Just curious how quickly adult learners may have reached grade 5 on piano ...does it really take 5 years?

That depends on so many factors.
From scratch with no prior musical experience with reasonable, steady practice then it could take that or longer.
Things like being able to manage longer but productive practice and already playing another instrument could shorten the time as could having an aptitude for it.
I think that if someone was learning for the love of it they could progress faster than someone who was doing it purely to get to grade 5.

Thanks....I'm just asking to look at possibilities. Am considering giving myself 10 years to reach G8 on both violin and piano , but I am a near starter on the piano.

Hi,
I did my grade 5 piano in Summer 2011- a year after re-starting lessons. I'd given up lessons in my teens so it was about 10 years from giving up as a teen to getting the grade 5.

I'd tried to keep up my playing in between giving it up and re- starting lessons so maybe that helped but it was so long since lessons that it was almost like starting from scratch!!

It's true that there are likely to be lots of factors to how quickly it can be done. I think what helped me is a fab teacher and a newly fouund enthusiasm for the piano which I definitely never had in my teens.

Think it's also important to enjoy the journey too though. I did 0-grade 5 in 18m and while as an achievement that pleased me no end I'm not blind to the things I missed out on such as position shifting and sight reading, both of which I'm poor at. It certainly put paid to any long terms targets I may have had previously. Now I target scales and playing skills rather than grades.

I just read that as 18 minutes!

Was still looking for chin-rest by the end of 18 min!

I did 0 to grade 4 piano in about 5 years, starting with some musical ability based on playing guitar since my teens and recorder as a child.

It is possible to achieve a pass in grade 5 practical exam in about 18 months - this was some-one who was already playing a woodwind instrument at grade 8 standard and who needed to be at grade 5 standard for university purposes.

However, we cut many corners and it is not an advisable route to take. I think it is good to enjoy the journey as cestrian says, and to take the opportunity to explore repertoire on the way, so a 5 year timescale is probably do-able given regular practice and general aptitude.

Took me about 2 years not quite from scratch as I could read treble clef having played clarinet.

However I practice - a lot

I learnt to play piano as a child, but it took me about 3-4 years to get there, with no prior musical experience.

Now, as an adult, I have undertaken the challenge of passing grade 5 viola this session having first touched one on 14th February. I know there is lots I have missed out on, repertoire-wise but I will have a chance to explore that after june/july. But I do have a fair amount of non-bowed string musical knowledge. My teacher remarked on my 3rd or 4th lesson that he wished he had been diploma standard clarinet before starting. I also spend most of my spare time practising.

Well it took me,

15months to get to grade 3, a further 9months to get to grade 5
and now im waiting for my grade 7 exam date.. which will be done approx, 15months after grade 5..
I have set myself a challenge to get grade 8, March 2013!

the 2 years it took to get grade 5, and I got a Merit (127) studied for about 2-3 hours a day, and sometimes bursts of 6-10 hours.. which seems ridiculous.

I learnt the pieces for grade 5 in about 2-3 months, and performed "minuet and Trio" at my church 6months before my exam, ~

There are indeed so many factors, ~ but two things are vitally important, ~ patience & concentration.

Make that 3.. Will power!

How long does it take to reach Grade 5 from scratch on the piano?

Depending on many, many factors it can take anything from 6 months to forever. It took me about two years, many moons ago, and this is fairly a fairly common length of time for pianists that go on to become professional performers and/or teachers. Those that go on to become international superstars often achieve it rather more quickly.

Previous musical experience, opportunity and good tuition are all important, support from friends and family help, as does a good practice instrument, and genetic endowment no doubt has some part in it, but most important are the quality, intensity and amount of practice that you do.

Were you playing any other instrument before you started on Piano? If yes, what was your standard in that instrument when you started?

The reason I am asking is that I am a Grade 5 clarinettist and I recently bought an electric piano. Primarily to learn music theory and to train my ear....but I quite like the idea of a second instrument!

No. Had not played any other instrument before starting to learn piano.

I played by ear on piano, and learnt chords on guitar.

I had no idea about learning timing or sight reading.

What pushed me when I did start learning, well I was playing hymns in the church after 6months of starting to learn. (the lady pianist died in a car accident and I took her place at church, as well as inheriting most of her
music, ~

Your in a good position to pick up the piano quicker if you can suss the left hand, ~ due to your previous experience of timing and sight reading.

~ A comment about international performers, in a sense I would love that, my father always told me the best way to get there is to win competitions.. your not merely playing to "pass an exam criteria" but playing to be the best.