When was the last time you took a lesson ?

[Montunoman 2]

I’m especially interested in those that have been playing for awhile, when was the last time you took a lesson? I’m 58 and I’ve been studying with a jazz master at a community college for two years. I guess you could say I’m  advanced, maybe even the best at this little community college , I even get hired to perform, but my teacher tears me a new one! I hope to keep studying as long as I can play and get to lessons. A Russian piano virtuoso also teaches at the college, maybe I’ll study classical with her at some point.  It’s nice, even at my age to  have a mentor, accountability partner, and guidance. It keeps me inspired to keep at it.  How about you, when was your last lesson? If you stopped, why? 

[Docbop]

I'm in my 70's and stopped taking lessons at a popular online music school about six months ago.    Two reasons the school was continuing in a direction I was no longer interested in and second health issues that have become a mental distraction.   That is when I changed directions from focus on piano and back to recording.   It's has been really  interesting being I worked in the all analog 70's in what is now a famous studio and when not at work I would hang out at another famous studio that was close to where I lived.   So I experienced a lot of sessions.    How recording has changed and even the terms for roles have changed.  I did for a couple years in around 2000 work in a Media department doing audio editing and CD mastering so that was my first taste of DAW world.    Even from then to now in 2024 things keep changing.   

 

Now I did take a online recording class a couple months ago since I was using Ableton a bit of a different approach than I was used to and that was a waste of money.  It was with that big Jazz college and their approach was weird to me, but worst was the instructor.   Someone with long resume but I should of realize what it was going to be when seeing a lot of DJ and EDM stuff in his resume.    The one class that had me wanting to jump thru Zoom and kick his ass he was talking about Warping and quantizing.   The problem for me was his example he used one of the big groove hits from the 70's that had one of the great LA Motown drummers known for playing behind the beat.   The dam teacher was "Fixing" the time by quantizing the hell out of a great groove drum part.  Instructor kept saying you must quantize so you can add things later and they line up.   GRIDS ARE FOR KIDS asshole!!!!   

 

So for me education never stops it is my way to keep my brain exercised and not become one of those old "get off my lawn" types.  I've also learned to hate the word Tradition.    Seems like the people that say it actually are saying.... I don't want to learn anything new why does the world keep evolving.   Okay time for more coffee.  

 

[JamPro]

Last time I took a piano lesson was last fall - October if memory serves.

 

I had hired this teacher (conservatory-trained classical pianist with an interesting in improvisational playing) to help me overcome a persistent feeling of weakness and tension in my LH, and to guide me as I work on Bach.  He was very good at talking about the emotional aspects of a piece of music, and getting me to work on being more expressive in my playing.  He was really bad at teaching the mechanics and physical part of piano playing.  At one point, after I asking him multiple time about what I should be doing to improve my LH, he said to me "I don't know what you need to do to fix that.  That is something you have to figure out for yourself".  I decided that I did not need to pay him to teach me if I was going to have to figure it out for myself.  So I stopped lessons with him.

 

I have had a couple of really good teachers with whom I was able to make great progress, and a lot of really bad teachers who were no help at all at teaching playing mechanics and technique.  I would love to find a good teacher, but I'm not sure I have any more patience for weeding out all the bad ones.

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

I was living in Columbus about 15 years ago and decided that it would be stupid not to call Tony Monaco and get a lesson. I'm still digesting the info I got that hour. Another lesson would just be piling on.

[Montunoman 2]

1 hour ago, Montunoman 2 said:

39 minutes ago, Docbop said:

 

So for me education never stops it is my way to keep my brain exercised and not become one of those old "get off my lawn" types.  I've also learned to hate the word Tradition.    Seems like the people that say it actually are saying.... I don't want to learn anything new why does the world keep evolving.   Okay time for more coffee.  

 

That’s a great mindset you have! 

[Montunoman 2]

41 minutes ago, JamPro said:

Last time I took a piano lesson was last fall - October if memory serves.

 

I had hired this teacher (conservatory-trained classical pianist with an interesting in improvisational playing) to help me overcome a persistent feeling of weakness and tension in my LH, and to guide me as I work on Bach.  He was very good at talking about the emotional aspects of a piece of music, and getting me to work on being more expressive in my playing.  He was really bad at teaching the mechanics and physical part of piano playing.  At one point, after I asking him multiple time about what I should be doing to improve my LH, he said to me "I don't know what you need to do to fix that.  That is something you have to figure out for yourself".  I decided that I did not need to pay him to teach me if I was going to have to figure it out for myself.  So I stopped lessons with him.

