As people find out that I recently got a piano they always ask me the same question, oh do you play? On one hand I think, yes that’s why I bought it but on the other hand I think, not really I practice. How do you or would you answer this question if you’ve only been at it about six months? Saying yes somehow seems like stretching the truth. My other question is how long should you consider yourself a beginner or at what level should you play before you say, yes I play.

i have that same problem. people always ask me oh you know how to play? i say i try lol. but yeah it takes awhile to get to the "playing" part because of course a lot of practice and time must come first, and i do mean a lot. it does take a while though, be patient and it does vary for every person. basically it's like anything, what you put into it is what you get out of it. although thats usually easier said than done.

No, I'm just a beginner.

How long will I keep saying that? Don't know, but I'm pretty sure I will know when the time comes.

I've found that with piano its often best not question how long it will take before I can do this or that, or be able to play this piece or that. Improvement at piano seems so slow sometimes you'd swear you are going backward, while at other times progress comes in leaps and bounds. I don't think it would be crazy to say that if you try to take stock of where you are at more than once (maybe twice) a year, you are just going to frustrate yourself. Just keep playing and whether/when you stop being a beginner and morph into a "player" will take care of itself. All just IMO, of course.

I am gradually able to hold my head up high and say, "Yes, I play piano" knowing that the other person's expectations of that might be too high - or too low.

But in my mind I know I can play intermediate material with practice and so, yes, I play piano. Everyone else's opinion doesn't really matter!

I usually say I can play, but that I'm just 'alright'...then people are usually shocked at what I turn out! But i honestly believe that Im not that great yet..its only been two years. I think once I get my teacher in a few weeks ill be set.

Yeah, it's often hard to deal with comments from people who don't play at all. If I had only been playing for 6 months, I would probably answer "yes, I'm a beginner."

I think one way to decide with whether you will stop saying you're a beginning might be to think "do I have a piece I would be able to, and want to, play for this person?" If the answer is yes, then probably you're not a beginner anymore.

And you certainly can say "yes I play, but I'm still learning" or something like that. Or be specific if you like "yes, I am currently working on intermediate level pieces." Etc.

Some people kind of don't "get it" when an adult is learning something new, especially something that is mythologized the way piano is ("you have to start as a baby or you can't play at all" etc) For folks like that, either be prepared to explain or just let them think what they want! I will never forget the person who told me, when I first talked about wanting to learn, "why would you even waste your time? adults can't learn piano?" Although I was somewhat offended, I'm glad I didn't let him influence my decision to learn!

For me, these days (I've been playing for over 10 years), I generally just say "yes, I play." Sometimes, I'll mention that I started as an adult. If people know a little about playing, or ask more, I'll offer relevant details. But a nutshell, yes I play.

The way I see it, once a beginner, always a beginner!!

Seriously, I enjoy playing what little I know how to play on the piano, and I realize I have only scratched the surface of the learning curve in terms of my piano playing skill.

I agree with the words of a certain professional pianist, who is a member here, who wrote “it takes a lifetime of hard work and practice to achieve a very high level of skill” when it comes to playing a piano. So, I prefer to stay a beginner… or at least tell people “I’m learning to play”. That way, when and if they do hear me play, their expectations might not be too high!

Rick

Also, I might add, the piano's learning curve is the longest of that of any instrument. It takes about 18 months of playing before players start to develop musically. I read that in 'the idiots guide to buying a piano' about a year ago. So i guess that may give you some sort of idea of where you stand.

how long have you been playing?

Just say yes. And let your music speak for itself.

People will come from all types of backgrounds, and the person who is asking could be a musician, even a pianist or teacher.

Or they could know nothing about music, and have never seen a real live human being up close playing the piano.

And always be humble...people instinctly dislike bragging.

And always remember that whatever level you play at, there is always plenty of people below your level, at your level, and waaay above your level.

About 5 years. It's been 5 years of bliss though...

Rick

Well said, Rocket88, and very true...

I hope to play as well as you one day! And then, perhaps I will no longer be a beginner!


Take care,

Rick

I wouldn't treat it as a yes/no question. To make it easy, I'd refer to John Brook's list ( http://www.klavier.ms/Student_Repertoire.html ) to check which column my practice pieces belong to. If they're mostly in the first column, I'd say "I'm just a beginner"; if they're in the middle column, I'd say "I'm still learning"; and if they're in the third column, I'd say "Yes, I can play piano." Once I feel comfortable with independently learning any new piece from and beyond the third column, I'll proudly announce that "I'm an amateur pianist!" Well, that's dream down the years.

And what do you do when you are simultaneously learning a piece in column A and C No reply needed - I know exactly what you meant but I thought it amusing that the piece I did for the Beethoven recital is in column A and the Chopin waltz I've been assigned is in column C.

That's a nice list ... I hadn't seen it before.

I play piano for two years. After one year I had the feeling of making music. That was the moment for me I could say: yes, I play. After one year and a half my teacher had several students with less experience, so I lost the I-am-a-beginner feeling.

I'd say somewhere between 18 months to 2 years is about how long it took me to feel like I had come far enough that quitting was no longer an option. The skills weren't there yet but I "knew too much".

I started piano lessons three-and-a-half years ago as a complete beginner, and I still feel as though I am a beginner. Even though most of the pieces I study fall into what gets referred to as "intermediate" literature, I still feel as though I am a beginner. But, if I ever become proficient enough to work on Mozart sonatas and the like, I will probably still think of myself as a beginner.

I someone were to ask about my piano experience, I would say that I am "studying the piano", or, if I had reason to believe such a response might be perceived as pretentious, I would say "I'm learning how to play the piano". (I could tell people "I'm learning how to play the piano", and it would always be true, no matter how long I have been playing!)

I think my answer may depend on the situation and who was asking. I've tinkered with piano myself for a couple of years, but have only recently (2 months) begun to have lessons with a teacher. So my short answer is "Yes, I play piano." Depending on the person and conversation, I may go on to say I'm taking lessons, I'm at this level or that, or whatever is appropriate. As others have said, I think we're always learning it. Beginner may depend more on the complexity of the piece rather than the time learning.

Many of my drills are songs, or parts of (simplified). But I do like to break away from the homework and play complete songs. I often turn to a book called "The Sunday Afternoon Pianist." It has mostly pop songs that start simply, and turn more complex as you go further along in the book. But as simple as it is, it is playing, and I enjoy them.