Piano Levels: Quick Guide to Piano Difficulty Levels

Being a beginner pianist is tough. You’ll see many excellent pianists on the internet playing the songs you wish you could play. It’s common for beginners to feel like they aren’t making any significant improvements. However, if you’re at this level, you should never give up. Learning the piano aligns perfectly with the quote, “Great things take time.”

Beginners can be overwhelmed by all of the things they have to remember while playing. Some of these things include fingering, technique, dynamics, and pedaling. Regarding technique, the most common pitfall is using straight fingers.

When you play the piano, it’s best to have a constant finger bend. Many beginners are unaware of this technical aspect and get used to a straight-finger style. On top of a novice technique, beginners give themselves away with their pedaling. Many of them hold down the sustain pedal constantly, creating a waterfall of sound. To their misfortune, the human ear is easily fooled. Have you ever listened to a voice recording of yourself and thought, “Wow, I sound weird.” If so, you’ve already experienced this concept. We aren’t always aware of how we sound until we hear a recording.

The same thing goes for musicians and their sound. This sustain pedal overuse issue spawns because of the device's innate ability to fix mistakes. Holding down the sustain pedal can create a warm and smooth sound. However, keeping it down through different chord changes is a recipe for disaster. If you ever need to clear out a room of people, just play the piano without taking your foot off the pedal. This method works every time.

If you’re an intermediate pianist, you’ve made it past the hump. However, things don’t get easier if you still want to improve. The more you know, the more you realize how much you don’t. With an understanding of basic chords and sheet music, intermediate pianists can learn songs in several ways. Some of these ways include internet tutorials, chord sheets, sheet music, and learning by ear. Chord sheets and learning by ear go hand-in-hand.

At this level, pianists have enough ear training to learn simple songs by ear. This type of learning can be very beneficial for all musicians. Some people can only learn by ear or with sheet music, which isn’t ideal. It’s best to experiment with both types of learning if you want to be a well-rounded musician.

Fingering and technique are a significant improvement in the intermediate level. Pianists start to understand fingering techniques and the tucked thumb. When tucking the thumb underneath other fingers, it allows pianists to play upward or downward as much as they please. This movement doesn’t feel completely natural in the beginner stage.

Intermediates also have a decent amount of songs under their belt. The more songs you learn, the easier it gets to pick them up. Let’s say a beginner and intermediate pianist start learning a song at the same time. A beginner might need 3 weeks to learn it, while an intermediate pianist might only need a week. This improved learning ability comes with familiarity with the piano. However, if you want to keep improving, you can’t settle here.

Advanced pianists have lots of skills to work with and enjoy. Reaching this level takes years of consistent practice and a love for the instrument. A song that would take a beginner 3 weeks to learn might only take 10 minutes for an advanced player.

Players in this realm also don’t focus purely on learning the notes. Instead, they strive to make those notes sound as best as they can. Getting the most out of the notes comes from expressiveness and phrasing. Advanced players are excellent at shaping songs’ structures. Rather than playing note for note, they think in passages and phrases. Not only does this help with phrasing, but it also makes it easier to memorize long pieces. Advanced players also have efficient practice routines. They can learn a lot of material in a short amount of time.