16-Year Old: Can I Start to Play?
Hi,
I play guitar, just amateur, for fun, but i wanna start to learn a violin playing. As i said in title - i'm 16. Are there any contraindications to start in my age? I've heard there can be troubles with my hand.
I'm going to play amateur too. Like the guitar.
Ps. sorry for my English and thanks for any help..
AmK
Replies (37)
Absolutely correct Rowell
I once had a fellow violin student who started his lessons when he was 55 years old. He was completely unknowlegable about music but that did not stop him from starting to learn and appreciate music. 16 is a good age to start though I started at 10, and someone wrote to say she started at 3 (I can't remember who). So there's no reason why you cannot start at 16.
As for your English, I bet they are much much better than my Polish, for which I can't even speak one word. So don't worry and take it easy. There's no rush so start by taking your time to find yourself a good violin teacher. All the best. - AARON
The best piano-,guitar and tromboneplayers in the world didn´t start to play their instrument until they were 17.
These are!
Arcadi Volodos-piano
Allan Holdsworth-guitar
Christian Lindberg-Trombone
So there is a ray of hope? =)
I'm glad to hear that. Violin are my obsession last time.
Thank you.
I would say go for it! I didn't start playing the violin until I was about 14, which is pretty late to start... but I love it, and I was able to progress fairly quickly because I had a more developed attention span, etc., than really young children.
you have to work a little harder but of course its definetely doable, do you have any idea what level you'd like to end up at?
"do you have any idea what level you'd like to end up at?"
I'll be in a high school this year. I expect my new friends will be play the guitar (some of them) so i have two capabilities. I can play with them by guitar (by? on? i'm not sure if it is a correct form, sorry) or by violin. I think i'd be rather good when i will be able to diversify the music. =)
As i write it is just for fun.
I just wonder if my wrist won't be in danger.
Arek: there is some overlap between guitar and violin technique. As you may know, Paganini played both instruments. Some people would want to argue he was also one of the greatest guitar players.
Much depends on what level you are at on guitar. This is a very complicated subject and I can only give very rough and general indications. As far as left hand is concerned, general finger independence and dexterity are a useful plus. However, being a fretless instrument, the violin requires shifting and intonation. Fretless electric bassists learn this though. Another issue is hand structure/form regarding the thumb. The guitar is closer to the cello in that the thumb tends to be aligned w/ the 2nd finger. In the violin this may or not be so. Besides, the angle of the fingers relative to the fingerboard is different. To be brief, I do not think it is helpful to play both guitar and violin/viola. Something similar happens if you plax saxophone and oboe, for ex., the fingerings are similar overall, but the F/F# get mixed up. But of course you will find people who do not agree and play both...
Re: the right hand/arm beware because you will be starting from scratch (zero). So guitar players have to focus on bowing.
You may find it useful to try the mandolin for some time, as it is tuned like the violin, in 5ths. Allan Holdsworth, mentioned above, played the violin and also tuned his midi guitar in 5ths. If you want to tune your electric guitar in 5ths, one octave below the violin, keep the E string, tune the B string down to A, put the D string in place of the G string (remove it), tune the A string down to G and get an electric bass D string and tune it up to C. If you want all 6 strings, get a bass E string and tune it up to F. It is completely crazy! You practically get the complete range of the bass and guitar on one instrument. It is recommended to loosen the bass strings after you play, just to avoid straining the neck of the guitar, which will then be tuned thus:
E
A
D
G
C
F
Of course, none of this is necessary if you use an octaver pedal or other electronic gadgets. If you tune the guitar like this, then you will have to play in the lower positions as if it were a cello.
Viel Spass!
i started when i was 16 and im studying with amazing teachers and playing REAL music...makes me feel there was hope for everyone.
(im 17 now)
I think it's great to start at 16. I had started at 11 and I had felt guilty about not starting at a younger age until someone had told me that you don't really get serious about the violin until you're at an older age. Plus, beginners tend to progress faster at older ages. Younger beginners don't really get that good that fast unless they're parents made practice like three hours a day.
Anyway, good luck!
