Someone playing half as long but just as good a pianist

[pet]

Do you think a person playing the piano for about 7-8 years can be as good (and mature) as a pianist that has played twice as long?  The reason why I ask this is because, many people believe that they wasted their time all of the years they have been playing the piano, when they look at someone that hasn't played as long as them, play just as well.  I am talking about all aspects of playing the piano, and not just performance.  For instance, how they practice, how long does it take for the person to play a piece well, etc.

What are your thoughts?

[I Love Xenakis]

Some people are just faster learners than others.

[BoliverAllmon]

drawing comparisons only brings on depression. Just play for the sake of playing.

[jamie_liszt]

hmm, they say its harder to become a good/professional pianist if you only start learning/taking it seriously sometime in your 20's or later, and example would be paderewski i think he started taking piano seriously at 23 i think (not totally sure) and they said he wouldn't make it as a professional. But he did. Most of the professionals now a days performed all 24 chopin etudes at like 11 lol, im 16 and i couldnt play all of them perfect. letalone 5 years ago. But as someone else has already said it depends how faster learner you are, you could start learning piano at 18 but still become a professional (lol mybe in your 40's)

[zheer]

I think you could spend the first 10 years of piano playing doing it the wrong way, and that migt be a slight waste of time. Whereas looking at the vid of a 10 year old playing chopins etude 25/12 on a different thread shaws the possibilitys of piano playing if don correctly. As far as becoming a professional, this is what i think, you need lots and lots of talent, you then need a number of outstanding teachers and finally you need to do a lot of hard work over a long period of time, you also need to start young.

[arensky]

7 years of correct playing is better than 14 years of incorrect playing. And so many bad habits and faulty technique can be ingrained in a much shorter period of time, it's frightening to think of how long it could take to retrain our 14 year person. When you take that into account the 7 year person is even further ahead. Of course I'm assuming this comparison of skills includes musical and interpretive ability as well as just technical. It all depends on the particular individuals involved, I guess....

[rimv2]

Do you think a person playing the piano for about 7-8 years can be as good (and mature) as a pianist that has played twice as long?  The reason why I ask this is because, many people believe that they wasted their time all of the years they have been playing the piano, when they look at someone that hasn't played as long as them, play just as well.  I am talking about all aspects of playing the piano, and not just performance.  For instance, how they practice, how long does it take for the person to play a piece well, etc.

What are your thoughts?

Ah speak english.

While ahm fully capable of speaking in a the manner known as proper, years of slang creep into conversation when ahm not paying attention.

Ironically

This seems to never happen to foreigners

[gorbee natcase]

It doesn't matter how many years you have been studying, Its when you begin to take it seriously and don't need reminding to practice that you should be adding the years up, think about that one

[pet]

Thanks for answering!  You all have given me a lot to consider.