Is my DD Progressing too fast on the Piano?

She will slow down as she hits the higher grades.... DS got to grade 5 in 2 years, but took a further 2 years to get to grade 8! He also started when 10.

Make sure she is playing lots of non-exam pieces she enjoys and finds challenging! DS loves original Scott Joplin scores and his DS have over the summer nagged him to play he pieces from the "Muppet Movie" soundtrack book!

Is she getting good distinctions at each exam, that should be a good indicator as to how well her level is being pitched.

It's not unusual for a child to progress quickly at 12. My son has been playing on and off for a year from age 10-11 and is working on grade 5 pieces. However, he is also working on grade 2-4 pieces because he is learning solid technique. Do make sure nothing is being missed. He practices for round 40mins five days a week but only 15 mins of that is good practice and the rest is rushed mess, composing or doing something random!

My dd (9) has just done her grade 2 and at her first lesson after the exam, her teacher got out the grade three books. I decided then to put the exams on hold and concentrate on just playing a wide range of pieces and doing a lot of sight reading.... Which is much more important than chugging throught the grades. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by doing one exam after another as a child will only be able to play the exam pieces!!! I am of the view that there is no need at all to ate the exams on the piano ( until the later grades anyway). My dd also does cello, for which she does do the exams but her teachers sets a wide range of pieces and she takes singing exams.
Another factor to consider is to look at the syllabus for the different exam boards - Trinity Guildhall is quite wide ranging and varied and less ' dry and dusty'!

oops. I meant to say that it SHOULDN'T
be a problem.

My DS is 12 and he is going for his Grade 7 piano soon plus his Grade 8 violin soon. He practices 20min each instrument most days. With that level of practice we expect a Merit as opposed to a Distinction.

He could easily get Distinctions if he were to spend an hour on each instrument every day but THAT would be stressful. As it is, he has plenty of time for sports and stuff.

My point is that it should be a problem if the child isn't being pressured to be the next Lang Lang.

Agree with CURIOUSMIND. There is quite a jump between Grades 4 and 5.
Its not ust learning 3 pieces and extra scales. But really, this is teachers job to guide your DD. There should be a lot of learning in between grades I think.You dont have to take them all anyway. But the speed in itself isn't that alarming.
Now, my DC..... :) :) :).
Kids do progress in leaps.And they they can stall .. But sometimes it is worth to take your time to learn more in breadth, to have a chance for things to sink in. Just passing a grade is not really that important really.

Ah, that makes sense. I agree that if it stresses her out and she has a natural talent holding back won't make any difference. My friend did her grade 8 at 14 but she had to practice every night for at least half hour.

Hope it works out and you find a solution.

To add to my post and now knowing she is an older beginner dh went ont
To go to music college as a singer and though he plays to diploma standard his rushing through the grades meant he didn't develoP the technique to become concert standard

He still earns a living in music and he's a fantastiic accompanist so I agree with those who say make sure she is develoPing her sight reading

I agree with Crazymum53 said , you need to play wide variety of pieces+technic exercises+theory, etc. Otherwise you will find it's hard to get onto the next step as the gap from each grade is getting bigger and bigger.
How long does she practice? How quickly she can master something new?

If there is any hidden problem (looks like you have some),I suggest you stay here a while longer, get everything solid up.A decent mark for grade X is better than a narrow pass on grade X+1, or equal quality, obviouly you don't have to take all the exams.

Poor op! I know where you're coming from, but it is a very first world problem.
Is she scraping through the exams or stressed out? Does she parctise for hours? If not it sounds fine.

Can she play a range of Music or just the exam pieces? Does she have any experience in playing in public? Has she been learning any theory?
You cannot take any grades beyond grade 5 without grade 5 theory or Practical Musicianship so she may need to start this soon or she will get "stuck" at grade 5.
My mother is a retired piano teacher and used to organist concerts for her pupils so they could play in front of an audience (usually their parents). Piano (and other instrumental pupils) do need to learn to play a wide variety of different styles of pieces as well and I would be concerned if the teacher is just working through grades without taking this into account. There are graded books with a wider repertoire that can help with this e.g. the "What Else can I Play" Piano grade 4 series.

Also, you can find teachers that don't teach to pass exams, but teach to play by ear and be more creative. That's what I did on the piano. I started when I was 4 - on the usual grade treadmill, but actually became a better musician once I had a teacher who encouraged more improvisation. There's no reason that learning an instrument should be stressful. In fact, it should be the opposite.

I would suggest that, if you're worried about stress and pressure that you ask the teacher to go easy on the exams and let her play for pleasure. I got to my grade 6 on the clarinet quite quickly, but hated the constant pressure or practicing for exams. Once I said 'no more exams' and carried on lessons for pleasure, I actually started to enjoy it. I could play what I wanted and learn at my own pace. When I was 17, I decided for myself that I wanted my grade 8 and, by then, I had enough confidence and ability to get through it without stressing.

Don't make a big deal out of it, just have a word with her teacher if you're worried.

Sorry if I was rude earlier.

How old is she? Dh began piano at age 14 taking grade 5 a couple of years later And did his grade 8 when he was 18. He pretty much abandoned everything else (like schoolwork) though.

have we all seen "music teacher and parent" on you tube? Look it up. vvv funny! Don't know how to do links - sorry!

Lifeissweet you have made me proper laugh! 'show off' was a standard insult at my primary school. Although it was only said behind people's backs and it actually translated as someone who was pretty and popular! But even so, really made me chuckle.

OP I am quite new, but even I read the title and thought 'stealth boast'!

I'd be very worried about her beoming a musical genius. Has she already started to get a massive forehead? Is her hair a bit professorish? You could try her on the French Horn to try and slow her down. Or tie one hand behind her back.

I'm not sure how you can progress too fast. Unless she is just scraping a pass each exam? In which case she may be better to slow down and get a better standard for each exam.

If not - WTAF?

Musical whiplash made me

It sounds very worrying. Have you also noticed her French improving at alarming levels? Perhaps you're concerned for her sporting prowess. It's a very real danger.
I should expose her to some dumbing-down immediately. Have you seen Almost Naked Animals? Just the ticket.

Oh for goodness sake. Her poor teacher. (dh private guitar tutor, he has heard it all now he said)

(That was the weed not the werewolves, btw, remain immune from lycanthropy.)

(Whereas if she progresses more slowly it will take her till at least 19 to do this. Or that's what happened to me, anyway.)

Could be dangerous for her health

Yes, by the time she is 10 they will have run out of grades and she will stop practising and take up smoking weed instead.