Verified answer

The demands of playing the corpus of classical literature for orchestral instruments REQUIRES that you have technique commensurate with the demands of the works. You cannot play even the simple ones wiht home-made, struggling (and possibly injurious technique) and ever expect to meet the standards of the genre. You might NOT BE ABLE to hear the difference - but others can. There are ample instruments you can play socially whose demands are a lot less strenuous - unless you wish to TRULY reach the pinnacle in that genre, too -but you can be OK enough to join in and have a good time.

I just read a long article about dressage. The level of skill that both horse and rider have, after many years of serious work, is stunning. I am clueless about this- if I saw a completion, I would be in the "Look at the pretty horsie!" group. I do not ride at all - and if I were at one of these competitions (and we have a world-class place less than 10 miles from us) I would know enough to just smile, keep my mouth shut, and follow the lead of others,in my reactions - clap, sigh, etc.

You cannot stop people from doing something at the hobbyist level. If they enjoy it, and all the work - let them be. But here, we often find kids who have had NO private lessons, no decent music background, and announce to all and sundry that they intend to major in piano performance, or composition, or some other area in SERIOUS classical music, for which their only exposure I movies and *reality* shows. Telling them to rethink this is a KINDNESS. When they defy the opinions of the professional here, then we have to sometime take a stronger tone - but better to hate someone anonymous on the computer, than to walk out of a college audition in 10 minutes, in tears, knowing that every else they heard while waiting was LIGHT YEARS better than them.

So it's a matter of intention, and degree. Keep up with you studies, Natalie - knowing that they are good for you as a thinking PERSON, regardless of you future career plans.

I am a singer and I've never heard a self-trained singer that was worth listening. It's impossible for anyone without training to singing classical music without wrecking their voice completely. If you are untrained and you try to sing classical you will sound very unpleasant, period.

People are in many cases unaware that there is such a thing as singing lessons. They don't realize the amount of training it takes nor the technique behind it because great singers make it sound effortless. And I honestly hate the singing section so much because of all the 14-year-olds there who give answers such as "practice makes perfect" or "breathe from your diaphragm" and they have no idea how ignorant they are but I still answer there because I hope I can convince a few people to make a right and safe choice. At least when it comes to musical instruments there is no health risk involved but with singing that's not true. So I answer hoping that someone will read it and won't end up with vocal nodules.

People always want the easy way, that's why self-training is so popular. And it's also the attitude that they know better than those "snobbish" musicians who are pointing out how bad they sound. Anyone who thinks that they can make it in the field of classical music without taking it seriously and without making a real effort will be very disappointed. And many of those self-trained musicians reach a point where they are completely stuck and they STILL refuse to listen and prefer to search the internet for a tutorial or some clueless person's advice. Once again that's the easy way and it never has a good result.

And the one thing that drives me mad the most: those who are too lazy to learn how to read music. Reading music is probably one of the few easy things and they aren't even willing to do THAT.

All right, just to provide a bit different context: I am a self taught - or at least self-teaching, musician (struggling to learn viola in case it matters), and while I love listening to Classical music I have no interest whatsoever in playing it in an orchestral setting. I would very much like to master the technique involved, the sad, sweet sounds the viola can produce can actually bring tears to my eyes, but I'm not foolish enough to think I will ever play at that level. For one thing, I'm too old and at 54 don't have enough time left on this rock to master the style, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the journey.

Also, especially for singers and guitarists, if you are Classically trained chances are you will have to master an entirely different skill set if you ever want to play popular music. We, the great unwashed army of the self-taught, have the advantage in the popular arena where expression and individualism is more important than form.

The idea that trained musicians can't play by ear or improvise is what pisses me off! As someone who is a music educator can tell you, it actually makes it EASIER if you know basic music theory. Maybey formally trained pianists are "glued to the sheet music", because they may be SIGHT READING something for the first time when they play. Maybe it's an incredibly complicated piece, and your "self-taught" friend couldn't possibly play it AT ALL much less after one hearing and 15 minutes of fiddling around.

I tell you what REALLY kicks my goat off the mountain---having to abandon what you originally planned to sing because the "accompanist" the church or whatever provided turns out to not being able to read music and just makes up whatever crap he expects you to sing to--even if it's in a DIFFERENT KEY (or they decide to "improvise" in the middle of YOUR solo and suddenly modulate into a surprise key change! (Ha, Ha, I can usually modulate right along with you because I have a good ear and a wide vocal range). Maybe it's not so much an issue when it's some pop or jazz song, but it's maddening when it's SUPPOSED to be Schubert's "Ave Maria" or something, and the written accompaniment is actually an important part of the song. These pianists (or violinists or guitarists or whatever) is usually someone's nephew or aunt and they've got an entire group of people completely conned about their musical abilities.

Self-taught musicians tend to introduce individual idiosyncrasies into their singing and playing, before they're thoroughly grounded in standard techniques.

This is fine, even great, in popular singing and instrumental music, but it's a real impediment in classical music. It's largely a matter of taste, and famous classical musicians hold back on "free expressiveness" in favor of clear interpretations. Experienced listeners can immediately identify their favorite singers, violinists, and pianists anyway.

The number of allegedly self-taught professional classical musicians is miniscule. There is just too much of a subtle and nuanced nature, both about technique as well as 'musicianship' that can not, by nearly anyone, be learned 'on your own' without instruction from advanced professionals.

Best regards.

A whole lot of common sense out weighs the college degree approach; I will tell you that. Dedication, and determination helps too. I am a classical musician, self taught; and with help.

I am a natural player oboist. I didn't make this up it is what I was told by my teachers. The point is that even as a natural player I had to have lessons I couldn't teach myself. So if a natural player can't teach themselves there is NO chance that anyone else can do it.

I've noticed that the self-trained often appear to be quite proud of themselves and utterly oblivious to how awful they sound. One function of a teacher is to point out where you're going wrong and what you need to improve. Without that feedback, people tend to cement their mistakes and bad habits in place while remaining blissfully unaware of them.

The principal problem with 'teaching yourself' is that you're trying to learn from someone who knows nothing.