 

I have had a couple of really good teachers with whom I was able to make great progress, and a lot of really bad teachers who were no help at all at teaching playing mechanics and technique.  I would love to find a good teacher, but I'm not sure I have any more patience for weeding out all the bad ones.

 

jampro, I understand your frustration. It’s had to find the right fit. My teacher, although he plays great, can frustrate me but the price is right and he keeps me on my toes. Oddly enough, he’s done more for my technique and form than any of the classical teachers I had. 

41 minutes ago, JamPro said:

 

 

 

[David Emm]

Gee, the topic is haunting to me. When I first got rolling and began to lean into synths, I knew I needed a better handle on the basics.

 

In 1980, I found a piano teacher who listened to me noodle, told me I had a real gift and made an appointment to get down to work 2 weeks later. Before that happened, her daughter called and told me she had passed away.

 

I found another with broad tastes who was very helpful, in part by correcting my damned piano posture! Its amazing what you can reach when you don't hunch over the keyboard like a vulture. We had 3 engaging sessions and then SHE died as well.

 

After that, I felt oddly cursed and never went in that direction again. I kept at it on my own until I arrived at an Emersonian ring of synths and got into the world of multitracking via a friend with a serious Otari reel-to-reel setup. That led to the Korg 01W workstation, my first wretched little DAW and eventually, the relief of Logic.

 

I'd love to have had a proper teacher who lifted me up some, but my road has been weirdly bumpy and I embraced the tech as it improved. Everyone has a different tale of how things went and where they veered off to here or there. I'm glad I got enough piano under my belt that I can play and more importantly, compose half-decently. Its also the case that I want the damned kids off my lawn, too. Screeching, half-feral little bastardos! 🤨 🤪 

[zephonic]

I took a lesson with Alan Pasqua last year, and with Mitch Forman two months ago.

 

Neither one delivered what I hoped for, but my expectations were probably unrealistic, looking for some kind of magic bullet to break through my own ceiling.

 

That said, I would go back to Mitch at some point. I’ve realized you need to know WHAT you want to learn from a person, not just go there expecting a revelation.

 

Finally, I’m picking up a lot of useful bits from Open Studio Jazz. That has been worth the price of admission for me.

 

[Montunoman 2]

3 minutes ago, zephonic said:

I took a lesson with Alan Pasqua last year, and with Mitch Forman two months ago.

 

Neither one delivered what I hoped for, but my expectations were probably unrealistic, looking for some kind of magic bullet to break through my own ceiling.

 

That said, I would go back to Mitch at some point. I’ve realized you need to know WHAT you want to learn from a person, not just go there expecting a revelation.

 

Finally, I’m picking up a lot of useful bits from Open Studio Jazz. That has been worth the price of admission for me.

 

Yes, I find if I don’t come my lesson with some very specific questions my lessons become more like  a private concert or a jam session, which can be fun, but I wonder what the hell just happened. Like, what I’m I supposed to prepare for next week? But I figure just being able to sit and observe so I’m so close and ask questions is worth the price. I am studying through a community college after all.
 

I watch a lot of the free open studio videos and show my teacher what I learned and he always puts new insights  and feed back into it. 

[CHarrell]

7 minutes ago, zephonic said:

I’ve realized you need to know WHAT you want to learn from a person,

 

I had to learn that lesson a couple years ago. I've been self taught all my life, and have gotten by on a lot of determination and learning on the job, but a couple years ago I decided that I hit a plateau in my playing and wanted to confront my fears of judgment, so I got a lesson with Jovino Santos Neto, who is local. It wasn't cheap, as you could probably imagine, and was held over Zoom. He listened to me play something just off the top, gave me some feedback, and then we started talking about the more philosophical aspects of music and his time with Hermeto. It was a great conversation, but I felt like it was more of an interview.  However, we kept exchanging e-mails after a while and actually listened to some performances I had sent for his feedback, and he was very encouraging.

 

I haven't booked another lesson with him in the last 2 years because of finances, but I probably should. This next time, I'd want to share explicitly what I'm looking for during the hour.

