Lesson taught on the piano as a child vs. self-taught on the piano as a child?

Self-taught would lend more to creativity and free-flowing musical composition, but on a more professional level, formal instructions and lessons can provide familiarity with the historical aspects, examples of piano pieces in orchetral works, and the playing styles of various performers.

Being self-taught and having natural talent can get you on the path as a skilled pianist, but its the formal training and dicipline that's going to get your foot in the door as a professional musician playing as a solo artist (like Tori Amos or Vanessa Carlton) or playing symphonies (like joining the London Symphoney Orchestra).

I was self-taught until my teens. I think my technique might be better if I'd received formal training earlier. By the time I took formal lessons, I had too many bad habits that were too hard for my teacher to change.

On the other hand, I think learning as I did may have given me a more active musical mind, instead of making me the piano-bot that some others became through years of formal training.

Getting a teacher is very important- I took piano lessons for 8 years. Being a quick learner, I was able to skip grade 3 (after playing for 3 1/2 years). Part of being a good pianist is to be able to sight read. Rhythm and timing are one of the most important things to learn- (There isn't going to be an mp3 for everything). Through a teacher, you will learn much that you will never learn teaching yourself. Finding the right teacher is very important, too- sometimes certain teachers are 'afraid' to correct you, and some others charge more if you learn quickly. Try to look around and find lessons for $15 every half hour (it's possible!). Having a teacher is much more than just learning pieces (just like learning to read is more than learning to read certain books). Hope this is helpful.

only taking the above detailed into account the taught child is better assuming everything else is the same. However you'll find that a self taught person has more of an ambition to play than teacher taught and thus they (mostly) seem to be better. I am teacher taugh and there is people better and worse that me that are self taught.

I took piano lessons for eight years as a child and to this day, cannot read music. But, if I hear a song, I can sit down at a piano and play it. I think that if one is musically inclined, one will excel in any kind of music lesson.

Even child/adult can benefit from the instruction from a professional. I am a piano teacher of 19 years, so I may be a little biased. But I have taught both highly musical children and the musically-challenged over the years. It's not always the "talented" ones who end up your best musicians. It's those students who are willing to *work* for it. And for those who can "play by ear," they've always said to me, "I wish I had learned to read music."

Also, there are technical skills a professional teacher teaches his/her studnets. Becoming a great pianist isn't just about playing the right notes. It's how you play them. Proper instructions includes note-reading, technical work (sclaes, cadences, arpeggios, etc), theory, ear-training, sight-reading, and music history.

i am self taught