Too old?

[DLester]

Too old? Only if you think that you are. My brother was 69 when he started studying classical guitar. At 64 I have my first mandola on order. Except for a couple of abortive attempts at playing the recorder, I haven't picked up a musical instrument in 50 years. If you can't read music, pick up Mandolins for Dummies. It does go into reading music in regular notation and tab, more the latter, but mainly it's about playing by ear.

Don't worry about not playing as well as some professional artists. These people are exceptionally good with the emphasis on exceptional. There are people who started with the the mandolin at a young age and have played for years that cannot play at the level that these people play at. It still does not prevent these less talented people from playing and enjoying it greatly. Learn and play for the satisfaction that it gives you. It's all about the trip, not the destination.

Doug

[HappyLife]

One of the great things about music is that it isn't a competition. You don't have to be as good as everyone else to enjoy it. I started two months ago and have a few songs that sound good to both me and to my dog. My cat can be a little more critical. I'm 57 years old playing a 50 dollar mandolin with fantasies of someday playing at a church picnic or family gathering. My wife smiles when I play. And I do too. I did learn from playing the ukulele starting about five years ago that you can learn a handful of chords and make up a couple of riffs and entertain yourself for hours on end. There is no failure in learning to do something for the pure joy of doing it.

[shortymack]

Still breathing? Then youre not too old.

[EdHanrahan]

Not trying to sound contrarian, but:
- If you're 35 and think you're too old to learn, you're probably right.
- If you're 75 and expecting to play & have fun in the next few months, you're probably right.

I started mando "semi-seriously" five years ago, at age 61. Two weeks ago I got to jam with an 88-year-old!

[Laird]

That's funny right there now, I don't care who y'are.

Sounds like someone else has a kid at home who loves Mater.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Sounds like someone else has a kid at home who loves Mater.

Yes, and so does her daddy! Got to be one of the best kid's movies ever. Still haven't mastered Sh Boom on the manolin though.

[Rodney Riley]

Still haven't mastered Sh Boom on the manolin though.

Looks like a job for Jim Richter How 'bout it Jim, you up to a you-tube vid, "sweet heart"...

[Pete Martin]

My mom took up the instrument in her late 70s and now plays a number of tunes with folks! She is having a lot of fun and has made friends with lots of new people.

I highly encourage you to do the same.

[Boomslang]

Just one more weigh-in...Played bluegrass banjo and clawhammer in the 70s and 80s till I lost the left ring finger in an accident in '84; Walked away from all music...sold the tubaphone, Stelling, arch top Gibson and "anything" that reminded me of what had been, down to the music stand. Thinkin' it was about 2009 that I picked up a old and most venerated Kay in a pawn shop...Reversed the top nut and strings and taught myself lefty. ""The desire was there"". Loved my Weber, and now love my Collings. Hey, thinking it was "Old Suasage", one of my favorites on this site that made the (stunning) analogy of older players developing playing speed relative to stroke recovery...Simply keep expectations in reasonable perspective, ENJOY, and do what you do best. I rarely play over 150 BPM, but develop clarity and emotion that is not matched by 180+ BPM hotdoggers that play like they can't wait for the song to be over, and to me, always sounds that way- Kinda' like me on the 5 string in the earlier days. Hey there is an instrument analogous to every personality and musical inclination; You go with what fits. Life is short and tenuous...clocks ticking
Boomslang- (Another Brian)

[Laird]

Played bluegrass banjo and clawhammer in the 70s and 80s till I lost the left ring finger in an accident in '84; Walked away from all music... Thinkin' it was about 2009 that I picked up a old and most venerated Kay in a pawn shop...Reversed the top nut and strings and taught myself lefty. ""The desire was there"".

That's great to hear. I'm going to remember that story.

[Fran]

However, I can't read music, or play anything (...)

Hey, two opportunities to learn new skills! Some people play by ear, some read music, some do both.

As others have pointed out, the FUN factor is the most important.

One thing you can do is rent an instrument for a few months to see how it goes.

[Randolph]

All of the above, and... I suppose if you're old enough to ask, you're young enough to start

[Bill Baldridge]

Honest appraisals please am I wasting my time or is there hope?Brian

If you are hoping to win a national picking crown, my honest appraisal is, "No likely." If you are wanting to have a great time, get a mandolin and a have fun.

I do encourage you to find an experienced mandolin player to help you find your first mandolin, regardless of your price range. Second to that, or along with that, go to a music store that has more than two or three mandolins and ask for help. Someone suggested Craig's List; nothing wrong with that if you follow my first recommendation.

Welcome to the Cafe.

