i started playing piano at 12 and kick myself everyday for not starting earlier.

is it possible for someone to attain the high standard played by a pianist that started earlier.

i believe that the muscles in a pianists hand that started later won't mature as well as someones who started earlier and therefore it is harder to become that good.

it seems impossible for me to reach a really high level, like concert pianist level ever(I WISH!!(Sigh )

and that is why i am sooooooooo very frustated with myself

any coments?????? please reply

Again, assuming this is serious (it doesn't appear like it from where I am).

I everything you are telling yourself is utter *****. (My blank, not the AB's)

Make up your mind!! On your other post you said you were 16 and you hadn't had private piano lessons and had been teaching yourself for about a year. Now you're saying you started when you were 12 which was 4 years ago if you are actually 16.

It does look a bit dodgy!

Poor, poor you. Didn't start until you were 12. I didn't start untill I was 29 and I have a much more positive attitude about my aspirations than you do.

Get a life.

It's up to you what you make of it.

Am I being impatient because surely what you achieve depends on what you put into music?

Million dollars?
I'd say it's more a 50¢ question frankly.

As much as that? I think someone is wasting our time here...

How about trolling?

Whilst I agree that this poster might be pulling our legs, she does raise an issue that is very serious for me.

One of the reasons that I didn't think any reputable piano teacher would teach me as an adult was that the piano teacher who taught all the really good people in my area when I was a teenager refused to start anyone over the age of 11. The same rule applied to string players. The reason given was that children had maximum flexibility before puberty, and would never reach the same level if they started to play later in life.

Is this absolute rot? Or should children start piano and strings before puberty if they want to realise their potential?

Everything is under con-troll at the moment. It may be a genuine question. One must give the benefit of the doubt.

Some questions may appear facile but confidence could be an issue, like you get for instance, should I take grade 6 or go straight to grade 7? A question most people could answer themselves but could be that the poster wants to chat about it.


I can't believe that has any basis in fact.

That sounds like someone with an elitest attitude.
Probably one of those teachers who would get rid of people who were not making progress at their expected rate too.

Jtine, i began piano lessons aged 8, and begged my mum to let me stop as what my friends were doing ALWAYS seemed much more fun. Now, 15 years later, my biggest regret is that I stopped and don't have 15 years of playing behind me..as they say "hindsight is a wonderful thing".....I really am not sure that someone starting in later life will have the time nor inclination to become professional.I am progressing slowly now on piano now I have restarted aged 23...but nowhere near as fast I imagine as a child would progress! The problems of working full time do not help this....on the other side of the coin is the argument that we are only constrained by the limits we place on ourselves..therefore you can reach any stars if you believe you can......but be realistic !!! Just my 2c worth!

I don't think its ever too late to learn an instrument. I have taught many adults who wanted to learn piano to improve their chances with teaching jobs - an extra string to their bow as it were and pensioners who wanted to learn to play as a hobby. As for not starting anyone over the age of 11 - bull. As long as they practice and make progress, age doesn't matter to me.

While I agree it's never too late to start, I think youngsters do pick things up more quickly and easily than adults. I also remember one strings teacher saying in order to get to a very high level children should start by age 10 - that was probably her own opinion. That said, I suspect older starters probably tend to have more motivation and drive than kids who are just learning because a parent thought it was a good idea, and this counterbalances the age thing.