Late Beginner

[belvoce]

I was a late beginner, who began self teaching myself at the age of 12 and started lessons in highschool. I've progressed very far in just a few years, but I feel so very behind in my skills and playing level. Do late beginners have a disadvantage in the piano world?

[bernhard]

Yes, age matters:

1.      You know why you want to learn the piano.

2.      You have the discipline to do what it takes.

3.      You have the accumulated life experience that will allow you to hear a piece and perceive meaning where there was none before.

4.      Your intellect has developed so that you can understand the structure of music.

5.      Your hands can reach an octave and beyond.

6.      You have the capacity to earn money and pay for the best teacher and have lessons as often as you wish.

7.      You know how to focus and concentrate.

8.      You understand the concept of practising with aim, of practising towards improvement, and your hearing is now developed enough so that you can be critical of your own playing.

9.      You have inner motivation: you are learning the piano because you want to, not because your parents want you to.

10.      You can buy books and learn from them.

11.      You can go to concerts without becoming restless and bored.

12.      You can buy CDs and listen to them.

13.      You can surf the net and be a member of Piano forum and read Bernhard’s uplifting and encouraging posts.

14.      You can make your own timetable, plan your work and work your plan.

So what do you think? Have I listed enough disadvantages in regards to a four-five year old?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[comme_le_vent]

im like what?!

12 is late?? i started at about 17 and im already a piano god...so there is hope for everyone with a talent as colossal as mine.  

[MasterTuner]

One of my former classmates remarked that we started too late.  My first "real"  classical lessons were at age 14.  By age 17, I entered college and studied the repertoire and focused on technique.  I'm currently 26 and I feel as though I CAN reach the super virtuoso level.  It's all a mater of what you believe you can do!

[comme_le_vent]

i learned chopin's op25 no 12 at 18, after only seriously playing for a year.

i now have it at tempo and sounding good.

[belvoce]

Bernhard,

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I am at a difficult time in my piano exploration, and your post was exactly what I needed. It describes me perfectly.   It was just hard hearing from my own piano teacher last fall that I was a level or two below the average (I so dislike that word!) entering freshman college piano major,  and that I shouldn't even try to major in piano in college. I am persevering though. I will be a voice major this fall, and will continue my study of piano, and I am excited about how much more there is to learn about music.
Thank you, Bernhard.

To the others, where I am from, 12 is very late. It is typical to start playing around the age of 4-6, and to be competing in major competitions by the age of 12. Well, that certainly wasn't me  , but I don't have to be a piano prodigy in order to have fun playing!  

[monk]

Bernhard,

It was just hard hearing from my own piano teacher last fall that I was a level or two below the average (I so dislike that word!)

If what your teacher said is true (is it?), then you should pose yourself the question why you didn't know (hear) that before? Were you in a kind of dreamland, did you think of yourself as great when in fact you weren't that great?
If you want to pursue professional studies, you have to become much more realistic!
And that means to see yourself as what you are at the moment: Not great - but with much development potential -, but also not a sucker.
And you have to strive to understand (and hear!) why exactly your teacher says you are below average. You have to listen much to other interpretations of the pieces you play - by really great pianists, but also by other students. Otherwise you remain too dependent on a teacher, and you are not able to develop an own voice.

Greatness is not playing all notes right very fast and following all remarks in the sheet music! (Although of course it's never wrong to be able to do so :-))
Greatness is playing with your own voice, is really saying something to the listener. And that can be achieved on all levels of technical ability.

Best Wishes,
Monk