Is it really so bad to play classical piano without a teacher?

I'm broke and have taught myself tons of classical songs on keyboard in the past few months

>>127166382
I can see it being okay for the first few weeks or months but I am worried about when I want to try more difficult pieces. What kind of pieces have you played?
I'm like you and am kind of broke right now. Also my second year of uni is coming up soon so I worry about juggling uni and practicing consistently with a teacher.

>>127166406
I'm just starting out with the basic stuff like Bach's Prelude in C Major and Satie's Gymnopedie 1. I think just learning anything is good

>>127166446
Those are nice pieces, dunno what you meant by a few months but that sounds like good progress. That Bach prelude is super pretty.

>I think just learning anything is good
I agree with this. Within reason of course, but gauging what's exactly out of your reach can be hard.

It's just that the kind of pieces I want to play (romantic-era pieces) require a lot of expression and musicality to actually play well. I stress out about that in particular.
I started Chopin's Waltz Op. 69 No. 1 like two weeks ago and I'm making some progress, but I need to get the musicality down. I stress whether or not I would be able to play it well without a teacher's guidance.

>>127166298 (OP)
I dunno mate in the age of the internet you can probably learn a lot just watching youtube videos and shit, specifically about like. Fingering and technique and stuff. I'd assume that's a big part of where a teacher comes in.

I leaned how to do a scalar run by watching a video of a guy performing and the slowing down the video. It actually helped a ton.

>>127166617
Yeah a big part of having a teacher would be the personalized feedback of technique and shit like that. To go without a teacher requires a ton of self-reflection and brutal honesty with yourself. I guess it's not impossible to get really good without a teacher but damn is it hard.

>>127166653
>self-reflection and brutal honesty with yourself
Yeah that's a good point, too. You really need a bit of mentoring to develop artistic sensibilities, unless you truly are the alpha chad genius of love

>>127166298 (OP)
I'd say there's a 99% chance you'll fuck up if you try learning classical piano without a teacher, and then bored and quite altogether. And honestly, even with a teacher and a solid foundation, I'd say there's still a 90% chance that happens. Why? Because in the end, it's still up to you. You have to be your own harshest critic. You need to record yourself, listen back, and seriously ask: "Would I listen to this?" Because that's the only time you'll know how you actually sound in reality.

A teacher helps massively. They're listening to you all the time, correcting your technique, helping with stamina, guiding you so you can eventually tackle more difficult repertoire. But then there's the question: how do you even know your teacher is good enough? Can you trust them? Are they teaching you the most efficient, time-effective approach? Or are you just going to waste years and still never play the pieces you actually care about?

That's what started to worry me, and it's part of why I stopped playing piano. I really should start again.

>>127166787
>Will you fight? Or will you perish, like a dog?

>>127166805
Pretty much, yeah.

>>127166787
I see. I doubt I'd ever quit playing the piano either way though. There's always cool pieces to look forward to.

>But then there's the question: how do you even know your teacher is good enough? Can you trust them? Are they teaching you the most efficient, time-effective approach?
This is a scary thought but at least you can read reviews on the teacher beforehand. Could also ask yourself whether you're making the kind of progress that you want in that time.

>That's what started to worry me, and it's part of why I stopped playing piano. I really should start again.
I think either teacher or no teacher you should start playing again and not be so worried that you quit over it. I worry about my own playing but I wouldn't quit over my worries. Start today anon.

yes, if you don't have a teacher then you will be struck by lightning

>>127166859
I had a teacher for two years (high school elective piano class) but of course I don't have it anymore since I graduated two years ago

Am I due to get struck by lightning soon?

