Teaching myself... Any tips?

[dabooton]

Hello! I'm a high school junior and I'm active in the music program at my school, playing the trombone and baritone. I decided about a month ago that I wanted to play piano. I'm trying to teach myself, since I'm busy and don't have time for lessons. Any tips on what to do? How to practice? It seems my biggest problem is coordinating my left and right hand. :/

[sonofsteinway]

im no teacher, in fact im only about three months into learning myself.
 i started with NO knowledge of music and had to learn what a crotchet was in my first lessons.
I found it helpful to not only learn the scales of a piano, found ANYWHERE on the net, but find a simple easy piece of piano music you think you may sometime soon be able to play and work slowly at that to become more comfortable on the piano. If after some time you still enjoy playing grab a teacher part time and envelop yourself in it!

[cjp_piano]

Seems weird. You're busy and don't have time for lessons, yet you want to know how to practice? If you have time to practice, you have time for lessons. Get a teacher!

[starstruck5]

Agree with the last poster -

I would say though co-ordination can be as much a psychological thing as a physical one -your left hand is as good as your right -or vice versa if you are left handed - I am lucky being ambi-dextrous -but nevertheless you have to develop independance of the hands -and that comes with a positve attitude as much as practise.

[quiescen]

Want to play classical. Probably best to get a teacher. Everything else? DIY imho.