started when i was 17 - still a chance?

[asdfman]

hello, im new, and ive been wondering quite a while now. I started playing piano about 8 months ago and the pieces ive finished for now are

rach op3 no2 prelude
mozart alla turca
beethoven für elise and moonlight sonata
bach menuett in g
bach c prelude
yann tiersen amelie

non of those are edited versions.

also, like i guess everyone, i started many many other pieces like chopins revolutionary etude or liszts liebestraum 3, schumanns träumerei, rachs 23/5 and pieceslike that. but im only in the first few measures with them, since i  just wanted to try them out.

i never took lessons yet but i will in about 2 months, i just wanted to ask if MAYBE just maybe i could still start a career as musician. i know its not very realistic but id like to try. i practice about 3-4 hours day, never less but sometimes more. if its not possible, well thats ok then, but still it would be really great.

thanks

[hastur]

If you've got the ambition, motivation, and dedication it requires, I'm quite positive you got a pretty damn good shot at it. It means you'll reach concert level (if that's what you are aiming for) later in life than someone starting early might have, but other than that, I think you've got the same chance as any of those kids who start when they can barely reach the keys.

With that said, it's not going to be easy, you'll have to practice a lot, and you really need to get that teacher asap, not only because it will greatly boost the speed at which you'll be able to progress, but also because teaching yourself is bound to bring with it a lot of bad habits.

Good luck, and never give up!

[nyiregyhazi]

If you've got the ambition, motivation, and dedication it requires, I'm quite positive you got a pretty damn good shot at it. It means you'll reach concert level (if that's what you are aiming for) later in life than someone starting early might have, but other than that, I think you've got the same chance as any of those kids who start when they can barely reach the keys.

Don't be so bloody silly! Such a matter of fact statement can only come from a place of utter ignorance. There are those who started in their teens and became very good. But if you think every single person who has ambition, motivation and dedication reaches concert level, you're not living in the real world. It's scarcely different from those who look at world record holders and prime ministers or millionaires etc and think "yeah, I could easily have done that if I'd wanted to". Of course it's not that simple!!! There' a great big gulf of difference between having belief in yourself and such far-reaching delusions of infallible personal excellence.

From a pragmatic perspective, there's no need to rule anything out either. However, the first step is to become extremely good because you WANT to. If you're going to start entertaining the idea of building up to a career before doing that, everything is in completely the wrong order.

If you put the work in and fail to become a professional, will you feel the time has been wasted? If so, forget it. If not, do your practise for the right reasons and concern yourself with developing. Nothing else should even come into it.

[keyboardclass]

Don't be so bloody silly!

Don't take it personal, he says that to all the boys!

[oxy60]

Who knows what the next 50 years will bring in terms of opportunities for PAID musical jobs. It is never too late unless physical limitations get in the way.

I say go for it. You will find a career!

[nyiregyhazi]

Who knows what the next 50 years will bring in terms of opportunities for PAID musical jobs. It is never too late unless physical limitations get in the way.

I say go for it. You will find a career!

Are you people serious? Would you say the same to a guy who once scored a goal for his school side and is hence contemplating packing in his school work in order to pursue a dream of becoming a professional footballer? Telling somebody that you have never heard play that they will find a career in music is just plain silly. Hearing such blind and unrealistic positivity could be extremely damaging to a person. Until you have reached an extremely high level of attainment, to think that there's a career in something would just be deluded. If musical development is not the goal in itself, then a person is setting themself up for big disappointments. There's no shortage of EXTREMELY talented people who struggle to earn a penny from performing. Only if a person is comfortable with the possibility that they might earn nothing (and will take pleasure simply from improving their playing), should they they be thinking of striving for professional heights.

[hastur]

The real obstacle for any pianist who's looking to play concerts is to get noticed. Reaching the virtuosity comes from a vast many hours of practice. And the artistic feeling must come from a pure love for music and playing the piano. If you do not have that love, you are highly unlikely to make it no matter how hard you practice, but if you truly love what you do, and your ambitions and dedication is true, assuming all this;

You do have a shot at it.

But do you really have what it takes to practice for the better part of the day for many years? (Think 10-30 years from now on) It's not a task to be taken lightly, as Mr. Nyiregyhazi believes me to do still. And don't think you are likely to earn a lot of money from it either, you have to be a pretty damn amazing concert pianist with a whole lot of luck to get noticed by the right people. Most likely you'll earn a minimum wage and you are quite likely to need other (hopefully music related) jobs to earn your bread.

