At what age did you start playing the piano?

[sv3nno]

It's 5 for me. i wish i could've started younger...

[bronnestam]

I was 11.

[patrickd]

18, started taking it seriously a year later though.

[lilla]

13 or 14 yrs. old.  I had been studying organ since age 8, and when I mentioned to my teacher that I was thinking about a music major, he looked at me, and said, "Well, then.  You must study piano."  From that point on my lessons were on the piano - once in awhile a piece on the organ. But mostly piano.  And I've never looked back.  To this day, although organ is near and dear to my heart, I prefer playing piano.  Fortunately for me, my parents owned a music store so moving pianos and organs in and out of the house was no big deal.

[bernadette60614]

At 12 for a couple of years, but seriously about 3 years ago.

[maestro57]

It's 5 for me. i wish i could've started younger...

You're joking, when you say you wish you could've started younger than 5, right? There is no shame starting at any age, and CERTAINLY not at 5.

I started at 10-and-a-half, played for 6 years, then took a 10-year break, and went back to it.

[lloyd_cdb]

I started at 6. Played until I was 15 and then stopped out of frustration. Picked it back up at 18 and have played for a decade now (excluding a total of ~2 non-consecutive years from two separate injuries and no piano for 6 months).

[onwan]

I started whan I was 13 and now I am 16. I regret everyday, that I haven't stared earlier.

[brogers70]

I started at 40; I'm 54 now. There are some limits on what you can do if you start at 40, but if you have a good teacher and work hard and efficiently, you can end up playing reasonably advanced repertoire.

[mahlermaniac]

30

[black_keys]

at 17

[marao]

I Started at 46 and I´m 48.

[forte88]

27(a week before my 28th) but feel fortunate I've been able to teach myself to play. I'll never be a concertpianist or a teacher but frankly don't want to be either.The pleasure of playing for yourself...mmm...aaah.

[mjames]

Last September.

I'm turning 18 this month.

[ranniks]

I started august last year, I was 20 then and 21 now. My piano teacher says that if I had begun on my 10th I could have become a classical pianist by now.

[hfmadopter]

I started august last year, I was 20 then and 21 now. My piano teacher says that if I had begun on my 10th I could have become a classical pianist by now.

Just keep at it !!

[bronnestam]

I started august last year, I was 20 then and 21 now. My piano teacher says that if I had begun on my 10th I could have become a classical pianist by now.

So, then you will become a classical pianist when you're 30 instead ...

Life is short, but not so short that we have to begin with everything while we're still in dipers, or else it will be "too late". Too late for what? It seems to me that the younger the posters are here, the more worry you seem to have over that fact that you have not started earlier ... and the opposite.
Life experience is also an essential ingredient in musical development!

[sunshine_keys]

I started at 13, I'm 16 now...I'm not too disappointed about starting later, I think it was an okay age to start. I knew I wanted to learn so I put my whole heart into it and advanced very quickly.

[danhuyle]

Age 11

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Started at 9,

I turn 18 in like 20 days.

[caryljamesthompson]

I began at the age of 5, however, didn't take it seriously until the age of 23...it's never TOO LATE.

[janyaporn]

I played piano/started lessons for the first time at age 62 in 2002. I already knew how to read music because I played guitar before that along with some other instruments.  Maybe if I had started as young as some of you guys I might be able to play the piano by now.  I just turned 75 this month.  Makes for great retirement fun.

[senanserat]

18 and kinda sad about it.

[thepianist09]

4.

[bertie59]

Hi everyone,

I started playing 3 weeks ago and the "mature" age of: 60 yrs !

Bertie 
 

[kevin69]

43.

[the_fervid_pig]

35. I'm now 36. Wish I'd have started earlier but such is life, playing other instruments is good grounding though.

[evitaevita]

I started taking lessons at 6,
although I could play a few small easy pieces (and the C major scale!...) since I was a toddler as my grandmother had my mother's piano (my piano now!) in her house.

[kevin69]

For those who regret not starting earlier:
What do you feel you are missing out on?
What did you spend your time doing instead, that now you regret?

[the_fervid_pig]

For those who regret not starting earlier:
What do you feel you are missing out on?
What did you spend your time doing instead, that now you regret?

