Leeds boy, 9, became piano prodigy by watching Youtube clips and learning cartoon theme tunes

A nine-year-old piano prodigy from Leeds who has never had a lesson taught himself to play by watching YouTube and copying theme music from cartoons.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Sep 2018, 13:20 BST
Updated 23rd Sep 2018, 14:27 BST
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.

Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.

William, who has "always liked music", loves nothing more than playing at public pianos across Leeds after school, with his mum Thiet Nguyen, 35.

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She can't believe the progress he has made since she bought him a keyboard as a toy last year.

Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.

She said: "He has only been playing since he was eight, in July last year.

"He has not had any lessons since he first got his keyboard.

READ: Tiger Tiger in Leeds closed this weekend - and this is how you reacted"William only really started to play often since September and he is just amazing."

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Thiet said William often picks up musical tracks from his favourite cartoons - including Transformers - and teaches himself how to recreate them on his keyboard.

Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.

She added: "I don't know how he can do it but he will listen to the theme music and just remember it.

"When he gets to the keyboard he can just play from memory, he doesn't use any music sheets or anything.

"I don't know how he does it.

"He can listen to music during everyday life and just be able to copy it almost straight away.

Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
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"He finds the right note to start with and then works around it, he is so talented."

Budding musician William said he uses YouTube lessons to teach him the tracks.

Each tune takes him two to four days to learn and up to two weeks to master before he can play fluently, William added.

He said: "I like to play the keyboard at home.

Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.
Little musician William only began to teach himself to play in July 2017 but has excelled and mastered a variety of intricate tunes.

"My keyboard at home has lots of different settings to change the sound so it can sound like a grand piano or bright piano.

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READ: Five-year-old Yorkshire girl left fighting for life after doctors took two years to diagnose cancer"When I first got it I was eight years old and I started to play but I culd never get it quite right

"I started to type into YouTube 'piano lessons' and chose some videos and I ended up playing really good."

William recently surprised his school friends during a talent competition.

His mother added: "Nobody knew about his talent so when we saw there was the competition on I asked if he could play.

"He played in front of the school and ended up coming in second place in the competition.

"Everybody was so shocked, nobody could believe it.

"He is very talented."

Related topics:LeedsYouTubeYorkshire