Hiya,
Ive been playing the piano for 6 years now. It is my first instrument and when i started i couldn't read music or anything. I am now 14 and working towards my grade 4. The last exam i did was in yr 8 and that was grade 2. The thing is i know alot of people who have been playing for 6 months and are only one grade behind me!!! My music teacher says that it is because i have been playing other things that i enjoy playing eg. Les Mis and other music from musicals. Also she says that my sight reading ability is higher than some of them.
However despite this i still feel as if i am not anywhere near as good as i should be and will never be good enough to do music at ui, be an accompianist etc.
Any advice on why i an so far behind?
Full Version: Am I Very Slow?
Hi purple pianist,
Maybe you're enjoying it more than some of the people who are racing ahead.
As long as you are happy with what you are playing, I would n't compare yourself with others!
You may also have a more solid grounding than another student who has got through the grades quickly but maybe left gaps on the way.
M
Maybe you're enjoying it more than some of the people who are racing ahead.
As long as you are happy with what you are playing, I would n't compare yourself with others!
You may also have a more solid grounding than another student who has got through the grades quickly but maybe left gaps on the way.
M
I wouldn't compare yourself to other people. You're guaranteed that there's always someone who learns faster than you, and it's depressing when you compare yourself to others.
Also, you may not be cut out for AB exams. They aren't the only board, and for a lot of people, exams don't work at all!
Also, you may not be cut out for AB exams. They aren't the only board, and for a lot of people, exams don't work at all!
Thanx youve made me feel loadz betr about it well dont worry you should be thinking about having fun with music, ive just done grade 7 piano its took me 10 years to get to this standard, dont worry, you will get there someday
What grade you are means nothing... i know some people who are grade four but can only play 12 pieces, 3 for each grade they have taken. Being a skilled pianist required more that just exams. Gaining experience takes time.
Hi .I think that if you are happy with the stage that you are at in your piano playing and you enjoy it thats the main point. However if you are looking to go to music uni or a conservatoire in the future then you need grade 8 to get in. I find some exams boring especially the pieces I am doing for my grade 6 piano at the moment and prefer to play pieces from musicals and by various composors like yourself but don't rush yourself and do what you thinks best for you.
Don't compare yourself to other people as there will always be someone who is better than you, sadly its a fact of life! 
When I started playing the piano i jumped straight into the deep and doing grades, and skipped loads of extremelly important stuff and didn't gain any ground! I got to grade 8 in 2 years without actually really being able to play the piano that well, and i nearly ended up giving up cos i hated it so much cos i found it so boring and difficult! 
I quite regret that now because i realise that there is no rush and music should be something u enjoy, and if u enjoy doing what u r doing now then personally i'd keep at it and just ignore other people! However, if u are planning on going to uni then i would recomend hurrying up with the grades and while still playing things that u enjoy, playing something that is a challange and that really stretches u to your limits because then u will be learning while still enjoying yourself! 
What's important is what you think and feel, NOT what other people think u should feel!
Just keep at it and dont let other people's actions influence u!
When I started playing the piano i jumped straight into the deep and doing grades, and skipped loads of extremelly important stuff and didn't gain any ground! I got to grade 8 in 2 years without actually really being able to play the piano that well, and i nearly ended up giving up cos i hated it so much cos i found it so boring and difficult! I quite regret that now because i realise that there is no rush and music should be something u enjoy, and if u enjoy doing what u r doing now then personally i'd keep at it and just ignore other people! However, if u are planning on going to uni then i would recomend hurrying up with the grades and while still playing things that u enjoy, playing something that is a challange and that really stretches u to your limits because then u will be learning while still enjoying yourself! What's important is what you think and feel, NOT what other people think u should feel!
Just keep at it and dont let other people's actions influence u!
Hi,
I have just completed my GII and have been playing for 3.5 years.
I did my exams through LCM which were much easier for me than AB. That's the way I'm going to do the rest I think.
Just take your time and enjoy the music rather than racing through your exams.
I have completed 2 GV pieces and started a 3rd since I took up piano. So as you can imagine, I have probably spent more time on those as I love the pieces and took my grades at a more relaxed pace.
It works out quite nicely if you can do something like that as your exams don't seem so much of a chore and sometimes they can be a little easier.
Hope this helps !
I have just completed my GII and have been playing for 3.5 years.
I did my exams through LCM which were much easier for me than AB. That's the way I'm going to do the rest I think.
Just take your time and enjoy the music rather than racing through your exams.
I have completed 2 GV pieces and started a 3rd since I took up piano. So as you can imagine, I have probably spent more time on those as I love the pieces and took my grades at a more relaxed pace.
It works out quite nicely if you can do something like that as your exams don't seem so much of a chore and sometimes they can be a little easier.
Hope this helps !
hi there,
i agree with louise on her comment that some students who are grade 4 can only play 12 pieces and that does not make them a pianist, the fact that u are playing alot of stuff around the exams means that u have a huge repertoire and lots of experience which can only make u a better pianist in the long run. Many students who flit from one exam to the other without learning anything in between get terribly stuck at the higher grades as they do not have the musical understanding, repertoire and plain experience to handle the more difficult pieces. dont get disillusioned with "slow progress" i would bet that u can play almost anything within the grade range u are at, whereas i have seen students who are "grade 7" who cannot sightread above a grade 1 standard, and simply do not have the repertoire behind them to give them the experience they need at this grade
i agree with louise on her comment that some students who are grade 4 can only play 12 pieces and that does not make them a pianist, the fact that u are playing alot of stuff around the exams means that u have a huge repertoire and lots of experience which can only make u a better pianist in the long run. Many students who flit from one exam to the other without learning anything in between get terribly stuck at the higher grades as they do not have the musical understanding, repertoire and plain experience to handle the more difficult pieces. dont get disillusioned with "slow progress" i would bet that u can play almost anything within the grade range u are at, whereas i have seen students who are "grade 7" who cannot sightread above a grade 1 standard, and simply do not have the repertoire behind them to give them the experience they need at this grade
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