Mad skills on the piano

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RaistlinZ

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
7,470
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So it's 4:00am and I'm bored, and don't ask me why but I was browsing You Tube for classical music vids and came across this one of a young pianist that really blew me away, especially near the end. She must have started studying at the age of 2 or something. I didn't know kids could get so good at such an early age.

Fur Elise is one of my favorite classical pieces too, BTW. :thumbsup:
 
Sho'Nuff

Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
121
106
Hmm, I'll have to check this out. My brother was a crazy child prodigy on the Piano. He started playing when he was 3 and won the Virginia Guild Auditions something like 14 or 15 years in a row. He has also starred as a guest solist with the National Symphony Orchestra several times, the first being when he was 6 years old.

One of my favorite memories is going to see my brother play at Wolf Trap when I was 4(he was 8). He was the final performer at Wolf Trap's "music in the park" program, which was hosted that year by Malcolm Jamal Warner and the girl who played Tutti in the facts of life. I was wicked excited when I got to me theo, er., Malcolm, back stage. Tutti was cool too, I guess.

That said, my brother also has the best visual memory of anyone that I ever met. He once told me that he memorized 216 pages of music in 2 days for a competition and was pissed when he made one mistake (that you would have to have an amazing ear to hear). I beleive it, considering that my parents have "maps" that he made when he was 3 or 4, which detailed the route my parents took from their house in alexandria to cape hatteras north carolina (some 330 miles) based on the size and shape of the telephone poles on the side of the road. Those maps show the relative height of the poles, how many arms they have, the number of transformers that they passed.... everything. It is amazing my brother does not have some form of autism, as the only people I've met with that kind of memory have some kind of defect.

Also, Fur Elise is a great piece. And if you like it, you should check out my personal favorite, Un Sospiro.
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
I was going to say that she wasn't anything special...but since anyone who's played the piano knows that piece, two particular parts have a good deal of movement to them. She has a very good teacher and has very good basics...but Fur Elise isn't exactly the best judge of talent either. Some of my family friends (the Chinese ones) who were pushed into practicing the piano were probably just as good as her.

Granted, youth is a big mess of time for me, so my years could be off. ;)
 
S

Suspicious-Teach8788

Lifer
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
81
Kids learn really fast. That's why many start instruments at a young age. Anyways, that song is a joke. Take a look at the Asian kids. I grew up in an environment where if you're Asian, you're either learning piano or violin. Kids were starting at the age of 3 or so. Yeah, we were most definitely playing this song by the time we hit 2nd grade or so.
 
JEDIYoda

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,321
126
Originally posted by: RaistlinZ
So it's 4:00am and I'm bored, and don't ask me why but I was browsing You Tube for classical music vids and came across this one of a young pianist that really blew me away, especially near the end. She must have started studying at the age of 2 or something. I didn't know kids could get so good at such an early age.

Fur Elise is one of my favorite classical pieces too, BTW. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

many many kids that good....wait and see in a few years.....
 
Locut0s

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
Do you think these kids are getting the emotional impact of these songs or is it more of a fun game for them? Many of these songs are meant to evoke deep felt emotions in both the audience and the player. The hand-eye coordination of these young kids is amazing but it would be interesting to know if they have matured enough emotionally to really GET what these songs are about?
 
M

manlymatt83

Lifer
Oct 14, 2005
10,051
44
91
She's making a lot of mistakes. She's good, don't get me wrong, but I played that song too for my recital in full when I was 12.
 
P

paulxcook

Diamond Member
May 1, 2005
4,277
1
0
Originally posted by: rikadik
Originally posted by: RaistlinZ
I didn't know kids could get so good at such an early age.
Click to expand...

Check out this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...aRjZaE&feature=related

11 years old!
Click to expand...

Much more impressive. The girl is doing great for her age, but I wouldn't call it prodigy-level. The second boy, though, was great to watch. I'd give up all my other instruments if I could play the piano well (especially jazz improv), but I just never could get my hands to do the right things on the keys.
 
L

lyssword

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2005
5,630
25
91
Originally posted by: Locut0s
Do you think these kids are getting the emotional impact of these songs or is it more of a fun game for them? Many of these songs are meant to evoke deep felt emotions in both the audience and the player. The hand-eye coordination of these young kids is amazing but it would be interesting to know if they have matured enough emotionally to really GET what these songs are about?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
I

imported_Imp

Diamond Member
Dec 20, 2005
9,148
0
0
...Dime a dozen. Parents seem to love pimping their kids into the "amazing 8 year old <insert: pianist or violinist>". Yes, they are good, but "where's the heart?"
 
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WingZero94

Golden Member
Mar 20, 2002
1,130
0
0
Not bad, not great. She has some of the technical aspects down, but no feeling put into the piece.
 
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imported_quasi

Member
Mar 8, 2005
126
0
0
Originally posted by: WingZero94
Not bad, not great. She has some of the technical aspects down, but no feeling put into the piece.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. There is so much music out there that isn't too hard technically, but the phrasing and feel make the piece very difficult to play well.

I think technical skills are overrated (although they are necessary). I've seen so many young Asian kids with very fast hands and great technique, yet they're music has no feeling. To me, that seems like a waste of time.
 
CraKaJaX

CraKaJaX

Lifer
Dec 26, 2004
11,905
148
101
Awesome piece. I've always wanted to try keyboard out...

I think that will be my next instrument to learn :p
 
DrPizza

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Nothing special.
1. It's a relatively easy piece to play on the piano.
2. She's not playing it from the sheet music - it's obvious she has the song memorized (again, it's a pretty easy piece - easy to memorize as well.)

:thumbsup: to the parents for encouraging her to play the piano. If she keeps it up, I'm sure she'll improve over time.

edit: Moonlight Sonata? Even easier to play. Nothing special there either.

Now, Benjamin Grosvenor: THAT kid has "Mad skills on the piano."
(RaistlinZ's link)
 
O

OdiN

Banned
Mar 1, 2000
16,430
3
0
She's okay, but as said no feeling put into it. Fur Elise isn't a terribly difficult song for the most part. She's got good mechanics mostly...

But man...that Clavinova is awesome. It sounds VERY close to a real piano.
 
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