Average age to begin learning.

[dansieg]

Hi, I was looking for an answer to this on google and couldn't seem to find any polls or statistics, does anyone know the average age to begin learning?

I'm 17 and have passed puberty meaning the "use it or lose it" stage of my brain development  has finished by about 50% (Ends at age 20 from what I hear) and I've had no prior musical experience aside from minor dabbling with the bass guitar, will it even set me back at all that I'm starting in my mid-teens or should I just not worry about it?

[richard black]

Most professional pianists started playing before the age of 9. The real virtuosi almost all started aged 4-6. Starting at 17 you will almost certainly never achieve enough technical aptitude to play public concerts but you can still have plenty of fun. What do you want from it?

[thalbergmad]

I started at the age of 3 and my first piece was the theme tune from Z cars.

I agree with everything Richard says and if there are any exceptions, they are in the minority. If memory serves, Bauer started at 20, but he was already a virtuoso on the violin.

Whilst becoming a professional artist may be beyond you, you can certainly reach a very high standard and have a lifetime of enjoyment.

My own teacher (Richard Meyrick) did not start until 13, but became a superb International Concert Pianist.

Thal

[amelialw]

I started at 3 and singing before I was even 1.

The average age is probably 5-6

[rc]

Most think of public concerts as the solo piano recital, where people dress up for an evening of listening to you play at the highest standard.

But music is very broad, people can enjoy less demanding music as well.  There's room for mere humans.

Of course you'll be behind people who've been playing 12 years by your age.  You may never be among the world class musicians...  But maybe you're hard working, will stick with it even if you're not famous, and can reach a very high standard of playing despite a late start.

The short answer is to not worry much about it.  Like everybody you will always want to improve, you will sometimes feel inadequate and impatient.  But if you enjoy it, keep playing and practicing, you will someday wake up and realize you can play some of the pieces you once dreamed of playing.

[dansieg]

Sorry for the late response.


I plan to make the piano my life hobby, I honestly haven't had any sort of passionate interest in anything else aside from astronomy, I would have alot of time to devote to practicing, I mean if I can play the same video game, a game that I barely even enjoy for more than 6 hours, I'm sure I could practice the piano for days at a time, the second I decided to take the piano up, I got enrolled with  musical school lessons with "Ruby Lai" twice a week, and an independent instructor for 1 lesson a week, that plus the extreme quantity of time I have to devote to practicing and the musical courses I'll be taking in college, I definitely wouldn't want to sound naive but I personally think I could get past that set back quite easily..

I mean, yea it's a set back for sure but so is having a life outside of your instrument

[dorfmouse]

I started at the age of 3 and my first piece was the theme tune from Z cars.

doh - mi - soh, soh - lah - lah- soh - mi ......
Me and my best friend, aged about 8, had our own detective club and that was our tune. We used to go round with a little notebook, trailing people on the streets of our London suburb on murky autumn evenings .... My mum had a fit when she found out about it!

[thalbergmad]

What a lovely story