# How many of you are self taught?



## Arsenal01

Hey friends,


Looking for some insight if possible. Im looking to start learning the piano as a new hobby. Now I love classical music but am by no means an expert in it.

If Im looking to start from scratch using mostly videos, forums and articles (including the bare basics like learning to read scripts) how doable is it?

Am I a lost optimist that's asking for too much or is this something that's happened before.

I cant stress enough how from scratch Im starting from. Ive only ever played once in my life having a friend teach me for an hour and that experience has stayed with me till today and would love to get started in it.


----------



## Taggart

Not very.

There are just so many motor skills that you need to pick up that you need to be taught to avoid bad habits. You need also to be taught what to listen for as you play. OK you can record yourself, but you don't have the expertise to know exactly what you should be looking out for. And there's so much to look out for - dynamics, tone, tempo - and the physical skills to get it right.

Best advice - get a teacher. It will also motivate you to work to justify the expense.


----------



## Merl

As Taggart has said, if you were just learning to strum a guitar for your own pleasure then YouTube is your friend (it was for me) but if you want to learn to play a musical instrument properly and capably I would go for proper tuition. They will provide the support and knowledge you really need. However, if you just want to learn how to play Ramones songs on a cheap guitar then you can do no wrong on YouTube.


----------



## Nate Miller

I have spent my life among musicians, and if you are only looking to play for yourself and don't see yourself ever playing with other musicians, then it is possible to do that on your own. It will probably take you longer to get where you want to be, but if you are ok with that, then that isn't an issue.

Self taught players always have holes in their knowledge. This might be the reason that sends you looking for a teacher. Can you read music? Can you play any scales? do you know what a minor chord is? ...these things are the fundamentals. If you are building on a soft foundation, you really wont get to where you want to be. 

But there is nothing wrong with exploration. Music is a vast ocean. So if you are still enjoying the pursuit on your own, then keep at it. You can always get a teacher when you come to that point where you have reached a plateau and need a push to get going again

that said, if you want to be able to play with other musicians, then I do recommend getting some lessons started and getting a good solid foundation. In my life I have found that there are certain things that you have to learn from other musicians and that you cannot learn on your own. Just the mere playing with another person isn't as easy as it sounds. You have to be able to listen to the other player while you are playing and make subtle changes to your playing to react to what you are hearing. that is what playing with somebody else is all about. You would be surprised how hard that is for beginners...just being able to listen to someone else while you are playing

so keep your expectations reasonable, and get a teacher or keep going on your own...whatever you get the most enjoyment from really. I say this all the time, but the true gift of music has nothing to do with how well you play, the true gift is that music enriches your life.


----------



## Ingélou

I agree with the idea of getting a teacher. If you have some basic lessons, it doesn't commit you forever, but it will give you more of an idea of what's involved. I learned to play the violin in childhood, gave up, then took it up again in retirement. I do a lot of work on my own, but having lessons makes a big difference to my progress, even six years later. 

However, what I wanted to talk about is when I decided to take some starter lessons on piano, the instrument that you aspire to - not sure where Merl's guitar came from. 

There was so much that was new, and things I did instinctively turned out to be wrong - the way to press, the way to sit, the fingers to use for the notes. It was just so much to take in. In the end, I stopped the lessons because I couldn't give the piano the time it needed. You have to be very committed to make progress as an adult, and without a teacher, it's just so much more likely that you'll fall by the wayside. 

I have no objection to being proved wrong, however.


----------



## amfortas

I'm entirely self taught. That's why I don't know anything.


----------



## Merl

IngÃ©lou said:


> ....... not sure where Merl's guitar came from.


It's called not reading the OT properly. í ½í¸


----------



## Nate Miller

one thing I have to say...when I was a young sprog just learning to play we did not have YouTube and the Internet.

my young cousin started playing just watching You Tube instructional videos, and 2 years later at age 15 I have him coming to jam sessions with me and he's playing with me and my buddy Mike who is one of the best drummers in town

granted we are talking rock and roll, but to go from scratch with no lessons to playing sessions with adult pro players is impressive, so You Tube can take the place of rudimentary lessons up to a point

the thing is that you have to be very aware and very self critical when you are teaching yourself. Teachers are there to teach you new stuff, but also to correct and point out details that you are missing.

so after all that, I'm not sure where I stand on this subject anymore


----------



## Arsenal01

Thank you all for the detailed responses! Great group of people willing to actually put time in to help me and I appreciate very much.

I think I may take a handful of lessons to get a stronger foundation as one person advised. Hopefully after 2-3 hrs of classes Ill have enough to pickup a keyboard and start learning on my own.



Nate Miller said:


> one thing I have to say...when I was a young sprog just learning to play we did not have YouTube and the Internet.
> 
> my young cousin started playing just watching You Tube instructional videos, and 2 years later at age 15 I have him coming to jam sessions with me and he's playing with me and my buddy Mike who is one of the best drummers in town
> 
> granted we are talking rock and roll, but to go from scratch with no lessons to playing sessions with adult pro players is impressive, so You Tube can take the place of rudimentary lessons up to a point
> 
> the thing is that you have to be very aware and very self critical when you are teaching yourself. Teachers are there to teach you new stuff, but also to correct and point out details that you are missing.
> 
> so after all that, I'm not sure where I stand on this subject anymore


This was my main reason for considering it. The internet (though it has some cons) is absolutely amazing if used right. I am able to get so much information and have been learning the last few days some basics just off Youtube and some articles.

Someone wont be able to become an astrophysicist thru the internet but someone can become VERY knowledgably about space and the wonders of the universe with enough time and planning. I figured it would be something similar trying to learn anything including a piano.

Please though everyone, continue posting your advice and experience as Im very curious to learn.


----------

