Tips & Tricks: Am I too old to learn the fiddle?

The most common question I am asked by adults when they call me for lessons is “Am I too old?” My answer is “Of course not!” I believe that you can learn an instrument at any age!

As time has gone on, I have been teaching more adults. There are three stories that I often hear:

Scenario Number 1:
These people have always wanted to learn to fiddle and never had a chance as a child. Often they are now at a point in their lives where their children have moved out, maybe they are retired (although not necessarily) and now have time to pursue their own interests.

Scenario Number 2:
These people are very interesting. These are people who hated the fiddle when they were kids, often because it was something that their parents loved and that they were subjected to against their will. Now that these people are adults, they have developed a taste for the music they heard as children and want to pursue it.

Scenario Number 3:
These people did take lessons as a kid and now want to start up again. Often they took classical violin lessons as children and now really want to play fiddle music.

You will run into people who feel that you should not start at a late age as you will not learn as fast as a child, and you likely will never be as comfortable with the instrument. These things are true, but as I tell my students, if you want to play at Carnegie Hall, it might be too late, but if you want to improve, play for your own pleasure and join a group, you can do that at any age!

No matter what your scenario is, it is never too late to start playing the fiddle! It will take time and dedication to improve your playing, but it will also be rewarding!