If you are still willing to live in what is quite likely to be poverty, for the sake of pursuing what you truly and passionately love;

You do have a shot at it.

Whether you succeed or not, is up to you, and lady fortune.

Good luck,
hastur

[keyboardclass]

If you are still willing to live in what is quite likely to be poverty, for the sake of pursuing what you truly and passionately love;

Now if that doesn't just hit the nail on the head!

[nyiregyhazi]

"The real obstacle for any pianist who's looking to play concerts is to get noticed. Reaching the virtuosity comes from a vast many hours of practice. And the artistic feeling must come from a pure love for music and playing the piano. If you do not have that love, you are highly unlikely to make it no matter how hard you practice, but if you truly love what you do, and your ambitions and dedication is true, assuming all this;"

Two problems here. Love for music does not guarantee the ability to convey anything of artistic depth. Not by a long shot. Plenty of people who adore music and strive to put their soul into it come up with woefully unmusical results. Love does not magically translate to artistic excellence. Secondly, hours of practice do not guarantee virtuosity. Interestingly, the guy who came up with the 10,000 hours thing has often been misquoted. He never said 10,000 hours creates accomplishment. What he pointed out was that those who are accomplished put that much in. He neither stated nor implied that enough hours gives a 100% success rate.

[hastur]

Love for music does not guarantee the ability to convey anything of artistic depth.

I never offered any guarantees either, but a love for music is a requirement to even have a chance at the latter.

Secondly, hours of practice do not guarantee virtuosity.

Again, I didn't offer any guarantees, and again, hours of practice is a requirement in order to have a shot at acquiring virtuosity.

I don't know what your deal is, but you seem to enjoy nitpicking at people's posts for no good reason. Even when they are pretty damn particular in details. Some things are implied by context, but you appear to have a difficult time noticing such.

If you don't have anything constructive to contribute to the discussion, please refrain from posting more of this non-sense.

[nyiregyhazi]

I don't know what your deal is, but you seem to enjoy nitpicking at people's posts for no good reason. Even when they are pretty damn particular in details. Some things are implied by context, but you appear to have a difficult time noticing such.

If you don't have anything constructive to contribute to the discussion, please refrain from posting more of this non-sense.

The original poster needs to understand these things. It's not nitpicking if he might gain the impression that love for music is enough to make a fine artist. It's not nitpicking if he might gain the impression that enough hours automatically equals virtuosity. Believe what you like about what is constructive, but it's important for people to understand that there's no magic guarantee that will put you on concert platform- regardless of how many hours you do or how much you love music. You phrase it as if it's as simple as do x and you'll achieve y. That's not how it works and it's totally the wrong impression to give someone who's starting out.

[hastur]

The original poster needs to understand these things. It's not nitpicking if he might gain the impression that love for music is enough to make a fine artist. It's not nitpicking if he might gain the impression that enough hours automatically equals virtuosity. Believe what you like about what is constructive, but it's important for people to understand that there's no magic guarantee that will put you on concert platform- regardless of how many hours you do or how much you love music. You phrase it as if it's as simple as do x and you'll achieve y. That's not how it works and it's totally the wrong impression to give someone who's starting out.

There's nothing wrong with being positive and encouraging, you know. And I think my post was pretty clear about what you can expect, to quote myself;

If you are still willing to live in what is quite likely to be poverty, for the sake of pursuing what you truly and passionately love;

You do have a shot at it.

Whether you succeed or not, is up to you, and lady fortune.

[nyiregyhazi]

"There's nothing wrong with being positive and encouraging, you know. And I think my post was pretty clear about what you can expect, to quote myself; "

If someone were thinking of betting his life savings on a spin of the roulette wheel, would there be nothing wrong with encouraging him and saying that he'd have a good chance of doubling his money? Now, I'm not saying that we're talking about something quite so severe. However to fuel an unrealistic belief that something is easily obtained is to set them up for disappointment. That's why the poster should be encouraged to focus on development. He shouldn't even be thinking about the notion of professionalism until he's achieved an especially high standard in the first place. The goal should be to play well and that should also be it's own reward. If he reaches that the stage he might be in a position to start contemplating a career. If you don't yet have a Chopin Study under your belt, you're putting the cart before the horse.

