Those things I had never owned. Besides being a ton of fun for me, Leslie met three other women in the class who decided after the term was over to get together once a week to play string quartets. Four women, ages spanning four decades, meeting together religiously for the next decade and a half to mine the works of great composers… talk about your outcomes. I recently bumped into Lola the oldest member of the group who is now in her 70's and she said the group still meets regularly, braving in weekly installments the vast repertoire of string quartets.
So back to the original question, if I may wax rhetorical. Is it too late to embark on a journey that will stretch you emotionally, mentally, and physically? Is it too late to engage in an art form, an ineffable vehicle for personal expression that does not rely on emails or facebook status updates?
Is it too late to learn you have perseverance and determination you never knew you had? I found this comment very interesting about the limitless"passion" of an adult beginner vs the passion that came from "mom" who introduced you to the violin ;. There is also something that, as a late starter myself, I can see. The perhaps very crazy! I imagine that a kid going in as much frustration as the "average" adult starter would have quit since a long time I have never seen a kid do a hobby in which he or she is not a "winner" this is nature and normal.
Thus, an adult starter who persists really has to love it! Adult learners like me would like to play something we like on the violin after learning how to read fiddle tablature and how to find the notes on the violin's finger board. I do not want to spend years trying to become a classical violinist. I do not want to perform at classical recitals.
But I do wish I could jam with a rock band with the fiddle. What I do want is to learn play some blues, some boogie woogie, some tango music, and perhaps some rock and old west cowboy fiddle tunes on the violin. And I believe I am not the only adult learner who wished to do so.
Unfortunately, most violin schools only use Classical music material in the teaching. I think the real reason is that there are no copyright issues with the classical tunes, as almost all of the classical music composers have been long dead and gone. So, if you can cater to the needs of adult learners by teaching them what they wish to play, you'd gain a very crucial advantage in your business. Here's a video clip of me, an adult learner with two years of playing experience, fiddling some boogie woogie on my baritone electric violin.
I want to learn the craft, the classical techniques, the whole of the fiddle - well as much as I can. When I was younger I was very much goal driven - if I could get a finished result then I didn't care too much about the method or technique. In any area of my life. Now that's all changed. There's a quiet satisfaction from starting from first principles and trying to understand at a fundamental level what you are doing and why.
When I first started up on the violin at age 39 I searched and found a group within a 10 minute drive away that meets weekly and "jams" fiddle tunes. Most were beginner adult learners Through a group like that you can learn of other groups that may focus more on bluegrass, Irish or whatever style you're looking for.
Here's a tune I've been learning by ear and trying to get a handle on Any style I love it all! My experience was exactly the opposite. I started violin when I was nine, after being forced to wait for two years, partly because no one thought I'd stick with it. When I did start, it was truly an act of will, of passion, of choice, and I was willing to do whatever it took.
It is an amazing feeling, and one that I have never forgotten. It made me feel special. The specialness has since worn off. But the rest hasn't. You have raised another important issue, though. Could this be why younger students can seem so uncommitted, so "I'm only doing this because my mom won't let me quit", so oblivious to mistakes?
I don't think drive is age-related. I never thought about it before, but if the majority of people learn the violin when young, then the proportion of those with the drive to keep at it is smaller than the proportion of adult learners with drive. As your violin tone starts to improve, you will learn about slurs and hooked bowing , as well as how to cross strings more proficiently. New rhythms that will be picked up are ties and dotted half notes. Now , you can play many pop, classical, folk, and holiday songs.
You may still need help figuring them out, but with some practice, you can play lots of different songs. Keep progressing by learning about more natural and flat notes with all four of your fingers, which allows you to play in keys other than D and A major. You can play faster music without losing your tone quality.
By month 19 , you can really branch out into music you like to play. You might start learning basic classical solos meant to be performed with piano accompaniment or get a book of music from your favorite movie or pop singer.
This might be the time you start to feel like you can really play the violin! You might also want to learn how to play with vibrato , which will give you a more sophisticated sound and greater range of musical expression. The more time you dedicate to practicing the violin , the faster you can increase your skills and learn more music you love to play.
If you practice hard and stay dedicated to learning the violin , you can make a lot of progress in just a few years. How long it takes to learn violin depends on your individual goals and how far you want to go.
To stay motivated, keep this map where you can see it, so you can always have your goals in sight. Overall, the best way to learn the violin quickly is through private lessons with a qualified instructor.