[RABid]

Piano - 1977. Lessons ended when I graduated high school. I had tried out and was accepted as a music major with piano as primary instrument but never followed up.

 

Drums - Never. Joined high school band as a drummer in 1973 and translated my ability to read piano music to drums. Learned by playing along with records.

 

Trumpet and saxophone - never. Was given a book on how to play and moved from drums to horns my senior year of high school because the band was desperate for horn players.

 

Guitar and bass guitar - A year or two ago I signed up for lessons at a local music store. I've played both in bands but never had any formal lessons. The teacher was terrible and after three weeks I decided that I would be batter off learning online.

 

DAWs and electronic instruments - I have a subscription to MacProVideo and have purchased a few other classes. Never face to face.

[Montunoman 2]

31 minutes ago, zephonic said:

 

 

 

12 minutes ago, CHarrell said:

 

I had to learn that lesson a couple years ago. I've been self taught all my life, and have gotten by on a lot of determination and learning on the job, but a couple years ago I decided that I hit a plateau in my playing and wanted to confront my fears of judgment, so I got a lesson with Jovino Santos Neto, who is local. It wasn't cheap, as you could probably imagine, and was held over Zoom. He listened to me play something just off the top, gave me some feedback, and then we started talking about the more philosophical aspects of music and his time with Hermeto. It was a great conversation, but I felt like it was more of an interview.  However, we kept exchanging e-mails after a while and actually listened to some performances I had sent for his feedback, and he was very encouraging.

 

I haven't booked another lesson with him in the last 2 years because of finances, but I probably should. This next time, I'd want to share explicitly what I'm looking for during the hour.

Yeah, lessons can be mucho dinero. If you’re so inclined, check out the community colleges. All the piano at the colleges around here have masters degrees from prestigious institutions, and impressive performing credentials. The composition instructor at the college I’m going to won a Grammy for a big band arrangement he wrote. 

[CHarrell]

8 minutes ago, Montunoman 2 said:

 

Yeah, lessons can be mucho dinero. If you’re so inclined, check out the community colleges. All the piano at the colleges around here have masters degrees from prestigious institutions, and impressive performing credentials. The composition instructor at the college I’m going to won a Grammy for a big band arrangement he wrote. 

 

Thanks for saving the day, Montuno Man!

[cphollis]

My last formal lesson was when I was 12 years old or so.  I'm 65, so it's been a while.

 

I was once described as a "self-directed learner", which means I stubbornly insist on figuring things out for myself.

[Montunoman 2]

1 minute ago, cphollis said:

My last formal lesson was when I was 12 years old or so.  I'm 65, so it's been a while.

 

I was once described as a "self-directed learner", which means I stubbornly insist on figuring things out for myself.

That’s totally cool, and good trait too. Most of my favorite players have very little formal learning. Either way, at the end day, you have to put in the work ! 

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

My most recent lesson was a week ago.  Next one comes up in about 2.5 hours.

[schmalex]

I had a guitar / voice / songwriting lesson this morning, but my last piano lesson was in mid-December.

[Bobadohshe]

Probably 8 years ago I got with one of the more well rounded pianists who plays for the SD Symphony. I wanted to work on my classical and get some help/motivation to get on top of difficult repertoire. I had a great few months tackling the 2nd and 3rd movement of Moonlight sonata. I never got it 100% down and my lessons with him had to go back burner and eventually stop indefinitely. Too busy with my own gig life. I also felt bummed because I was kind of plateauing working on that piece and wasn't ever able to relax and really get it under the fingers to the point where I was happy with it.

 

I would love to get back to that. So much repertoire, so little time.

[Al Quinn]

It was five years ago. I took 10 lessons with Glenn Zaleski. Prior to that I hadn't had a lesson since the early 80's.

 

I went into it with a very focused goal: to expand my harmonic vocabulary, which is something Glenn is very expert at. After the first lesson Glenn said my harmonic vocabulary is fine, my voicings are fine, my lines are fine, but that by working on the presentation of my material my playing would reach a higher level. He basically said, in so many words and in the most polite way, that I was barking up the wrong tree! Of course, I took his feedback to heart.

