Adult re-learning piano

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I began playing piano last year after being away from it for 33 years. I worked with a teacher to learn about jazz (extensive study of chords, diatonic scales, etc.) and get back into the instrument. It took a while for the hands to get going again. After 3 months, lessons got too expensive to keep up. Since then, I have been practicing on my own. About 1 1/2-2 hours per day. I've gone back to more classical music which I enjoy very much. I work with Hanon, Herz, Burgmuller Studies and have just started on Chopin Mazurkas. Since the cost of lessons is an issue, are there any recommendations as to how i can proceed? I'm currently working with, " Frederic Chopin Piano Works", Edited by Joseph Banowetz, Warner Bros. Publicatons. Any other ideas of what else I should do?

-- Dennis Di Vincenzo (ddv@earthlink.net), November 05, 2002

Answers

Dennis,

Try to find a teacher who is sensitive to your financial situation and is willing to work with you once every 2 weeks, or even once a month--whatever you can afford. Maybe you could work out some sort of barter arrangement. While you are probably doing a good job on your own, there is the unhappy possibility that you are learning some bad habits very well, especially at 1.5 hours per day. We have all done it at one time or another, and would probably rather not have learned those bad habits quite so well.

Learning music is so much more than just learning to play pieces by reading the music or listening to records. I know this isn't the answer you are looking for, but even the greatest musicians get input from one another. We all need shared musical experiences for balanced, healthy growth. Try to find the best possible teacher in your area, and then see what you can work out. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Best wishes.

-- Alan (Noname_Poster@Yahoo.com), November 16, 2002.


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