Have I started to late.

[chopin_rules]

I have been playing for 3 years now. I have recently passed my grade 8 with distinction. Do I have a chance to make a career from music. I am 15, have I started to late.

[amp]

You have not started too late. It is what you can play well and musical not how long you have been.

[Wired]

Very true. While it may be easier to learn when younger, I think that anyone can learn how to play and play well. Best of luck to you in the years to come

[Magnus]

Its never too late if u just practice enough. John Myung (gass guitar) started to play when he was 15 y old.
I think he is in the elite now.

Practice makes master. So dont loose your motivation.
Hang in there !!!!!!

[Hmoll]

Its never too late if u just practice enough. John Myung (gass guitar) started to play when he was 15 y old.
I think he is in the elite now.

Practice makes master. So dont loose your motivation.
Hang in there !!!!!!

Well, there's not much competition in the Gass Guitar field.

[dreamaurora]

Hi, chopin_rules, its never too late to start a career in music. I personally started learning piano when I was 17 years old and I am now 20 years old now, and I am going to make music my career, you have much more headstart than me. At my age it is much harder to realise my goals than you. Anyway, you are doing fine, just keep on progressing like you now and in 3 or 4 years get into a good music college and let things take its course. Anyway, one advice, if you are thinking of becoming a very good performer, prepare yourself for a lifelong of learning and discipline in piano playing.

[CloUd^-^]

yeah i totally agree with dreamaura....ever heard of Dang Thai Son....he actually only started learning piano seriously when he was 16 due to the war in vietnam...he won the frederick chopin competition in 1980 when he was 22...so basically,everything boils down to hardwork n determination....but most importantly...u must listen to ur teacher's advice n follow his/her pace..

[eddie92099]

Michelangeli started lessons at the age of 10 and even "dropped" the piano for a few years in his teens,
Ed

[Magnus]

hahahahahahahahah I meant bass guitar  

[ahmedito]

Dont worry...

I played trumpet since I was 7 years old. I practiced daily and entered the Manhattan school of music at 15. At 16 I dropped out and decided to learn to play the piano... I am now 21, about to start my masters degree with a famous teacher and have won one international piano competition. Even so, I dont want to become a concert pianist, but a teacher or acompanist... There will always be work. Just try to think about what it is you love about the piano; practice and study carefuly, find a good treacher and always play from the heart.

[tumababa]

No competition for bass guitar eh? Look up Victor Wooten in google and I dare you not to be humbled.

[Hmoll]

No competition for bass guitar eh? Look up Victor Wooten in google and I dare you not to be humbled.

What I posted before was a joke. Sorry you didn't get it.
Piano is much more competitive than Bass Guitar, though. Simple math, more people play piano than bass.


regards,
(a less than humbled) Hmoll

[Magnus]

Btw. Download Victor Wooten - classical thump
and "U can't hold no groove"!!!! It rocks  

sorry for saying this in a piano forum  

[Rach3]

Fifteen is hardly late by most standards. Much more important is motivation and practive, you can go a long way in a few years. I think I started the organ when I was fifteen (over a year ago), I can play Bach chorales now, which isn't much but I do enjoy it.

[dreamaurora]

Just chipping in a few more advices. No matter when u start , early or late, do not get into an over competitive and impetuous tendency. Piano career is a competitive field, I agree, but I do feel a lot of pianists nowadays get too competitive to the extent that they neglect their primary aim, that is to make music. Judging by the number of diploma and undergraduate piano students in my city that rummage through pieces 101% correct notes but almost zero feeling, I feel that this trend is becoming more and more alarming.

To ensure that you will make the best music you can in your musical life, let time take its course. I don't subscribe to theories that only child prodigies can make it big time. Enjoy playing your pieces and keep the one you are playing to realistic level and follow the guidance of a very good teacher. The teacher that you choose will make a very big difference. Don't succumb to the temptation of competing with others about learning pieces. I've seen countless people saying that they learn piece A because the other person learn piece A within ( insert duration of time here ). Truth is to make music requires time and not many pianists nowadays willing to spend the time to get the music out of the score. Anyway, do your best, it would be a waste if you don't become a good pianist.

[thracozaag]

Harold Bauer switched from violin to piano while in his 20's.

[ChopinFreak]

Hi!

This is my first post here.

chopin_rules: just to give you some psicological help. I'm 26 and I started last year. To be honest I don't expect to become a concertist or even make a living from piano but just play for myself and enjoy it as much as possible.

I think it's never late to start studying if, as someone has stated, you work hard enough. I think is better to start a little later but with great determination than start very young "obliged" in some way by anyone. It's true that younger people can take great benefit from classes as they "build up" their brains towards music. But nothing can resist if there are enough work hours IMHO.

Nice to have found this forum. I'm sure is going to help me in some way in my learning process.

Regards from Spain.

Ivan.

[Lilo]

keep in mind that you have few chances to make a career from music ; you started at 12 years old...  Many of us have started at the age of 6... and there"s so much competition that even I have no chance to make a career, though I've been learning for 12 years -and now enjoying it !!!! I  But you can play for yourself. This is better, and you won"t be disgusted this way

[YuanHao]

I don't plan on making piano my career, but I do enjoy it alot, I'm 18 and started playing 7 months ago, at the beginning I wasn't too dedicated (I quitted my classes for 2 months , which makes a total of 5 months), but I started getting some discipline and am playing now Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca, some Bach's inventions and Prelude III, which aren't too hard but sometimes give me trouble and took me quite a lot of time to play.

