The short answer is you can start music lessons at any age and have some degree of success. Being able to master an instrument is really a lifelong pursuit but being able to play at some level of proficiency is something anyone can do at any age.
If you had never been exposed to classical music in your life and you decided that in your 20s or 30s you wanted to become a concert violinist, you would have an incredibly tough road ahead of you. The coordination required; the understanding of musical language; there are many reasons why this would be extremely difficult. This is not to say that mastering an instrument later in life is impossible though. Many musicians have learned instruments later on in life and had a huge degree of success. But how is this possible?
Being exposed to music from a young age is incredibly important for success in music. It can increase the development of your brain for music and it can provide you with an understanding of the musical language. For example, if you already know how to play one instrument, it will be much easier to learn a second instrument. This is because you already have an understanding of the musical language.
There are some instruments that are best to learn at a young age – specifically string instruments and the piano – but it’s not impossible to learn them at any age. If you start later in life you really should have realistic expectations. No matter how much I may want to be a professional basketball player, at my age it is virtually impossible.
It’s important not to get hung up on what level you can eventually achieve on an instrument. If you want to learn an instrument at any age, it’s a great idea as long as it’s enjoyable for you. Musical development is something you can enjoy for the rest of your life no matter what your age or level!
Thanks for joining me, Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
4 thoughts on “Can you Be Too Old to Start Music Lessons?”
My grandmother took her first piano lesson at age 74. She continued for about 5 years and was pretty good. She was forced to stop due to arthritis pain in her fingers. I know for a fact that she was grateful for the years she was able to play. Sad to see her forced to stop.
At one time I had girl student begin with me who had had some piano lessons. She was about 12 years, and she wanted me to teach her to play “Claire de Lune”. I explained to her (and her mother) that this was too difficult for her at that time. No matter, that’s what she wanted to play. So we began. After a couple of months she had struggled to the bottom of page two, where the left hand arpeggio figures begin, she was satisfied. I think the experience did improve her playing…but not of Claire de Lune.
I was 54 when I started. I just wanted to do something in common with my 8 year old daughter who had been taking lessons for nearly 3 years (at that time). I’ve completed level 7 Mozart K.545 (all movements), and I’ll be starting K.576 this October, at the start of my 4th year of lessons. My daughter is level 5/6 now, but is much better/quicker at learning a piece than myself. She has no problem sight reading, whereas I need to work out the notes and fingering very carefully, then I memorize the piece. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to sight read, but I’m trying to improve that slowly over time. I think the most important thing is to stick with the piano, since the first year is the hardest, then learn some songs you really enjoy playing. The joy of playing then keeps me coming back to sit down and play. It’s also very therapeutic!
Thank you, Robert, you addressed the issue that so deeply concerns me. There’s no longer any time left in my life for improvement, but I do definitely enjoy playing the piano, and get great satisfaction and comfort from what I can produce.
I am very excited to receive my new piano next Wednesday!