Private Piano Lessons are a Waste of Money

Source:Internet    Posted by:Learntopianoonline.com   Date:2010-01-16   Click:

When you are starting out, you will realize that there are lots of different ways you can learn the piano.

 From a book
 
 Private teacher
 
 Online lessons
 
 Music School (group lessons)

All of them have their advantages and disadvantages.

What you are about to learn in the following article is the advantages and disadvantages of having private lessons and the answer to the controversial statement “private piano lessons are a waste of money”.

Having private piano lessons means one-to-one piano lessons in your own home or at your teacher’s home.

* * Piano lessons in your home * *

- - Advantages - -

 Saves you time, zero traveling
 
 You can make “your own cup of tea just the way you like it”
 
 You can keep up-to-date with your favorite TV program at the same time!?
 
 You can disappear to the toilet at anytime to escape from the boredom

Only joking! But it really does happen sometimes. Really there is only ONE advantage and that is saving the time it takes to travel to lessons.

- - Disadvantages - -

Distraction is the biggest disadvantage if you decide to have piano lessons at home. It really is unavoidable.

        Your phone rings

        Your dog is barking and wants attention

        Your neighbour is banging nails into the wall

        Your other neighbor is ‘not the greatest fan of the piano’ and is banging something else on the wall

        Your teacher is stuck in traffic and is running late

        Your teacher complains every week about the poor quality of your piano, and that it is always out of tune

       Private piano lessons are incredibly expensive and you usually have to commit for a certain period of time

And on…and on…Well, you get the idea.

Distractions affect your concentration, your ability to learn and remember things and it really wastes everyone’s time.

* * Private lessons in the piano teacher’s home * *

If you don’t have to travel too far and can avoid traffic jams then having piano lessons at your teacher’s home is better than in your own home.

- - Advantages - -

        Your teacher’s piano is usually a good one, and is normally in tune

        You rarely get distractions at your teacher’s home

 
- - Disadvantages - -

 Traveling time
 
 Stressful driving in traffic
 
 Finding a parking space
 
 Parking costs
 
 Fuel or public transport costs

- - Conclusion - -

Private piano lessons at home are ok if you have an endless supply of money (who has?), and distractions do not bother you.
Piano lessons in your teacher’s home are slightly better, but the boredom level is significantly increased!

- - The Answer - -

Go and learn by yourself! Buy an online piano course (not a free one, as you usually don’t get enough information).

The best online piano courses usually cost less than $50 and you get the same information and sometimes more than any teacher would give you.

You can also study the course in your own time, in the comfort of your own home, with your feet up on the desk, sipping the best cup of tea in the world ;-). The best value for money online course I have seen so far is the Rocket Piano by Ruth Searle.

P.S. You may think that I’m out on a mission in this article to bash private piano teachers. This is NOT the case. There comes a time when you reach a certain level that having private piano lessons is the ONLY option. I am simply stating that these days there are much cheaper and more convenient ways for beginners to learn the piano.