Can I/ be a pianist?

[shubertimproviz]

Hi everyone! I'm 12. I study 4-5 hours a day. I'm  grade 7.
For now, I play these pieces:
Czerny- Etude op.740 no.1, no.2, no.3
Bach- Prelude and Fugue no.1 WTC I
Haydn- Sonata hob.XVI/no.20 C-Minor, 1st movement
Mozart- Sonata no.13 K.333
Mendelssohn- "Agitation" op.53 no.3
Sibelius- Impromptu op.97 no.5
Beethoven- Sonata op.2 no.1, 1st mvt
Chopin- Waltz op.64 no.2, C#minor
Chopin- Preludes no.4, no.6, no.7

[werq34ac]

I hate to be an *** and crush someone's dreams, but realistically, you won't be a concert pianist. At this age, you should be winning competitions and performing with orchestras if you have even the slightest hope of being a concert pianist. You should be past grade 8 at this point (if there's a grade 9 then that's minimum). Based on your repertoire, you probably can't handle learning a concerto let alone winning a competition and playing with orchestras.

[shubertimproviz]

i have won 5 first prizes, and i have played with an orchestra, so what's the problem?

[shubertimproviz]

I hate to be an *** and crush someone's dreams, but realistically, you won't be a concert pianist. At this age, you should be winning competitions and performing with orchestras if you have even the slightest hope of being a concert pianist. You should be past grade 8 at this point (if there's a grade 9 then that's minimum). Based on your repertoire, you probably can't handle learning a concerto let alone winning a competition and playing with orchestras.

ok, whats the program of my grade??

[werq34ac]

okay if you have played with an orchestra, then your chances are better. But still they are about 1/1000. Keep in mind that there are thousands of other kids out there who want to be concert pianists, and probably about half are more advanced than you. Just now on Facebook someone mentioned an 11 year old boy performing Rach 2 with orchestra. And not even that guarantees a career as a concert pianist. Millions of people play piano and many many many kids are already better than you whilst being younger than you. Plus, the level of Chopin waltzes, Mozart Rondo Alla Turca, and Czerny etudes is something these kids were doing at ages 9, 8, even 7 or 6. Check out this 6 year old playing Chopin etudes!

or this 12 year old playing legitimately difficult concertos

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Now i can't say much about your musicality since I haven't heard you play, but by now it should be phenomenal if you have even the slightest hope of being a pianist.
Most of these kids are already studying with top professors in the top conservatories of world

[nyiregyhazi]

okay if you have played with an orchestra, then your chances are better.

What the hell does it matter at that age? Your reference to orchestra was just plain silly. There are easy pieces with orchestra and there are difficult ones and either can be played well or badly. What matters is progress and ability. At 12, there's no reason to dismiss anything as a possibility. It's a ridiculous time to be telling someone "no chance"- although they do need to understand what a long way there is to go to have a chance. It's all about how much progress continues to occur. Concert pianists are not judged on whether they were the most prodigious or not. They are judged on the standard they REACH.

[stephenv]

Thank you MR N!!!    I'm in complete agreement!!! HERE HERE!!

[werq34ac]

My point was that he does have a long way to go. A REALLY long way to go. It would be like walking from Orlando, Florida to New York City with only 30$ in the pocket. While not being a prodigy doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of a concert pianist, it certainly does help.

[smoothsound]

Maybe.  Depends what you mean. You play the piano now so you are already a pianist.  Now if you mean a professional pianist , thats a little harder.  If you mean that you want to  play as a classical pianist, thats a little harder still.  If you mean as a classical concert pianist thats harder still, and if you mean to be one of the 4 or five great concert pianists in the world, harder still. 


Mitch.

[ignaz]

Thought to consider:
From the Peanuts comic strip,

Lucy says to Shroeder,  What if you never become famous or make a lot of money playing the piano. 
Schroeder keeps on playing with out looking up says, "The joy is in the playing".

