--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started going to a piano teacher at 5…" description: "\"I started going to a piano teacher at 5 years old, but pretty soon I started picking things out on my own and stopped taking music lessons. I never cou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/mose-allison-11837_lessons_i-started-going-to-a-piano-teacher-at-5_410106.jpg" --- # I started going to a piano teacher at 5 years old, but… ![“I started going to a piano teacher at 5 years old, but pretty soon I started picking things out on my own and stopped taking music lessons. I never could read music very well, but I've still been doing it.” quote by Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/mose-allison-11837_lessons_i-started-going-to-a-piano-teacher-at-5_410106.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/mose-allison-11837_lessons_i-started-going-to-a-piano-teacher-at-5_410106.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/mose-allison-11837_lessons_i-started-going-to-a-piano-teacher-at-5_410106.jpg) > “I started going to a piano teacher at 5 years old, but pretty soon I started picking things out on my own and stopped taking music lessons. I never could read music very well, but I've still been doing it.” [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He left formal lessons, self‑taught, and continued creating despite limited reading ability. **In simple terms:** Self‑teaching can sustain creativity. Key Takeaway Embrace self‑learning, keep creating. Themes creativity self‑directed learning music Mood inspirational reflective Type musical educational When to use this quote - songwriting - performance - personal practice Key Concepts improvisation autodidactism Questions to Reflect On - What skills can you self‑teach? - How do you balance formal and informal learning? A Different Perspective Self‑teaching may limit technical growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-lessons/) [Piano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piano/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [I love anything that gets me outside of my own head. I love music because it's really just - I tried to play piano…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/i-love-anything-that-gets-me-outside-of-my-own-head-i-love-music/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [There wasn't a lot of music in the home when I was growing up. We didn't have a piano or anything like that but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-brandis/there-wasn-t-a-lot-of-music-in-the-home-when-i-was-growing-up-we-didn/) [George Brandis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-brandis/) > [I became really creative around the time I started understanding that people could be creative with music and that that was allowed. I stated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-angelakos/i-became-really-creative-around-the-time-i-started-understanding-that/) [Michael Angelakos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-angelakos/) > [I went through eight years of classical piano lessons without being able to read notes. I only have to hear a melody to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-howlett/i-went-through-eight-years-of-classical-piano-lessons-without-being/) [Liam Howlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-howlett/) > [When I lost a tennis match that made me upset or hurt emotionally I would find myself going to the piano and playing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/when-i-lost-a-tennis-match-that-made-me-upset-or-hurt-emotionally-i/) [Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/) > [My mom was a piano teacher. It turned into something of a competition between me and her students... I liked the idea that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-potter/my-mom-was-a-piano-teacher-it-turned-into-something-of-a-competition/) [Grace Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-potter/) > [Basically, my mother is a piano teacher, and she actually teaches piano at Yamaha School of Music today. She's a really, really amazing human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eldar-djangirov/basically-my-mother-is-a-piano-teacher-and-she-actually-teaches-piano/) [Eldar Djangirov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eldar-djangirov/) > [“If I ever go to China, I’m going to find a piano and play “Chopsticks”--only not with my fingers, but rather I’ll be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/if-i-ever-go-to-china-i-m-going-to-find-a-piano-and-play-chopsticks/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I know some things when I start. I know, let's say, that the play is going to be a 1970s or a 1930s play,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/i-know-some-things-when-i-start-i-know-let-s-say-that-the-play-is/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Me today!!>>>> Going to piano class:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/me-today-going-to-piano-class/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [If I ever go to China, Im going to find a piano and play Chopsticks--only not with my fingers, but rather Ill be using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/if-i-ever-go-to-china-im-going-to-find-a-piano-and-play-chopsticks/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [I have had a singing teacher in L.A. for many, many years just to work on my voice as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-have-had-a-singing-teacher-in-l-a-for-many-many-years-just-to-work/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [I became a high school teacher for many years because it was a very tangible, concrete way where I could make a difference, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/i-became-a-high-school-teacher-for-many-years-because-it-was-a-very/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [“The thing is, I think I like kids, more or less. I was an English teacher for a few years before I quit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-weber/the-thing-is-i-think-i-like-kids-more-or-less-i-was-an-english/) [Bruce Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-weber/) > [I grew up with my mom as a teacher for years. I went to school where she taught, so I spent a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinta-brunson/i-grew-up-with-my-mom-as-a-teacher-for-years-i-went-to-school-where/) [Quinta Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinta-brunson/) ## More by Mose Allison > [I never bothered about keeping track.Every now and then someone records one of my songs, and I get credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-never-bothered-about-keeping-track-every-now-and-then-someone/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I just try to do as good job with the material as I can and play some jazz as well, some improvised music, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-just-try-to-do-as-good-job-with-the-material-as-i-can-and-play-some/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I'm happy whenever anybody does my material. I don't care what they do with it. I do what I want to with other people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-m-happy-whenever-anybody-does-my-material-i-don-t-care-what-they-do/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I'm not inspired by songwriting at all; that took place years ago. I'm pretty well established, as far as my influences go. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-m-not-inspired-by-songwriting-at-all-that-took-place-years-ago-i-m/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [Ever since the world ended, I don't go out as much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/ever-since-the-world-ended-i-don-t-go-out-as-much/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [There's a lot of terrible things goin' on all the time, but you gotta try and have some fun in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/there-s-a-lot-of-terrible-things-goin-on-all-the-time-but-you-gotta/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I finally decided if I was going to make a living, I was gonna have to come to New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-finally-decided-if-i-was-going-to-make-a-living-i-was-gonna-have-to/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [The idea was I'd never amount to anything in music, The theme there was that I was talented, but I wouldn't work hard enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/the-idea-was-i-d-never-amount-to-anything-in-music-the-theme-there/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I haven't stopped and I don't plan on stoppin' any time soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-haven-t-stopped-and-i-don-t-plan-on-stoppin-any-time-soon/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [You always want to write the perfect song. But no one will ever write the perfect song, I guess. I would just like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/you-always-want-to-write-the-perfect-song-but-no-one-will-ever-write/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-been-getting-good-crowds-it-only-took-50-years/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [My main influences have always been the classic jazz players who sang, like Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole and Jack Teagarden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/my-main-influences-have-always-been-the-classic-jazz-players-who-sang/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I was taking chemical engineering. But I went into the army after that. When I came out of the army, I was a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-was-taking-chemical-engineering-but-i-went-into-the-army-after-that/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I just have a lot off different influences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-just-have-a-lot-off-different-influences/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [I've been able to do pretty well. I don't work as many consecutive nights as I used to, but I'm still working over 100…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-ve-been-able-to-do-pretty-well-i-don-t-work-as-many-consecutive/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) [Explore all 57 Mose Allison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) ## More Lessons quotes > [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. 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I have to laugh at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvette-nicole-brown/i-think-god-has-a-sense-of-humor-and-the-way-my-lessons-come-from-god/) [Yvette Nicole Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvette-nicole-brown/) > [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The things of the world are ever rising and falling, and in perpetual change; and this change must be according to the will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-von-humboldt/the-things-of-the-world-are-ever-rising-and-falling-and-in-perpetual/) [Wilhelm von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-von-humboldt/) > [As a scientist, objectivity is one of my most deeply held values. 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