With the power of the internet, those who want to learn to play an instrument have more resources than ever. There are countless YouTube channels dedicated to teaching music at all levels, as well as thousands of tabs and chord charts that can be found across the web. There are dozens of paid online subscription services promising to teach music fast! With all of these resources readily available, who can blame you for being persuaded to skip traditional music lessons in favor of teaching yourself with the help of the internet?

Bad Habits

More often than not these services lead to bad habits and poor musical technique. If you hit a wall in your musical journey down the road, you will likely have to spend countless hours unlearning bad habits (it takes 21 days to break a habit!), instead of getting to do all the fun stuff that normally comes as you advance.

You Get What You Pay For

Of course, it’s very tempting to use a free service such as YouTube to learn music over paying a music teacher, but most of the time, you get what you pay for. When you schedule a traditional music lesson, you’re paying for the teacher’s expertise, as well as their one-on-one attention.

For example, if there’s a particular song you’re having trouble with, a teacher can help you pinpoint the measure of the song giving you the most trouble, slow it down, and offer practice techniques that lead to mastery. They can offer specific techniques that may be hampering your playing, and teach the most effective habits.

Learning with a teacher also goes so much faster! A skill that may take two hours to learn through a YouTube video will take only 20 or 30 minutes with a private teacher.

It's Not All or Nothing

Some students may have success with online learning methods, and they can be a great supplement for practicing at home, but they are not the best sole learning method. Most students will greatly benefit from in-person music lessons with a skilled teacher who can guide you and tailor the lesson to your personal learning style. Learning music isn’t always easy, but with the right teacher, it will be one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences of your life.