Just curious... because... I started when I was about 4

What instruments do you play and what grade are you?
Naomi xxxx

um...it's very hard to vote... i started all my instruments at different time....

liebe_klavier

I started piano at 9 and flute at 10.5; I don't know if that's considered late

I started playing the piano when I was 4... but I missed my grade 1 exam because I had chicken pox! So I did my grade 2 exam when I was about 5 1/2... I started theory when I was 4 too...
My mother played/plays piano too... she never took any exams when she came to New Zealand because she didnt have good english to get grade 5 theory for grade 8 piano... *She was in the National school of Music in Vietnam... apparently it's really hard to get in there. she was about 10 or something... i dunno*
But I grew up listening to mum playing Chopin, Mozart, Mendelsohn, and Beetoven... *cant spell*... I didnt acctually want to start piano, begged my parents to let me quit, but since last year I've begun to appreciate piano ^^

I started playing piano at 28ish and played violin from 7 - 8 until 15yo

I have just strted violin again though at 32 !

I'm luvving it !

Fiona

I started piano lessons at 57 and just got my Grade 5 - amazing

Having just posted my age and earth-shattering news, I would like to know whether at 60 I should vote as middle aged or old? Between you and I, I voted as old and then looked at the results, which showed 0%! Does that mean my vote doesn't count or the moderator doesn't believe I am 60.
Signed
Wishfull thinking

I started playing the clarinet at the end of year 5 so I had just turned ten. I wish I had started it earlier though because I would have then realised how much I love it at a much earlier age!

I dont know WHEN middle age and old break up... but it's all relevant ^^ it's only a poll!!

piano:5 yrs old
singing (proper classical training): 14 yrs old
organ: 15/16 yrs old

I started the piano at 18 and 1 month, and the flute at 18 and 9months. I've now done my grade 1 paino (merit) and i'm working towards grade 2 on both flute and paino.

i started piano when i was 5, flute when i was 8, singing lessons when i was 11 (i dont have them any more- i had to quit so i could have guitar lessons cos they're so expensive!!) and i started guitar lessons in september last year. im now 15, only just! the reason i started playing the piano is quite random! we had a piano cos my dad plays a bit, and i always used to bang around on it when i was really little! one time, when i was nearly 5, i played a bit of twinkle twinkle little star by accident, so i decided i wanted piano lessons! i asked my granny if she would teach me and she has been since then! i find that really funny for some reason, its just so random! i took grade 1 when i was 7, and then did an exam each year for a while, missing out grade 3. i did my grade 5 on my 11th birthday which was annoying!! ive just passed my grade 8 yay!
jess

I started at the age of 26, I turn 27 in August

clarinet- 14yrs
piano- 10ish i think!
sax-17
violin-10ish i think1
guitar-17

Drums - 11
Piano - started about a month ago.

Hi! I started piano at 9ish, sax at 11 and started playing the clarinet 4 fun at 13.

Piano 15

Hi! I started piano at 9ish - Grade 5 now, sax at 11 - just done Grade3 and started playing the clarinet 4 fun at 13 - a few months ago

I've just turned 17 and I started having piano lessons when i was 7, flute lessons when i was 11 and singing lessons when i was 12. I gave the piano up when i got to grade 4, but i've just passed my grade 8 singing with merit and am taking grade 7 flute in the autumn term. I've also started having theory lessons recently and i'm working for my grade 6.

I started playing the violin when i was 7 or 8, the flute when I was about 9 or 10, and the recorder when I was 10 or 11.

I started playing the piano when I was 5 (just), I started the violin when I was 7, I then started the clarinet when I was 9, but gave it up when I was 11. And finally, I started the viola in March, and I'm taking my grade 2 at Christmas! I used to hate my instruments, and begged my parents to let me give them up, but since I started having private lessons I've loved it! I don't think I could live without my instruments!

Erm... started piano at 7ish (now grade 4 lol)
violin at 10 (now grade 6)
singing (classical training) at 14 (now grade 5)
drums at 14 (now grade 3)

guitar at 12 but i dont do grades, i just busk!!!

I started piano at 8, now 21 doing dipabrsm level
Oboe when I was 13 just passed my grade 8.

I started my piano lesson when I was four.And now I am Grade 7.
I started my violin lesson when I was 13.And now I am Grade 3.

Hi everyone,
Im a newbie here and i dont know anyone here, so id like to get to know some of u, like wot ure age and stuff is. Im 16 and im doing my grade 7 piano exam in August.

I was nine when I started piano and violin- I'm nearly 14 now.
Welcome Pete16... I remember when I was a newbie- it's kinda weird, isn't it? I joined just before I took grade 7 piano last March (I needed help and then got addicted to the forums-don't do it! ) and am now working for my grade 8. It was horribly disconcerting as I had to play with my back to the examiner (I'd never done that before) and not being able to see him almost completely threw me (I was absolutely astounded when I found out I got a merit)!
What pieces are you playing? I did A3, B5 (alternative piece, v. nice, a bit like B2) and C1. Was it you who asked about page turns? I posted on there about my exam.
Hope you don't feel too lonely
Cecilia

i started viola at 9 seems so long ago! now doing grade 5 should be taking it in july! im 15 now

Thanx Cecilia. Im doing A2, B2 and C1. I can't say i really like the pieces but o well ill just need 2 do them. Ive done all my exams with my back to the examiner so im used to it. Yeah i did ask about the page turns. I asked twice because after i had asked the first time it hadn't come up so i thouht it hadn't worked so, i asked again and realised that the moderator had to read it first so thats why there is 2. I was supposed to do my grade 7 in june but my teacher wouldn't let me because he wants me to get honours because ive got that in all my other exams which im pleased about but i wouldnt be annoyed if i got merit although he might be!!
Pete

Here's hope for you all you young 'uns...

