Piano Lessons – Where to start?

Piano playing is a hobby which is practiced by many. It is a great way to relive oneself of the stress generated from the daily chores of life. It is also the best possible way of expressing your feelings and emotions to your loved ones. Just ask a piano player about the satisfaction he gets by just laying his fingers on the instrument and playing a few chords. The joy is just unimaginable.

Learning to play the piano is much like learning a new language. Although best accomplished during the formative years of childhood, there is still no age limit on when or how you can take up the skill. In fact, for many adults, the piano presents an opportunity of a lifetime. It offers everything from the development of a wide array of skill sets to the simple enjoyment of music. Regardless of whether you're looking to start at age 18 or 80, there is a path open for your future playing the piano.

So now let us move to the question asked in the title of the article- Where to start? Well, to speak in today’s sense; there are two places to start- online and offline. By online, we mean the online tutorials offered by various websites which help you in learning your instrument. And by offline, we are simply referring to the traditional format of learning a musical instrument- from a teacher. It is the traditional ‘Guru-Shishya’ technique as known in India. It simply means that you go to a good piano instructor who will be able to give you physical lessons instead of the e-lessons.

Well, an online tutorial but learning to play the piano just like you learnt to understand science and math. In the online piano lessons, you get web pages which have written matter which will help you learn the basics of piano playing as well as help you delve deep into the subject. So in the traditional form where your instructor imparts you oral knowledge regarding the instrument, in the online learning format, the very same words are converted into text format and put in front of you.

When we talk about offline lessons, we mean paying a regular visit to your instructor and getting a first hand information from him. If you are adult, do not worry. These are specific piano instructors who devote a particular time frame every week just to teach adults. Many adults feel a bit embarrassed to learn along with kids and that is understandable. They typically understand the time and space constraints that face adult learners, and can tailor a program especially in the way you learn best.

So here are the two approaches you can take to learn the piano. Both of them have their shares of advantages and disadvantages. While the online tutorial is cheaper than its offline counterpart, the other is more direct and spontaneous. But the thing which makes me prefer the offline version to the online version is that here you are face to face with your instructor. So while playing the instrument, if you have any doubts, you can easily ask your instructor. Also, since the instructor is constantly watching you, he can easily point out your mistakes and help you rectify them. While the first of these features is not quick enough in the online scheme, the second feature does not exist here.