Video: 8 Year Old Japanese Boy with Chopin Chops

[Jazz+]

Impressive:

[Dave Ferris]

Yea , but what can he do with a 12-bar blues.

 

Really....quite amazing !!!

[NoahZark]

These child prodigies always amaze me. I suspect, however, that some of the comments on youtube (e.g., about his parents forcing the poor kid to practice) couldn't be further from the truth. My guess is that a kid like that probably can't wait to get home from school each day (assuming he even goes to a regular school) so that he can get back to playing piano. You don't get to be that good that young simply because your parents crack rulers over your knuckles for three hours a day from the time you're potty-trained. Rather, what's on display in that video is some type of special gift coupled with a true love for the instrument. More power to him!

 

Noah

[Bobadohshe]

This video is every Asian parent's wet dream.

What amazes me is that this kid is so physically small and is able to manhandle that Chopin like that. It is both discouraging and encouraging.

I just finished practicing Bach and Chopin for an hour after a day of church gigging and I am feeling some soreness. I don't have huge hands but I'd be that mine are bigger than that kid's!

[delirium]

These child prodigies always amaze me. I suspect, however, that some of the comments on youtube (e.g., about his parents forcing the poor kid to practice) couldn't be further from the truth. My guess is that a kid like that probably can't wait to get home from school each day (assuming he even goes to a regular school) so that he can get back to playing piano.

 

I think, you're wrong. Kid would prefer play with other kids in the park then sit many hours at the piano. After few years of training he probably get use to and does practice without "encouragement".

In any case it's just stupid what people can do to impress others...

[Cliffk]

Well one good thing is that he'll always be employable. Now he can really enjoy school without worrying about whether he needs to pass this or that exam for future security - oh, unless of course he gets caught stealing in Saudi Arabia...

[TaurusT]

How is a kid like that able to do something like this?

Certain mathematical concepts that are present in music he hasn't even had in school yet. He must really have either a very high IQ or been on a private school for years.

[NoahZark]

I think, you're wrong. Kid would prefer play with other kids in the park then sit many hours at the piano. After few years of training he probably get use to and does practice without "encouragement".

 

Delirium:

 

"Kids would prefer to play with other kids in the park"??? Hmmm, over-generalize much??

 

Some kids, without encouragement, immerse themselves in reading about dinosaurs or planets. Some kids, without encouragement, will sit in a room for hours building incredibly elaborate structures with Legos. Some kids (if their parents let them) would be content to play a video game from the moment they wake up on a Saturday morning until it's bedtime. Is it really so difficult to believe that one kid out of millions may actually enjoy playing the piano at a young age and that he doesn't need to be forced by his parents to do it? Have you never known anyone who actually liked learning piano as a child? I enjoyed it (although I rebelled against practice and lessons with a fervor as I became a teenager), and I know plenty of others who did as well.

 

Anyway, you and I can agree to disagree, because, unless someone knows this kid and can ask him the question, we'll never really know who's right or wrong.

 

Noah

[NoahZark]

I think, you're wrong. Kid would prefer play with other kids in the park then sit many hours at the piano. After few years of training he probably get use to and does practice without "encouragement".

 

P.S. Do you think Mozart's parents forced him to practice as a child? Do you think they sat him down at age 5 and said, "Hey, Wolfgang, put down your toy trucks. It's time for you to write some piano music!"

[delirium]

"Kids would prefer to play with other kids in the park"??? Hmmm, over-generalize much??

 

Some kids, without encouragement, immerse themselves in reading about dinosaurs or planets. Some kids, without encouragement, will sit in a room for hours building incredibly elaborate structures with Legos.

 

yes and no. Kids have short attention span in general. Even when they play lego for hour one day, next day probably not so.

there is one thing enjoying playing piano and another thing killing yourself to learn difficult piece which you don't understand to begin with.

 

 

[ProfD]

There are all types of prodigies in the world. Folks who are inherently gifted with the ability to learn and/or do things phenomenally.

 

While we do not know the circumstances surrounding this particular child's skill at the piano, it is safe to say that he is gifted. More importantly, we should hope that his gift is not exploited.

 

Many gifted kids still have a normal childhood too. When they finish playing the piano or solving a differential equation, they will play video games or stop up the toilet with lego blocks.

 

 

[NoahZark]

There are all types of prodigies in the world. Folks who are inherently gifted with the ability to learn and/or do things phenomenally.

 

While we do not know the circumstances surrounding this particular child's skill at the piano, it is safe to say that he is gifted. More importantly, we should hope that his gift is not exploited.

 

Many gifted kids still have a normal childhood too. When they finish playing the piano or solving a differential equation, they will play video games or stop up the toilet with lego blocks.

 

 

Hear, hear! As usual, I agree with everything the Prof says.

 

Noah

[Bobadohshe]

Sometimes kids will have an incredible talent but be lazy about it. I bet this kid IS into the piano, but in order to focus on what you need to focus technically to pull a piece like that off, you need some rock solid discipline. Natural curiosity, an overabundance of talent and many hours with the piano will get you far, but they won't get you all the way there with a piece of this magnitude. You need to be systematic about your practice and it can get really boring at times, especially for a kid.

[delirium]

P.S. Do you think Mozart's parents forced him to practice as a child? Do you think they sat him down at age 5 and said, "Hey, Wolfgang, put down your toy trucks. It's time for you to write some piano music!"

 

he played piano only because there were no lego blocks at that time or computer games...

[Bridog6996]

P.S. Do you think Mozart's parents forced him to practice as a child? Do you think they sat him down at age 5 and said, "Hey, Wolfgang, put down your toy trucks. It's time for you to write some piano music!"

 

Actually, Mozart's father Leopold is often thought of as an early example of a parent exploiting their child's gifts in order to fulfill their own dreams. Leopold was a moderately successful composer and musician, but had nothing approaching the gift his son had. He drilled little Wolfgang day and night on piano, violin, and organ studies. I couldn't tell if what you said was sarcastic or not, but actually yes, I do think that was the case.

[Bobadohshe]

Leopold Mozart AND the father of Beethoven were BOTH extreme taskmasters, almost to the point of cruelty, now that you mention it.

[delirium]

Leopold Mozart AND the father of Beethoven were BOTH extreme taskmasters, almost to the point of cruelty, now that you mention it.

 

exactly, they were just lucky that these boys were talented anyway.