-sara
Arek, from my own teaching experience, adults often find the violin more of a challenge to learn than children. However, in my bunch it's the adults who make the best sound due to a more highly developed sense of musicality, self-criticism (which can lead to problems also...) and - more to the point - self-discipline. You will be in a far better position to learn that a reluctant eight-year-old who is being shunted off to lessons by a musically-frustrated parent. A while ago two of my beginners set up to play a duet together: one aged seven, one adult, both on the same technical level. The difference in tone production was substantial. Give it all you've got, and you'll get terrific satisfaction out of learning.
dont worry when i started playing violin i was 11, and now im 15 playing tchaikovsky!!
btw i have a hecka GOOD teacher... lol
tristan - excellent observations! I played guitar and mandolin also before beginning on the violin, and I agree with what you stated. Intonation hasn't been as much of a problem with me as bow technique and vibrato. And I had what my instructor called a "periscope" left thumb that wrapped completely around the neck like a guitarist tends to do. Took me quite a while to break that habit. The dexterity from playing guitar really helped me advance quickly though, and my knowledge of the mandolin helped me grasp the notation involved in playing violin.
Hi, Rod: I forgot to mention left-right hand coordination. Guitar playing develops that too. My "thesis" is that if an adequate method were developed, we could "convert" a lot of guitar and bass guitar players into quite reasonable orchestral players (not necessarily soloists, but who knows?). A fretless bass guitar player will be even better off in the left hand.
The guitar is certainly not a bad starting point. I think it could be compared to the recorder as a beginner instrument for woodwinds. Once one moves on to the violin, however, I would rather limit guitar playing to avoid fatigue and tendinitis. And I would tune the guitar either in 5ths or 4ths (I dislike irregular tunings, although they are indeed an important harmonic resource for guitarists). This makes the scale and chord fingerings much more "logical".
When did you start playing the guitar?
A year ago.
AmK
Arek, classical or folk style?
AARON
Hm.. what's the difference? =)
I use chords and try to play with tabulatures.
Sure,why not? I started playing violin at 15 and M now 21,Playing pieces like Mendelssohn,Bruch and Wieniawski etc. It's always possible if you wanted to do it.
Good luck!
I played guitar in my teens, stopped, and then picked up violin this year at 44.
You mention left wrist position: on the guitar it is more flexed which I transferred to violin and I found that I quickly developed a nerve disruption which made my thumb and the thumb side of my 1st finger completely numb. this was because i started practising violin without a teacher.
- two days after my first lesson, after my teacher had corrected my position to bring my elbow more forward and thereby allowed me to get my wrist into neutral, my numbness started resolving, and has not returned. It took about three weeks of conscious effort not to flex up my wrist though.
Sharelle.
Yeah okay, people have started late but has anyone here started late and now making money off of it? I started at 14.
Well, I started at 11 (now 13) and my teacher had said that chances are I'm not going to become proffesional since I started at that age. I didn't really get that, but I guess you have to be a child prodogy. Oh well, I'll still try.
-sara
I don't think it would be too late for you to start.
I have a classmate at school who is a rising sophmore and she started to play the violin in the 7th grade and she is amazing! She owns more music than my teacher!! She's played everything from the Bruch to Paganini in just a short amount of time... She is very VERY dedicated to her music and she is mostly all self-taught.
In the past year or so - she taught herself to read and play the piano professionally! She's played pratically all of the violin and piano repitoire out there!!!
Just have faith in yourself that you'll work hard..
I think it is wrong for teachers to say it's too late to become a pro. As long as you put forth your hardest effort to play and make it your passion - you shouldn't let someone tell you that you can't do that because your "Too old"...
Good luck!
i started at 6 but started really practicing at abuot 16. life isn't all that long and you can never be the best at everything. in fact even trying to be the best at one thing is a silly idea. yuo can only be what you are and that doesn't mean you can't always strive to improve. but given we only have one life each, you may as well do everything you possibly can with it. if yuo want something and you CAN have it, then take it! some one said to me the other day, your the only one who can put boundaries and restrictions on what you can do. i'm 19 and started ballet 6 months ago. my mum is 58 and started piano this year. i won't end up a ballerina nd my mum wobn't a pianist but it's not about where you end up it's just about doing what you WANT to be doing. (geez... how profound! hehe) i guess i would probably say... just do it!!!!!!!!
my mum myself and my friend who once played flute are about to work on our first flute trio and perform it to some friends!
