Piano Basics: With a Teacher or On Your Own?

Teacher and student at a Piano Basics workshop - Helsinki Piano Lab

So you want to learn piano. Maybe you've already watched a few YouTube tutorials or downloaded an app. Maybe you're nervous about playing in front of someone - or you're just not sure if lessons are worth it when there's so much free content online. Does working with a teacher make a difference?

That's a completely fair question. And the honest answer might surprise you.

What works well about learning piano on your own

Let's start with what online or app learning genuinely does well - because it does a lot.

Learning on your own is a great way to get familiar with the keyboard without any pressure. You can explore and experiment at your own pace, in your own space, with nobody listening. For many people, that privacy is important - especially at the beginning when things can feel clumsy and unfamiliar.

Note-reading apps are genuinely useful. Many piano teachers recommend them to their students as a practice tool. You can learn where the notes are, start playing simple melodies, and get a feel for whether piano is something you enjoy - without spending much at all.

And there's no schedule to keep. You play when you feel like it, for as long as you feel like. That flexibility blends easily with other responsibilities.

Where self-teaching gets tricky

If you've been learning on your own for a while, some of the following might ring true.

You're playing the right notes - the app confirms that! But are you using the right fingers? The app doesn't deduct stars for improvised fingering. And yet, at the back of your mind, you might wonder how much it matters?

Likewise, when you pour everything into a piece - does anyone notice? Or does the app just record a wrong note in bar 12 and tell you to try again? Are you rewarded for mechanical, machine-like playing, and ignored when you put your heart and soul into it?

And has the initial excitement faded? How do you stay motivated when there's no one expecting you to show up? Who notices if you skip a week? It's easy to quietly drift away...

Do you know what to practise next? How do you get from where you are to where you actually want to be?

And what about playing for someone else? You can play when you're alone - but could you play in front of another person? It's normal to feel nervous. But it's also something that stays exactly where it is unless someone helps you through it.

If none of this sounds like you - learning piano on your own could be working well!

But if you're resonating with any of these questions, your learning could be complemented with a teacher.

What a piano teacher actually gives you

A teacher doesn't replace what you've been doing - but it fills a gap that can be hard to see.

They might catch a fingering problem before it becomes a habit. They notice tension in your posture that you don't notice - because you were focusing so hard on the notes. They give feedback on details that a machine can't see, hear or feel - details that form the basis of next-level playing!

But it's more than fixing problems. A teacher gives you a personally tailored path - built around YOUR goals, your pace, your musical taste. Want to accompany your singing? Play your favourite songs? Work toward a specific piece? A teacher builds a route to get you there. An app gives most people the same road.

And there's accountability - not in a strict way, but in the way that having someone genuinely invested in your progress keeps you moving forward. You practise because you want to show what you've been working on. You show up because someone's expecting you.

Most importantly, your teacher can be the first audience you'll ever have - and a safe one. That's where something unexpected happens: you discover that playing for someone else feels different. Music becomes something you give, not just something you do.

That joy of giving is what keeps musicians going - even through the nerves. Over time it builds a confidence that can change your relationship with music completely!

Learning piano on your own vs. with a teacher

	Learning on your own	With a teacher
Learn at your own pace	Yes	Yes
No pressure at the start	Yes	Yes (a good teacher creates a safe space)
Price to start	€0-10	€29 (guided, personalised start)
Note-reading and basic skills	Yes	Yes
Correct technique and fingering	No - the app can't see your hands	Yes - caught and corrected early
Personalised learning path	No - same content for everyone	Yes - tailored to your goals
Knowing what you don't know	No	Yes - they see the big picture
Accountability	No	Yes - someone invested in your progress
Confidence playing for others	No	Yes - built gradually and safely
Knowing how to get where you want to go	No	Yes

So should you learn piano with a teacher or on your own?

It's not either/or. And we're not going to pretend that online resources are useless - they're not.

Many students start with free tutorials and come to a teacher when they feel stuck or want to progress faster. That's a completely valid path. And in our experience, the best progress usually happens when a student uses online resources AND has a teacher.

Even with a teacher, the fastest progress is made when you practise between lessons. The teacher gives you direction, feedback, and the big picture. By repeating what you have learned at home, you improve fluency and muscle memory: what might have been difficult the previous week, becomes easier the next. The internet and apps give you extra: note-reading practise, theory apps, play-along videos, performances, and inspiration.

In fact, we give our students free access to an app (Piano Maestro - a fun note-reading and practice app) which can be used at home - because we believe the right tools and the right teacher together are more powerful than either one alone.

Curious what a piano lesson actually feels like?

Most good piano schools offer a trial lesson to get started, with no commitment to continue. I strongly recommend trying one and seeing first-hand how an experienced teacher can give you feedback, support, and gentle nudges in the right direction.

At Helsinki Piano Lab we offer a trial lesson for just €29 - no commitment, no pressure - just a relaxed 30 minutes to meet a teacher, learn, ask questions, and experience what it feels like to be welcomed into a musical home where you can grow at your own pace.

Try a Lesson

Still exploring? Download our free guide to the best piano learning apps and start practising today.

Coming soon...