 

All in all, we probably spent a total of 15 hours together at his apartment in Brooklyn. During that time he taught me how to up my game in several areas: most notably a more active and deliberate role for the left hand, textures, effective layers and layer independence, and improved hand independence. Everything was done in the context of me finding my sound. Looking back I find it interesting that he didn't show me a single note or voicing to play -- everything was at the conceptual level and it was all about presenting my material in a more musical and effective way. 

[Montunoman 2]

15 hours ago, Lou Gehrig Charles said:

My most recent lesson was a week ago.  Next one comes up in about 2.5 hours.

Great, how did it go? What are you working on?

[Montunoman 2]

6 hours ago, Bobadohshe said:

Probably 8 years ago I got with one of the more well rounded pianists who plays for the SD Symphony. I wanted to work on my classical and get some help/motivation to get on top of difficult repertoire. I had a great few months tackling the 2nd and 3rd movement of Moonlight sonata. I never got it 100% down and my lessons with him had to go back burner and eventually stop indefinitely. Too busy with my own gig life. I also felt bummed because I was kind of plateauing working on that piece and wasn't ever able to relax and really get it under the fingers to the point where I was happy with it.

 

I would love to get back to that. So much repertoire, so little time.

Yes, so little time! When I was your age, taking regular lessons would have been impossible. Family responsibilities, day job, gigs, and  rehearsals took up all my time. Now my kids are away in college I finally have time for lessons and more practice. I’m sure you’ll be able to get back to it someday too. Until then, stay fit and healthy and of course enjoy your family ! 

[Montunoman 2]

12 hours ago, schmalex said:

I had a guitar / voice / songwriting lesson this morning, but my last piano lesson was in mid-December.

Do find the vocal lessons helpful? 

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

3 hours ago, Montunoman 2 said:

Great, how did it go? What are you working on?

We worked on some Allman Bros. material, a genre I am totally out of my element playing.

[Montunoman 2]

25 minutes ago, Lou Gehrig Charles said:

We worked on some Allman Bros. material, a genre I am totally out of my element playing.

Me too bro. Jessica is on my bucket list of great solos to learn ! 

[Outkaster]

4 years ago. COVID was the reason I stopped and my dad had a stroke at the time. 

[Montunoman 2]

20 minutes ago, Outkaster said:

4 years ago. COVID was the reason I stopped and my dad had a stroke at the time. 

Sorry to hear about your dad, and yeah, COVID messed everything up so much. I guess on line lessons are an option, but I think prefer in person. 

[zephonic]

6 hours ago, Al Quinn said:

During that time he taught me how to up my game in several areas: most notably a more active and deliberate role for the left hand, effective layers and layer independence, and improved hand independence. Everything was done in the context of me finding my sound. Looking back I find it interesting that he didn't show me a single note or voicing to play -- everything was at the conceptual level and it was all about presenting my material in a more musical and effective way. 

 

This is kind of what happened at my lesson with Mitch Forman.

[obxa]

On 5/14/2024 at 2:59 PM, zephonic said:

Neither one delivered what I hoped for, but my expectations were probably unrealistic, looking for some kind of magic bullet to break through my own ceiling.

 

That's been my experience  taking  one-off master classes with great players who aren't always the best teachers.   But I continue to do them when budget and/or availability allows.  I figure if nothing else, making the contact and getting at least one nugget justifies the cost. 

 

At 60+ feel  I'm doing better as a reborn older student.   Either because time is more precious, or comprension comes a little easier. But also forget faster if I don't apply and use the concepts. 

 

Got a local guy I see about once a month and get stuff to work on and keep busy with.   After following him on You-tube forever,  found out he lived next town over, and we had a ton of mutual music friends.    

 

Not sure if online counts;   works great for road travel and keeps me from other vices .   I do a scattershot approach.  Doing Mdecks, Jazmentl,  PianoPig, and a few others that have helped fill in some things for me with my short attention span.   Though I'm not as organ focused- considering  remote private w/Tony Monaco- love his vibe and chops. 

[schmalex]

On 5/15/2024 at 6:44 AM, Montunoman 2 said:

Do find the vocal lessons helpful? 

Yes, it's helpful for me for ear/pitch training & sight-reading practice.

[Delaware Dave]

Over 50 years ago. Still have my John W. Schaum music books marked up by what would now be my 130+ y/o piano teacher if she were still alive.