How to Become a Concert Pianist
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
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/ robertestrin
Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I'm Robert Estrin. Today's subject is about becoming a concert pianist. Do you aspire to be a concert pianist? Maybe you have children you'd like to expose to piano with the hopes that someday they can become concert pianists. There are many things involved with this. First, I don't want to disappoint any of you out there, but starting young is really important. It will help to set the foundation and passageways in the brain.
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livingpianos.com/how-to-becom...
I will start piano in an early age in my next life.
lol
Ask Jesus to take you to the next life.
You can start learn in this life if you really want it :) ... piano is about discipline , not "DNA" ... Discipline, discipline and discipline.
Do that. But for now this is the life you have to live. So better late than never !!
It's never too late, if you've got the talent
There are actually 40 million piano students in China! But if you love the piano, it doesn't matter how big the competition is. You must find a way to express your unique voice on the piano.
Yes, also many Chinese music students in Germany and Austria, they are everywhere. At the Deutsche Gramophone music record you practically have a minority of non Asian artists. If you think that it is not really “their” music, this is a crazy thing. Europeans must face that kind of competition in their own countries (paid with our own taxes) to get a spot at music conservatories and universities...
Hi Robert, I live here in China for many a year and have heard first hand the stories from these adults that were subjected to a rigourous regime as a child. A vast number of adults have developed a negative association with the piano due to the lost childhood years and thus completely abandoned it
I see here in my local piano school. The average kid is miles ahead of their Western counterpart. This cannot be understated. However due to their life circumstances ,nationality and importantly lack of 关系 (guanxi i.e. who you know) they will never have an opportunity to perform.
Where you're born also affects many potential opportunities in life.
i started at 14 with a so-so teacher, and currently living in china. i'm in a big disadvantage aren't i? while i may be, my passion is still stronger than my fear soo ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯
Never wanted to become a concert pianist. I don’t like to be at the centre of attention. My goal is to always remain a student of music, to continuously remember that there is always something to learn and to always get better. Would love to be a teacher some day.
I love that mindset. Greetings from another student of music.
@@Nico-rn1gv Hello Nico! Pleasure to make your (virtual) acquaintance. 🙂
So many things have to align in order for you to become a concert pianist that I'd dare to say that you can't turn into a concert pianist, if you're going to be one, you're already there. You don't find the way, the way finds you.
But there are plenty, many ways that we, mortals who did not start at a young age, with the privileges and support to go down th at line, can live as classical pianists
I find it fascinating because it's the same with sports. At the end of the day, we need all stars to align.
Just a bunch of people making excuses and you are one of them
In sports it is easier...
If you are one of the few who are able to sustain a decent living playing public concerts, then be prepared for lots of jet lag, staying in hotels all the time away from your family and pets, eating restaurant food all the time, and being lonely and isolated most of the time. It is not a glamorous life by any means.
I guess the perfect model would be playing some concerts per year and getting a music record to sell your work.
@Johnny Casteel I used to watch one lady do this. But, she stayed dressed, so I stopped watching her. A girl can make more money if she plays naked live.
I am a classically trained pianist but work in a school as a music teacher and I love teaching kids music. I do want to perform though. I haven't performed at all since COVID started but I do want to come back to it, I used to play piano in restaurants occasionally, but I almost make my entire living from teaching. But I don't blame COVID as an excuse for it at all, not even close, I just never had the fortune to study with a good piano teacher, but maybe by some miracle, I will be able to concertize one day with orchestras all over the world and play a lot of concertos by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Saint Saens, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Khachaturian, Shostakovich, Ravel, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. I am to turn 31 years old next month and I am miles away from entering any piano competition, but maybe with the right piano teacher who will guide me, maybe I'll enter the next competition in a few years, but my guess is it's far too late. Maybe I am preparing early for a concert career for my next life, grrr!
