[J.D.]

....and i hate sheet music. i kinda know which notes are which (sometimes). i have had a piano teacher and my mom plays piano (and organ for church), but she really doesnt have time to teach me. i try and play by ear and it seems so hard sometimes, especially the bass notes. does anyone have any advice for me on how to find the bass notes and on how to play by ear?

[WinstonChurchill]

My advice on playing by ear would be: don't! It's worth spending the time now to learn how to read music, otherwise you're artificially limiting your progression at the piano for no good reason at all, and before you've even begun.

In any case, playing by ear is a lot easier once you have some understanding of music theory, particularly harmonic analysis. If you can't get a teacher right now (which I strongly recommend you do) there are any number of websites that will give you what you need.

Don't believe these people who claim that learning to read music limits their creativity or somehow restricts them at the keyboard. That's a fiction, dreamed up by lazy people! Usually guitar players!