Whether playing Mozart or the Muppets, or even “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, nothing beats the joy on a child’s face when they’ve conquered a new song!
No doubt you’ve seen or heard video clips of children showing off their talents on the keys, and it’s pretty inspiring to see. A quick search on YouTube will pull up tons of kids playing piano, some so young you’ll be amazed. Here, we’ve selected a few of our favorites that are definitely worth watching:
Nine-Year-Old’s Improptu Costco Performance
This young man was apparently separated from his family during a trip to Costco. He kept calm, played piano, and became an Internet sensation. His performance of Csárdás moved passersby enough to have one of them take footage with a cell phone and post it on YouTube. If you’re impressed by this clip, you can watch a few more of his performances, all of them a bit less impromptu, by following the links in the video description.
4-Year-Old Prodigy
While we have to disagree that the boy in the video is playing better than any master, he is doing quite well for only being 4 years old. He has amazing command of tempo as well as dynamics, going from forte to piano at will. This isn’t easy even for those of us who have been playing for years. Plus, his excitement before he gets started is incredibly adorable. Try to emulate that joyful feeling the next time you sit down to play!
Bach Played by a 5-Year-Old
Bach’s contrapuntal arrangements are difficult for many beginning pianists to master, so it’s pretty incredible to watch this 5-year-old girl run through this piece like it’s as easy as riding a tricycle.
6-Year-Old Girl on The Ellen Show
This girl has made many appearances on a few different talk shows, and has even played at the White House. What really impresses us about her playing is the way she makes the pieces come to life. She brings the melody out of this passage from Mozart’s Fantasia in D Minor to the point that it feels much more than just playing notes written on a sheet of music.
Even more impressive, she has written some of her own piano songs. Composing songs gives you a lot more insight into the way a particular song should feel when it’s played, since you’re building from the ground up. The next time you’re practicing, feel free to take a little bit of time after working through your planned material, and try making up a new song. You might surprise yourself and notice things about your current material that you haven’t before!
Flight of the Bumblebee on Australia’s Got Talent
Here’s a clip of what some YouTube commenters believe is the same boy as in the second video. Only this time, he’s 7 years old, and playing in front of talent judges! Growing older and taller over a few years has helped him develop even better muscle control than before, as you can see by his incredibly fast fingers and impressive dynamic range. That’s something other pianists spend years trying to perfect!
If you’re watching these videos and wondering how these kids playing piano ever got to be so talented, we’ll let you in on their not-so-secret methods: all of them started practicing diligently at a very young, and have worked with private instructors to fine-tune their abilities. It’s amazing what you can do with a little encouragement and guidance–at any age, really! If you’re interested in learning how to play, take that next step in signing up for private lessons, and who knows, maybe you’ll be next to serenade the crowd at Costco!
Photo by donjd2
Megan L.