Click here to find a violin teacher near you. Or sign up for online violin lessons and learn from the comfort of your own home! How long did it take you to learn to play the violin? Let us know in a comment below! Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today!
Does it really take that long? Good luck and do take the time to find a teacher you can feel comfortable with. I am loving it. I notice that there is a big change in the way my teacher approaches my lessons as compared with my daughters. I think my lessons are more relaxed and fun. The whole point of my lesson is to enjoy myself and get better at the violin. One of my teacher's students is a 87 year old Japanese lady who started to learn to play the violin at She'll be playing the Mendelssohn concerto as a soloist for her 88th anniversary.
I heard her play at a student recital and you could instantly sense that she really loves playing. I don't think she is an undiscovered natural talent or genius, but she has all the really important ingredients: passion, patience, time to practise, perseverance. I started violin at My teacher started me off with Suzuki Violin book 1. I found it to be quite helpful to hear a melody right out of the gate.
The only advice I would give is, try to be forgiving of yourself, at first. It is good to think critically of yourself, if it is constructive in nature. Technique is crucial but always remember that you are expressing your heart when you play. I too loved the violin as a child. It helps on the days when my instrument does not feel like a trusted friend, to remember that passion. Everytime you play you are building and advancing.
Go for it! God Bless! I know that most of the adult learners posting here are almost double my age or more, but I figured I'd give my 2 cents anyways. Most of my instrument playing friends have been playing since they were little, but have only recently begun to take music seriously. Surrounded by peers who have been playing since childhood does make things a little intimidating. Like I will never be able to play along at their level which is realistic considering I'm new but I have heard people say that even 19 was much to old to ever consider getting anywhere with the violin.
A moment of inspiration hit me when I took a visit to the local luthier. He demonstrated some of his ability on my newly adjusted violin and made it sound so beautiful.
Upon handing back the violin, he suggested that I give it a quick playing test as well to see if the adjustments were okay. He simply continued doing work around the shop while saying, "Well, I didn't start learning 'till I was As long as you have passion and commitment, there is nothing stopping you from enjoying the violin. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble finding a teacher as well, and I am very eager to learn.
The teachers I have been in contact with were actually very accepting toward adult learners; however, they are much too far away from me to take lessons with. I started just over a year ago - in time to be scratching away somewhere in Suzuki Book 1 by my 50th birthday.
There are, of course, people who think it's silly for adults to begin the violin, but their opinions are usually based on experiences or preconceptions that may or may not apply to you - and you should take 'em for what they're worth.
If you were thinking you might play professionally, it's not likely to happen within the next decade - and perhaps not ever. It just takes too many thousands of hours of practice, and those are much easier to find the time for if your mom and dad are feeding you while you are putting in two or three or four hours a day, seven days a week.
So if you hear people say "You're never going to get anywhere," you may want to consider if you want to get wherever it is they are thinking of. You do need to practice, and you should think ahead about whether you're going to be able to find the time.
Your rate of progress is directly related to your time practicing productively, so you need to be able to find the time, and figure out how to make good use of it. I truly would not recommend it if you cannot imagine how you are going to find half an hour a day with your hands on the fiddle.
You can read on this site about using your time productively and about books on that topic. For example, I listen to my current pieces on an iPod while riding the commuter train, which gives me time for mental practice when I certainly could not be playing.
I do not know any adult beginners who have quit as someone mentioned , but I know some do. Both a teacher I talked to when I was thinking about whether to start, and the first teacher I had spoke as if this is common.
I guess the issue there is that it is your own business. Naturally, your teacher may feel disappointed if you do not keep it up, but let's face it: it is your life, not theirs. And, as an adult, you play for yourself, not for your teacher or your parents. I think most instructors are grown ups and they accept that some of their students of whatever age will be good and some not so much so, and that some will go on and some will not. Some will move, some will go to another teacher. Some will take up the tuba.
On the topic of keeping it up: particularly if you have been involved in choral music, you may find the first few months acutely painful. You simply will not play in tune at first. It does get better in a bit - you have to hang in there to get over the hump.
Finding a teacher: ask around. If you know someone whose kid is taking lessons, ask how they feel about the teacher. Ask at the music store. Ask at the local school or college whether they have a list of people who are approved to give privates to their students for credit. Ask anyone you know who plays. Call the teacher and ask if they teach adult beginners. Some people specialize in kids or adults, some in beginners or advanced students.
