Thank you. I am currently looking at all the online resources mentioned here including Andrew Lypur's web site including his music theory class which I can take while I save for my piano. Thank you guy and gals and I am also going to look at Alfred's book, CD, and DVD combo. I found this fellow on YouTube who has been playing for 20+ years on piano and about five other instruments including hornpipe and, while I understand you have to have natural born talent to accomplish something like that, is as good a player as anyone I have ever heard and he says he is entirely self taught. That makes me feel a whole lot better.

Ok fair enough, having read through you're reply I see where you were coming from and apologise for my harsh response.

I have been worn down by a few posters telling those that stated they don't want teachers, to go get a teacher. It could have been anyone saying that, I wasn't meaning to single you out.

I do understand where your coming from but it's a bit of a catch 22 situation.

Someone writes a short post, mentions they don't want a teacher, someone else like yourself, with a genuine reason, fully just wanting to help, responds also with a short post questioning them about not having a teacher.

The poster hasn't given the replier enough info as to why he or she can't have a teacher, and the replier hasn't given enough info in their reply as to their reasons for questioning this.

Again I apologise, I fully understand your reasoning.

At the same time a few posters congratulated me as they too have been finding being told to get a teacher when they have stated they cant, tiresome. Which shows its not just me that finds that sort of reply annoying.

And reading your follow up explanation I do get why you posted it, but this is why it's a catch 22 situation.

Had I been the op and posted my medical history as to why I can't have a teacher, you and most others (there will always be one) would have understood and wouldn't have questioned that.

But most people naturally don't want to give out all that personal info, hence are far more likely just to state that a teacher is an impossibility.

If someone responded to that post, with their reasons for questioning why the OP cant get a teacher, in as well thought out and concise way as you did to me, most people (again there's always one) wouldn't be offended (although, most still wouldn't want to share their personal health info). But it's very very very impracticable to respond to everyone who says they can't have a teacher in the way you did in your follow up posts.

Hence catch 22

I do sincerely apologise to you for misunderstanding, I know you wouldn't have gone out of your way to explain yourself if you weren't a kind and caring person and I'm sorry yours was the post that made me post my response that I've been debating whether or not to post for a few weeks now in response to numerous different posters.

I'm not sure there's an easy solution really, sorry if I'm repeating myself, just trying to fully explain my feelings.

Best

Joe

Check out Josh Wright on YouTube as well. I like Andrew, but more often than not he takes 20 minutes to cover 2 minutes of material.

Josh doesn't have a course per se, but his topical videos are absolutely *packed* with helpful pointers.

Thanks for posting about Josh Wright piano videos. I already adjusted the piano bench because of him because I was sitting too close.

I know what you're saying about Andrew. The young man certainly has talent, but I wouldn't want him for a real life piano teacher. There would just be a personality clash between us. I am not putting him down mind you, but some people are to each other what icebergs are to the Titanic. I am afraid if I had to really pack up my stuff, drive in traffic and end up in not such a good mood before I even landed on his door, we would never even make it through a class without exchanging UNpleasentries. He just rubs me the wrong way, as I am quite sure I do other people, as a matter of fact I have lived it. They were nice people who I wanted to get to know, but I could tell they just didn't like me for some reason. Such is life.

On the upside I have settled on a piano, a new Casio PX-350 which I found out I can lease from a store in my state and apply the entire first years rent toward the purchase price, which is the same as everywhere else sells them for, and I am talking to some Skype instructors to decide which one to pick when the time comes. Let me tell you a U.S. dollar goes a long ways in Greece and the former Eastern Comm Block countries and also China. You can hire university professors and concert performers for less than half the cost of a lesson in the U.S. and most speak better English than I do.

I have the same "too close" problem, but there is no space behind the bench to be had. I've yet to convince my wife to ditch the coffee table that sits between the dog cage and the sofa that take up all the space between me and the far wall.

I'm also making little headway in the "plants don't belong on the piano, even if it is just a $100 spinet" war.

Josh is a very nice guy and generous with his time. I emailed him with a suggestion for a future video and a couple questions and he gave me a very thoughtful and fairly lengthy reply.

I will have to check him out!

+1 to Josh Wright's videos