leemysliwiec - Posted - 06/22/2013:  15:00:57

Someone on another thread is 56 and having  a little trouble getting going on the fiddle.. I want to assure him that a lot of Hangout members start playing the fiddle later in life.. WHen did YOU start?  I was 30.

NCarolinaFiddler - Posted - 06/22/2013:  15:10:34

Yes. I began playing in August of 2011 at exactly age 40.  Don't regret it at all and I had the same kind of thoughts that I was too old and you aren't too old to do something you truly wnat to do.

blgrssr - Posted - 06/22/2013:  15:16:38

lol, 40 + 3 days!!!!!! i played banjo many yrs and told myself "when you hit 40 its time to try that darn fiddle" and 3 days after, i did!

Frankenfiddle - Posted - 06/22/2013:  16:06:16

I was 13. . . . I'll be 25 in October.

tonyelder - Posted - 06/22/2013:  16:44:02

59

...gosh, its scary to say that.

Edited by - tonyelder on 06/22/2013 16:44:37

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 06/22/2013:  16:54:25

On and off a little here and there, but not really starting to play until age 55.

August - Posted - 06/22/2013:  16:58:44

66

withnall - Posted - 06/22/2013:  17:04:49

42.

Apparently fiddle really IS the answer to life, the universe and everything :-)

notlwonk - Posted - 06/22/2013:  17:33:43

63

Jim Blackburn - Posted - 06/22/2013:  18:13:17

I started at 70. Two years ago. You're never too old, but I wish l'd started 60 years ago.

S_Heriger - Posted - 06/22/2013:  18:43:01

I started at 56. Love it, having a great time, and things are going very well. I'm having so much fun I recently started playing mandolin and tenor banjo (tuned GDAE), since the left hand already knew the music. There's obviously some techniques to be learned, but the learning curve is steep. You're never too old to start something new. Learning keeps the brain young. Learning, and wine. The wine is important, too. 

Edited by - S_Heriger on 06/22/2013 18:49:31

Andah1andah2 - Posted - 06/22/2013:  19:17:59

I was 39.  Same year that Jack Benny started.

Edited by - Andah1andah2 on 06/22/2013 19:18:34

kjk - Posted - 06/22/2013:  19:55:00

yes. past forty ...

amwildman - Posted - 06/22/2013:  20:12:57

I feel like a spring chicken.  28 here. 

Frankenfiddle - Posted - 06/22/2013:  20:15:33

quote:

---

Originally posted by amwildman

 

I feel like a spring chicken.  28 here. 

---

Being the spring chickens high five! 

bandsmcnamar - Posted - 06/22/2013:  20:21:33

52 for fiddle.  5, I think, for piano, 12 for guitar, etc    I might have been dangerous if I had ever made up my mind and stuck with one thing. LOL

smithd003 - Posted - 06/22/2013:  20:24:31

I just started this last October. I am 41. I've been told for the past 20 years I was too old to learn, you must be younger than age 12 to start. My instructor says that is wrong. I'm making music and having fun--That is the whole point.

Frankenfiddle - Posted - 06/22/2013:  20:33:03

quote:

---

Originally posted by smithd003

 

I just started this last October. I am 41. I've been told for the past 20 years I was too old to learn, you must be younger than age 12 to start. My instructor says that is wrong. I'm making music and having fun--That is the whole point.

---

Yep. . . that's all I ever heard too. I didn't work on me even when I was 13. lol

Lynn1 - Posted - 06/22/2013:  21:07:34

69

mswlogo - Posted - 06/22/2013:  21:25:50

49, first and only instrument ever played. In my 5th year.

Lou - Posted - 06/22/2013:  21:51:50

46

SamY - Posted - 06/22/2013:  23:10:22

about 53 best I recall.

fiddlepLuker - Posted - 06/23/2013:  02:04:23

put me in the 40+ bucket and I still can't play but I am having the time of my life! That's what it is about to me!

groundhogpeggy - Posted - 06/23/2013:  04:09:00

Most of the old time greats mighta played a little in their teenage or young adult years, but then went decades without playing and didnt get back to it until their sixties...that's the usual pattern.  So age shouldn't be considered as too important.

catman - Posted - 06/23/2013:  04:21:00

56 for me. But guitar since age 14, and mandolin since 28 or so.

Yeah, I wish I had started fiddle sooner, but on the other hand it has worked very well as a later-in-life pursuit and obsession.

Mandogryl - Posted - 06/23/2013:  04:29:57

I have begun giving lessons to a 66 year old. I began at 56.

Swing - Posted - 06/23/2013:  04:45:48

I began at 49, tried before that several times but stick with it this time..

