How long does it take to go from Student to Master?

[slurred_beat]

Hi all. Short question today. I was just thinking. How long does it take to go from Student to Master? How many years does it take before you are finished? When you have completely technical mastery? 

[dogperson]

More than one lifetime

[ranjit]

It would be easier to answer this if you could provide us with your idea of complete technical mastery. The typical answer seems to be 15-20 years ?? And that is already assuming a considerable amount of "talent", whatever that means. Most people will never get there. I'm thinking about having the technical facility to play pretty much all of the hardest pieces in the repertoire, Godowsky-Chopin, Rachmaninoff concerti, Liszt Beethoven transcriptions, let alone works by Finnissy or some other nutcase. 

[klavieronin]

(This answer is probably not going to be very satisfying. Sorry.)

I feel like the idea of technical mastery at the piano is an illusion. It's possible to develop more and more facility and fluency at the piano but even great pianists still need to practise.

It's not like riding a bike where suddenly you can do it and from there it's just a matter of getting better at it.

Also, the better you get at playing piano the more you will be able to hear your flaws and want to aim higher.

I wish it weren't so, but that has been my experience.

Then again, I'm not an especially good pianist. I just remember when I was learning and practising a lot, watching my goal post shift higher and higher the better I got.