This is a great question and one that is becoming more and more relevant every day. Many of us simply search Google or YouTube to solve everyday problems; so why not do the same for piano lessons? Now it might seem like I have a vested interest in this subject, yet, you may be surprised at my perspective.
Someone came into the store recently and they were playing all sorts of repertoire – some of it extremely advanced. To my surprise, he had never taken any formal piano lessons; he couldn’t even read music at all. He had learned to play some complex pieces by simply watching his player piano at home and copying how it played!
I have also met people who have learned to play piano repertoire in a very similar way watching YouTube videos of people playing. They watch some videos where the player will film the keys as they play an entire piece. Some determined viewers will watch videos and simply copy what they see on the screen bit by bit. Surprisingly, this system can work. But is it really a substitute for piano lessons?
While this type of learning can help you learn a piece, it’s only one component in learning to play the piano. There is really no substitute for a great teacher and the wisdom they can impart. Learning to play the piano is a lot more than simply copying which keys are pushed down. More than that, being able to read and comprehend music can offer much greater efficiency in fully digesting a piece since you can access specific parts of the piece instantly instead of having to watch through sections finding what you need.
Even with private lessons, you won’t become a fine pianist by just taking lessons. You will need to practice, to listen to music, to see live performances, to live and breath it. It has to be an integral part of your life.
So can you learn to play the piano on Youtube? That’s really open to debate but you can certainly learn a lot by watching videos and practicing along with them. If you use YouTube videos in conjunction with other resources, you will benefit greatly.
Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729