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Hi,

I'd really like to hear from the teachers on this. As a child, I never had the opportunity to learn a musical instrument due to my family's financial situation. Now that I'm an adult, I've finally been able to explore music and have been doing so almost obsessively. I started with piano about 4-5 yrs ago and simultaneously added violin. I had always wanted to learn violin as a kid. Because piano was easier, I focused more on piano and bit less on violin over the years. I haven't had lessons constantly either due to work and life getting in the way, but I'd estimate 2.5 yrs of piano lesson time with a teacher and maybe 1 yr worth of lesson time with a violin teacher. I mostly do alot of learning on my own, when I have the time to commit outside of work. I don't have a family to take care of, just me, myself, and I to worry about!

Lately, I've fallen in love with the harp - I now have a harp sitting in my living room and planning on starting some lessons on the harp. To give you an idea of my level on piano, for example, I've played Schubert impromptus, a few Chopin nocturnes, and 1-2 Mozart sonatas (maybe not played like a pro but I'm pretty good at memorizing and also feel very comfortable reading music). For violin, my progress has been slower and my tone has improved nicely considering I just started up again with a new teacher - I will be learning how to do vibrato with my new teacher(finally!).

I always hesitate to tell new teachers that I'm also studying other instruments for fear of scaring them away! What do teachers think of students who take on too many instruments? Are you deterred from picking up an adult student if you think they'll be stretched too thin on practice time?

Depends on whether they actually ARE stretched too thin on practice time.

If you're giving each instrument enough practice daily, or almost daily, all is well.

If you don't have enough time to practice enough on every instrument daily or near-daily, then maybe pick one that you are committed to learning, and two that you "play once in a while for fun."

I figure the student will eventually slide into a preference for one instrument or another. Or sometimes for two instruments versus three.

If you are in the work force full time, it's very difficult to find time to practice more than one instrument.

I've had dabblers, and you can perceive their type almost immediately. But the dabblers on multiple instruments I do sort of admire, even though they won't be able to sustain what they are doing for long.

Well, I've decided that sometimes 'honesty isn't the best policy' after all. I'm not going to mention these other instruments to any of my teachers. They don't need to know since it's not relevant to the particular instrument they teach. If they ask, I'll just casually say I dabble a little with other instruments too and downplay what I do know about music. It's always better to downplay what you know I've found because then teachers don't make all kinds of assumptions about your abilities or lack thereof!

2 is too many instruments.

The less instruments you play, the better you will be at each of the instruments.

Nonsense. Playing more than one instrument opens your musical horizons. You become a more complete musician. I recommend that any pianist should learn at least one melodic instrument, or actively train their singing voice.

Your piano teacher should actively support the idea of playing at least one other instrument. It probably means that you are passionate about music, not just about playing the piano.

Unless your teachers are very narrow minded (in which case it would be better to find other teachers), I would recommend the opposite policy. Most of the teachers I know are capable of playing another instrument apart from the one they teach.

Why downplay what you know about music? Any teacher should be delighted to take on a pupil with a wide musical knowledge.

It's not given to many people to be almost equally good at more than one instrument, though piano-playing and conducting does seem to go together (Barenboim, Ashkenazy et al).

But here's a virtuoso playing two Romantic warhorses on two different instruments, with great aplomb:

http://youtu.be/N9oTYIvKafs

http://youtu.be/cI8siIwR9JM

Several of my piano students are learning two (or more) instruments at the same time. This is on top of the 45 different extracurricular activities that they are "engaging" in.

All it does is to ensure that they are stretched out so thin, that they end up not being great in any ONE activity.

Hey, but that's the sign of the times! Broad and shallow is preferred over narrow and deep. All the kids now can do ten things terribly instead of two things well.

Does that apply to learning the organ as well as the piano? That's something I'd like to do someday, and I'm hoping that there will be enough crossover to make it viable.

There is a well-known UK pianist who was an organ scholar at my school (and played clarinet in the orchestra), who went on to win the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow..........

But the two instruments require different keyboard techniques (& pedal techniques) - it's easier for pianists to switch to organ (or dabble in it) than vice versa. I play the (pipe) organ in churches and cathedrals whenever I get the chance. Bach sounds so.....right on the organ .

I agree. If you're a good pianist you will have no problem with the organ keyboard. The organ pedals will require more work: you'll have to stop yourself falling into your usual pianist's pedalling reflexes. But at least the pedals are laid out like a piano keyboard: it's pretty easy to learn a basic pedal technique. I've never learnt to play the organ, but manage fine as long as the pedal parts aren't too complex.

An organist who switches to piano has two completely new things to learn: the touch sensitivity and the use of the right pedal.

There are many players who are proficient on both instruments.

Perhaps that would be true if you started with a melody instrument. But if you started with piano, there is no reason to "expand your horizons" any further than that.

Have you never wondered if you might be missing something?

I hope this isn't true; I'm just starting up guitar lessons next week!

If I had, I could quickly dispel any doubts I might have by talking to a violinist.

i played violin for a while. piano has definitely changed my view of music for the better.

I am very happy that I play both flute and piano. I also sing in a chorus. I don't think there's any one single answer; it will depend on your interests and goals.

My teacher is aware of the different instruments, and is quite supportive.

My school requires all students at a certain grade level to choose band, choir, or orchestra.
If they were only allowed one instrument to study,then the piano teachers would never progress past this same age/grade level, knowing that so far, and no farther, shalt thou goest.

Instead, the students that pursue another instrument, or even voice, are bringing that knowledge into the piano lesson, and what they are learning is reinforced.

Now, I do not like "serial hobbyists" who take up piano one year, guitar the next, then karate, then baseball, and so on, dropping one or more as the year progresses.

But, if you mean a true student, who practices and studies, then by all means, enhance your learning.

I know some kids that can play piano, a stringed instrument, a brass instrument, and also are quite good at academics. They plan their time well and have natural talent and abilities and use them for good.

But, it depends on the student and their motivations, and opportunities to study/practice.

Give me a dedicated student with multiple instruments over a serial hobbyist any day.