how long did it take you to get better?

In the future, please use proper english. For example writing "you" instead of "u." It looks better and members will respect you more.

I've taken for 10+ years and I'm still improving. The rate that you improve depends on how much you put into it.

The thing about trying to guage a general time it takes to become good is tricky because everyone is different, some people pick it up more naturally then others. I've known people who've been playing for over ten years, as well as a guy who picked it up just a few years ago and they are both at the same level.

Myself, I dabbled on my own until I was able to get a job and take formal lessons, and when I did I grasped most of it pretty quickly within a few months and moved up to level 8. There are some problems I have that other people find easy, and likewise there are problems they have that I have never considered.

My advice is that it probably seems hard and daunting to a beginner but just remember there have been tons of people before you who have overcome whatever problems there are so there's nothing stopping you from being one of them.

Playing for 2 years. I'm pretty good, expressively, but technically I need about 3-5 years of work (when I start college) to, maybe, be considered Intermediate-Professional.

I don't think I'm better than any pianist out there, I have my own view about ability and technique of each pianist and music performer. We are all judged by certain rules, format and aspects by critics in the society. But nonetheless, I've heard my niece play "Mary had a little lamb" and even I am amazed at how she performs it with soul and grace.

So yeah, time and effort is a technical must to be a better pianist but most of the all, the passion to play the music that seeps in out of life is the key to playing piano exceptionally well.

i dont remember the exact quote but i was told that someone once asked Artur Rubenstein how long it took him to learn the piano and he replied "oh, im still learning".

the point is, you are constantly learning and improving. you never reach a point where there is nothing left for you to learn or where there is an area of your playing that doesnt need improving. the main reason for this being that every individual pianist is more critical of their own playing than anyone else could possibly be.

and its hard to judge if you are better or worse than someone else, because in order to compare you need to use the same scale; but we all have our own unique ones so it is pretty much an impossible task

just play, enjoy and learn.

It's easier to get worse than to get better so you always need to learn to maintain yourself.

i think this boils down to your foundation.. the basic and the mastery of it..

But nonetheless, I've heard my niece play "Mary had a little lamb" and even I am amazed at how she performs it with soul and grace.

That's so sweet! ^_^ I agree with you though- better a simple piece played with emotion than Fantaisie Impromptu played dryly.
And, I think everyone's said what I wanted to say- and I couldn't agree more with an-kun. I dropped out of music school a few months ago because it was just getting tedious, and where I live everything's just so "invest your life and soul into it and don't do anything else with your spare time to live up to your teacher's expectations" and I just had so much other stuff to do, I thought I'd do okay with my current skills... but, now I've come to the point where I have to listen to a piece before being able to play it. You have to maintain yourself, a little bit every day, and you're constantly learning new ways to play certain pieces and finding new ones to play etc.
So... yeah. It took me a long time to get at a considerable level. ^_^
The only thing I find annoying is people constantly telling you that you have a gift as soon as you start playing well- a gift is something that comes without effort. If you want to get better, just play like crazy, and there you have it. :)

I started taking piano when I was 7, and let me tell you, I did not sound that great then. But after 3 years of lessons, and 5 years of messing around/playing random pieces, I can play much more fluently.