I dont care about family, even less, pets, so Cool
And yes i been 100% focused on piano
I wish I was 45 years or so younger :-D
Practice 40hrs a day... 😂
I have the aim of becoming a concert pianist some day but if not, I am happy to perform wherever and however it may happen, thanks for sharing this with me as piano is something I am really passionate about
Really nice video! I love the channel, always inspiring and informative. Cheers from Brazil.
Thank you very much!
Another awesome video!
Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a great overview! My sonhas the trek to becoming a concert pianist. He's an originalist, studying music theory (college level) since age 8, tackling Weburn, Schoenberg, and Berg, tackling Berios, Stravinsky, Debussy, Schumann. He was granted 20 minutes to play the famous Horowitz Steinway D, - he played Schumann and then also Debussy on this unique piano). For whatever reason, he's abjurring the Russian composers.
Here's what I think is a good idea. Harold Schoenberg's biography of Vladimir Horowitz - the greatest concertizer, certainly of the 1900's - is a fascinating read. Yes, read how Horowitz began, how he became the artist to see. No one can mimmick his moves or his playing, but evetyone can learn from and marvel at how he formed and shaped his career.
It's not at all, "Here's what worked for Maestro Horowitz, perhaps it can work for me." No. Rather, the first several chapters of this wonderful book paints a good picture of theconcertizing madness and the business of music, often not so nice. It's what all pianists face. Horowitz had one piece of advice and it applies to everything an artist does, "Always mind your box office."
Robert left out one important item for any artist, anywhere, and that is for the artist to be cultured. Additionally, I would include that being cultured, & aware of the world - but not woke or PC or part of the TV twaddle - an artist must be well spoken. Playing well is fine, but to then be a zero in an edge interview and to have no meaningful insight into your art, tjis failt renders an artist almost as irrelevant. I mean, should anyone reslly care about what he thinks about a piece of music? His ecpertise is cold cuts & deli, he's a butcher of music. Be articulate. Be well read. If you're political, ok, but don't be foolish enough to alienste a segment of hour audience by sharing whst side of the political fence rests your tuchus.
Very honest opinions - I agree with all points. Funny thing I learned in music school very early on is that's there's always someone 'better' than you. Be it technicality, speed, feel, sight reading, a or combination of things. But everyone's different - there's always a place for you if you have reasonable natural abilities and you're wiling to put the work in.
An interesting point I found is that a lot of the best players in my class (and even professional experience) could not improvise their way out of a paper bag. It's astonishing... take the sheet away and they are completely lost. Whereas other players play very well but not necessarily virtuoso but have superior ears and composition skills.
You are absolutely right! Here is a video that touches on this subject: ruclips.net/video/SnUd-uNDe8Q/видео.html&feature=emb_logo
Robert, you did an amazing job with this video!!! Thank you for this!!! Very inspiring and informational for someone who aspires to be a concert pianist. I remember the days when I graduated from music school at the age of 16 and was playing my first piano concerto (Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor), who excited I was about this journey. While I didn't end up living as a concert pianist, I have been involved in the music world all of these years and still play classical music and other genres. I love music and love your videos!!! Thank you for this!
Glad to hear that you found a way to incorporate piano in your life!
I think the commitment aspect cannot be overemphasized. To play at a top tier concert level requires a level most people cannot endure. For instance, Valentina Lisitsa practices 12-14 hours per day - 7 days a week. She literally has no life outside her music.
I don't see how people can do that and stay sane. I've been playing for 10 years and can't concentrate for more than an hour.
I've heard many others suggest (Alfred Brendel for example) 4 hours a day which I think is a good starting point- it's very difficult to practice such a lot without tensing up, which immediately affects your sound. It's an extremely personal thing of course, but 12-14 hours a day is likely to become extremely unhealthy for most people. Of course there are exceptions to the rule though :)
Many pianists practice ridiculous hours everyday when they’re young to build up and develop their technique and repertoire but usually older pianists can taper back the practice hours to 3-4 ish and sometimes even less, especially if they’re regularly performing eg. Arcadi volodos. Seong Jin Cho doesn’t practice more than 4 hours per day and Martha Argerich rarely practices. It’s also a competitive thing in conservatoires to some degree - eg more respect from peers if practiced x number of hours.
