# Is it possible to be a great self taught pianist?



## Gustav Mahler

Hello my dear friend,
I am a flutist and now I consider myself a pianist too.
I had an electrical piano by Yamaha for about a year.
Since I am studying conducting and composition a piano is very important for me.
I took about 5 piano lessons, And the rest I studied by myself-Playing Beethoven sonatas and Bach's well tempered clavier and French suites. On the way I played many other great pieces-
Suite bergamasque by Debussy, Schumann's Kinderszenen and dichterliebe, Schubert's piano sonata no. 21 and more, and even recently I took on myself to play the lovely 2nd piano concerto by Brahms.
(I play the first three movements now, Soon starting with the 3rd.)
Before this year of practicing by myself, I played some Bach inventions and a few other keyboard works, But not as seriously as today.
My sight reading is very good and I can now read a Beethoven sonata I don't know and play it fluently.
Now, Since I acquired quite a few skills by playing on my own, I wonder if there were great pianists that did that? 
My instincts are sharp, And everyone is quite astonished by how I studied and play on my own.
(Even my conducting teacher thought I was a pianist when he heard me practice, I was quite flattered)
I know that my hands might not be at the proper angle, And there may be a few things that I do which are not common among professionally trained pianist-
But I wonder-The first pianist had to train himself-There was someone who started it all by himself.
Maybe I can be a concert pianist?
Let me know what you think.
By the way, I despise (Like anyone I suppose) practice books-I just play Bach instead!


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## Guest

Depends on how good your teacher is.


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## GreenMamba

I can't imagine it's possible to become an actual concert pianist if you're self-taught. At least in your case, where it sounds like you're taking it up late. (It's quite difficult to become a concert pianist even if you've had great teachers sicne you were 5 years old).

Then again, I haven't heard you play. _"My sight reading is very good and I can now read a Beethoven sonata I don't know and play it fluently."_ Which sonata? How well can you play it?


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## Ilarion

FWIW,

Svyatoslav Richter was more or less a self-taught pianist. How did I know this? Richter's piano pedagogue Neihaus said: I can't teach him anything - He is complete!


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## Blancrocher

Ilarion said:


> FWIW,
> 
> Svyatoslav Richter was more or less a self-taught pianist. How did I know this? Richter's piano pedagogue Neihaus said: I can't teach him anything - He is complete!


It's a little suspicious, though, that his father was a professional-level pianist. I know they say he didn't help little Slava much, but I don't know if I believe it.


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## Gustav Mahler

Thank you for your replies.
Please bear with me here and try to help me figure out a few things-
A few days ago I have decided to sight-read Beethoven's 5th piano sonata, And I played it fluently (The first movement was fluent, I may have slowed down a few times in the last movement). I have received a very good grade at orchestral score reading this year, This is a thing which I am quite good at.
The only thing I am concerned about is if I am using a "correct" technique. I don't thing that there is a thing which is "correct", It just happens that there is a certain tradition of piano playing.
I have played a lame electrical keyboard (With low resistance keys, You know the sort, With a few octaves only etc.) for about 3 years from age 7 to 10 (My parents could not store a piano in the small house). It was very unprofessional, I played low quality songs with chord signs, And I am sure that the accompaniment wasn't following the voice leading rules either. It was just for "fun"-I don't recall any technique exercises and I also never practiced (The books I have been given had names like "Top folk songs for keyboard" etc.).
My teacher was also teaching piano, And she told my parents I was talented and that I really should learn piano. As mentioned earlier, We could not store one in the house, So this dream was over for the time being.
I wanted to play another instrument-I began playing the flute at 10. I started learning with a great teacher at 12 (She studied at the conservatoire in Paris with the greatest flutists of that generation). The same year I have already played the first movement of Poulenc's flute sonata with a few other pieces I don't recall at the moment) in order to receive the Israel-America cultural foundation scholarship. I had a good technique on the flute at that age.
The test was at the day I turned 13. I had my Bar-Mitzvah celebration at the EXACT same day (!).
A few days later I received a phone call that I received the scholarship, And with excellence. 
To mention a few winners of the very same scholarship in the past-Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Yefim Bronfman, Gil Shaham, Daniel Barenboim and more. I was very honored. I have won the scholarship all the years later.
Since I must have acquired quite good skills on the flute at an early age, Maybe it is affecting greatly my piano playing today for the better? I already play Brahms's 2nd piano concerto quite well. Maybe I can be self taught and be a great pianist?
And do you know other great pianists that are considered to be self taught? I need evidence that it is possible.
May I invent my own technique through exploration and finding solutions while playing a challenging piece?
Any opinion would be welcome.
Regards


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## HolstThePhone

I hope so... I'm teaching myself at the moment. As a rough estimation I've got myself up to about Grade 6/7 in two years. I don't suppose I'll ever be selling out concert halls but that's not really my goal. I just want to be able to play the pieces I love.

From the sounds of things you're a better self taught pianist than I am - I say keep going, in this internet age all you need to learn something is persistence and will.


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## Headphone Hermit

some guy said:


> Depends on how good your teacher is.


and it depends upon how good a learner you are too


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## gardibolt

I think it'd be difficult, but not impossible depending on your level of self-discipline. I think it's easier now with the ubiquity of recordings of great pianists to hear what one should be striving for. I'm self-taught on the piano and am pretty good (I've accompanied various choral groups, etc. and played for events), but nowhere near concert status because I don't have the discipline to work at technique to the extent that's needed. I'd rather play through things for my own amusement and just disregard the mistakes and move on than perfect something. I think good sight-reading skills help a lot. Keep at it and shee where you end up.


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## Gustav Mahler

Thank you for the reply.
My purpose now is not to be a pianist actually, I am just beginning to pursue a conducting and composition career.
I have just had my first conducting lesson today (My teacher was the conductor at the finals of the Arthur Rubinstein piano competition.)
Now I am mainly focusing on playing orchestral scores in the piano.
It is very satisfying to improve over time. It can be tricky with all the transpositions, But once you get the hang of it, it is very enjoyable.


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