What makes a talented musician?

[Worriedandlost]

Dd is taking musical lessons which makes me think about music...grades....instruments....quite a lot! And naturally, I am curious now-what is it, that makes one a talented musician? There are millions of videos on youtube of very well trained tiny children but somehow it is difficult to call all of them talented, something lacks in their performance. So what is musical talent exactly-age? grades? number of instruments? speed of progression? performance? attitude of a child? can it be that child's performance is "spotless" but not talented and on the other hand, in spite of technical imperfection child is very talented in music? (These are general questions and not related no my DD :))

[morethanpotatoprints]

Ah, Piano.

It must be a difficult choice. We are near enough to Chets, a short train journey. It is a beautiful school and the old buildings are full of character (and ghosts, I hear).
I am hoping it won't be so difficult for us and at least we can take the academic out of the equation as dd is below/ just about average.
I think musicians can be more effective learners if they have that brightness to begin with, or don't have spld. My dd is dyslexic and also quite slow on the uptake, but atm lives for music .
She wants to try for JD in a couple of years, we are lucky to be near RNCM too.
I wish your ds well, please come back and tell me what you and he decide.

[Worriedandlost]

Morethanpotatoprins-soooo well said, totally agree!

[debra79]

Every music teacher and tutor my son has met gets excited about his ability and yet my son has an inability to read music. He started by teaching himself and I had never heard of pitch perfect and other technical phrases teachers have quoted. He learns only by ear and his tutors support this. I have never pushed him into doing anything but I find classes and groups for him to attend which he enjoys and he just seems to pick up everything instantly. I think when the time comes he will flourish in a music school but I do worry because he is gifted in maths and science also. I think I will leave the decision to him...whatever will be will be!

[MummytoMog]

Is your son not able to read music, or just hasn't learned properly? He's unlikely to flourish in a music school unless he learns to read music to be honest. If he is able to learn to read music, the earlier the better. I've started teaching my three year old to read basic notation in the hope that it will help her learn to read music more easily once she begins formal lessons. DD is quite interested in music, and has perfect pitch, but I'm not keen at ALL for her to be a professional musician. DH is one, and it's not a life I'd want for my child ;)

I would consider myself a talented musician, probably more so than DH, but I definitely didn't apply myself, didn't practice enough, didn't have lessons enough (and had dradful teachers) and consequently I am pretty rubbish. DH was forced to practice by his mother, and kept it up even at university, making it his career quite successfully. I wouldn't say he loves it though.

[Souredstones]

For me a talented musician is expressive as well as technically accurate from a young age. Anyone can learn technique but expression and a feel for the music can't be taught

[Souredstones]

I presume the 7 year olds taking g8 have their g5 theory to back it up too? By g8 you need to learn expression, tone and technique and tbh you need big hands lol

[RobC]

For me a talented person is some one who excels at something beyond your average expectation. It is the journey towards and beyond that average expectation which I think is important to develop any fluency in a skill. Individuals have to have the initial desire interest in a subject before they start learning and acquiring skills. It is nurturing that desire and firing that interest which I would say is unique to every individual. I my case it was playing in ensemble with other musicians whatever the level that stimulated my interest. I found that even as a beginner playing amongst my peers that I learnt very quickly when I had to play in tune on time at the right place with the appropriate dynamics. Of course I made mistakes as did every one else but it was a good foundation on which to start.

[bachsingingmum]

Difficult to put a finger on - but easily recognisable when you see it, and quite rare. DH and I are both good amateur musicians. We both loved it as kids and worked hard at it, but I could never have made a career out of it - technique not good enough. Sadly I didn't start singing properly till I was [quite] old. Two DDs with musical talent a plenty, but wouldn't put the hours in. I'm not cut out as a tiger mum.

Now real musical talent I saw at close hand while singing at a Chets concert last summer. A bunch of teenagers with teenage attitude, but staggering technical and musical skill in all sections of the orchestra. And I overheard a group of them happily arguing about the merits or otherwise of Berg...!

[oohdaddypig]

My old (very talented) music teacher told me it was 10 per cent natural ability and 90 per hard graft.

Sadly I had neither although I'm a reasonable amateur musician.