Also, whilst many conservatoire students practice ridiculously long hours (8 hours per day) but it doesn’t necessarily show in their playing because after a while, the law of diminishing returns sets in and they start to lose focus and energy after a while, plus it’s the quality of practice that is most important, not quantity.
Playing through and learning lots of repertoire for hours everyday will yield fewer improvements as a pianist compared to just 1 hour of intense, deliberate technical practice.
And if broken down even more, hours of repeatedly drilling sections of music until they’re correct (which Asians tend to do religiously) is not smart practice compared to finding solutions to technical difficulties eg. better fingerings, different arm/wrist movement etc. which can solve issues in minutes. Drilling for hours until correct is like putting a bandaid over a wound, it doesn’t correct the underlying problem.
Also, Yoheved Kaplinsky a professor at the Juilliard says that chance for injury and muscle/tendon problems dramatically increase after the 6 hour mark.
Yunchan Lim says he practices all day and night until he collapses, this is NOT healthy. This is borderline obsessional and will cause him injury and health problems in the future. Also, this kind of practice increases the risk of burnout - indeed Lim admits that he became depressed after practicing too long hours when he was younger. Many prodigies burn out and develop mental illnesses due to being practice room slaves and neglecting their own well-being including sleep, rest and nutrition.
Ah...yes...Valentina is one of my FAVORITE concert pianists, along with Khatia Buniatishvili! I studied to become a concert pianists and graduated from a private music school at the age of 16 and was playing my first piano concerto at that time (Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor). I totally agree with what you've said about the number of hours that one must dedicate to this. I came from a very poor family (our first piano and the only one we could afford was $40, and not all keys worked :-)) and didn't have available the support structure (and resources) needed to carry this out as a career, however, I still have the passion for it. And it's OK that I wasn't able to go down this route. I still LOVE music and play as much of it as possible!!!
This was a GREAT video, in my opinion! Robert did a GREAT job at describing the path and journey of an aspiring concert pianist!
Brilliant man❤
Great video so im about to turn 11 so is that early a nof to start playing the piano.
THIS TOPIC DESERVES FURTHER EXPLORATION.
Hi I've been watching your videos for a while, and I appreciate your vids; I just realized that I haven't subscribed yet! Haha well now I have subscribed!
You are also welcome to subscribe to my website so you can get my newsletters. Just email info@LivingPianos.com with the work, "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject.
China and Russia treats piano playing like a national sport and their schools train their students in ways similar to USMC instructors. That's why they turn out world class pianists like mills.
it comes at a heck of a price though for the nameless millions that have brutal childhoods yet never made that 0.1%
Exceptional talent is just a prerequisite here in China. Guanxi (who you know) is vital too.
Everything can be done with practice whether your born with it, self taught, and all that if you practice and keep at it you will get it just as good if not better.
First comment!! I love your videos by the way Mr Robert!!!
This answered a lot of my questions! Thank you for making this video!
Glad it was helpful!
Could you do a video on some pre-requisites required to become a piano teacher?
Being a somewhat high level player (or having playing the piano well at some point) is one criteria for being a good teacher. Having had good training is also invaluable for becoming a good teacher. I will consider making a video on this topic!
Can you make a video about Yuja Wang and compare her to other elite pianists?
I was wondering if knew the book The Fundamentals of Piano by Chuan C Chang. Mainly it seems it has some ideas regarding pedagogy that's outside the norm. Also could you provide a roadmap if a child knew they wanted to try to become a concert pianist?
I don't know where I stand. I'd love to teach, but don't know if I want to be a concert pianist. I love the idea of teaching, because the teacher sometimes ends up being the student in some cases. It's all a learning experience and that excites me.