[bmac]

After a serious stroke in my 70s which left me legally blind and brain damaged I took up guitar and mandolin with a passion and then banjo.. My present focus is on mando and banjos of various types. I spend roughly 3 - 5 hours per day playing repairing and rebuilding instruments and am busier than I have ever been and the stuff I do I do with a passion I never had previously.

My advantage is that I had some guitar experience back in the 1970s... But what motivated me was my awareness of my mortality.. and the realization that if I don't do it now I am never going to do it....

So do it!!! if you really want to. There is everything to gain and really nothing to lose.

[CES]

After a serious stroke in my 70s which left me legally blind and brain damaged I took up guitar and mandolin with a passion and then banjo.. My present focus is on mando and banjos of various types. I spend roughly 3 - 5 hours per day playing repairing and rebuilding instruments and am busier than I have ever been and the stuff I do I do with a passion I never had previously.

My advantage is that I had some guitar experience back in the 1970s... But what motivated me was my awareness of my mortality.. and the realization that if I don't do it now I am never going to do it....

So do it!!! if you really want to. There is everything to gain and really nothing to lose.

That. Is. Awesome. Thanks for sharing, and keep picking!!

I've had a couple of adult beverages at this point, so will spare everyone the pontification about how profound the realization of your own mortality can be, but it's powerful stuff...keep pick in' it, man!

[Tom Morse]

Old Chinese Proverb: The two best days to plant a tree are 30 years ago and today. Welcome to the Mandolin World.

[bmac]

Another point I forgot to mention....

There are Many styles of playing.... Some folks dazzle us with complex high speed bluegrass picking and we all say "Wow!!" but we sometimes forget that there are lots of styles of playing from complex to amazingly simple single string plucking or simple chord strumming.

In my own playing which I regard as "fairly accomplished" I play perhaps 90% single string with double stops thrown in now and then and with lots of tremolo... to draw out blues notes. One reason I play simply is because of my brain damage. I cannot remember long sequeces of notes or chords so of necessity my playing is quite "simple". In addition I cannot read music comfortably and become confused when reading music and trying to play at the same time... Again a brain damage thing...

So I would emphasize that simple is not necessarily "wrong" or "bad".... It is just a choice the musician makes for whatever reason. As a beginner simple is better and a slow progression to more complex is OK but not really mandatory. Think of the folk musicians of the 1970s who intentionally kept their playing very simple so that "the people" could better relate to it.

[JimRichter]

Looks like a job for Jim Richter How 'bout it Jim, you up to a you-tube vid, "sweet heart"...

I always felt Sha-Na-Na needed a mandolin

[Gary Watkins]

A bad day playing music is better than a good day doing anything else!

[Cheryl Watson]

Unless you have severe arthritis that is not controllable, I don't think that it is ever too late to start a new hobby that involves motor skills and... what Gary said

[KEB]

The great filmmaker Warren Miller said, "if you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do"

A few people mentioned it, but the joy of the hobby is in learning new stuff. If you just want to spend a few weeks as a "beginner who is learning" and then one day wake up an accomplished player like Bill Monroe or Dawg, you'll probably be disappointed. The process of learning should be the joy, and the way that those guys got that good is that they never, ever stopped learning.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that's how you stay young-- never lose the joy of learning.

Then again, I'm not sure I'm old enough to know that yet, but as a simple man with a guitar once said, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

[Kieran]

A guy at my church just turned 100. He started to learn the trombone only 4 years ago. It's not too often that you get invited to a 100 year old's birthday party where there is dancing. When I grow up I want to be like him!

Taking up the trombone at the age of ninety six! of all things..the trombone in this context just sounds funny.
It was great to meet a lady in her 70's today who is taking up the fiddle.It had been hanging on her wall for years and she was about to give it away but decided to start learning it instead.

[outsidenote]

I was old when I started learning to play the mandolin, but I'm much younger now.

[OldSausage]

We're all too old, and it hasn't stopped any of us.

Here's a quick checklist:

1. Still breathing

Okay, start pickin'.

[bigbendhiker]

Great thread! I think the OP started another thread saying that he was convinced that he should take up the mandolin somewhere around post #10. This has taken on a life of its own.

Some of you have shared some very personal inspiring stories. Thanks for sharing.

I thought I was old when I began playing about 4 months ago. I'm 56 and I'm right in the middle of most of you. I think Dusty said he was only 40 - young pup!

My Dad is 82 and he says that the "old people" are those that are 10 to 15 years older than you are. He was retired at about 62 and started his own business. He still goes to work 5 or 6 days a week. It's all a state of mind.

Look at this way. You have two options in life, grow old or get dead. Growing old sounds pretty good to me. Make the most of it. Start something new. The mandolin is great. It's small, portable and you can spend as little or as much as you want. You can practice when you want and play what you want. You can set your own pace. I find it relaxing and pleasing.

Just do it. Now.