Is this musically unusual?

[LondonMum81]

My DD is 5 and has been studying the piano for about a year and is about to do her first graded exams.

However, despite being a beginner she can play almost any melody she hears by ear immediately without much guess work. She can't add in the chords as accurately (though she tries) but any melody from any genre seems fine and she likes to then play them in different keys by transposing them once she's figured them out for fun.

She also likes to improvise, particularly with her teacher and the results are bad in that it sounds like music rather than noise.

Is this unusual or am I just not familiar with what's typical for a generally musical child?

I'd say that's natural talent there if she hasn't done any music theory or grades yet. Improvising I find can't be taught easily - either you've got it or not.

With training she will be great!

I don't know if this is unusual or not...I just know that I could play nursery rhymes that I knew by ear on an electronic keyboard when I was 2. My mum thought nothing of it as she's tone deaf 🤣

I think that sounds really impressive! There was a boy I went to school with who could do similar, he is now a piano teacher.

My kids are not musically talented!

Yes, sounds like a natural musical gift. My brother was like this, he actually hated piano and guitar lessons as a kid because he didn't want to read music but could play anything he heard. He did eventually learn to read music and studied music at university and now works as a professional musician but still prefers playing by ear. I had piano and cello lessons for years (did grade 8!) and could learn to read music and play a piece by practicing it but I've never had that ability to hear something and just play it.

Yes, that sounds like she's musically gifted. Can she also reproduce rhythm accurately? Though actually reproducing melody accurately is rarer!

Both my dc could do this fairly early on, and I could too, but we’re all pretty musical and play instruments to high grades now. DH can’t play anything and I suspect wouldn’t be able to do it at all.

So I don’t think it’s probably that unusual if you’re fairly musically minded and might gravitate to playing instruments anyway.

My friends daughter did this, proud mama paid for piano lessons for a good few years until she and the teacher realised that dd was playing everything by ear and couldn’t read musical notation to save her life!

I could do this at a young age (pre school) and could sight read music.

Turns out I have ASD.

I don't understand how it could possibly have taken the teacher years to notice this? Teaching notation is one of the first steps of teaching music, and once notation is learnt pupils would be taught to sight read, so the teacher must have been pretty shit. Music lessons do not normally consist of just repeating sounds your teacher has played first.

OP - sounds like a natural talent to me. Well worth supporting her with lessons etc. as improvisation is definitely not a common skill.

Yes, she can reproduce rhythm both for dance (tap) and when playing piano by ear very accurately. Her tap teacher actually mentioned that to me recently.

She can read music reasonably well too but learns by ear very easily.

I play piano to grade 5 and took my first exam at age 8 I think, I’m a competent player at the songs I know. However I’ve never been able to improvise and it takes me ages to learn a new piece (I can just about improvise melody only). I always say I have ability but no talent (which people who don’t play an instrument think is crazy!). Strangely enough once I’ve learnt something I remember how to play it, so even now could go back to those grade 1 pieces from 30 years ago and play them reasonably competently.

I think it’s very talented for any age of child, but particularly as young as 5 - but I don’t think it’s unusual among professional musicians. Definitely something to nurture and see how far she goes with it!

She sounds gifted musically.

Sounds extremely gifted to me. 5 is so young for a piano grade!

I wasn't planning for her to do grades but her teacher suggested it after finishing the Me and My Piano series of books. She only started preparing for exams in April and her pieces are largely ready now. She actually asked to learn to play the guitar but she doesn't have the finger strength and is just too small so piano was the compromise.

You can get children's sized guitars, and you only really get the finger strength from playing a stringed instrument. I started violin at 6 and had decent finger strength by 8 or so. But she's only very little, piano is probably plenty for now, and personally I think its a good first instrument. Having the keyboard in front of you sort of builds your 'mental map' of how music works in a way that is pretty easy to transfer to other instruments later.

I agree that music theory in general makes more sense if you play the piano. Also, she only just turned 5. She started at 4 and was just far too little.

One of my children can do this, as can DH. I would say it is fairly unusual though, based on people's reactions.

However it's wasted on DS as he rarely practices!

Just keep letting her enjoy herself for now

For such a young age that’s pretty unusual. Especially transposing on keyboard! Sounds like she’s got some innate talent and the interest to match it. I’d be worried about turning music from fun to boring with too much extra activities and lessons though. Let her self direct and it’ll all work out. The fun in music is finding your own voice and interests

She sounds talented but the best person to speak to is her teacher?

Her teacher says she's musically gifted but of course I'm paying her so I'm sure she encourages all parents to think their children have talent to some extent.

She likes practicing, that's not really an issue in our house. If anything she takes too long as I have a toddler that also needs my attention and my daughter always wants me with her when she's practicing so that battle is more about her hurrying up rather than playing which I feel bad about.

If she’s enjoying it that’s the main thing. Some people do have this ability to play by ear, what a lovely talent to have. It doesn’t always translate to being better than someone who can’t do that

My DD’s a bit older but can do this. She’s just got a distinction on her latest piano exam. I think it’s a good indicator of musical ability - she should do well at the piano but you don’t need to rush it, it’s actually easier for them if they are a little older!

I've always been able to play tunes by ear on the piano too. I never actually got lessons, though I do play other instruments.

I think it is quite unusual, and I often regret not making more of the ear for tune I obviously have.

She's definitely musically gifted.
And most kids would find practice a core at that age. The fact she is taking to it so willingly means that she's found a calling there!

• Chore not core