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Hi,

I'm curious to know what's the average learning progress in piano for a kid. Our 6-year-old son started his piano last April. His teacher asked him to try out this fall's competiton by playing Bach's G major and G minor. Is it an expected progress?


Thanks!

Mickey

Unfortunately, there really is no average learning progress in piano, for anyone. I remember at 6, my teacher had me doing tons of technical exercises, and no real pieces. Just go along with the teacher's suggestions, supervise your child's practice, and encourage them to do the very best that they can. If you think they seem too pushed or not challenged enough, discuss it with the teacher. Other than that, it depends on the amount of time your child puts in/brain circuitry.

Donald

I think everyone progresses at a different rate so it is really hard to judge. I would judge your son's progression on how quickly he is picking up new pieces. If he finds them all easy and is blasting through them then perhaps he is not being challenged enough and could be pushed a bit more, but if he is struggling, then it would be a sign his teacher is pushing him too much.

FYI, those pieces are now attributed to Christian Petzold even though they are in Bach's Anna Magdalena book. Have your son ask his teacher about that!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minuet_in_G_major_(BWV_Anh_114)

> Our 6-year-old son started his piano last April. His teacher asked him to try out this fall's competiton

Be careful with competitions, they can have harmful results.

They can be, but they can also be motivational. Getting a 6 year old to practice consistently isn't easy. He'll most likely work a lot harder if he knows he doesn't want to look bad.

Is it a competition or a festival - something that is judged, but any student can advance to "state" or another level, or no advancement at all, just judge comments? The word competition can encompass many different things, and so it's hard to say if it can be damaging or not. It does seem early if it is an actual competition for such a young student to participate. However, if it's of the other variety I spoke of then if he's prepared and wants to do it then it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Wish I knew. Then I might not be so confused about what to expect from myself both short and long-term.

Thanks Donald. He practices every day religiously and doesn't seem to have any trouble reading the notes or with hands coordination so far. Whatever homework the teacher gives he just does it, of course under our "encouragement" most of the time. As parents if we knew what to expect out of a 6 year old then we would know whether we are too pushy or we can challenge him more.

Yes I know the pieces were not written by Bach. I didn't tell him that. I think most importantly he really enjoys them.

May I know what the harmful results can be?

He did once ask me what if he wouldn't win. I told him it's not a matter of winning but how much effort you can put into. I told him to go out there just to experience it. With that being said he does have to practice more to prepare for the competition. So far he takes it well.

A shame you have chosen to withhold that information. Poor Petzold!

I agree with you on that. Whatever the reason is one day after he got up he just went downstairs and started playing the pieces for the competition.

That's a good point. He hasn't been to any festival so we don't know what it is like. All I know he'll compete against other kids and there will be winners with trophies and certificates. I don't think the winners will move to "state" or other levels.

If it is anything like the festivals here, the adjudicators often give a mini-lesson to each person on the piece(s) they played. I think that is the real prize/benefit of these.

There's no such thing as average/normal progress on the piano. There are so many aspects to piano playing and repertoire acquisition is only one of them. If he's having a good time, loving music, enjoying practice at least some of the time and you can hear his playing improve then all is well!
I don't know how useful competitions are at this stage but if it's not too stressful for the kid then nothing to worry about I don't think. As the parent, try not to place too much stock in the rankings/prizes, that depends largely on who enrolls in the competition and what kind of day everyone is having. The rank isn't an objective measure of the student's playing ability.
Have fun.

Of course you know your son and what kind of encouragement he might need, but since there are so many variables in the equation, it is impossible to know or predict what to expect. I would think, speaking as an outsider, that being more in the background of his learning than pushing him - at this stage of his piano experience - might be the best route. It seems as if he is enjoying what he is doing, and that, in and of itself, might be the best and only encouragement he may need.

Regards,

Here is a quote that supposedly comes from Liszt (from James Francis Cooke, Great Pianists on Piano Playing, p.106)

Personally, to me that would ring alarm bells - that he expects to win, or really wants to win.

I don't know what it is about competitions that some teachers want to push kids towards. Music exams, yes - nobody loses in exams, unless, of course, you fail (in which case, the teacher should have realized that the child wasn't yet up to standard, and should have waited longer).

In competitions, there's only one winner; everyone else loses.

Sorry to sound so cynical, but I've watched a couple of music competitions and a 'brainy talent' competition for children. Seeing some of the losers (who had obviously expected, justifiably or otherwise, to win) cry their hearts out while trying hard to put on a brave face in front of the judges and audience makes me cringe.

Some children can be very competitive, and not winning can turn them against what could have been a lifelong hobby, or even career.

Yes, there is. It likely isn't documented, but of course there is a progress mean; the data may also be expected to be normally distributed.

Since the mean isn't available anywhere as a benchmark, the comparison of your child to others has to be done empirically: if he picks things up slower than other students, he's a slower learner; if he picks things up faster than other students, he's a faster learner.

Not only is progress vastly different from individual to individual, but so is potential. Someone who progresses slowly at first may end up racing ahead later and achieving a higher potential than someone who finds early and quick success only to burn out and peter off later.

In any case, motivation and passion are the keys to succeeding at and enjoying music. It makes no difference where he is now, or where he ends up, as long as he is enjoying the journey and making progress. I believe that music is not at all competitive enterprise and its unfortunate to me that competitions exist. Competition can be a source of motivation for some musicians - it pushes them to be the best and 'strut their stuff'. Some opera singers come to mind! However, I feel that comparison with others is a dangerous game that I think, at best, distracts you from focusing on achieving what you are capable of as a musician. At worst you are missing the point of music entirely.

But I know not every musician is as anti-competitive as me, and I know that a little healthy competition helps some people to succeed, so to each their own. He just needs to know that if he doesn't win, the solution is to learn and keep at it! Winning can't be the only source of satisfaction for a musician - the music itself must provide more than ample enjoyment on its own.