[hastur]

If someone were thinking of betting his life savings on a spin of the roulette wheel, would there be nothing wrong with encouraging him and saying that he'd have a good chance of doubling his money? Now, I'm not saying that we're talking about something quite so severe. However to fuel an unrealistic belief that something is easily obtained is to set them up for disappointment.

I believe I was quite firm when I said it was not a task to be taken lightly. And I think painting the world in a dark contagious shade of pessimism is at least as harmful as encouraging someone while informing them of what they are really trying to undertake.

That's why the poster should be encouraged to focus on development. He shouldn't even be thinking about the notion of professionalism until he's achieved an especially high standard in the first place. The goal should be to play well and that should also be it's own reward. If he reaches that the stage he might be in a position to start contemplating a career. If you don't yet have a Chopin Study under your belt, you're putting the cart before the horse.

I think you are a bit too stuck on the word "career", a word conveying a fabulous life of great luxury. I believe it's more about being able to do what you love and keep a roof over your head while doing it. And if you can earn enough to keep a roof over your head, I'd say it's a profession.

A pianist shouldn't expect a luxurious life, she should expect to live truly frugal, with the music of her hard work being a much greater reward than any sum of money could ever be.

[nyiregyhazi]

"I believe I was quite firm when I said it was not a task to be taken lightly. And I think painting the world in a dark contagious shade of pessimism is at least as harmful as encouraging someone while informing them of what they are really trying to undertake."

What I objected to was the sheer casualness with which you stated this:

If you've got the ambition, motivation, and dedication it requires, I'm quite positive you got a pretty damn good shot at it. It means you'll reach concert level (if that's what you are aiming for) later in life than someone starting early might have, but other than that, I think you've got the same chance as any of those kids who start when they can barely reach the keys.


"I think you are a bit too stuck on the word "career", a word conveying a fabulous life of great luxury. I believe it's more about being able to do what you love and keep a roof over your head while doing it. And if you can earn enough to keep a roof over your head, I'd say it's a profession."

How can we even be speaking of such things- in reference to someone who recently started playing? A talented musician who is a good teacher will earn enough to keep a roof over their head. Performers who can earn a living off concerts alone are EXTREMELY rare.

[pbryld]

I would not think it is too late, if you have the talent. And if you have the talent, things are moving fast when you're 17. Without really having much knowledge about this, your current repertoire is not bad for playing under a year.

If you're lucky, you are not in school. I've been playing for one year and a month (just turned 18). I have a bad habit of not finishing pieces, but since I am in college (think: English) and is very much devoted to getting good grades, I do not practice much, let alone doing it efficiently. However, pieces like Liebestraum III, 104th Sonnet of Petrarch and Clair De Lune are still coming along. I've finished a few pieces like Fur Elise, Mozart's Fantasie in D-moll and Liszt's 3rd Consolation.
What I'm trying to say is, if you have the time to practice 4+ hours a day, and have the talent, you will get good, fast. At least be able to start at a conservatory in a few years (?). I certainly hope that will be a reality for me.

When I finish college in a year, I know I will not be going to a conservatory, I won't have the skills. I plan on going to a "Basic school of Music" (which can be compared to college when conservatory is compared to a university) and attend that for a year (it really stretches 3 years).
Do you have the chance to do something similar?

It really boils down to practice and talent. The better you get the more fun it will be, so don't give up, ever. Also, as someone above mentioned, networking is key.

[oxy60]

Remember, I didn't say a career in glittering concert halls. I said PAID jobs playing piano.

Everyone seems fixated on serious classical performance. We shouldn't ignore the other jobs for piano players.

Of course we should all strive for the best performance we can achieve. Who knows who might hear us or what offers might come our way?

[raphaelinparis]

i just wanted to ask if MAYBE just maybe i could still start a career as musician.

good luck to you boy, but please make sure you have a good plan B (and a plan C, D...if plan B doesn't work).

[john90]

Are we talking piano playing as good as Elton John, or Macca?

Even Nyiregyhazi might agree you have some chance at that. Not everyone needs to be a concert pianist. Vocals could be a bit more of a problem though...

