What Level Piano Player Are You? (How To Tell)

How good are you at the piano? Has anyone ever asked you that? Maybe you've asked yourself. How do you know?! In my years of teaching, I've come up with a list of skills and techniques that I think an intermediate piano player SHOULD be able to do.

It's not exhaustive, but I think it's a great start to test your skills!

You can download the entire checklist here:

Take your scales, chords, and arpeggios to the next LEVEL:

Learn to play piano quicker with chords! Enjoy 6 free lessons here:

Ready to level up your playing? Get personal coaching tips and structured lessons: enjoy your free 7-day trial to Pianote!

Here are the timecodes:
- Technique - 0:54
- Chord Progressions - 3:14
- Music Theory - 4:45
- Repertoire - 6:25
- Dynamics & Emotion - 7:45

What do you think? Is there anything on the list you think is wrong? Or anything I'm missing?

Here's a list of lesson resources to help:

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ABOUT LISA:
Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for +20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of thousands of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. She is a songwriter and recording artist. Lisa’s contagious enthusiasm will have you excited to practice and return to the keys for your next lesson. Her teaching style focuses on you, making lessons encouraging and fun.

#pianolessons #pianote #pianotutorial

[PianoteOfficial]

Ready to level up your playing? Get personal coaching tips and structured lessons: enjoy your free 7-day trial to Pianote!

[vikytorious]

12 years of piano and I'm trying to figure out if I'm a beginner or an intermediate player

[Demonix]

After 12 years of playing, I’d hope I’m at least an intermediate player.

[brooklyngiang]

i did not spend 10 years of my life playing piano to be called a beginner 😭

[elipatael]

So according to this video Im a highly skilled advanced complete beginner

[tomhaan]

I could be an intermediate piano player if I were not an intermittent piano player.

[markd]

Wow! I was feeling pretty good about my piano skills until I watched this!

[j_saz]

8 years and I still look up the “EASY” songs on youtube

[dylanb]

I'm a beginner that likes to learn songs above my skill level

[jacobo]

*doesnt play piano*
Hmm yes I wonder what level piano playing I’m at

[cretudavid]

My self-esteem level got down to the sea level....

[unworthyServant]

I've been humbled... I now realize, based on this, that I'm still very much a beginner. Thank you for helping me critically assess my current level of piano fluency, Lisa. I know what effort I need to put into my lessons.

[BDBoswell]

Like many others who have commented here, I realized after watching this video a year ago that despite years of playing the piano I wasn’t actually playing at an intermediate level. I decided to dedicate the last year to memorizing my scales, arpeggios, triads, and really improving my reading skills. A year later I’m rewatching this video and I’m now confident that I can call myself an intermediate player. The skills mentioned in this video improved my playing in so many ways, they’re all definitely worth learning. Thank you for giving me the motivation I needed to move my piano playing to the next level! :)

[jakeenglish]

I’d say there is a difference between the knowledge of scales and terminology, and the skill of the player to play different things, this vid doesn’t really touch on that

[muulifani]

Oh🤣 according to this I've never even seen a piano

[jonahamvs]

Since i’m self taught I can’t believe I’ve been a beginner for 7 years

[ctrl-alt-dev]

Me, a piano player who learned by ear for about 4 years: “oh! I should be at LEAST be intermediate, right??”

Video: “Music theory” “Scales”

Me: *bangs head on piano keys*

[NikosAravanis]

As a self taught player i always wondered where i fit.
Thank you : )

[drollig]

At 71, I'm sure I'm a beginner... This young lady has taught me more in 3 videos than I have known in the past 60 years. She make's it somewhat easy to learn piano. Thanks

[echochambers]

So a year ago I stumbled upon this video. I was only two years into my piano journey at that time, but before I saw the video I thought I had a few 'intermediate' skills nonetheless... I was mostly wrong, but also inspired... So every area outlined in this video where I was deficient I focused on improving during my practices. Now, it's a year later and I can confidently say I'm checking 90%+ of the boxes outlined by Lisa in this video. My piano journey continues and of course I have much, much, much more to learn. Lisa and the rest of Pianote, thanks for the inspiration.