[dcstudio]

Thought to consider:
From the Peanuts comic strip,

Lucy says to Shroeder,  What if you never become famous or make a lot of money playing the piano. 
Schroeder keeps on playing with out looking up says, "The joy is in the playing".

the joy of schroeder playing peanuts music

[shubertimproviz]

Ok, it's the time to tell you my history. I started piano when i was 6. But, I started with a wrong teacher (he wasn't a professional pianist). I learned the things wrong. When I was 9, I changed the teacher, I went to a professional pianist and one of the best in my country. It was a hard work to improve all the things. 6 months ago my teacher said: "You can't be a pianist". But, I worked very hard and 3 months later my teacher said: "You are not very advanced, but, you can be a pianist". So, I know I should go to my level and I'm working very hard, but, I can't reach just now the other children that are better than me, so I'm just working!!

[supapiano225]

Schubert started pIaying the piano at 7.


dont worry im 13 and just compIeted grade 2 and Iove the piano
to bits.
goodIuck!!!

[supapiano225]

AIso you shouId Iearn  chopin Impromtu no 1 its your IeveI and trust me your gonna Iove it!!!!

[nyiregyhazi]

My point was that he does have a long way to go. A REALLY long way to go. It would be like walking from Orlando, Florida to New York City with only 30$ in the pocket. While not being a prodigy doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of a concert pianist, it certainly does help.

There have been some absurd threads featuring pianists who have played into adulthood without showing signs of special ability (or even complete adult beginners). However, a twelve year old playing grade 7 repertoire is a whole other issue. It may not be a super-prodigious but it's certainly not a hopelessly backward starting point either. Convey how far there is to go by all means, but it's a ridiculous time to be so dismissive. It's not remotely true that all great performers were playing big concertos by that time. 

[werq34ac]

I see your point, I was wrong to dismiss the possibility altogether, but even so, I will be very surprised if the poster does become a concert pianist. Though I will say he definitely has the means and dedication to become a very good pianist.

[richard black]

Yes, you can be a pianist. I earn (most of) my living as a pianist and I was less advanced at the age of 12 than you are. I'm not a concert solo pianist, and indeed I have never in my life wanted to be, but I have played (as accompanist/chamber musician) in some quite classy gigs and left with my dignity intact. The 'big name' soloists may have been more advanced at 12, but most of the rest of professional pianists (taken quite literally - pianists who support themselves by playing the piano) frankly weren't.

[shubertimproviz]

-

[binghamtonpiano]

I think a better question would be "Why do I want to be a concert pianist?" If you love Classical music (and it appears from your repertoire that you do), then pursue that. But whatever style of music you choose to play, play it because you love it. It is possible to make a very good living as a musician (I've been doing it for years), so keep up the good work! Don't let other people tell you what your future will be... you get to decide that for yourself!

[lostinidlewonder]

Hi everyone! I'm 12. I study 4-5 hours a day. I'm  grade 7.
For now, I play these pieces:
Czerny, 32 etudes, no.15, no.20
Lemuan, etudes op.37 no.26, no.28, no.29,no 30
Bach, Prelude and Fugue
Beethoven, Sonata op.2 no.1 complete
Mozart, Alla Turca
Chopin, Waltz no.7 E-minor op.64 no.2
What do you think , can i be a professional pianist?

YES! When you become a professional pianist your life does not change that much, you do not all of a sudden get all these concert requests and events laid out for you. YOU have to go out and create these opportunities yourself.

So whether you want to go into teaching or performing you need to create these opportunities yourself and see if you are really have what it takes to make it work. Go hire a concert hall and try it out for yourself. Make sure you are well prepared and know the ins and outs of concert management and promotion. This is the most difficult skill for aspiring musical artists need to become experts in much more so than their playing skills. Ensure that you give your audience something they didn't know they needed, whether that be your amazing playing ability, or the carefully chosen words before you play to enhance your concert presentation (a skill that is of great demand for the 21st century concert stage.) You need to present your stage effectively as well, so perhaps you want to get video projection of your hands with multiple cameras, or certain lighting, decorations on stage whatever you think would improve your concert. All in all you need to be confident that your concert product is more than just the pieces you play, if you are relying on merely your playing you are probably destined for failure.