Thread: Anyone else here teach themselves how to play the piano?

Did you learn to play the piano through formal piano lessons you received or did you simply teach yourself to play the piano?

I've been playing the Piano for nine years and I'm self taught, I've only really had 2 formal piano lessons as a child. I'm actually a pretty good pianist as well and am able to play quite complex piano sonatas, I think I would be a lot better if I had chosen to stick with receiving piano lessons instead of teaching myself. (Sorry if I sound absolutely cocky lol)

Many people I know who do play the piano are often amazed at how well I can play the piano (knowing that I'm self taught) mainly because I can play much better than most of them can.

For all those who are self-taught, do you regret never taking piano lessons?

Please record something and upload it, I'm curious in what you define good. Playing good technically is just a small part of being good at the piano, which almost all new age pianist have forgot.

And taking piano lessons is the best thing ever happened to me. Made me realize that there is so much more, than technicality.

Originally Posted by Ravndal

Please record something and upload it, I'm curious in what you define good. Playing good technically is just a small part of being good at the piano, which almost all new age pianist have forgot.

And taking piano lessons is the best thing ever happened to me. Made me realize that there is so much more, than technicality.

I do agree that receiving formal lessons does help immensely but playing piano without any formal lessons and still being good is one hundred percent possible.

I mean why is Jimi Hendrix (sorry for posting about a guitarist on a keyboard topic) is considered the best guitarist whilst Yngwie Malmsteen (Someone who had all the formal trainign and is considered one of the most technical guitarist) constantly gets bad reviews and considered only a good guitarist and a terrible musician?

And I'll hopefully post a recording by tomorrow considering I'm leaving in 20-30 minutes and will be busy all day.

I mean I hope you're not implying that you can only be a good pianist if you've had all the formal training required.

No, i don't. Hell, even most piano teachers are terrible. That is why i said being technical is just a small part. And i think we're in an agreement at the moment. Still looking forward to hear you play though

Originally Posted by Ravndal

No, i don't. Hell, even most piano teachers are terrible. That is why i said being technical is just a small part. And i think we're in an agreement at the moment. Still looking forward to hear you play though

Hopefully I won't disappoint you tomorrow when I do remember to record and post and would alsolike to apologize beforehand because I'll be recording with my mobile.

And I agree that technical is just a small part of it all, And if you do just learn by yourself and continue to just follow books and such you will only learn the technical parts.

Which is why people also tend to learn to understand music and feel music whilst playing through other things that don't have to particularly be during the time you're playing piano. Whether it'd be by watching pianists play because like me love to watch videos of other pianists playing the piano, constantly listening to sonatas, and hopefully they can think for themselves and learn to form their own interpretations of sonatas.

May i ask who your favorite pianists are?

Originally Posted by Ravndal

May i ask who your favorite pianists are?

Sorry if this is a stereotypical answer, but Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Sorry. Let me rephrase: who are your favorite interpreters?

Originally Posted by Ravndal

Sorry. Let me rephrase: who are your favorite interpreters?

Again, I apologize once again for an answer that iis probably another stereotypical answer: Glenn Gould and Krystian Zimerman.

No need for an apologize. excellent answer

I will restrain myself.

This time....

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Originally Posted by Klavierspieler

I will restrain myself.

This time....

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From saying something insulting? Go ahead I don't mind.

Originally Posted by Mun

I do agree that receiving formal lessons does help immensely but playing piano without any formal lessons and still being good is one hundred percent possible.
[...]
I mean I hope you're not implying that you can only be a good pianist if you've had all the formal training required.

Oh, trust me. There are so many formally trained pianists who are just hopeless. Formal training doesn't guarantee successful pianism. It encourages, but the result is completely up to the learners.

Technicality is not just a small part of good playing but it's also the beginning. You need the technical fluency before artistry.

Trained-pianists also spend long, agonizing hours alone in their practice rooms, well, if they are passionate and devoted pianists. They are not spoon-fed by their teachers.

So my point is, trained or self-taught, it doesn't matter. The amount of effort put in, is what decides a good performance. That's why you, a self-taught pianist (a passionate it seems) are better than most of the people

i think is quite ironic that you go to school 12 years solid and a piano lesson boils down to 10 minutes on a wednesday after school.

i thought the methods were boring, convoluted and there was no sign of improvement set against goals.

i have learnt far more now i am self taught. but ideally music should be taught properly in schools from a young age. to be self taught is a monument to how crap your school was.

Originally Posted by Mun

I mean why is Jimi Hendrix (sorry for posting about a guitarist on a keyboard topic) is considered the best guitarist whilst Yngwie Malmsteen (Someone who had all the formal trainign and is considered one of the most technical guitarist) constantly gets bad reviews and considered only a good guitarist and a terrible musician

Because as you said Malmsteen is not a musician of the same caliber. Also he didn't die young.... but ANYWAAAYS! It's true, training doesn't give you more talent than you have, it just lets you use that talent to the absolute best of YOUR ability. Not every kid who gets piano lessons is Mozart nor is every undergrad student who studies counterpoint Bach. It's about harnessing all the tools available to use your ability in the most effective way possible. Which brings me to my next point.

Originally Posted by Mun

I mean I hope you're not implying that you can only be a good pianist if you've had all the formal training required.

No, but you're not as good as you would be if you had formal training. Hypothetically (my apologies for the theory crafting) if take yourself and another pianist of identical talent and devotion and he gets formal training and you don't, he's going to be significantly better than you.

The greatest pianists (and nearly all instrumentalists, and great composers) all had enough natural talent that they could have gotten very far without training, but not to the level where they eventually did with it. For you this might not matter as I doubt you wish to devote your entire life to your instrument (if you did you'd probably have stuck with the lessons:P) but you will never achieve the level of mastery of a Gould, or a Zimmerman, or a Richter.

"Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind."
-Johannes Brahms