[point of grace]

hello, im new, and ive been wondering quite a while now. I started playing piano about 8 months ago and the pieces ive finished for now are

rach op3 no2 prelude
mozart alla turca
beethoven für elise and moonlight sonata
bach menuett in g
bach c prelude
yann tiersen amelie

non of those are edited versions.

also, like i guess everyone, i started many many other pieces like chopins revolutionary etude or liszts liebestraum 3, schumanns träumerei, rachs 23/5 and pieceslike that. but im only in the first few measures with them, since i  just wanted to try them out.

i never took lessons yet but i will in about 2 months, i just wanted to ask if MAYBE just maybe i could still start a career as musician. i know its not very realistic but id like to try. i practice about 3-4 hours day, never less but sometimes more. if its not possible, well thats ok then, but still it would be really great.

thanks

of course you gotta go for it!!

[richard black]

I started playing piano about 8 months ago and the pieces ive finished for now are...

No, not a chance. For a start, no one ever 'finished' that much music after 8 months, especially starting as late as 17. So you'll first have to learn some accurate self-evaluation. And the number of pianists who ever made a career out of it having started as late as 17 could be counted on the fingers of one foot, at least classical pianists (which I assume you're aiming to be, since all but one of the pieces you list are classical). Even the bad ones started much earlier than that.

But for all that, if you put your heart and soul into it there's no reason why you can't enjoy being a decent amateur, and indeed give some pleasure to others in the process.

[nyiregyhazi]

No, not a chance. For a start, no one ever 'finished' that much music after 8 months, especially starting as late as 17.

I met a concert pianist who had performed the Brahms 1st concerto within about a year of a taking up the piano in his teens. It's not impossible. But I certainly share your skepticism. These things are very rare.

[stephenv]

I want to ask you for more specific information.  When you ask "still a chance?"  My question is a  "chance for what, specifically."   A chance to enjoy a lifetime of music?  A chance to explore the many and diverse opportunities in music OTHER than Concertizing.  Playing chamber works with friends...Jazz.....accompanying there is a world of opportunities.  Now more specifically making a "living" using your interest in music could take some research ..now's a good time to start...google it all over the place!!  Talk to your teacher(s).  If you plan to attend college ..find out what courses you might want to take IF you major in music/or minor...

I would say this about becoming a concert pianist:  I beleive its one of the most stressful, demanding, LONELY jobs you might want to attempt.   I have a friend who majored in music with piano as his instrument.  He studied with John Perry at University of Texas...and after his senior recital...the latter three Beethoven Sonatas, he told me he had decided that a life of secluding himself in a studio..preparing for a concert, working on minute details...alone .. and wondering if he would be able to "make it"   was just not for him and he decided to play and study Jazz..which was not such a heavy thing...yet it still challenged  him enuf to be interesting.  Plays in trio,  now teaches Jazz at a smaller college near Austin.  He helped establish the Jazz area in the music department,  part of the computer department as well.  He loves it. Uses his knowledge in the Jazz realm.

I mention this to show that someone can get all the way to the professional level and realize he'd rather do something else in muisic other than be a  Concert Pianist. I encourage you to  explore all the possibilities.  IF you love muisc enuf to make it your lifes work...carry on.

[asdfman]

No, not a chance. For a start, no one ever 'finished' that much music after 8 months, especially starting as late as 17. So you'll first have to learn some accurate self-evaluation. And the number of pianists who ever made a career out of it having started as late as 17 could be counted on the fingers of one foot, at least classical pianists (which I assume you're aiming to be, since all but one of the pieces you list are classical). Even the bad ones started much earlier than that.

But for all that, if you put your heart and soul into it there's no reason why you can't enjoy being a decent amateur, and indeed give some pleasure to others in the process.

yes, of course those arent really completely finished and i know that theres still a lot to improve on them but i just wanted to give i little bit information of where i stand right know - if i chose the wrong words, im sorry, im not a native english person. thank you for your honesty

quoting everyone would be sort of hard so id just like to point out that its not my goal to be a concert pianist right now. but since i practice many hours every day and have fun doing it i just thought that it may be nice to transform this hobby of mine into my later job. so i asked if it was possible in theory at least or if it would be totally delusional to even think about that.

of course, being a concert pianist would be great but i know thats really far away, so maybe id try to be an accompanist and teacher or something that way, if i go for the career as a musician  that is.

i dont know if that was all i wanted to say but thats all that comes to my mind. sorry for my enlgish if it is a bit hard to read 

thanks for your replies, very helpful