It's a common question to ask yourself when you want to start learning piano. You don't want to make any mistakes that will stop you from progressing or spend time on unnecessary exercises. You don't want to look back in 5 years realizing that you haven't really learnt as much as you could. That's why having a structured program to follow and some guidance will always be the preferred option, to help you avoid the common mistakes and to learn in the most effective way.

You don't have to do either when you play by ear, and it's something you can learn just like you can learn to cook a meal. It's a common misconception that you need to be born with the "talent". When you can in fact develop your relative pitch which is the ability to pick up and recognize the different elements within a song, such as melodies, chords, base notes etc, using your ears and then being able to play it. You're in luck, because you are already halfway there. You can already hear a lot of elements and different emotions in a song, now you just need to name it so you can play it on the piano.

There's a lot of piano tutorials out there and unfortunately the vast majority of it won't help you in the long run. I've been there, and a lot of my students have been there, sorting through a mountain of scattered videos that lack structure. Videos that usually jumps in difficulty or connection to each other. The truth is that the videos are mostly aimed to get attention rather than educate. Showing the very basics or some impressive trick but not the steps to actually get there comfortably. Showing the what to play but not the how or why to play which is why you easily hit a plateau and progress very slowly only learning from YouTube. That's why having a step-by-step program to follow along with actual guidance is so important and will accelerate your progress.

There's no secret that consistency makes success but how and what you practice is key. Without a clear path to follow there's a big chance of making mistakes and developing bad routines. Furthermore you feel unsure if you're practicing the right way which can build anxiety. That's not what learning piano should be like!

Another big reason for not seeing progress is not enjoying learning. Being forced into learning static complicated music theory right away or having to drill boring monotonous exercises for weeks before getting to enjoy playing piano. There's no wonder why so many pianists stop seeing progress and quit. You should have fun learning without it feeling like a chore.

Quality music education shouldn't break the bank. Although getting private lessons is a great option, not everyone can spend 40$ - 60$ per a 30 min lessons once a week. We believe that everyone should be able to access a quality piano program without a hefty price tag of hundreds of dollars or a burden of recurring subscription fees. There's also a comfort to be able to set your own schedule and be able to learn from your home.