>>127166868
yes

>>127166908

>>127166298 (OP)
Can't you just find a teacher online? Mine charges 100 euros a month, but I've seen some that charge just like 15 per class, which would be just 60 a month if you had a weekly class only. From experience, I can tell you that you will go much faster with a teacher than without one, and will also be a motivation factor since you'll need to be prepared for the next lesson

>>127166787
I think this is a pretty conventional view and I think it's pretty much 100% wrong. You need as little teacher, as little note-sheets, and as little music theory as possible, so nothing obstructs the fact that what you are doing is something very profane and not sacred or hard to understand at all. You're moving your fingers around in some patterns. If you get that part right and get used to learning new ways to position your hands, new ways to move your fingers, etc, then it will not be a big calamity if you are using the "wrong" technique and you have to relearn. That's only a problem if all you were doing for years was following instructions building up a house of cards under someone elses direction and now you have to take away two of the bottom cards.

>>127167373
Frankly, you sounds like you've never played an instrument seriously.
>You need as little teacher, as little note-sheets, and as little music theory as possible
This is a vague and nonsensical rule. In the end, it entirely depends on what you're trying to achieve. If your goal is to have a holistic approach to music, something that was actually more common in the past, you should be doing everything: playing, listening, improvising, reading, writing, analyzing, etc. The idea that music theory is somehow a modern, academic obstruction completely ignores that composers and performers in the past often had a very deep, practical understanding of theory, because it was inseparable from how music was made.
On the other hand, if you're content to playing pieces as simple as Bach's Prelude in C major or Satie's Gymnopedies, and not going up several levels, you can start and end with those, and do nothing else.
>something very profane and not sacred or hard to understand at all
Nobody is claiming it's sacred or mystical. The reason people seek good technique and solid foundations is not because music is "hard to understand", but because it's hard to do well. You can absolutely "just move your fingers in some patterns", but do it the wrong way, and you'll either sound bad or literally hurt yourself. This isn't theoretical or metaphysical or anything; it's purely physical. Your body has limitations, and bad habits compound over time.
>"wrong" technique
Nobody is implying piano technique is some rigid monolith where there's only one correct way to move your hands, but that doesn't mean there isn't such a thing as doing it poorly. There are multiple valid schools of piano technique, and professionals spend years refining their approach. All of those have informed principles behind them. It's not just finger-wiggling. The point is about building a reliable, sustainable, expressive technique that allows you to make music without pain, limitations, or frustration.

>>127167442
>sounds
sound*

>>127167442
I think my point, if that wasnt clear, is to start the same way music history started - with no note sheets, no theory and just the instrument. I agree that notes, music theory and professional input are useful at some point. But that point does not necessarily need to be when you start out.

Now the idea that you need to learn piano classical piano the idiomatic way, with a teacher and a notesheet, and route learning said teachers idea of correct fingering positioning etc, and in addition the idea that without that teacher protecting you, you will learn "wrong" and potentially "hurt yourself", that I think, again, is outright wrong.

Starting out is exactly when it behooves you to get an unfiltered idea of the instrument as a physical object without worrying about notes positioning etc. And you can get an unfiltered idea about what your body is telling you.

Instead of learning to "hold your hand like this" so you can follow your teachers instruction to repeat this passage 200 times even though your hand or fingers are telling you to stop because you are hurting yourself.

Ergonomic injuries—also referred to as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), or playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs)—are VERY COMMON among classical pianists across all levels: professional, semi-professional, and ambitious hobbyists. The system isnt working well as it is, and the reason it isnt working is because the mindset is "look at this eastern european lady show you correct hand positioning and then dont worry about overworking your body even though it's telling you not to".

>>127166805
>implying most fighters don't perish like vermin
kek

>>127166787
What if I only want to play piano so my fingers get more agiles and better at fingering?

>>127167104
15 euros per class sounds like a very good deal, assuming that's for an hour lesson. I heard anything less than an hour isn't good enough. I live in the US but that converts to like $17 so that's pretty cheap.

>From experience, I can tell you that you will go much faster with a teacher than without one
Do you think monthly lessons are good enough to make good progress? Or at least biweekly? I don't think I can afford weekly lessons.

>will also be a motivation factor since you'll need to be prepared for the next lesson
That's a good point. But I worry about not making deadlines and not meeting the teachers expectations often.