Play Happy

Swing

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 06/23/2013:  04:55:17

Started at 48 with lessons from a violinist. Didn't really get to fiddlin until I started going to workshops and got to see and hear top fiddlers first hand. What a revalation that was. I'm twelve years into "it " now really starting to "get" all that is going on and really enjoy fiddlin'. Good times... R/

Susan H - Posted - 06/23/2013:  05:49:36

I was 55 when I started the attempt at playing.

dlhamp - Posted - 06/23/2013:  06:06:06

Pre-teen on a Laurentius Storioni , but it lay intermittently dormant fer years.....@#$%^ fangled. frustratin, fiddle anyhooo .

boxbow - Posted - 06/23/2013:  06:24:48

I played other instruments as a kid, including cello.  I dumped it all as soon as my parents would let me.  As for the fiddle, the short answer is that I got serious at about age 50 or thereabouts.  I'd been playing mandolin for about 5 years at that point.  When I bought a fiddle I was in my late 30's.  I think I had to live a while.  I think I had to get sick of hearing myself gripe about the sad state of so-called popular music.  How much of your own griping can you stand?  Apparently I can stand quite a lot, but even I have limits.  Now, despite its bastard origins, my love of fiddling is its own excuse.

farmer bob - Posted - 06/23/2013:  06:39:35

59, I have played all kinds of music since I was a kid and even learned to play fiddle tunes every kind of whichway on other instruments. But at some point I came to the conclusion that you can never understand a fiddle tune until you play it on the fiddle... Bob

hayesdt - Posted - 06/23/2013:  06:53:11

Started at 63.  65 now.

Fiddler - Posted - 06/23/2013:  07:42:09

I started when I was 22. Even at that tender age, I was barraged with comments that I was too old to learn to play any instrument, much less fiddle! That was 37 years ago!! I'm still learning and challenging myself.

fiddlebob - Posted - 06/23/2013:  08:49:22

I started at age 65. I have had 15 years of great fun with my fiddle.

fiddlebob

BanjoBrad - Posted - 06/23/2013:  11:02:57

Started fiddle at 60, 10 years ago. Banjo was started at 57. Started playing guitar as a teen-ager, and piano lessons came when I was in 3rd grade, lo, those many years ago.

My next challenge is mountain dulcimer.

aj - Posted - 06/23/2013:  12:25:12

Started @ 62, five years ago. Things are starting to make sense now.

Round Wound - Posted - 06/23/2013:  14:50:47

54 for me in 2001.  I did 2yr tuition and played at least 1-2  hr a day until about 2 yr ago, when I started to sing and play guitar again.

On our profile pages , the self assessment goes from novice to purty good.  I nominated novice but I'm really in between somewhere.

smok-n fiddle - Posted - 06/23/2013:  15:24:58

Started when I was 54. played the guitar since I was 13. Your never too old to start. It's not about age, it's about allowing the music to touch your soul.

bsed - Posted - 06/23/2013:  15:47:18

Let's face facts: Learning to play an instrument as an adult (aka, Blown-up) is like learning a language. It's a lot harder than when you were a child.

You know, their brain is more plastic (or rubber) and still growing and interconnecting and all that crap. So I guess I advise to just enjoy the whole learning process, and for God's sake make sure you're playing stuff you enjoy playing. ALWAYS remember to have fun and have other people to share it with.

(I'll post these comments in the other thread too.)

Jimhand - Posted - 06/23/2013:  17:05:39

59 for me, been a little over a year now.

William Hayes - Posted - 06/23/2013:  19:29:23

I started at 32, it's been almost 6 years now and I'm glad I started playing fiddle. I've played several other instruments since I was a kid, but the fiddle just has something about it that overshadows them all.

fiddlerjoebob - Posted - 06/23/2013:  19:43:36

19

FiddleJammer - Posted - 06/23/2013:  19:59:39

About 45 years old, 15 years ago ish.

ajisai - Posted - 06/23/2013:  20:00:56

48

faithwalk - Posted - 06/23/2013:  21:06:17

Around 32. 

rosinhead - Posted - 06/24/2013:  04:47:51

I started fiddle at 36.  Before that it was trumpet at age 9....guitar at 15....and mandolin at 30.  The clawhammer banjo will be next, but that will be a few years down the road.

oldlongbow - Posted - 06/24/2013:  05:54:25

I was 46....13 years ago now.  If you REALLY want to play...ANY instrument...it's never, NEVER too late. I just started playing guitar a few months ago....and I'm loving it.

fiddleplayer2 - Posted - 06/24/2013:  06:43:32

The Double Nickel, 55! 

( FP2 )