Some really do teach a wide range. This is the perfect time of year to ask a prospective teacher if their students are giving a recital that is open to the public and it will give you an opportunity to see whether you can stand to hear music played badly out of tune or whether it makes you try to sink your fingernails into your eardrums. There you will see the range of students they teach, whether the pieces they have permitted or encouraged their students to play are well matched to their ability, whether the students appear at ease with their instruments, etc.
Bad performances are not necessarily the fault of the teacher, but lots of people struggling with what is beyond them is a bad sign. Remember that your teacher is your employee. Naturally, you respect their ability to play the instrument and you should hear them play before you decide to employ them.
Naturally, you believe, based on your investigations and questions, that they are a good instructor, and you follow their instructions and suggestions because they almost always know more about what will be useful to you as you learn to play than you do yourself. But you need to be making the decisions your parents would make if you were a child - you can interview a teacher before you hire them through a test lesson which you should expect to pay for, although you may not have to to see if you are suited to one another.
At that lesson you can ask them what books you would use, how they usually go about teaching adults, what their expectations are about practice time, equipment, etc. If you find you are not suited, you try someone else. If you think you are suited, you start lessons.
If you find your instructor turns out not to be the best choice for you, there are many natural moments when you can replace them without a lot of heartrending discussion although if you enjoy that type of thing, you can see if they feel like hashing it out - but don't be surprised if they don't want to. Many teachers are tied to either the college or the public school academic calendars.
Many of them take summer vacations, teach at camps over the summer, are super busy in June doing wedding gigs, get busy at the end of the summer when school starts again, take off over the winter holidays, and so on. All of these provide moments when it is pretty easy to rearrange your schedules so they do not include one another. You can also just say, "I think I need to take a break from lessons When you return to the violin even if it is the next day you hire someone else.
As an adult, you are not stuck with someone who doesn't suit you. At 19 your wondering if you've missed an opportunity to play music? You think learning stopped when you graduated from high school, and you'd spend the rest of your life coasting At the end of your life do you want to look back and think fondly off all the time you spent watching television, or time spent actually doesn't something?
Before thyat I had not played the violin since With my teacher s I have made advancement beyond what I could have immagined. It's never too late! Is it too late? Do teachers like teaching adult beginners? As Jonathan said, many teachers don't, simply out of experience.
My experience has been much like his: most adults quit, and quit earlier than youngsters. Adults tend to miss more lessons, and cancel just before their lessons, forcing us to either have stricter pay-up-front policies, or write off the lesson.
You also have to remember what's in it for the teacher. It's not just about the money, but rather about the satisfaction of passing our years of musical skill and insight. We busted our butts on Bach, we chopped away at Tchaikovsky, we spent hour upon hour at Paganini. I guess in the end it can be simply uninteresting teaching beginners, and especially when they will advance extremely slowly.
It would be like going to med school and having to just put band-aids on and nothing else. Don't worry about your age if you seriously want to learn something, go for it. I will say that learning a musical instrument isn't easy-- it will take hours of practice, learning how to read music, and many frustrating days that will make you want to quit, but DON'T QUIT!
Once you figure it out, the benefits outweigh the frustrations and you'll be glad you stuck with it. This is your first instrument, plus you're learning to read music, so give it time. It won't happen overnight. Since you've been in choir for 8 years, you are probably OK with the "ear" side of the music, and ear training is probably the most difficult to teach people. Good musical ears are the most significant factor in learning any instrument, especially violin because it doesn't have frets and you have to know exactly where to put your fingers and how much to adjust your fingers to get the right note.
You can learn violin technique and how to read music anytime. Just don't quit, or you'll regret it! High School. The few that stuck with it were not the norm at all. I think the idea that adults quit more than children is largely a misconception. Perhaps adults who are beginner beginer as in just picked the instrument up quit at a very high clip I don't doubt that at all, but I would wager so do a ton of children who start in thier school musical programs and most private teachers don't see them.
And again not all adults progress at a "very slow rate" i. Teachers who won't teach adults because they won't go on to be professionals or make a career out of it are silly.
I'm 61yrs. I started up again late last year after Mom died and I was suddenly alone in the middle of a dark midwestern winter, far from home and friends. I'll be retiring soon and taking off on a long slow road trip down to the gulf, then west to the coast, to end up on a boat in the California delta and Blondie, my fiddle, is going too.