That's an interesting question. Speaking personally as I can speak no other way I feel that I don't pick things up as quick as I used to, maybe you get thicker as you get older, or have less energy for new things, or work more. I feel I'd be able to play more of the kind of pieces I want, and learn them a lot quicker, atm it seems like a slog to learn anything new. Maybe I'm picking difficult pieces but they're what I want to learn! I feel I've missed a lot of the ground work too, as atm any time I have to practice goes on the pieces rather that the theory side. I took up classical guitar at about 12, and wish I'd taken piano up at the same time, though having said that, I now no longer really pick the guitar up much at all. I used to have a job that kept me out of the house for around 60+ hours a week, so while it's not exactly something that I regret, I had no choice in the matter, that's what took up a lot of my time.

[j_menz]

For those who regret not starting earlier:
What do you feel you are missing out on?
What did you spend your time doing instead, that now you regret?

[perprocrastinate]

I love how she rolls those r's.

[pandylover18]

I started at 5.

[h_chopin148]

I started at 5, but I didn't have a good teacher until I was about 8  I just turned 13.

[evitaevita]

Ah! Oui!

Thanks!

I love the song, the singer and the MEANING!
Completely agree with it!

[magic_sonata]

I began experimenting with the piano at age 4 (Dad taught me all of the notes), and got a teacher at the age of 5.

[beeb]

I started at 43 and am now 47. Im enjoying the journey.

[nickadams]

My question is directed to anyone who started after age 18: how far have you advanced and in what amount of time?



I ask just so I can give myself a realistic goal to strive towards (I'm a fellow adult beginner).

[mikeowski]

My question is directed to anyone who started after age 18: how far have you advanced and in what amount of time?



I ask just so I can give myself a realistic goal to strive towards (I'm a fellow adult beginner).

I started at age 20 and have played for a little more than 2 1/2 years so far.
In a concert a few weeks ago I played the Allegro from Mozart's K332 and 3 Visions Fugitives (Nos. 1, 6 and 10. No.1 is way harder than it sounds but at least only 1 page long ).
-> Here <- is a recording from the concert before that one of me playing Beethoven's Op.2 No.1.

Also, I'll soon have finished BWV 862 (Prelude is done, Fugue almost) and I have recently started playing the Adagio from Beethoven's op. 2 no.1, planning to soon get the whole sonata done.

How long do you play and how far have you gotten yourself btw? Maybe you're already better than me anyway

[cabbynum]

Started at 16 I am turning 18 in October, I didn't know how to read music for the first 7 months of playing. Now I'm learning liszt transcendental etude no.8, Beethoven sonata op.33 no.2, Bach prelude and fugue no.10 wtc I and for fun I'm learning some Scriabin works and parts of the rach concertos.

[nickadams]

Started at 16 I am turning 18 in October, I didn't know how to read music for the first 7 months of playing. Now I'm learning liszt transcendental etude no.8, Beethoven sonata op.33 no.2, Bach prelude and fugue no.10 wtc I and for fun I'm learning some Scriabin works and parts of the rach concertos.

I started at age 20 and have played for a little more than 2 1/2 years so far.
In a concert a few weeks ago I played the Allegro from Mozart's K332 and 3 Visions Fugitives (Nos. 1, 6 and 10. No.1 is way harder than it sounds but at least only 1 page long ).
-> Here <- is a recording from the concert before that one of me playing Beethoven's Op.2 No.1.

Also, I'll soon have finished BWV 862 (Prelude is done, Fugue almost) and I have recently started playing the Adagio from Beethoven's op. 2 no.1, planning to soon get the whole sonata done.

How long do you play and how far have you gotten yourself btw? Maybe you're already better than me anyway

I've been playing longer than both of you (~3 years) but you both are miles ahead of me! Definitely inspiring.

cabbynum, I really liked this video and I wish you'd post some more piano performances!

And mikeowski your posts in the audition room give me a goal to strive towards.



Any other adult beginners wanna tell their stories?

[cabbynum]

None of what I am working on is performance ready other than my own compositions but there are enough of those on here as is. So I don't see the need to add mine. Until my big performance in a few weeks, I'll be accepting the artist of the year award from the Nashville society of pianos

Also good job finding one of the only piano videos of me on YouTube. The rest of the videos I find quite numerous considering I took them dead serious for a while

[cabbynum]

That ones better in my opinion. But to each their own.

[qpalqpal]

I can't remember when I started fooling around with the keyboard at home . . . maybe 8 years old. I played the lessons on the yamaha and seemingly it helped. Been semi-seriously teaching myself on an upright I got 3 and a half years ago. I was 12 and a half.

[gozo490]

i started just after i was 21 coming up to 2 years now. rarely have a day off and its taken over my life. help.