How old is too old to start to learn the violin?

Lonelykitsune

Lonelykitsune

Well-known member
I'm nervous as this is my first thread.
I've decided to take up some hobbies i might like to help with my social anxity as i've never really done anything other than video games,books etc,stuff you do on you own.

I love th sound of the violin.I would really like to learn it but I have heard that it is extremly difficult to learn and you have to start learning under 10 years of age.

I just want to play for myself,I'm not trying to join an orchestra or anything,but i don't want to sound like I'm microwaving cats when playing either.

I'm 16 years of age and hav no experience playing any sort of instrument and i can't read music yet.Thought i might learn but all this about having to start really arly is putiing me off.

Anyone hre have any experience or advice?::eek::.thanks.
 
Lorraine Manca

Lorraine Manca

Well-known member
i started at 11. its never too late, BUT ITS HARD AS HELL. if your anything like me, itll sound like some animal dying a slow painful death for the first three years and then after that it starts sounding decent. you really have to stick it out. theres tons of stuff i wish i knew before hand
practicing scales is the fastest way to improve. and also playing two strings at a time helps too.
press the bow down very hard on the strings when you play and always play as loud as possible no matter how badly it sounds.
im still awful at it, so other people would probably have better advice.
definately go for it though!
 
Generical

Generical

Well-known member
She's all stampy and he's all squeaky/mumbley, plus the guy in the window might have handlebars..but could be just a beard....anyway, nice.
 
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C

chained

1
well with the time us SA ers have on hand I don't think it would represent a problem.. kids probably do learn easier.. I'd liek to play an instrument.. but cuz of my meds I have lack of concentration and I'm to busy with school work.. btw I'm 17.. maybe the guitar for me or the piano...but that's just me dreaming... :) good luck!
 
SpLynx

SpLynx

Well-known member
You are not going to be a professional, right? It is just a hobby so there is no age limit for that.
 
Lea

Lea

Banned
I wonder if we go more stupid with age or are just more conditioned to believe that it isn't possible to learn. And people please don't understimate this conditioning, it is nothing to snap out of and begin to think positively. It may be irrational but it is grown in in the person.
 
Tiercel

Tiercel

Well-known member
I'm 29, and have only had a violin for about 4 1/2 years. So you're not too old to learn.

Unfortunately, I've had guitars for about 10 1/2 years. And that has definitely influenced my violin practice. While previous experience has given me a better ear for exactly where my fingers should fall, the transition from a large, fretted instrument to a smaller fretless one has been discouraging. And then there's the difference between picking a note and having to bow a note for it's entire duration.

Ultimately, it just comes down to convenience and laziness for me. I sound alright on the guitar, so it sounds better to me. Plus, I can always turn down my little practice amp if I'm playing at night. It's just more convenient. As far as the violin goes, I know I'll sound like crap for the first few years of steady practice, but I can't keep motivated. It irks me to think that, had I practiced these past 4 1/2 years, I'd sound decent on the violin.

And I think the main difference with starting at a young age is that you don't know that you sound like crap. You play your scales and the little etudes your teacher gives you, and you're told how wonderfully you play them. As a person who appreciates hearing a professional play, you tend to compare what you sound like with what you want to hear. And you get frustrated, discouraged, and think that because you're starting later you'll never be able to play well.

But even Paganini sounded like a dying cat at one point. And as long as you realize that the only way to get better is through practice, you should be able to deal with a few hundred hypothetically dying cats. :D
 
K

Krista

Well-known member
It is harder after a certain age of being younger but you can always learn something! The violin is a beautiful instrument, one I'd like to learn too. I hope you go through with it, you could make some very lovely music. After learning the piano, I always wanted to pick up the violin but with no avail.
 
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