Hey! I`ve taken about two years of piano lessons and have really not learned one bit. That was when I was 12. I`m know 15 and thinking about taking piano lessons again. I just wanted to know how long do you think it will take before I can start playing difficult pieces? I mean how long did it take you to learn all the basics of reading music and playing? I know that practicing a lot will help but I also wanted suggestions on how you practice or what you practice? How long did it take you to learn how to sight read?

It depends on what you mean by "difficult pieces" . To learn basic theory (scales, chords and inversions, arpeggios, rhythms, etc) It should only take you a couple months if you plan to practice a lot. Sight reading is probably going to come later because you have to be able to fluently read music. The purpose of sight reading is to keep the tempo all the way through without stopping, even if you miss some notes...but if you can`t read notes moderately well you probably can`t sight read yet...it will come though. After a couple years of practice you could be up to level three or four if you really worked. You wouldn`t be playing chopin or anything yet, but there are tons of fun songs at all levels. Level three really starts to get some fun ones. I would highly reccomend Martha Miar because her pieces are not too difficult, but there is lots to learn in them and she has a very romantic style so they sound really nice. Good luck!

What happened to u was what happened to me (i learned the notes though,but couldn`t play the piano)at 10 and then 8 months ago (i was 14 now i`m 15)i gave it go and well i can play chopin`s minute waltz(after 4 months); moonlight(after 3 months); sonata raidrop prelude; toccata and fugue and stuf like that!!!
I started of with "first loss"(ester verlust) and the poor orphan(armes waisenkind) from album of the young (shumann)
so i started all ready with difficult things (but the rytms was terrible), though i had no idea they were difficult coz in france it`s considered like starter!!!
I must note that i was trainning nearly all day (like 6/8) hours so there was some trainning going on......
So the trick is to play from level one but only doning a couple(3 pieces) and then going to the next levelif u understand
If u want ester velust or armes waisenkind sheet music i can send them to u.....
hope this helps in ur trainning

PS: Don`t bother with scales they do NOT come in handy!
but DO learn chords! (and then u can play sons....)

dont listen to whoever was before me... scales are essential for any piano player, as well as for any instrument

if you really want to know how to play the piano, like understand everything, practice your technical like hell. not only does it train you for playing hard pieces, you should be playing technical as a warm up (like when you stretch before you run).

also, anyone can learn moonlight sonata and stuff, if they have the time... but if you want to cut that time down to a week or two you should have to be playing for a couple years. i`ve been kinda playing for like 10, and im teaching myself claire now.

the moral of the story is, if you dont want to spend months to be come fluent on a piece, you`ll need to playing the piano for at least five yars.

well you have to understand...I`m not really into into all that classical stuff. I`m looking more into playing modern music and maybe some jazz and blues. no bach or what have you. I`m not looking to become a concert pianist. just a person that can actually play a couple of songs or few if someone asks you to.

Yeah you should still learn scales, and if you want jazz, learn chromatic scales especially (you can put one in almost anywhere).
P.S.
SVATY PIANIST; that music isn`t considered difficult, even outside of France
wouldn`t be boasting about minute waltz...no matter how long you studied

I can`t believe it i go 4 5 minuts and again some suckers r been clever!!!!!
yaakov Shut that permintly open stinking gob coz i know Svaty pianist and i know he wasn`t "showing off" also i happen to know that starting on 1st loss must be pretty discuraging...and not easy aso minute waltz isn`t that difficult true but what do u play that u think that u r good recorder?
sean, scales r not so important, only for teachers pets and
people hu want to think themselves "prefessionnal" they r....

if i told you what i`m playing it wouldn`t make a difference, because i could tell you anything and even if i told you truth you wouldn`t believe it. and yes, he was being boastful, and i hate french people

and as for scales...
If you`ve ever played beethoven, mozart, liszt, or mendollsohn, you have encountered innumerable scales. Take a look at their major concertos... for instance, the emperor concerto. if you don`t have solid scale technique, you couldn`t touch that piece without killing the piece entirely
if you`re smart, you will learn scales. shouldn`t be your main concern, but you need them