I just finished playing Bach's 2 Part Invention No. 14, Mozart's Sonata No. 16 in C Major, and Alla Tarantella by Macdowell. Im 13 years old. Am I good for my level?

Depends on how long you've been playing for and, of course, how well you actually played it.

Ive been playing since I was 6. I played them all perfectly and It took me 2 months to learn all three.

Perfectly? So what's your secret? I've never been able to do that.

I challenge you to look at your music carefully. I'll bet you could make it better.

Close to perfect. Very well I mean... You get it!

If you're willing to take a risk, post your performances here and ask for gentle comments. Most people are friendly, and the ones who are not you can ignore.

One suggestion: watch your adjectives. When you talk about your perfect playing, you invite people to throw darts at you. When you talk about how fast you learn things you invite people to nitpick. Be appropriately happy with your progress, but be humble as well.

For age 13, yes, I think you are good for your level. The feeling that you have really nailed something is really good to have.

I (very occasionally!) get that feeling, but when I listen to a recording, I find I was mistaken

It doesn't really matter.

Obviously you love learning to play, and most likely are doing very very well. Keep up your enthusiasm, and don't be too concerned about other people's opinion as to whether or not you are good. Keep practicing, and learning new pieces, and most of all enjoy what you are doing.
Gaby Tu

I know what you meant (no dart throwing), but I wanted to drive home the fact that nothing is ever "done". I have gone back to pieces a year or two later and sharply criticized how I played them when they were new to me.

Terms like "good" or "perfect" are very relative, so post some audio if you can. If they really are well thought out performances, then I would say you are doing well for your age.

Your profile says you're 27. Not sure which is intended to fool us.

Very true. 1980---13 years old... Not in '07.

BTW, I just turned 14, I can play Alkan's Allegro Barbaro, and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2.
And I've only been playing since I was 11, so there.

Note:
None of you 'serious' guys take this seriously.

hyonchingonchon :

Whatever your age - and your claim to being 13 has raised some doubts, given your birthdate in your profile - whether or not you are a good pianist can never be determined by reading a simple listing of what you say you can play.

Only those who have heard you - who have heard what you do with the music that you claim to be able to play - can justly determine whether or not you are a good pianist. Why don't you ask those who have heard you play? If you have a teacher, ask your teacher.

Regards,

Isn't there an age limit of 15 on this forum??? I may just be imagining it.

I thought Bartok wrote the Allegro Barbaro?

I may be 14 physically... but I act 15 mentally. So I believe I still am allowed

Alkan wrote an etude called the "Allegro Barbaro"... it's a very tough piece and it's only played on white keys mostly of octaves.

Don't worry, we won't.


Oh, geez, does that mean I'm a ...... a..... a.... serious guy???

My profile shows my correct birthdate, and I'm not 15 or over.
Mentally, I'm at least 25, d20 should know what I'm talking about, but that's a completely different story.

When you say age 'limit' of 15, it makes it sound like this is a young-teen-only forum.

hyonchingonchon . . . dont think like that man

What are you saying:

"Don't think like that man." Which man should he not be thinking like?

or

"Don't think like that, man." Don't think the way you are thinking.

or

Are you telling us, the readers, not to think like hyonchingonchon? It really is not clear to me from your post what you are saying, and it could prove that punctuation sometimes matters!

Regards,

Punctuation does matter. BruceD dissects every time there's a mistake.


...Dissects what...?

For 13, that is really bad. For 27, you may as well quit. These are my guesses, but how are we supposed to tell without recordings?

My mistake; sorry for my carelessness.
I meant "Don't think like that, man", as in he is not to be thinking how he is currently thinking.

Punctuation does therefore clearly matter as it meant my entire post was, or maybe was, misunderstood.


Anywho, don't start comparing your standard with others regardless of their age (I suppose you could compare with older people; it might inspire you, but, well tend not to anyway), and don't compare your standard with your age. Strictly speaking, you'll never be satisifed, never mind who you are (apart from one person i.e., the best(!)), you'll get obsessed with the idea you should be better than you are. Although one could argue that's a good thing as it will urge you to practise more, but you may find that "practise will make me better" is a better approach than "practise will make me, who is not very good, better".

It all depends on whether or not you are a "well-tempered pianist" .