I hope to improve even more in these months and hope that when I complete a year of classes I can start Chopin études (even if clumsy and slowly); it may be a difficult task but with dedication I think I can make it.

It is never too late to start; "the road remains wide open while dreams are still alive, only fear can block the way" -- Sir Fratley

[liszmaninopin]

I find it hard to imagine starting at 12 too late.  I started at 12.  I'm sure there's an advantage to starting earlier, but 12 doesn't seem all that late to me.

[chsmike2345]

It all depends on how far you want to go and where you want to be. Not to be negative or anything (and of course, work as best you can, regardless of where you are), but in terms of concert pianists, nearly all of them started extremely early (6-7 was considered late) and had parents that taught and played music, which meant a music teacher around you 24/7. But, of course, if playing piano is either fun or relaxing or motivating, you can start anytime, even if you're 90. The advantage of starting early is not only the amount of time you can put into piano, but also younger people have quickly developing brains that absorb everything quickly, whether it be language, movement, or music. Just remember one thing, no matter what your level or goals, some might be in rhythm with a different drum than others. Practice and enjoy  

[DAwud7]

Im 21 and i started last year and i will be goin too audtion for colleges in another year or so and plan too make piano my profession.

[leemay001]

I'm 14 and I only just started taking it seriously lately. I don't want to make a career either. It'd be good if I could but that wont happen. I want to play for personal use also but I mostly want to get good enough to complete all grades. I haven't done ANY yet  
  ~Lee~

[cziffra]

volodos started serious study when he was 16, which is really quite stunning.

and besides, if you managed to get to 8th grade in 3 years, that is damn impressive, and you have nothing to worry about.  keep up the good work.

[eddie92099]

volodos started serious study when he was 16, which is really quite stunning.

It depends how you define "serious study",
Ed

[BoliverAllmon]

I know of a man who began study on the piano at 18. He took 4 years of lessons, then made the audition requirements to Peabody. He went on from there to get his doctorate. If he could do it then you can to. Now, I don't know if he has done anything really on the concert front, but he has become a respected teacher from what I hear.

boliver

[Pfreak]

Chopin_rules-

Hey I started a year ago and even though I STRONGLY engourage you to learn to read sheet music well, I learned a couple songs from my keyboard.  This method works, it is a fast way to learn new songs, but learning to read sheet music well is what will make you a good player (unless you are into improv.) Remember, there's only so much you can learn when you start at five. Best of luck to you and stick with it!

[Jojodi]

Hey I'm in exactly the same boat... 15 (benn playing for 3 years) ^_^.. So how far are you? I do this as... an ...ahem  *intense* hobby... I've been play violin for 5 years (since 11).. and i had the same question for some of my more advanced peers. They say that anything is possible with the heart and soul you are able to put into your dream.. I believe it.

I've only "mastered" a very few things though.. What I have is sporadic (I know lol) but here it is:

[Bach] ------------------------------------------
Goldberg: Aria + 5 variations

Partita #1: Gigue                                            My favorite speed-test piece

Some fugues and the cadenza section near the end of the first piano concerto (wow its fun ^_^)


[Kabalevsky]------------------------------------------
All of "Pieces for Children"

[Beethoven]------------------------------------------
Cadenzas 1 + 2 from Piano Concerto #4

Fur Elise (Don't like this one anymore-- played by too many people too badly

[Rachmaninoff]------------------------------------------
Prelude #2 in C# Minor (Hardest piece that I've learned so far)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
[A gazillion other simple pieces: mostly sonatas and assorted dances by mozart and beethoven] <--I haven't worked enough heart into these pieces to really feel proud of them.

[Esther_Yana]

Tomorrow I wil become 21, and then I'll also have my first piano lesson. I don't really care if I cannot make a career out of it. I just wanna play piano cause it's the only way I can express myself. (I know cause I played keyboard).

Always fun to discover what one really wants...although I get this thin feeling it's more standard to start as a child...

So, becoming famous or whatever is difficult cause of the huge competition there is? So you wanna say you only get famous by winning as much as competitions? Yeah, I know there are some exceptions, but I just want to know if it's the usual way...

Kiss Yana

[Jedde]

Hey, I started to play the piano when I was 15. I am now 17. I am now in grade 6 royal conservatiore. Anyways, Too become very good learn too sightread very well. Then later the feeling and everything else comes next.

[surendipity]

Had to laugh when I read this one.

Too Early.....  you're just a baby.

I started when I was 6yrs old.
stoped at 7

started at 14
stopped at 16

started then again 16 years later
at 32 years old.

Now I am 42 and have been teaching for 7 years.

It's never too late for anything ever.

The problem with most people is they stop DREAMING


There is a zen saying.

To succeed you must have great doubt and greater effort.  

You've covered the doubt, now cover the effort and soar like an eagle......

PS..... what great composer
used the Word "eagle" when describing another composer?


Surendipity

[eddie92099]

I think Saint-Saens was likened to a parrot. I cannot remember who by,
Ed