Recorder at 3
Guitar at 13
Piano at 43
Bodhrum at 48
Kazoo at 49
Clarinet at 50
Mouth organ at 51

Bagpipes next...I think

Just start piano with no grade yet, me 22 yr old.

I was nearly 11 when I started horn, am doing Dip.ABRSM in June

15 when I started piano, doing Grade 6 in November (was supposed to be doin it in June but panicked cos also have AS levels and Grade 8 theory as well as diploma!)

I'm 17 now

QUOTE

he wants me to get honours because ive got that in all my other exams

Don't you mean distinction?
And yes, I had got distinction in all my other exams, violin and piano, but I thought I'd done so badly that when I found out I had got merit I was so relieved I forgot to be disappointed!

QUOTE

Kazoo at 49

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started playing the recorder about 5, although gave it up to do the flute at 7, and played the keybaord for 4 years from when I was 9-13. I am now 15.

I started to play piano and sing at 14 (now on grade 4 for both) and im goin to start the clarinet at 16 when i get that age in a couple of weeks!

piano - 12
violin - 13
singing - 15
I was a late starter, i didnt reali become interested in music until i started secondary!!

I first started when I was four on the recorder then over time gradually took up more. Some I started for odd reasons like, at music school once I had passed Grade 5 theory I had a spare half hour in my timetable so they said I could learn percussion because there was a space there and it would fill my gap. I now play:
Recorder: G8
Piano:G6 (Started when I was 7)
Oboe:G6(Started when I was 8)
Percussion:G5(Started when I was 9)
Flute:G4(Started when I was 12)
Sax:G3 (Started when I was 15)
I'm still 15 and I would like to play the cello but I don't think I've got time really!

I started violin when I was 6 but quit after 1 year...
switched to electronic keyboard when I was 10 but found the lessons too easy and boring
started piano when I was 11... did my grade 8 last year and got a merit. Now at the age of 21, I'm doing dipabrsm piano

I started piano when I was 6/7.
Guitar - 16
Flute, properly - 21, violin - 21, and clarinet - 21.

Joy

Started Electone at 7 and piano at 11

I started to learn playing piano at the age of 8(1996).
end of 1998 grade 3
end of 2000 grade 5 theory+grade 6.
end of 2001 grade 7
end of 2002 grade 8.
May of 2004 ATCL.
Now 15.7 years old.

QUOTE (Alvin @ Jul 1 2004, 09:12 AM)

end of 2002 grade 8. May of 2004 ATCL.

So you did a hard exam, then you did an easier exam?

QUOTE (DavidMusic @ Jul 1 2004, 07:44 PM)

QUOTE (Alvin @ Jul 1 2004, 09:12 AM) end of 2002 grade 8. May of 2004 ATCL. So you did a hard exam, then you did an easier exam?

You think that grade 8 exam is easier than ATCL diploma?

I starde piano at 6 and violin at 8

i started learning the piano at about 6 yrs old....but im only doin grade7 now (just turned 18)...the reason being because from 6-11 years old i HATED learning the piano! so i neva used to practice and so just wasted time and money. from 12 yrs onwards i started to enjoy the piano and practiced....the reasons for this are as follows:

1) i changed teachers and she is great...reali nice and patient...unfortunately she is leaving soon.... :'(

2) i was at the age of maturity...i was beginning to understand that i sud appreciate the things i have around me...

so reali im glad i got my act together 6yrs ago...cuz otherwise i will not get all the respect i get from my friends and the self-satisfaction wen ive learnt how to play another piece....

started recorder at about 3 teaching myself and then started lessons at about 10. started flute at 9 or 10.
i woz in a concert at the weekend and i played a duet with a world famous virtuoso recorder player! and wen he woz introducing me he asked me how long i had been playing so i sed about 12 - 13 yrs and he looked a bit shocked, i think he expected me to say less or something hehe but ive always loved it so hav taken it further and hav just done my grade 8 exam the other week and hav had distinctions in grades 4-7 inclusive!

Clarinet for 5yrs and am grade 6
Piano for 9yrs and did up to grade 4 classical then didn't do much in terms of grades then did grade 5 jazz. I'm working towards grade 8 now which is a big leap so fingers crossed! That will be a while yet though.
I've played Sax for 2 and a bit years but i picked it up easily because I play clarinet. I teach myself so I don't do grades on sax.
I'd like to take up a brass instrument like trumpet but i'll have to buy it myself!

Piano-9 yrs, grade 4 classical, grade 5 jazz and am working towards grade 8 but that will take a while because its such a big leap
Clarinet-5 yrs, grade 6 working towards grade 7
Sax - 2 yrs don't do grades because I teach myself , I picked it up quite easily because I play clarinet.

I started piano at 8, maybe a bit late but I learnt quickly
I started clarinet at around 10.