What grade do you have to be to start composing?

besides being able to play the piano and of course reading music correctly. Might be a silly question but am giving it a try :D

I'm not sure what you mean. What kind of grade?

I started composing in kindergarten or first grade. I wrote a nice thing on the black keys, as many youngins do.

Composing is a lot easier if you have an intention for there to be something that wouldn't have been there otherwise. You also might find the will and self-confidence and ability to realize whatever intention that is to be useful.

So if your intention is to make a piece for piano that hasn't existed before you came along, ain't nothing gonna stop ya.

besides being able to play the piano and of course reading music correctly.

You can start composing whenever. Basically, if you're like me, you just play around (on your instrument) till you find something you like and then add on to it. I was a tad timid when i composed my first piece, since i had never had any composition training, was self-taught (on piano, but played the flute in the school band) and had never tried before. But have no fears, just go for it!

I didn't start writing music until I was in 7th grade and I didn't even like music much until I was in 6th grade.

I'll try and come up with something then. What I meant earlier by what grade was what piano grade since I'm just interested in composing something for the piano. I just thought, it will be very difficult to put it on paper if you have minimal knowledge on how to write music.

Composing music sounds exceedingly fun - hope I'll be able to make something up one day. Thanks for all the replies. xx

First time I composed I knew nothing about playing or composing. I just had a sudden urge to start composing music. I just wrote what sounded good to my ears. And to me, it sounded so good. But 11 years down the line I realized how bad it was. It's very funny to look back at past compositions, but we all have to start somewhere. If you have an urge to write music, definitely do it. Nothing can stop a human beings urge. Stopping urges can be potentially dangerous!

I didn't start writing music until I was in 7th grade and I didn't even like music much until I was in 6th grade.

Wow. That's pretty much my story...(started playing flute in 6th grade band, then started piano that christmas, and in 7th grade composed my first 3 pieces). Just thought that was interesting we got interested in music at the same time.

I'll try and come up with something then.  What I meant earlier by what grade was what piano grade since I'm just interested in composing something for the piano.  I just thought, it will be very difficult to put it on paper if you have minimal knowledge on how to write music. 

Composing music sounds exceedingly fun - hope I'll be able to make something up one day.  Thanks for all the replies. xx

I started composing (well, little things) when I was 4, and sure as heck didn't know anything about music then.

Best of luck, and welcome to the land of the insane composers! (Which I realise is redundant.) * laughs *

Ha, I didn't even start on what sounded good. I started on what looked good on paper. If it looked like it might sound good then I liked it. It was a year before I wrote something that was attractive to the ears. In hindsight that music was horrible.

I started composing in my 5th year of piano study, but don't let that fool you, I was the most stubborn, under-practiced, unappreciative student you'd ever find. So even though I was in my 5th year, I was on my 5th teacher, and probably a grade 1 or 2 in piano.

My work was, like most have said, all black keys ^_^. After that I picked up a cheap little MIDI keyboard that could record about 6 tracks (5 + 1 drum track) and made my way up from there. Now I teach piano, some theory, and compose like a madman! Its never too early or too late to start.

@RO233 - Creativity beats practice though!