Should piano players specalise ?

Hi Andrew,
I was wondering your opinon on whether people should learn lots of different styles ie classical, rock, blues, jazz etc when learning or should they just choose one genre?

Do you only play classical? or are you hiding a mad rock'n'roller that only comes out when the camera is turned off?

I have just started (tonight) lessons with a teacher and I want to do my exams, so I guess that they will all be classical type stuff, do you think if I also learn some other songs it will be a good thing or a bad thing for my playing in general?

I think the more different things you play the better you will get in all the different types. If you only play classical youll get good at it. But if you play other types as well you will probably get Even better at classical to.
But there are also a lot of differences in pieces in classical music. I have tried to learn pieces that isnt alike the last I learned so that I lern new things all the time, and together it is dynamite Well thats my response at least, I dont know what Andrew would say ?!

What you wanna play will shape through your life, I actually like to explore all different kinds of music.
It all depends on what's on your mind, right now I'm actually listening to "noise" music...

It all comes down to what style you connect with best in the end. It's true that classical music will be the most complex in the end, but lots of other styles can be very complex as well, such as Jazz or Rag time music.

My suggestion is, try out a few different styles, see what you like, then focus on the genre's you connect with in your heart. Myself I like classical and Rag time the best. But that's just me! What do YOU like.

Discover what you enjoy and then focus on music like that, but make sure you give everything a fair chance. Classical music deserves a good chance just as much as pop or rag time does!

Hope that helps

I see Andrew uses subliminal imagery here..... It was blinking barely visible "classical" on my monitor here ^_^

But as Andrew points out clearly, it's YOU that have to decide.

You should play music you like, and even if you dont usually listen to classical music, you should try that out too.
I do listen to classical, mostly Bach because I like the multiple melodies played simultaneously. Anyway...

Whoever composer, singer or whatever you're fan of should mirror in your playing. Becuase thats the type of music you like.
( broken engrish? )

But that's part of the problem, I kind of like it all..... I was wondering if there is a danger I will become a jack of all trades and master of none

Or is the stuff I learn in classical going to help or hinder me when it comes to other types (and vise a versa)

CaptainAhabNZ wrote:But that's part of the problem, I kind of like it all..... I was wondering if there is a danger I will become a jack of all trades and master of none

Or is the stuff I learn in classical going to help or hinder me when it comes to other types (and vise a versa)

If you read once more what I wrote Cause I answer that.

Thomandy wrote: I think the more different things you play the better you will get in all the different types. If you only play classical youll get good at it. But if you play other types as well you will probably get Even better at classical to.

But there are also a lot of differences in pieces in classical music. I have tried to learn pieces that isnt alike the last I learned so that I lern new things all the time, and together it is dynamite Well thats my response at least, I dont know what Andrew would say ?!

oh yeah you did to....