I started playing when I was somewhere around 14, but I didn't start really practicing until my senior year or highschool... and in fact, I now look back and think I didn't really practice very well then, either. Anyway, now I'm studying with a teacher at New England Conservatory, and I've learned to work hard and consistently and to practice more effectively than I used to. I had a teacher once who told a friend of mine who also studied with her that I'd "never be a violinist." While I think it's good for teachers to help students understand what potential limitations they might encounter, or what problems will be difficult for them to overcome, it's sad when teachers become very discouraging to students. If I had listened to what that teacher said, I would have quit several years ago now.
Starting late means you'll come up against lots of technical obstacles, but I also think that you will have some things in your favour! Increased attention span, the potential for good focus, and quick learning... I think all these things were in my favour when I started playing.
Be realistic about your goals, but don't be afraid to give it your best try, either. Don't sell yourself short. You never know... I'm sure that when I was playing the Twinkles at age 14, my parents never thought I'd end up majoring in music and hoping for a professional career.
Hi,
I've been learning violin since i was 5 (im 17 now) and currently teach several young enthusiastic students aged 5 - 11. Its a tough job, i admit especially since ever student has a different way of learning. But on topic, ive played the violin for 12 years now and picked up the guitar 2 months ago. I find it the easiest thing ever. Playing Guns 'n' Roses and Metallica solos are simple as pie, now that my fingers have been in constant exercise for the past decade. Also the concepts of rhythm, notation and intonation are not new either so I didnt have to re-learn anything. In terms of Arek's problem, having guitar as a prerequisite before picking up the violin would be an advantage in the utmost. Good luck with your endevours and I wish you a great deal of success. Just find yourself a good teacher and youre set.
Fraser//
Is 11 going on 12 a realy late age to start? Just curious.
I don't believe that there is any age at which it is too late to start playing any instrument. I started playing cornet in grade school at age 11, electric bass at 15, & cello at the ripe old age of 35! In between, I have learned to play the guitar, drums, piano, organ, & recorder. I have been a professional rock musician (playing bass & keys) since the age of 16. I wish I had learned to play string instruments back then. They have always been my passion. My girlfriend just resumed her pursuit of the violin after a 25 year interuption. She is doing great. She was told by someone who is well respected in the violin community that she would never be a great violinist because of a short pinky finger. She is not letting that stop her.
My point is...do not let anyone or anything stop you if you truly want to play. As mentioned elsewhere on this site, do it for yourself. That is really where the greatness lies.
Greetings,
Well I started guitar at 15 and violin at 17, and I now teach both instruments, so it is definately possible. But it depends on how much hard work you put in to playing violin and you should also try and find the best teacher you can.
John
apply steve vai's 10 hour workout to the violin and you should be fine. the main difference between the two instruments is the tuning and lack of frets. once you get past that you'll sail.
Hi Arek! I've just started playing violin, and I'm 16 too! The only problem is, that I haven't got a teacher (yet? or maybe at all?) - I'm learning on my own. But it gives me a lot of fun and satisfaction, when I try to play Paganini 24 Caprice for example :) After 2 months I'm not playing very well, but it's better and better from day to day - I'm sure you can learn, and get fun from playing violin. And if you'd have a teacher, I'm sure you'll play really well, better than me :)
P.s. If you'd like to contact me, please - drop a mail on mati@maticomp.net - I'm telling this, because I'm Polish too.
Best regards!
Mateusz
hey! you know they say learning is a lifelong journey and all. its never too late to start pursuing your passion so go for it! (: even if you're not aiming to become a professional player, its definitely very worth it
When I studied in conservatory, I was choosen to play in a chamber orchestra (it was not easy to get there), and we had a concertmaster who looked older than the rest of students. He always was kind of disappointed with own playing, especially solo parts, but really played very well. We knew, that he started violin at the age of 14...
If you really want to play the violin-there are not supposed to be any barriers to stop you!
(With the exception of money for very expensive lessons of course)
One-Sim
I started playing the violin when I was 14 years old and I can honestly tell you that my passion for the violin has made me the standard of players who had begun learning the violin when they were about 7 years old-except I already played the piano-so maybe that was why I was a fast learner.:P)
One-Sim
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July 6, 2004 at 05:10 AM · If you're dedicated, you can learn to play. Some older folks decide to start on the violin too so I guess age doesn't matter in starting.