Piano Lessons

Sorry this is probably the wrong place to ask this, but everybody here I think has been playing a long time. My piano techer started when she was 11, and my school music teacher started when she was 3. I started when in september last year when i was 14. All I want to do is play, and be able to read music well and even have a chance in being an advanced pianist later on...I was just wondering what age everybody started? I think I may have started too late. I play for about an hour a day [about 25 minutes sight reading and the rest for fun]. and have 2 lessons a week [hour and a half a week]...ok thankyou :)

I started playing piano recently, at Christmas, at the time I was fourteen. I can now play the majority of Bach's Invention number 1, and I don't practice nearly as much as you say you do :)

It's never to late to start: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/piano-age-21-a-new-post-8031.html

No, you aren't too young to learn piano. As far as advanced pianist goes though, it depends what you mean. Unfortunately marketing comes into it which favours youth not for any practical pianistic reasons but youth, displayed on CD liners, tends to be pretty and that sells CDs. However, with a considerable amount of work you could catch up - simply being a little older you've probably developed better learning strategies. You'd need to step up the amount of practice over the next couple of years.

Give it a go. Competition is fierce but it's something you'll never regret and who knows? you might get into Juilliard yet.

Though....you want my honest opinion? Yeah, you have to be good but is as much about who you know as how good you are these days.

Robynoo, there will always be people that are better than you (and me), but that should not deter you. The decision of whether to continue with piano or not should be based on if you like it, or plan to like it. I know I went through a stage in my piano playing about age 11 to 14 or so when I really didn't like it, but my parants made me stick with it, and now I completely love it and practise about 2 hours a day. So if you don't like it now, it might grow on you. But I assume you like it because you use the term 'for fun'. So, if you are enjoying it, there is no reason not to keep doing it. Whether you will be able to make a career out of it should not influence your decision. In my circle, I am considered a 'good pianist', but then I start comparing myself to other real 'good pianists', and I have a VERY long way to go. But, as stated before, there will always be people better than me. So I just do my best, and enjoy it at the same time. Hope this helps.

Colin Thomson