# A question



## Debusatie

Bland Pre-story

I am 18 years old right now, going to College for music. Ages 8-14 I took piano lessons and was decent but never took it seriously. Ages 14-18 I became a virtuoso electric guitar player, self taught, and was accepted into Berklee.

17 years old I developed an interest for classical music, specifically solo piano legends such as Debussy and Liszt. Over the past year, the interest became an obsession and I no longer have an interests in guitar. I have decided to make the extremely risky move and switch my principal instrument from guitar to piano (despite having only noodling around on the piano every now and then since I quit).

So the question:
Will the mix of my previous experience with piano playing, with the fact that I practiced religiously on a guitar for four years, have any significant on my progression as a pianist in the long and short term future?

Thank you.

P.s. Apologies for the egotistic mood of this post, I just couldn't think of any humbler way to word it.


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## hreichgott

Be bold and get yourself an audition to study piano with someone at Berklee as soon as you arrive, instead of asking us random people on the internet  You have some great resources at your disposal there. 

People do switch instruments at your age and go on to have careers. We cannot evaluate your playing since you haven't posted a clip, but since you have not played piano seriously for the last four years you are definitely "behind" in the short term compared with other piano students at a conservatory. You are probably behind many people who auditioned for Berklee on piano and didn't make it in. You will have some catching up to do. Professors may not want to take you at your current level. Be humble about that but don't let it scare you off or stop you from learning. And don't insist on switching your primary instrument right away, particularly if that places you at risk of losing your spot at Berklee. You could for example have piano on the books as a secondary instrument, but in reality devote a lot of time to practicing and then make the switch when you are able to get into a professor's studio. 

In the long term it would be wise to maintain your playing ability on guitar, even if your primary instrument changes. Being versatile helps ensure employment in the arts.


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## maestro57

I don't see how playing the guitar could/would be harmful to your progression in continuing to learn the piano. If you strum right-handed, then your left hand's dexterity and mobility would be amazing now on the piano ha ha. The only hindrance, as hreichgott mentioned, is that you're now four years out of practice.

I stopped playing for ten years, give or take a few months, and started practicing the piano again and was able to get back to my peak skill within months.


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