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“Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.” -Professor Harold Craxton
When you take on something as challenging as learning how to play piano, there are things that you need to consider: knowledge and education, discipline, and perseverance. With this in mind, you might be wondering, “Should I take piano lessons? So, are piano lessons worth it?”
Before we proceed to the reasons why piano lessons are worth it, here are questions that will help you discover yourself a little bit more and whether or not you need piano lessons—because really, how do you know if you should take piano lessons or just self-study?
Related: Learn more about how much do piano lessons cost.
True enough, there are lots of reasons why someone would like to learn and play the piano. However, in this case, let’s narrow it down into two.
Maybe there’s an event in your school that needs someone to play an instrument, or you want to play your favorite songs and a few other songs that you find interesting on Spotify and later on jam with your friends on your free time. If your reason aligns with these, then you can just study independently. You can do this by watching tutorial videos on Youtube and Google, which are easy to learn since you only need to learn a few chords.
If you want to learn how to play the piano and really get into it by gaining knowledge about the basics of rhythm, music theory, reading sheet music, and notes—then you should definitely take piano lessons. Learning about these things independently might be doable, but is not ideal since it might be difficult to understand when you’re a beginner, and it’s essential to have someone who can teach you about these lessons, and guide you throughout your pianist journey.
When learning how to play, a good teacher whom you can learn from is essential. After all, their knowledge, techniques, and the effectiveness of their teaching strategies are what make the difference between taking piano lessons and self-studying. You can do this by asking some of your friends, relatives, or by doing your research. By doing this, you can assure yourself of quality learning with just the perfect teacher that would work best for you.
Note: If there is no piano teacher in your area, you can take piano lessons online through Zoom, Skype, or Google meetings.
Piano lessons are costly, given that you need an instrument and a great teacher that will help you grow as a pianist. Think of it as an investment that will be worth all the time, money, and effort that you put into it.
If you can’t afford piano lessons but still want to learn how to play the piano, don’t worry! You can use tutorial videos on Youtube and Google. However, you need to make sure that you stay highly motivated, persistent, and vigilant throughout the whole process since it can be complicated and might take you a long time since you need to research and study everything on your own.
Motivation comes, but it doesn’t stay. The first time you discover that you want to play the piano, it’s no question that you’re very eager and motivated to learn. But what can be quite challenging is keeping the eagerness and motivation in the long run. This is where discipline and enjoyment come in.
Ask yourself, “Is there a type of music that gets me excited?”. Maybe pop music? Classical? Jazz? No matter what type it is, make sure to know and be aware of what you enjoy playing. Playing songs that you like will help you keep going and eventually re-ignite the spark for music you have within you. A good teacher will assist and guide you in the direction you’re about to take, depending on the type of music that interests you, to make sure that you’re having fun while learning.
Yes! Definitely.
Now that you’ve discovered a little bit more about yourself and the reasons why you need to take piano lessons, let’s now proceed to the reasons that make piano lessons worth it.
Piano lessons and self-studying are both essential steps in learning how to play piano effectively. Even though you’re taking piano lessons, your learning process should also continue at home. It’s important to commit your time to solving problems by yourself and practicing the songs that were given to you by your teacher at home during your free time to further improve your ability and enhance your understanding regarding the lesson by applying it.
Lastly, don’t be too harsh on yourself. You’re are doing your best, and your best doesn’t have to be perfect yet. You still have a lot to learn, and you’ll get better as you continue learning. Remember that frustrations and disappointments too, are sources of growth. The challenge there is to keep trying, stay determined, and with faith in yourself, and repeated trial and error, you’re bound to have a successful outcome eventually.
I started Music4Kids with a simple goal in mind: To provide valuable information to guiding parents who want to raise musically inclined kids.
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