In this post, I discuss the pros and cons of jazz piano lessons with a real person.
I have been teaching contemporary keyboard lessons at Columbia College Chicago for many years, both in person and online. I can tell you from my experience that they can be very beneficial.
Some will benefit more than others from private lessons
Ultimately, it depends on the type of learner. Some people are very organized and methodical and find a way to practice effectively on their own. Others would benefit from expert guidance in finding the best practice method that works for them.
Some people greately benefit from a coach-type teacher who keeps them on track, encourages them, and provides structure. Others are very self-driven. They will sink their teeth into any challenge and will only let go once they achieve the desired result in their unique way, which might be very time consuming.
What experienced instructor provide you with
How Taking Private Lessons Beats YouTube
I am a big fan of learning from YouTube videos. In fact, I have created many video tutorials for our PopJazzKeys YouTube Channel.
However, I took many private lessons from my early teens until I was 40, an experience that helped me develop a well-established and effective practice style. For this reason, I use YouTube only as a supplement and source of inspiration.
The Downsides of Learning Exclusively from YouTube Videos
Social media sites like YouTube have the downside of containing quite a bit of low-quality or misleading information, which can do more harm than good, especially for inexperienced piano players. My recommendation for those individuals is to take lessons with an experienced teacher for a while so they can learn to discern good information from bad.
Once you know what good instructions look like, YouTube can be a great tool to get inspired and learn something new.