Learning a musicla instrument, is it too late???

[longers]

A fan of Brass Bands also here. It's only recently that I've discovered I like it. I lived near Saddleworth for a while and every year they have the Whit walks and a very large brass band competition. Fantastic stuff. As the bands walked to the "station" where they would do their set piece they would play something of their own choosing and these were pretty diverse . Friends had a house that you could hear the Dobcross Silver Band practicing from if you were sat out in the garden.

I'm hopeless at music myself.

 

[Pete]

What can I add to this? Sometimes I wonder whether an event like BBC Young Musician has got the wrong approach, i.e. start 'em really young and push them to an incredible level - full concert performance standard - at a really tender age! Though the results are fantastic, I sometimes worry about this. Not just about the kids themselves, I mean. Any late starters out there might well be put off by this, just assuming up front that they are out of the loop and why bother?

So, about the rest of the early starters - like myself. It's nowhere near like this, of course. I started the piano at about age eight. I began with a flourish, bagging my Grade 1 with distinction within the first year. After that I plodded on with the lessons (getting up to Grade 5 - scraped pass) until I left school, then I dropped them. In the forty years since then, I quite often bash away at the ivories, just for fun, but I have no performance ability and never will have. And my family, who - er - endure all this, know it.

So what about late starters? Perhaps with the right motivation, they can pull something off where I never did? I'd say, if you really want to do it, go for it whatever your age. If your feeling is, instead, you really ought to do it, forget it. Wrong reason and you won't stick.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

A fan of Brass Bands also here. It's only recently that I've discovered I like it. I lived near Saddleworth for a while and every year they have the Whit walks and a very large brass band competition. Fantastic stuff. As the bands walked to the "station" where they would do their set piece they would play something of their own choosing and these were pretty diverse . Friends had a house that you could hear the Dobcross Silver Band practicing from if you were sat out in the garden.

I'm hopeless at music myself.

I have played at the Whit Wakes on a number of occasions and without doubt it was always the most enjoyable event of my banding year. To be able to play in the same (figurative) arena as the best bands in the world always was a thrill, and to hear the breathtaking sounds of a top band bouncing off the buildings with the support of a friendly and knowlegable audience literally prickled the back of my neck. Not to mention the end of the day spent in the bar!

Happy days!

 

[yoyo]

Come on. DavidWalton! Where is the King of Instruments in your list. A challenge: bass clef and then tackle a truly involving instrument - the organ. You can buy good home practice instruments these days without relying on churches where the music is mostly naff and the pay is utterly pitiful. Happy playing!

Yoyo

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Wow....I did try a BBb bass once and couldn't fill the thing with air. I'd never manage to blow an organ.

 

[davidwalton]

Come on. DavidWalton! Where is the King of Instruments in your list. A challenge: bass clef and then tackle a truly involving instrument - the organ. You can buy good home practice instruments these days without relying on churches where the music is mostly naff and the pay is utterly pitiful. Happy playing!

Yoyo

Until now, I had never played an instrument that could be written for in Bass clef, hence my reading in Bass clef is not good enough to consider orchestral work yet. All things in time though, including learning transposing from any key to F for Orchestral stuff. Unfortunately, Orchestral Horn parts were written for just about all key of Horn, hence some professionals have separate crooks (for each key) to produce the sound intended by writing for that key of instrument.

You can keep keyboard instruments though. The king of instruments is made of Brass, is circular, and I own one

As for getting paid = no chance. If I ever play in a Band where the members get paid, rather than paying to be a member, only then will I expect payment as well.

I know someone who is also an organist (and a Brass player), and he also does some church events for which he gets a little money, but it is no real job.

 

[Kirstie]

Go for it Maggot! Best thing about learning an instrument when you're an adult is that you're doing it for the right reasons - because you're interested, because you want to, because it's sociable and you can have fun playing music with others. Learning it as a kid it's more about practising exams and discipline. It's also (probably) going to be great fun playing music with your kids too. I used to love that when I was little and my dad and i used to play piano duets.

I learned piano from age 2 and passed my grade 8 age 13 (also learned organ, flute, guitar, singing and accordion) , then studied for a performers diploma in 6th form (snap yoyo), but it was all too intense for me. My brother is a pro french horn player and mixes with many of these child prodigies and their pushy parents and having met many of them, I prefer the balanced approach myself...

 

[Abitrary]

Of course it's not too late. You've probably got about 3 hours or so left until 11, which I think is a fair cutoff point.... of course depending if you are in a house or flat.

 

[Cathryn]

Of course it's not too late...and it's an amazing thing to do. I play clarinet and piano, and learning to read music is incredibly useful as well.I'd like to learn the cello actually, but if I didn't play anything, I'd go for the piano. Great instrument!!!!

Might be late for the violin? I may well be wrong but I have a feeling it's a bit like ballet, you need to start young!!

 

[col]

I practiced the french horn and piano at school,and even dabbled in the flute,but i loved the pipes,i was taught by the pipe sargeant of the irish guards,and was a member of a pipes and drum band,for my boarding school,great sound,id love to do it again,but time and stuff seems to stop me.

 

[yoyo]

Now you're talking! The pipes. That is an instrument I would like to play. In my days as an organist, I decided to annoy my vicar who loathed pipes by asking the piper who was playing at the next wedding to show me how. Alas the vicar ensured I couldn't inflate the bag by keeping me laughing! I had to make do with listening to the concert band and pipers at our kids' boarding school playing Highland Cathedral - great stuff. I am in the process of teaching it to my concert band at school but their counting is .......dire.....!

Yoyo

 

[col]

Now you're talking! The pipes. That is an instrument I would like to play. In my days as an organist, I decided to annoy my vicar who loathed pipes by asking the piper who was playing at the next wedding to show me how. Alas the vicar ensured I couldn't inflate the bag by keeping me laughing! I had to make do with listening to the concert band and pipers at our kids' boarding school playing Highland Cathedral - great stuff. I am in the process of teaching it to my concert band at school but their counting is .......dire.....!

Yoyo

Sound great dont they!There are not many schools with pipe bands i would guess,mine was the Gordon boys school,at west end woking,General Gordon founded it,a military school,hence the pipes,as well as a brass band too.
There is a pipe band at aycliffe,i believe,always meant to take a look through,but never got round to it.

 

[yoyo]

Kids were at Oundle (all brass players) - lots of Scottish pupils and several pipers. Sounded amazing in Peterborough Cathedral and their school chapel.

Yoyo