Tips for a beginner!

[mr. classic]

Hi!

Instead of searching for and reading another topic, I'd rather create a new one so that I'll get more individual answers.

I've been trying to selfstudy the piano for about half a year but with little progress. I've read at this forum that a student in my position should get a teacher, instead of trying to self-learn and risk getting it wrong. I've also read about different self-learning methods, but I don't have a clue what they mean.

The purpose of this topic is to clarify what options I have. I don't have very much money and a teacher would be paid out of my own pocket. I also lack a regular piano, I use a keyboard instead.

Any advice? 

Also forgot to mention that I'm 16 years old and live in sweden, or possibly in the US next year (if I get the scholarship!)

[arumih]

First piece of advice: read everything you can on this forum! Every few months of advancement, come back and look at topics and you'll find solutions to the new problems you encounter. You're probably not gonna get many people responding to this because it's ridiculously easy to search these forums and find endless useful information. Hopefully someone more generous that I might provide some links to lead you in the right direction.

Second piece of advice: listen to A LOT of piano music. It will help improve your musicality and your musical knowledge while at the same time you'll find what type of music you like and what pieces you want to learn.

Other general things...yes, get a teacher. That will be of great help especially seein that you say you're not progressing. If you persist in learning on your own, go very very very slowly. As you continue to progress, things will get both easier, and harder (much harder). Learn patience and remember if you truly want to learn to play properly, you're gonna be in this for the long run.

Also big trap not to fall into, play through your mistakes ie don't stop and restart. This is one of the most difficult things to unlearn (2yrs later I'm still trying to correct it!) and even at this stage, play for whoever will listen so that you don't develop nervousness when having to play for other people.

Again, this is the tip of the iceberg, just read this everything on this forum...that is probably one of the best things you can do as a beginner lol. As a beginner (I'm speaking from own experience) you may think you know what piano playing is about, but really and truly the first few months/years will be spent undoing whatever preconceived notions you have and learning the reality of what piano playing is and what it takes to become proficient. Reading everything here will make that task so much easier, trust me!

Good luck!

[mlhf_michelle]

I actually wanted to make a similar topic forum like this but this one already been made earlier so I dont think I need to make one.

I also do self-study in piano. But at the mean time, I got college studies as well so I couldnt get a time for a piano lesson. So probably I would go for it after college.

Try to do some research about some famous composers like Beethoven or Chopin so you would understand the piece better.