This would be a pretty interesting experiment!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Have someone who hasn't touched a piano in his life, and teach that person Rach 3, Prokofiev 2, Gaspard de la Nuit, or some other absurdly difficult piece!

I wonder how long would it take?
Would he damage damage his fingers?
Would it benefit that person in any way?
I might do this to my brother just to see what happens. 

What are your thoughts on this?

[m1469]

Probably, in some ways, if you are to learn the Rach 3 and those, it should be with a form of a completely clean slate, as though you've never studied the piano, almost.  Your fresh starting point is just that you have the magical ability to play.

[ajspiano]

My fiance who is a non pianist has learnt bits of advanced works, and a really mean bits - 1 or 2 bars max, usually just 1 hand

chop 10/1 and fantasie impromptu are 2 examples.

I think that it would take her a LONG time to achieve the entire work and I'm certain she'd hurt herself if I didn't supervise every second of practice.

[piano_vs_science]

circus galop!!!

[timothy42b]

Start with Kitty on the Keys, this piece will give you the technique necessary to handle 94% of the classical literature. 

[birba]

My fiance who is a non pianist has learnt bits of advanced works, and a really mean bits - 1 or 2 bars max, usually just 1 hand

chop 10/1 and fantasie impromptu are 2 examples.

I think that it would take her a LONG time to achieve the entire work and I'm certain she'd hurt herself if I didn't supervise every second of practice.

op.10 no. 1,  left hand?   

[timothy42b]

I think that it would take her a LONG time to achieve the entire work and I'm certain she'd hurt herself if I didn't supervise every second of practice.

If she has any self respect at all, she'll hurt YOU if you supervise every second of practice. 

[iratior]

Have someone with no other piano training learn Gaspard de La Nuit?  Not nice.  Suppose they did learn it, but then opined that it was not so difficult as the Butterfly Etude (which you didn't teach them)?  They'd be in big trouble in this forum, I'm afraid.

[costicina]

If she has any self respect at all, she'll hurt YOU if you supervise every second of practice. 

Poor thing, she is going to marry our AJ!!!!!

[sueyin]

Isn't this sort of like in Dancing with the Stars when the professional dancers teach these stars, some of who have never danced before, how to dance?  I suppose if they had a good teacher and spent a lot of time learning the piece, they could do it, maybe not play like a pro but play okay enough to just pass.

[db05]

There's a loophole to that... if the person has been playing another instrument quite well it's not gonna be difficult. Just really long.

A great organist might find them easy and end up teaching YOU the pieces.

A master violinist could get a hang of concertos if he's played those with an orchestra. It could be a matter of harmonizing with the harmony that he already knows.

Since piano is a percussion instrument, drummers and percussionists might have unknown advantages too.

Does your brother play any instrument?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

There's a loophole to that... if the person has been playing another instrument quite well it's not gonna be difficult. Just really long.

A great organist might find them easy and end up teaching YOU the pieces.

A master violinist could get a hang of concertos if he's played those with an orchestra. It could be a matter of harmonizing with the harmony that he already knows.

Since piano is a percussion instrument, drummers and percussionists might have unknown advantages too.

Does your brother play any instrument?

No

[pianoblond]

chop 10/1 and fantasie impromptu are 2 examples.

i can play 10/1 left hand too

[roseamelia]

Id say it will be pretty difficult if I was that person.

[db05]

You know, there was a member here who was new to the piano too, and aimed to learn the Revolutionary Etude in 2 years. I don't know what happened to him. But it seems like the sort of experiment you should do. Not too extreme. It's possible.