Advice for a beginner pianist

[rojo]

It would depend on the individual and what his/her goals are, but I definitely recommend everyone who wants to start playing a first instrument get at least a few lessons under their belt, just to get the basics. A lot of what one learns can be transfered to other instruments afterwards.

I think to learn violin, a teacher is pretty much required.

zlya- How did you deal with the oboe reed issues? (I`m curious because I used to play oboe.)

[Andrew Roussak]

Hmm. My chances aren't good then.

I rather agree with Krummhorn that to be a professional, one should have a tutor, but for amateur enjoyment it is perfectly possible to learn a new instrument by oneself.

I learned clarinet from a teacher when I was young, but since then I have taught myself saxophone, oboe, and flute. (Ok, so I got a friend to give me some tips on the oboe embrousure). I'll never be a professional musician, but I do get paying gigs in pit orchestras. Perhaps that's a different situation, since those instruments are all in the same family.

Still I have great confidence in my ability to learn piano on my own, at least well enough to accompany my choir in rehearsals.

Well, Zlya, as we stated before, you can not be considered as an absolute beginner. You can play another instruments, and as you see the new score you know more or less exactly, how the stuff may sound being played. You can get advices from your colleagues etc. This is not a zero beginner level.

I have some private adult pupils, who learn to play piano without having any idea of what is a difference between the bass and the violin keys, or what actually "bar" means etc. Why some notes are black inside and why some are hollow. Well, I am here for them - nevertheless I see how painful this beginning is and how frustrated they become sometimes. I can't imagine how can anybody make these first steps and learn the basics without ANY help.

Is it possible to learn instruments such as piano or violin all by yourself. I mean no tutors.

wtwt5237 - you may find also this tread helpful -

http://www.magle.dk/music-forums/340...on-yes-no.html

...and if you have somespecific problems by learning - feel free to describe and to post them here. As you see, there are some piano teachers on board...



Good luck
Andrew

[tomato]

I'm in South Korea, too.
I'm in Hongcheong in the province of Gangweondo.
I speak Korean, but not fluently.
Are you anywhere in the area?
If so, let's get together.

[zlya]

I'm way down South in Goseong-gun, Gyeongsangnamdo. (Where the dinosaur footprints are). So I think we're about as far apart as you can get and still be in the same country! Ah well.

[zlya]

zlya- How did you deal with the oboe reed issues? (I`m curious because I used to play oboe.)

I've just realized I never answered this question. Which issues do you mean? I decided to buy reeds rather than learn to make my own. (Don't scoff! I didn't have much time!). An oboe-playing friend gave me some tips on the embrousure. I could already circular-breathe from playing clarinet, though I had some trouble at first with needing extra pauses to exhale. Maybe there's a way to reverse circular breathe so that you exhale through your nose while blowing through your mouth, but I haven't yet discovered it!

[rojo]

Hi zlya,

That`s what I meant; did you make them or buy them. I certainly wouldn`t scoff, not my style. But I remember using bought reeds for a time, when I was first learning, and it was pretty tough to find a good one. What kind of tips on the embouchure did you get? Did they help?

Funny, I`ve tried the clarinet, and the sax, but the single reed never felt right to me. And I was never able to circular breathe either! Kudos to you for learning how.

[Krummhorn]

A bit off topic, but here's an interesting demo about circular breathing. This is from Miami University (Ohio) by Clarinet Professor Michele Gingras. If you click here , you can find out all you ever wanted (or didn't want) to know about circular breathing. I found it rather interesting.