You'll be suprised how fast the daily practice gets into your heart as well as your muscles. How quickly the little victories pile up, how soon that collection of old wood and glue, string and horsehair starts making beautiful noises, how satisfing it can be I LOVE it! I am using the Suzuki books with a wonderful teacher and play in group and private lessons, and in the local youth orchestra with my kids.
I just played in the solo recital and had a blast. It helps immensely. Also: practice daily, and if you can't spend a lot of time, even a little practice time helps. You can intellectualize all you want, but your fingers have a lot to learn too, and they learn by doing. Don't let anyone tell you it's too late. It was a thrill to be in a long black skirt, in a real recital hall, with a real pianist behind me and my legs shaking like jello It's never to late.
I started four years ago, at age 56, taking lessons with a bunch of kids. Well, not actually with the kids. We all have private lessons, but it does sometimes feel odd to pitch up at lesson a little early and wait for an eight-year-old to finish, and to then be followed when my lesson is done by another little one.
Recitals are interesting, too, but I remember when our boys were taking piano lessons and there were two adults in their group. They were there, performing at the recitals along with the kids, and I didn't think it odd.
Recitals are just part of learning any instrument. The kids and I were all beginners at the violin. The kids were started in Sukuki Book 1. I was started in Suzuki book 2 because I could already read music studied organ, pipe, not rock, for fourteen years. Now it's four years later, and two weeks ago my teacher started me on Mozart's Concerto No. There's been a lot of good points made in the previous posts, and I hope you've been encouraged to forge ahead.
The only comments that gave me pause were the few that state adult students don't stick with it. That hasn't been what I've observed, but my experience there is very limited, being confined to the very few adult beginners I know personally, and what my teachers have told about teaching adults. My first, current, and substitute teachers that have filled in when my current teacher had scheduling conflicts, have all said they enjoy teaching adults.
The adult beginners I know only two don't miss their lessons or call to cancel at the last minute. I certainly don't. There are times when I know I won't be able to make a lesson, but it's always at least a month in advance, we can both plan for it and no one is caught by surprise. The ones who don't show up, are late, or don't practice are the kids. My teacher told me she likes to teach adults because adults practice.
She said she's found that her adult students have a goal and are willing to put in the effort to achieve it, whereas the kids often are taking lessons because mom and dad say they will, not because they particularly want to learn to play the violin. Anyway, I hope you don't let the negative comments from some teachers put you off. In addition to getting a teacher, be looking for a group you can play with regularly. It will probably be intimidating at first, but I think it helps one advance faster, and it's fun!
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe most adult beginners only want to play at home for their own amazement, but I don't think so. These posts are made largely out of opinion and usually, this is derived from personal experience. This is my experience of adult beginners and I've had many students. This is how I make my living and many adults have quit without a backwards glance, leaving me with space I don't really want in my timetable. For one thing, it doesn't make any money.
I would thank you to not back up your own advice by referring to mine giving out "negativity". Over here, no matter what you teach, be it a language, computer lessons or musical instruments, if a student reschedules or cancels one full day in advance, they can do so without a charge, any later than that and the full lesson fee is due to the teacher or school.
Music schools usually charge for a full month payable in advance and often lessons are fixed and cannot be rescheduled at all. Also, whether you join a school or the studio of a private teacher, it is common to pay an upfront joining fee, which is often about USD. This probably contributes to students being more committed, regardless of age group.
However, the culture here is already geared towards perseverance. People are more likely to stick to a commitment than in Western societies. Nevertheless, the policies described should help. You haven't been teaching very long according to your blog, maybe the adults are just being polite? Perhaps it's you and your negativity they sense and they don't want you as a teacher? Certainly with so many adults jumping ship on you it's a possibility. When you post something on a public message board it is perfectly fine and within board policy for me to comment on it.
If you take an issue with that it's probably best not to comment at all. It's people deciding that they don't want to continue lessons. You can usually see it coming with cancellations etc although I've NEVER let myself by short changed in this way, always gotten what I'm due. Nothing against adults learning, it's just I choose not to teach them, for the reasons given above and in previous posts.
My blog only refers to class music teaching, NOT instrumental teaching, which I've been doing considerably longer. I'm anything but negative to students whilst I teach them. I just choose not to take adults into my private teaching timetable, for reasons given above.
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