piano grade 1 exam....

[kelway]

just out of interest, does anyone know the average time it takes a child (ie age 7) from starting piano lessons to taking their grade 1 exam. thanks

My DS took 18 months (starting at age 11)

Completely impossible to say - I taught for 5 years and there was a massive range. It depends on age, ability, enjoyment, practise, memory... Some children struggled after 2 years, some raced through or skipped the first few grades.

Just enjoy the journey!

My dd tooke her Grade 1 exam after two terms (aged 7), then skipped to Grade 3 the following year and is now (aged 8 1/2) preparing for her Grade 4. My ds, on the other hand, has been learning the piano for over a year and may just be ready for his prep test in the spring. So, it completely depends on the child - you really cannot generalise! The main thing is that they enjoy it .

About 2 years is probably average if they are following a strict classical method with a teacher who focuses on exams.

But I generally recommend more like three, and wouldn't panic even if it takes longer than that. There are huge factors involved in learning to read music on the piano that don't apply to other instruments, because you have to follow two lines at once. Young children need quite a lot of experience following one line and working gradually up from there before they can do it properly. When it's not done properly, they often just learn things by ear and can fool parents and even teachers into thinking they understand more than they do.

It took ds about 2 years, maybe a bit longer (he started in year 3, so age 7 or 8). That may well be longer than average, but he now has grade 8 at 16, so I don't think you can read too much into it.