Teaching the piano is definitely a much more attainable career goal than concertizing. The good news is, you can combine these disciplines which will benefit both skill sets!
@@LivingPianosVideos I definitely want to get as good as I possibly can, even if it is concert level. I think it would be much more fulfilling to help others learn the instrument.
Sir, i 23 right now and a piano beginner. I wanted to become a pianist.. i just graduated from engineering college so should I leave everything and get piano training???or do job and forget the dream of concert pianist. because piano takes a lot of years and if I fail what would happen then
Idk if u will see this comment but wen I was like 7 or 8 I tried to play piano but I was never interested and just last year wen I was 14 all of a suddon I just loved the piano and now I’ve been playing for a full year without lessons. I’m 15 now and the hardest song I’ve learned is In the Mirror by Yanni and I need to start lessons soon because I really want to try to become a concert pianist. If u have any recommendations for teachers please reply and tell me because I am struggling to find one.
I think the place you want to become a concert pianist in is important too right? for example if you want to become a concert pianist in japan you will definitely have a harder time standing out from all the great pianists in there than if you wanted to just become a concert pianist in some middle eastern country or some other place where they don't have as much as students or competition(obviously the hardest thing would be to become an international pianist like lang lang)
Sadly, the market for concert pianists in the U.S.A. is severely limited as well.
If you are a DIY adult learner, don't let any of this video scare you. Teach yourself by watching you-tube tutorials and practice at least 15 min. a day. Listen to the commentary on "La La Land". Ryan Gosling had no piano experience but he practiced intensely for 2 hrs with a coach for 2 months, and did his own playing in the movie. But yes, this video does explain how some of the great pianists got to be as good as they are.
Excellent video.
I never wanted to be a concert pianist. I choke up just playing in front of people.
I know that I don't have the skills to memorize scores. I always play with the score, no matter how well I know the piece and no matter how much I break it up, practicing and repeating it.
I started to learn piano at age 17. I got a good piano teacher. After practicing piano for three hours a day, I got up to a university piano level in three years.
Two universities rejected me. The third one accepted me.
I played my piano exams and auditions and all my juries with the music in front of me. The longest piece of music that I would learn had to be no more than six pages. I photocopied and taped up to six pages together. Anything longer than six pages never fit my music stand.
I took a 25 or 30 year break from piano after university. Studying for my bachelor of music education degree burned me out. I stopped playing the piano. I stopped listening to all music for years. In university I had studied music theroy, music history, composition, ear training, sight singing, orchestration, score reading and conducting as well as duet playing and taking piano lessons from the concert pianist in Residence. I also took woodwind methods, string methods, brass methods and conducting.
The concert pianist whom auditioned me, blurted our accidentally after my first six weeks in university: "i thought that you were better than this." From then on, I always chose all my piano playing music. I always played with a score. I felt like I was weakest one pianists in the music program. There was one lady whom I thought was was at a similar level as me. The rest of the pianists could play circles around me.
After taking a 25 to 30 year break from the piano, I have been relearning how to play from scratch. I have 30 plus years of rsi injuries in both hands and arms, both palms, all fingers. Both thumbs, both wrists, both elbows. It's very difficult to retrain how my body how to play piano after so many years and so many injuries and disabilities and faulty movement patterns.
Keep your musical journey going...these virtuosi are only playing somebody else's music. Find your own music. Good luck!
It's amazing how insensitive some teachers can be! As for not being able to memorize, this is very common. It is rare for anyone to teach how to memorize. I had the good fortune of studying with my father, Morton Estrin who was not only a great concert pianist, but a phenomenal teacher. He taught me how to memorize from my first lesson as he did to countless other people. My sister also studied with my father and has gone on to a career in piano and has taught for many years. We both teach all of our students how to memorize as do many other former students of my father. It was only when I went to the Manhattan School of Music after high school that I realized how rare this is! You may be interested in this article and video: livingpianos.com/how-to-practice-the-piano-part-1-memorizing-music/ If you are interested in private video chat piano lessons, you are welcome to contact me to set up a free interview: Robert@LivingPianos.com
@@LivingPianosVideos
Hey Robert,
Thank you for offering to give me private lessons. I appreciate it. Right now I have so many things going on so I am going to pass on the lesson offer. Thank you, though.
