Question for piano players (who are good)....?

Question

i've been getting so called "piano lessons" for about a year and right now i dont feel like i'm improving, my teacher doesnt give me any challenges but anyway, i was thinking of not going to lessons anymore and just practice on my own. will i get REALLY good by doing this? i know all of the basics all i need is music...am i right or am i wrong?

Answer 1

You probably don't know all the "basics" that you need to in order to get good if you've only been playing for about a year. When you're at the level that you are now, a good teacher will have a better recognition of the kind of technical training you need. Even once you have all the technical skills that you need to play extremely difficult music, your teacher will still probably have a better grasp of expression, tempos, and dynamics.

I would say get a different teacher; I've been playing for 12 years, and I still have a teacher. I play better than he does at this point, but he knows what things I can still improve upon and gives me great music that I wouldn't have been able to find by myself. It's also a matter of feeling more disciplined and focused when there is someone else to please besides yourself.

Answer 2

I'm a piano teacher so I speak from that perspective (although I was also a student for 18 years.).
I have had many students who have "taught themselves" and then got to point where they couldn't improve so sought out lessons. It is very difficult to undo the technique problems they have, which is the reason they can't get better! So I vote a big no on the self teaching idea. Especially if you want to play advanced pieces eventually.

Teachers should inspire you to develop and help you to improve - that is our job. If your teacher is not doing that then it's best to have a look around for someone who will. There is a reason that people seek out lessons because piano technique is very difficult. If you "teach" yourself you will not develop the correct technique which means that your development will be stunted. You will also not benefit from a teachers knowledge of style and repertoire.

My advice would be to make sure you are putting in enough practice in (a common reason for slow development is lack of practice), talk to your teacher about your frustrations and if that doesn't work, look for another teacher. Make sure they have the right qualifications (a Bachelor of Music at least) and experience, and have a trial lesson to see how you feel about them.
Good luck!

P.S. Most "serious" piano students also progress through different teachers as they develop. I myself had 4 main teachers, and also regularly had input from other pianists at workshops and master classes. It's OK to realise that it's time to move on. A good teacher will actually encourage that to happen and suggest others who may be good for you. Of course beginners need to stay with someone for quite a while, but once you get to 8th grade and above - try learning from as many people as you can, it will improve your playing immensely.

Answer 3

I disagree with the other answers slightly. If you really want to improve and have the basics down, you can get better without a teacher. You have to work REALLY hard, make sure you have good text material and constantly challenge yourself. Bela Bartok's studies for children are very challenging and helped me jump levels at a time. There are other good texts out there, but you need to be sure there is explanatory material as well as challenging music.

Having said all that, working on your own is more difficult, mainly because you keep repeating errors! Having a good teacher is the best way. First talk to your current teacher about the situation. Then find another teacher if things don't get better. Most states have a music teachers association. Is your teacher a member? Find out through the state association which teachers are and which teachers work best with students such as you.

Answer 4

PIANO TEACHERS - WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM?

Most of us like to use what we learn right away. So why is it that most piano teachers tell you you can't really play music until you learn 2 years of theory or more? What hogwash!

If I had to wait that long before I could launch into my own creations I would go nuts.

Even art schools encourage creativity among their students. Certainly, a watercolor instructor would never expect her students to wait 2 years before creating a painting.

The same thing applies to writers. When someone wants to learn how to write a short-story, the art and craft of storytelling is taught, sure. But does a writing instructor really expect his students to wait 2 years before plunging into the writing act?

Do you see where I'm going here? Music, especially classical music studies have been stifling for way too long. Why can't music students enjoy the same level of creative freedom as visual artists or writers?

I've asked myself these questions and then tried to create piano lessons where a complete beginner could create his or her own music right away. And it worked! I now have students all over the world who tell me that this is the best method they have ever used to play piano with.

Please don't spend years learning theory you probably will never use anyway. And don't spend too much time with a piano teacher who really doesn't want you to play piano.

Answer 5

I don't think this will help. I used to have the same exact problems, so I switched teachers and have improved much in 1 year, playing at a much higher level. I'd say look for other teachers, or maybe talk to your current teacher about it. Different teachers have different effects on student. A new teacher can be just what you need.

Answer 6

If you practise on your own, most likely you would not improve. You may have the basic skills, however sometimes you may be playing things incorrectly (and you might not notice it). Your piano teacher is there to teach you how to play pieces properly too. Go find another teacher if you feel your teacher isn't giving you any challenges.

Answer 7

Well,I know some well known pianists like: Claudio Arrau Glenn Gould Vladimir Horowitz Arthur rubinstein Svitoslav Richter Who have many great recordings And some lesser known pianists like: Yundi-Li Lang Lang Idil Biret Daniel Barenboim Martha Argerich Julia Fischer(violin and Piano virtuoso) etc

Answer 8

If you practice by yourself you are not going to improve at all. Ask your piano teacher for more challenging music. If your piano teacher won't do that then find a new teacher.

Answer 9

i play the piano about two years right now...i know im good..but i still have to get some guidance from piano teachers..hahaha!
well...in my experience..really..if your doing it the first time..its really is so boring..but once you had the challenge playing harder notes..you'll surely want to study more!:)

Answer 10

1