Self-taught or With a teacher ?

[Steinway]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-taught and learning with a teacher ?


*Sorry for double posting.. something went wrong with the browser.  :-/

[Chris_Repertoire]

I learned piano for about eight months before I got a teacher (I am 21).  I don't think I was hurt too much by it, but I wish I would have gotten a teacher earlier.

The main thing a teacher does that you can't really do by yourself is to listen to your playing and tell you what to improve - and how to do it.   I really don't think anyone can listen objectively to their own playing.

And when you play a piece of music you make mistakes that you can't pick up.  Every time I go to a lesson and I think I have a piece down my teacher is able to point out wrong notes I am playing. You get locked into a pattern when you play something, espescially when you memorize it, and you just don't have any way of recognizing that you are playing wrong notes or you are playing at a wrong tempo or rythm etc.  Unless you are very scrutinous, you can't correct this simply by looking carefully at the score.

I don't think you need a teacher to guide you through music to play ... at least if you have a very sound knowledge of classical music and you are highly motivated.

The disadvantage of a teacher is basically the cost.  I have to pay fifteen dollars a week for a half hour lesson. It's a drain on my income but it's a price I feel like I have to pay if I am going to really progress at piano.

It can also really suck to get a bad teacher. There are lots of bad teachers.   It will suck your money out and will make you play worse because they make you loose your self confidence

[Tash]

i think i'd die without a teacher cos i'd completely ruin the piece with all the bad habits i get myself into. like in the summer holidays i'll learn my pieces what i think pretty well, then get back to my lessons after 2 months and discover all these wrong things. but yes it does cost money however i am not financially independant of my parents yet so they get to pay for them mwahaha

[DarkWind]

Well I started out with a teacher for about 2 years, then self taught for one year after that, when we moved and had little money to pay for a teacher. It's kind of funny, because in the one year without a teacher, I have advanced tremendously, within musical knowledge and playing. But I still feel like I need a teacher. Basically, I figured out I loved piano, and I just kept playing and playing. With a teacher, I just felt like "meh" and you know, some people are lazy at lessons! Well, I went from playing very quietly because I was a afraid, being mechanical, playing things like the Mozart K. 545, to attempting Ravel's Toccata, Liszt's Sonnetos del Pretrarca, etc. It's two different realms. Remember, Richter was mostly self taught, and not a prodigy .

[Steinway]

I can afford a teacher. But i'm worried that i might get a lousy teacher. lol... Hm..without a teacher how do we get the grades?

[Snappy Joe]

I really don't think anyone can listen objectively to their own playing.

Are you kidding me?   I constantly slap myself for not playing a piece as I intend to play it, I know how it must sound, but yet I fail to myself so many times that sometimes after playing a piece I tend to be very dissappointed with myself, even if there's people around me cheering.

Sometimes I even stop in the middle of it, and start over.

[bernhard]

I can afford a teacher. But i'm worried that i might get a lousy teacher. lol... Hm..without a teacher how do we get the grades?

If you are in the UK you can enter yourself for grades (if you are over 18), or your parents can do it for you.

Of course this will not "get" you the grade. For that you must pass the exam!

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Have a look here where a similar question has been asked:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1081604995

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[pies]

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