The answer is yes – if you want to maximize your time, learn the piano efficiently, play with a proper technique that translates to more advanced music, or if you wish to become an advanced pianist who can sight read, play by ear, and learn difficult pieces, you do need a piano teacher in London.
There’s pleny of room for self-improvement though, so if the above description doesn’t apply to you (for instance, if you just want to learn to play the chords or melody to your favorite song on the piano), you may be able to accomplish your goals without a teacher. But generally speaking, you will probably need a good piano instructor if you want to see significant improvement.
Consider The Time Wasted When You Teach Yourself
Time is the most valuable possession we have, and if paying for weekly lessons will save you hours of wasted time, hiring a teacher may be an easy decision to make.
If you don’t have a teacher, you will have to research all of the right material to practice with, find videos or articles to help you, and figure out practice methods for yourself. And what if you choose poor materials, or watch erroneous or bad YouTube videos, or use the wrong methods to practice your music? After all, would you know any better? You’ll spend significant amounts of time on tasks that don’t lead to improvement.
A qualified piano teacher (emphasis on the word “qualified”) will listen to you explain your goals, and they will be able to quickly provide you with the right developmental plan. A teacher will tell you what materials and music to buy (if necessary), how to practice, and so much more, and you simply have to take that information home with you and apply it in your daily practice.
Do You Want To Become a Confident, Well-Rounded Pianist?
If you envision yourself becoming a competent sight reader some day, if you want to pursue a degree in music, or if you want to play advance repertoire, you are going to need to work with a teacher. You can certainly download lead sheets or figure out how to chord your favorite songs by ear, but you can’t get to an advanced, dynamic level of playing without a good instructor.
A qualified piano teacher will teach you the fundamentals of sight reading, and they will also give you a solid education in music theory (which, in turn, allows you to read and comprehend complicated music).
A Piano Teacher Will Help You Play With Proper Technique
If you plan on playing the piano for years to come, you are at risk for injury, tendonitis, or carpal tunnel if you don’t play with the right technique. You need to develop a loose, natural hand position, and you must get used to playing without tension in your forearms or shoulders.
Additionally, a good playing technique will allow you to pursue harder music — you can’t play music, scales and arpeggios at a high rate of speed with poor technique.
How Long Do You Need To Take Piano Lessons?
That depends on your goals and aptitude. Many students enrolled piano lessons for adults in London come to lessons with a specific set of goals, like being able to play a set of songs, or learning all of their notes and scales, or reaching a level where they feel like they can teach themselves new music at home on their own. If that sounds like you, you might be able to reach your goals in only two years of lessons with a teacher (if you are a beginner, more or less).
If you would like to reach an advanced level of playing, you’ll have to commit to taking piano lessons almost indefinitely — everyone learns at a different pace, and it’s impossible to say exactly how long it will take for you.
If you’ve decided you’d rather not teach yourself piano, or if you have any questions about how you can sign up for a trial lesson with us at the London Piano Centre in Marylebone, please get in touch. We would be happy to help you reach your piano goals. We also offer piano lessons for children in London, so if you would like to start your child off on the right foot, please reach out.