As individuals, we all learn differently. Some might be better with visual learning while others are more verbal learners. When it comes to learning a musical instrument, like the piano, there are different routes that people can take. They can either sign up for private lessons, or they can teach themselves. Depending on your personality might depend on how you want to learn the piano. However, it’s important to look at both the pro and cons of self-taught piano lessons to determine which one is best for you. Sometimes we might think self-taught lessons would be better when reality our learning style and personality would benefit much better with private lessons.
Pros Of Self-Taught Piano Lessons
You Can Learn From the Comfort of Your Own Home
When you take lessons with a private instructor, you usually have to go to their home or go to a music school. People who decide to teach themselves how to play the piano have the luxury of learning at their own home. You don’t have to worry about getting to a piano lesson on time or leaving your home at all when you can teach yourself.
You Are Able To Go at Your Own Pace
Taking lessons from a piano instructor means that you have to go at the pace of the instructor. Again, people learn differently, and to add on to that, some will learn faster than others. When you teach yourself piano at home, you can decide the pace of the lessons. You might want extra time to work on one piece or you might have mastered a piece of music quickly and want to go on to another song. You are able to do that when you teach yourself how to play the piano.
You’ll Save Money By Not Paying Someone for Lessons
One of the things about private lessons by a piano teacher is that they cost money. Some can cost between $10 to $20 an hour. It might be worth it to get this type of instruction from a professional, but someone people might not have the money to pay someone every week. Learning at home means you save money on those lessons. You still have the necessary resources to teach yourself piano at home without having to pay someone else.
Less Stringent Learning Environment
Working with a piano teacher means that you will learn music theory and also other technical things about the piano. Creatively speaking, this can be very suffocating. Self-taught piano not only means going at your own pace but also coming up with your own style and techniques that work for you. Typically, when you get lessons from a teacher, it’s going to be more structured and on the path, they want to you take; teaching yourself piano means you can find yourself musically.
Cons of Self-Taught Piano Lessons
You Can Become Easily Distracted
When you are at your home trying to learn a new piece on the piano, there are things in your home that can distract you. You have access to everything you need at home — your TV, phone, and sources of entertainment. If you don’t have the discipline to block out these distractions, it is very easy to abandon a lesson for something in your home.
You Have To Invest in the Proper Equipment and Resources
Working with a piano instructor means that they have a piano and the music that you will need to start out. If you want to teach yourself how to play the piano, you will need to invest in a piano or keyboard to learn and also buy the necessary music. When you invest in something like buying a piano, you really have to have the commitment to learn on your own.
You Aren’t Being Taught Technical Aspects of the Piano
If you are only wanting to learn so you can play on your own, then this might not apply to you; however, if you want to play in a band or with other people, learning the technical side of the piano and the theory of music is important. A lot of times people who teach themselves don’t know how to read music, which again is fine if you are playing on your own, but important when you are playing with other people. Also, knowing the technical and theory side provides you with more knowledge on piano.
You Are Missing Out On Learning with a Professional
Yes the thought of learning from someone might be painful, but it is extremely helpful. Not only do they have the resources that you need, but they also have the knowledge and skills to help you learn a lot faster. Also, having a teacher who works with you on every lesson will hold you accountable if you don’t practice. Piano instructors are there to ensure that you are getting the technical side, as well as provide you with the necessary tools to become a great pianist.
Now that you know the various pros and cons of self-taught piano, you can make an educated decision on what learning method is best for you. Whether you are looking to grow your piano lesson business or you are someone who is interested in piano, it’s important that you know the disadvantages and benefits of both so you know if it will work for you or someone else.