Right now my ability to play at the piano is all in God's hands. I have had to learn how relax the arms, elbows, shoulders, chest, fingers, thumbs, palms, forearms and upper arms. From 30 plus years of computer use, I damaged my body. My hands, arms, fingers, elbows, forearms, upper arms and palms and wrists don't move properly.
However, I can give you a useful tip for resetting posture and positioning!! 😁
You need a stability ball and loose pants.
Your feet need to fully touch the ground when you sit on the ball.
Your butt goes as far back on ball as it can.
You dig your heals into the front of the ball.
The bum and knees and ankles anchor the ball from moving.
Sitting on a stability ball for a few minutes scans your posture and positioning at the piano and at the computer. I learnt this trick while working from home and sitting on stability ball! 😁
I occasionally will sit on a stability ball when I practice piano. I only will do this for two or three minutes. Your elbows and wrists are too low in this position. You cannot really use the pedal as you need to stay on the ball without falling. I only use the ball for a few minutes. And it's only to scan adjust my positioning.
After doing this stability ball trick for a few minutes and then going back to a piano bench or chair, you will see where your arms, elbows, fingers need to go!
It ball trick does work but you need both feet on floor. The ball scans and automatically resets your body movement patterns. I did not read about this in a book or take a course on it. So as far as I know it's not copy righted but I am not a lawyer.
All the best!
Very true conclusions. I dropped out at 19, being rejected at the local academy. Slowly, I have come to accept my limitations, among which the most important are my hands and motor cortex. But I've kept playing all my life.
As a child I had fear of failure and that alone was debilitating. Then at the age of 12 I went to live with my father and his piano could not be repaired and thus I had to stop.
I've started playing the piano at age 17 but have only been training seriously for 2 years (age 26 now). Is it still reasonable to pursue a career in piano performance? Thank you for your video and Merry Christmas!
Even the most highly skilled and best trained pianist can't be assured of a career as a concert artist. However, there are many avenues of performing, such as accompanying, as well as different styles of music, as well as the possibility of offering new piano performance experiences which you may be able to pursue in order to stand out in this very competitive field.
Yes! I will live vicariously through you, please don’t let me down 🙏😘
I might be one of the lucky ones with memory. Memorised lots of pieces at 27 and learned a new language at 28. I hope I don't slow down when I get older.
How do you judge a piano competition? Especially when it's not unanimous?
That is perhaps a subject for a video!
I've wondered for a while, is the title from pianos that are for living conditions, or are the pianos living organisms?
Living Pianos came from a live show I have performed dozens of times, "Living Piano: Journey Through Time - Historic Concert Experience. Here are videos of this: ruclips.net/p/PLC9F55F8E11E5FBDE
@@LivingPianosVideos dang, now I really wanna see this irl.
I'd be more than happy to be a teacher
Can i becone selfthought pianist. I can't go to music school but my dream is to become pianist but also have fammily in the future. I am 23 now.
Is 15 to late?
I couldn't play piano and learned liebestraum in 3 months.
An in tune piano, starting young, hearing the sound while recognizing the note........
You should start a podcast
I struggled in school due to an undiagnosed learning disorder. I wasn't born into wealth either. I couldn't afford excess training and lessons untill I was over 20. I worked 60 hours a week between 3 jobs. 4 years ago today I performed at Carnegie Hall. No rich mommy and daddy, no academic talents. I had a disciplined mindset. Next year I will perform in Iceland.
When you say "start young", what age falls under this?
Day 1, not really joking. Being exposed to the complexities of classical music at a young age (1-10mos) allows the baby brains to naturalize themselves to the language of sound and music and some even start some more formal lessons at 2/3 years old.
