Why You Cheat Yourself When You Do Not Have A Piano Teacher By Donna Harris

© 2022

 

Let’s explore why you cheat yourself when you do not have a piano teacher

 

 

This is something I know from personal experience.

 

Looking back, I realise that stopping lessons in my teens was a mistake. It slowed down my progress. Learning piano on my own meant that I stagnated. Years later, I returned to piano lessons as an adult after rebuilding my skills.

 

This time around, I felt I had been missing out when I settled for teaching myself all those years ago. The time away from private lessons allowed me to see the benefits of having a piano teacher. The main advantage can be summed up in one word: “accountability”.

 

With a piano teacher, you have someone who has been where you are or has thought about the issues you face. You aim to accomplish certain goals by each lesson, and that means you have deadlines helping you progress. Someone is working with you, giving valued feedback and advice about overcoming obstacles.

 

Because of your accountability partner, you gain experience of methods and conversations that enhance your learning. Answers often reside in you and a piano teacher guides you towards realising how to find them.

 

On your own, you don’t have someone initiating conversations that lead you to understanding why you make certain mistakes or how to fix them.  

 

A teacher’s coaching reinforces your self-reliance. You are exposed to weird and wonderful ways of learning that you would never have found by yourself. Once exposed to these unique methods, you can apply them to future situations.

 

Some people might dislike the idea of deadlines, but they can be flexible. Deadlines keep us on track; with them we cover more ground faster because we have targets to reach through step-by-step guidance.

 

Without someone who knows what you could not yet know, it is more difficult to advance. It takes longer doing it on your own as you fumble through the dark.

 

With no teacher, you may not learn about creative approaches like improvisation, or various exercises that could help you create your own music.

 

It is therefore harder to learn about shortcuts that serve you well, shortcuts that you could apply to various areas of your playing

 

When you have a teacher, you have someone looking out for your best interests. Why would you want to do it all alone when the reality is we all need help?

 

When we teach ourselves, we often play small. We just want to play certain music, and maybe there are times when that is best. However, we can truly miss out on developing ourselves creatively and, becoming more inspired, as a result.

 

A piano teacher gently challenges you towards the realisation that you can do more! Teachers help you stay motivated and inspired. We help you make necessary adjustments along the way.

 

If being unable to afford piano lessons long term is a concern, some periodic exposure to private lessons can still go a long way towards keeping you on track.

 

So, if you are teaching yourself, or are trying to decide if that is a good route, I hope you will take it from someone who knows, that not only will you grow faster and more easily with a piano teacher, but you will also have more fun!

 

Get started with me now. Use the button to find out more about my New Year Voucher, which gives you 42% off lessons with me. Looking forward to meeting you. Offer void 2022.