[Grammar] have played vs have been playing...

[ddablo]

hay~~

He has played the piano since he was 7.
He has been playing the piano since he was 7.

It looks like there is slight difference of meaning of the sentences but I can't figure it out.
Please let me know the differnce of them^^

 

[emsr2d2]

hay~~

He has played the piano since he was 7.
He has been playing the piano since he was 7.

It looks like there is slight difference of meaning of the sentences but I can't figure it out.
Please let me know the differnce of them^^

The first simply means that at some point (possibly once, possibly many times) he has played some music on a piano since the age of 7.

The second means that he started playing the piano at the age of 7 and he still plays the piano (probably on a fairly regular basis).

There is a little ambiguity and the second could mean that he has been playing the piano constantly (without stopping) since the age of 7. He would be very tired by now!! It is very unlikely that anyone would think that was true so you don't need to worry about that ambiguity but I just thought I would draw your attention to it.

 

[ddablo]

Thank you for the answer^^