It’sa fascinating topic that could be endlessly discussed.
While there are always exceptions, generally, children who are capable of working independently are ready for piano lessons. This varies among children, but is usually around 6-8 years old. This is almost a magical age to start the piano! There are some children who are ready younger than that, particularly if they have the guidance of someone to work with them on a regular basis. I have seen people considerably older than that start the piano and become very accomplished as well. Here is more on this subject: livingpianos.com/what-is-the-best-age-to-start-piano-lessons/
@@LivingPianosVideos Hello. I started playing piano recently and my goal is to make a living only from the piano and maybe who knows become a concert pianist, but I didn't started that early, so I wanted to know if 16 years old is still a good age to start learning piano? Thanks.
Edit: I have been playing piano for 6 months and I didn't turned 17 yet.
@@DanielSilva-gc4xz 16 years old is too old to become a concert pianist. A number of my students at 16 are already working on their Licentiate diplomas and winning competitions. Moreover, many major competitions have an age limit.
I wish there were more practical ways of getting there.
👍
The ability to improvise should also be considered. If you can improvise well, then you can cover up mistakes in live performances more easily.
You are absolutely right! Learning how to keep the music flowing even when the inevitable momentary memory laps or other unfortunate incident happens in performance is essential. Being able to improvise through these sections if necessary is far better than stopping or going back. Here is a video and article on this subject for you: livingpianos.com/how-mistakes-in-performance-are-like-driving-on-ice/
In the future i will be shown on google shawn and last name is a pianist
Not achievable by watching a “how to video”. Concert pianists usually start playing so young , before they can even talk
The goal of "Become a Concert Pianist", especially if the intent is for Classical, is way too limiting.
You're right. There are countless ways to incorporate piano in your life without becoming a concert pianist which can be enriching. There are also many career opportunities in piano if you are creative in how you approach it - teaching, accompanying, as well as playing other styles of music are all possibilities that can be combined to offer a career centered around piano.
Hello living piano, am gonna be famous soon, be ready, ill contradict this entire video jk love you
Why would you want to?
I play on the streets and earn money so im already a concert pianist.
I think anyone reading/ seeing this, is already too late to start!
Bullshit !!!I have never started dancing when I was young,now I’m a successful dancer ,I have never learned playing piano when I was young ,now I have passed RCM exam 1-ARCT in only 2 and half years ,😂😂😂nerds need more time perhaps 😂😂😂,there has exceptional cases indeed !!Talented adults ‘prodigy’ do exist !!
be more polite please
@@beanos5105 Mind your own business ,nobody could tell composers to be polite in the past or in the future!!!🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
@@modernmozart813 you got a point
Having a RCM or ABRSM doesn’t mean anything, these people are ages away from becoming a concert pianist. As you have a fake profile, it is hard to believe what you say about dancing. Is being successful just being able to pay the rent, or winning prizes, dancing in the worlds most prestigious stages?
@@tatianamendoncastudio Plus I can’t not fix your jealousness !!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Start young? I consider 90 young
Leave the concert pianist to the Chinese and Russians. My church organist said to have music as an avocation, for fun and pleasure, he was a construction builder. A man I worked with was a lady’s fashion clothing salesman. He studied to be a concert pianist. Finally, nerves got to him and he could no longer perform. I know a lady pianist who plays restaurants and lounges. She was a child progeny, used to be on television. She was born with a gift, her father encouraged her from a young age. As far as I know, she never married, nor had children. Took care of her parents, and is a dog lover. People need to listen and appreciate music. Good teachers are needed, an honorable profession. Band and orchestra conductors are needs for high schools. Churches need choir masters.
LOL yikes old people bumbling through their 90 year old repertoire, practice 89 years ago
Define concert pianist these days…
It also helps being a white male
Doubt
@@Andras_Schiff doubt that. Better than being thought of as "just another Asian".