Maybe there's a jazz piano teacher out there who would do basic classical material with you so you can prepare some simple piece and do some sight-reading.

I think many (or most) piano teachers are classical though.  You'll be able to find someone easily for classical.

If you can find this person, I could see someone fitting what you've described.  Someone who make what you've said work together.  Basic classical with sight-reading and basic jazz.  It sounds doable to me.

And that person is probably a college student or someone more on the jazz/pop side of music, but not a music store teacher.  The probably have their own studio and do performing also.  Call the colleges and music stores. 

[rc]

My thought is that what classical and blues/rock have in common are fundamental patterns - scales/chords/arpeggios.  In most blues/rock you probably wouldn't even have to learn every key.

I haven't seen the blues or pentatonic scales given anything but brief mention in classical studies, though they're very useful in blues/rock.  I did have a jazz teacher briefly, and he started me out on 12 bar blues...  Then jazz goes beyond what blues requires.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean with not doing classical to performance level - does this mean you're not concerned with learning more intermediate-advanced pieces?

[b0mbtrack]

My thought is that what classical and blues/rock have in common are fundamental patterns - scales/chords/arpeggios.  In most blues/rock you probably wouldn't even have to learn every key.

I haven't seen the blues or pentatonic scales given anything but brief mention in classical studies, though they're very useful in blues/rock.  I did have a jazz teacher briefly, and he started me out on 12 bar blues...  Then jazz goes beyond what blues requires.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean with not doing classical to performance level - does this mean you're not concerned with learning more intermediate-advanced pieces?

I would love to learn advanced pieces but i know i would never be able to get them down good enough to be performed (professionally), which is fine for me those pieces i would just play at home content even though they aren't perfect, i'm not looking to be perfect.  I would just like to one day be able to jam on stage in a group or with friends.  That is why i would be looking for a teacher to go over rock/blues as well.  I guess i will just have to ask around locally, i just wasn't sure if it was a lot to ask for out of a teacher.

[avguste]

Teachers are usually flexible,however,make sure to tell them what you are looking for.
If you are in the USA,you might want to check out wyzant.com for tutors

[rc]

I would love to learn advanced pieces but i know i would never be able to get them down good enough to be performed (professionally), which is fine for me those pieces i would just play at home content even though they aren't perfect, i'm not looking to be perfect.  I would just like to one day be able to jam on stage in a group or with friends.  That is why i would be looking for a teacher to go over rock/blues as well.  I guess i will just have to ask around locally, i just wasn't sure if it was a lot to ask for out of a teacher.

Cool, well I've thought it over and decided I don't rightly know what would be best for your situation  Oscar Peterson endorsed learning from classical, and I was thinking it might be a better tradition to develop strong foundational skills to carry to other styles.

Though I could make one more suggestion:  if you want to jam with your friends, you could jump right in with a little knowledge of chords and scales.  It could be real simple to begin with, but you can have fun within your abilities and it wouldn't take long to build to more interesting things from there.  This could depend on your friends too, if they take themselves too seriously it might not work.

I had fun jamming with some people a while back.  I was just crunching out chords on the spot the first day, but bit by bit I was adapting, using more interesting patterns/rhythms, soloing a bit.  One day the bassist was gone and I got to figure out how to put in a little bassline.  But it was a good atmosphere too - they were tolerant of my learning on the spot, others might not have been. (In the end I didn't have enough time to learn the songs as well as classical practice)