What are considered a pianist's "formative" years?

[sv3nno]

I have heard people say that those who practice intensely during their formative years, will acquire a much better technique/musicality than those who start seriously practicing later on.

Do they mean 5/7-13 (starting years till teenager), 15-20, 20-25, 15-25, or something similar?

This might be a very stupid question, and I know that people learn best when they're younger, but I really don't know what a *Pianist's* formative years are considered to be...

[8_octaves]

Hi,

searching in some online-dictionaries, the term "formative years" points to the term "adolescence".

https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Formative+years

Perhaps "adolescence" is a "preferred expression" ( compared to "formative years" ) in the thesauri.

But also "formative years" is quoted, e.g. at the bottom of the above mentioned page, in the "periodicals' archive".

Interesting aspect would be: Do people which are in contact to piano-playing enter adolescence EARLIER than other people?  - I don't think so generally. But for dealing with sometimes complicated stuff ( piano-playing ) one could think that special mental maturity should be existing in children, e.g., who not yet in the common sense may have reached the beginning of adolescence, but in the special area "piano" they might have special gifts.

The problem which occurs, if children too early begin or are drilled too early to play difficult stuff, is in my opinion, that they might be able to play it. But playing is based on experiences, pictures, concepts, feelings one has seen and made up or created from the many things people only can get to know after some longer period of life.

( That's why no 10 years-old-person would win major and earnest competitions, even if he / she was allowed to take part in them ( groups-of-age-restrictions, perhaps ) ) .

If one says to a 5 years old wanting to play "Jeux d'eau":

"Hey, why not imagining a cataclysmal deluge?? Or, perhaps, the prismatic colors of the rainbow, broken in the shattered, watery drops of our innermost desires?? What do you think?"

Then the 5 years old would, unless being very well educated, say: "  " .

( Of course, I must admit, that these words to a 5 years old are only nonsense-ideas, which I have phantasized just now. So pls don't take them seriously, @all. It's only an example.  )

Cordially, 8_octaves.

[stevensk]

Its all about focus, motivation and  persistence. NOT about age!

[louispodesta]

I have heard people say that those who practice intensely during their formative years, will acquire a much better technique/musicality than those who start seriously practicing later on.

Do they mean 5/7-13 (starting years till teenager), 15-20, 20-25, 15-25, or something similar?

This might be a very stupid question, and I know that people learn best when they're younger, but I really don't know what a *Pianist's* formative years are considered to be...

Please pay attention (and learn!), no offense intended, to your website.  This particular post is way more than a couple of days old:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=44075.0

[outin]

 I really don't know what a *Pianist's* formative years are considered to be...

Depending on the context "formative years" can mean either:
- Adolescence
- A transitional period of development between an initial or early phase and an established or mature phase (so would not be directly linked to age)

I remember seeing a study about the effects of the amount of students practicing at different ages or stages of their study, but cannot find it now.

It's more of academic interest though. Science is still far from reaching a common conclusion about the learning versus age matter. Too many variables...

[sv3nno]

I'm not a 30 year old beginner or something..

I'm 17 years old, started when I was 5. It's just that I have been quite lazy during my earlier years, and I was interested to know if wasted the years when I could learn the quickest...

But since the formative years are considered to be adolescence.. I guess it's not too late to start practicing 7 hours a day :p

[j_menz]

I really don't know what a *Pianist's* formative years are considered to be...

The first 150.

[outin]

But since the formative years are considered to be adolescence.. I guess it's not too late to start practicing 7 hours a day :p

I doubt the ones who did practice heavily on their formative years (whatever their are) and showed progress, knew beforehand whether it was going to be worth it.