I'm not a beginner but then again I find it difficult to say that I am a pianist. I can sight read things like Mozart sonatas and easier Bach pieces such as those in the French suites, albeit a little on the slow side. I do need to improve on performing in front of other people without making as many mistakes. Fortunately there are opportunities in either peoples' home and at a piano group to give me the practice. If I can just raise my 'game' in front of others then maybe I will become a pianist.
Not a Beginner?
I am also not a beginner, but I cannot call myself a professional or accomplished pianist either...
keff Being able to sight read at that level is something I dream of!
I have the opposite problem where I feel like I'm an eternal beginner. I can play the pieces that I'm currently practicing to an extent... until I forget them and then no longer can't. I would love to be able to pick up some sheet music and just play it. Or hear a piece and just play it. Or just sit at the piano and improvise.
--
Beach L168, Wish, baCh, WOW Petrof, Fake Steinway, VS
TIME
I totally get this. I donāt usually describe myself as āa pianistā for example, if Iām talking to someone who doesnāt know about my piano hobby. Well, I do sometimes say āIām a mediocre pianistā 
But generally I say āI play the piano.ā Thereās too much expectation with āpianist.ā And even though Iām not a beginner and Iāve been playing for a long time now (over 20 years!) Iām pretty firmly stuck at the intermediate level, and I wouldnāt want someone to think otherwiseā¦
Navindra, in my case sight reading has taken a very long time to develop, twenty years at least. It does come with practice. There was also a time when I was fearful that if I gave up practising a piece it would be forgotten. This still happens but I am now reasonably confident that I can revise pieces much more easily.
ShiroKuro, I too tend to say that I play piano or try to play piano at an intermediate level.
I tell people I'm an amateur pianist.
I've been playing for 50 years but it's only in the last year that I've worked on sight reading consistently. I've progressed from only being able to sight read super easy pieces to being able to do pretty well with easier intermediate pieces. I'm pleased with my progress and I'm OK with the fact that it's going to take several more years to get good at this. That's how piano works!
āAmateur pianistā sounds much better than āmediocre pianistā ā I should stop saying that!
As it happens, I changed jobs last year so we moved last summer. Iām a prof (not in music) and the university where I teach now has a very, very well-regarded music school. Somehow I find it much harder here than at my previous institution to causally mention that I play piano. It feels like people have higher musical intelligence just from being at this university. And of course there are all kinds of people all over town with music backgrounds ā¦
In the end thatās a good thing, but sometimes it feels a little intimidating.
Yeah, there's no reason for me to insult myself. I can let other people do that.
I wrote something like this before on PW, but I got here because one day about ten years ago I suddenly got the idea that it might be interesting to try to play a piano.
In the town where I grew up I never saw a real piano, anywhere. It just wasn't something that anyone ever thought about in any way -- if you wanted to hear music you would turn on the radio.
Obviously I saw a few pianos here and there in the years after that but never really paid any attention to them so when I bought my first piano that was literally the very first piano I had ever physically touched.
I bought a lower-end Casio digital piano from the Costco website and used that for about a year, then what is now my current Casio AP-650 went on sale (again on the Costco website) so I bought that and sold my previous piano and have been using this one ever since.
I've never taken lessons or anything like that -- I just mess around with it and ask silly questions on PW when something comes along that I don't understand. 
My previous bird would dance, my current bird sings. But I always have an audience and a participant ready to help out every time I play.
--
If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
Me too. I'm a hobby piano player. Like many - I play piano first/foremost for the love of piano and music. And I just love playing piano - no matter what.
<-- This is Syd.
She's one year old right about now.
--
If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
I play the piano. This is already a big step from what I have said for years, which is that I'm learning to play the piano.
*
... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...
- Edited
Shirokuro wrote:
Amateur pianistā sounds much better than āmediocre pianistā ā I should stop saying that!
Yes really! You are an intermediate level pianist, and there is nothing mediocre about that.
*
... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...
- Edited
Intermediate level can possibly be 'high level' in certain ways - depending on situation. Some can be high level -- even though they say 'intermediate' level.
And we have to consider that 'high level' (and fuzzily mixed in with 'intermediate' level) can be quite broad - and needs to be defined for a particular category, or for 'overall'. For example - as it is a big world out there, with lots of people -- there are different/various forms of high/intermediate level.
I personally think that - after developing adequately in certain ways (not just in piano playing, but also in music - theory, composition etc), we all get to some 'high level' - our own form of high level (and/or intermediate) in piano and music.
It doesn't matter much to me what level I am overall. What I mean is - after enough time - practice, learning, developing, aural training, intervals recognition, music memory, analysis, composition work etc -- people eventually know and have a feeling -- or just really know - they have reached some 'special' level. Everyone is different. And has their own special level after enough development. Their own high level. The usual journey is to become more and more 'at one' with piano, and with music.
I'm not a 'beginner' ... as in absolute beginner. But I recall very well the times when I was an absolute beginner. They are special times. I love the feeling of not being able to do certain things, and love working toward learning and developing, no matter how long it takes ... as in years and years etc. This is probably the same for lots of people. The fun and enjoyment of developing. The fun and enjoyment of playing piano, and music.
- Edited
keff I'm not a beginner but then again I find it difficult to say that I am a pianist.
I heard you play the piano already Keff. I hereby deem you a pianist.
I saw a definition - 'a person who plays the piano, especially professionally'. The 'especially' bit is just extra. It looks like there has never been any detailed definition, so as long as anybody plays a piano, then they're a pianist. Even a beginner or tinkerer. I think we're fine, as the pianist umbrella can cover everyone - such as beginner or learner pianist, and hobby pianist, and professional pianist etc.
For absolute certain, we are definitely all piano players! We play the piano. Also amazing how piano and music and the internet brought us together like this. Quite special.
keff Most welcome Keff. Absolutely don't worry about sharing 'vulnerable' recordings. Because when I think about it, there are countless beginners that are aiming to get to somewhere around your level. The music we play and share will likely inspire people. And also at the same time, some interesting piano music to listen to. Played by us members! It's great.
5 days later
I think I'm finally starting to get comfortable telling people I'm a pianist. I think I'm finally reaching something of a respectable level and have a "repertoire" of about 30 minutes that I can play accurately from memory on demand. Also I tell myself that I have the right to call myself a pianist when I'm practicing at least 4 hours a day!
But then when people ask me, oh are you a professional pianist, I quickly backpedal. Lol. It's rather embarrassing.
