hi

im trying to figure out when most people start playing instruments. Like some people start playing when they are 3 and some start playing when they are 30. So i want to know when most people do.

i started at 12....but never get serious until now

I started at 12 as well.

Car Expert

Flute - 9
Violin - 13
Piano - 14

Piano - 6
Recorders - 12
Flute - 13
Violin - 30
Viola - 33
Clarinet - 46

I only play clarinet, recorders and piano now really, although I still have my other instruments. I play violin very occasionally, but am extremely rusty now, though I did get as far as Grade 8 on it once upon a time!

Flute - 7/8
Keyboard - 9
Piano - 15

Still only really play flute, the others, I didn't like my teacher as a teacher (he was a nice person but a really critical teacher), and I didn't have any time.

Piano at 9 and guitar at 14!

clarinet- 11
taught myself keyboard from 9 onwards, but wasn't very good!!
piano 13

Recorders: 6
Piano: 7 (Doing Grade 8)
Flute: 13 Doing Grade 7
Saxophone: 14 Doing Grade 7
Voice: 16 Doing Grade 8

There is another thread - not a poll, just a thread - which is basically the same as this one if you want to know when a lot of people started.

Recorder - 5
Flute - 9
Treble recorder - 11ish
Irish whistle - 12
Piano - 14
Singing - 14

I've actually been singing since birth but not properly!

Piano at the age of 6.
Plan to learn a new instrument next year, at the age of 16, if I can pass the piano diploma this year.

Piano - 8
Clarinet - 14
Flute - 17
Saxophone - 17

Violin - 3
Guitar - 6
Piano - 8
Viola - 15
Drums - 15

piano - 4

i started out on clarinet at 11, took piano at 13 and dropped clarinet later that year due to finance and the teacher doing a terrible job. taught myself recorder and flute the following year then was asked to play bassoon/viola in school ensembles

main studies are piano recorder and flute (baroque music mostly for the last 2)

How did you manage to start violin at 3? Just curious because my mum wants my little sister (who is 3) to learn an instrument but me and my other sister both play the flute and it's not really a toddlers instrument!

How about the fife? Though I still don't know if it would be suitable for a 3 year old.

Very difficult for little fingers to cover the holes successfully, both on the fife and descant recorder. The fife needs quite a lot of support as well - it's a very resistant instrument. I'd wait till 6 or 7 for the fife, otherwise it's a very frustrating experience.

OK... well I shan't be suggesting it for any 3 year olds then I guess!

I was helping one of the little girls from my road with recorder yesterday, she must be 8 or 9, and still finds it quite hard to cover the holes properly on a recorder. Doesn't help she wants to run before she can walk...

Well first I was enthusiastic (however you spell it ). I wouldn't normally suggest violin for 3 year olds! I was just so eager to play it, that I started young.

The way I managed was buying (or at least my mum bought) a 1/32th violin - basically a violin 32 times smaller than a full size one. Yes they do exist - it's still in my bedroom And I just went on from there.

Same here!! Let's make a " started learning music at 12 club" !!
lol

So did Igor Tchetuev, who came 4th in the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2003.

I have that on tape!

Didn't he play Rach's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini

Yes he did, and, having heard Artur Pizzaro play the same piece live (and using the score I might add!) after criticising Igor Tchetuev's performance (okay I know it was his job!) I actually thought that Tchetuev performs that piece better than Pizzaro. The other performances on that day were brilliant too though, as one would expect, the Tchaikovsky was brilliant (although Lang Lang does still remain my favourite interpreter of that piece) and Antti Siirala was just outstanding, really kept the Clacissism of the Beethoven without sacrificing anything in the character, amazing and a deserved winner, looking forward to the 2006 competition .

Just goes to show one doesn't have to start at 6 to become incredible I guess...

I LOVE that Rachmaninov... (have we had this conversation before, nat??! )

voice (lessons)- 16 (I've got to grade five in two years )
french horn- 12
recorder- 6
tin whistle- 18
guitar- 18

I'm a folkie at heart but ii just loved the sound of the french horn

BTW I'm just turned 19

hmm...i started piano when I was 4, cuz my older sis wanted to learn. so yeah. im still taking lessons and exams and all that good stuff, but she quit and is taking guitar. and im going to start learning how to play drums soon. oh and i take voice lessons. BUT I LOOVE PIANO!

SAME HERE!! Rach. has been my favourite since hearing his Piano Concerto No.3, mvt.1
IT"S SUCH A LOVELY PIECE!!

OH really?? How old is he now??

flute - 13 (but started recorder at 6)
voice - all my life! I could sing before I could talk but I've never had lessons.

violins come in different sizes, 1/4 size, 1/2 size, 3/4 size and full size allowing younger children to play the violin. You start with a small 1/4 size violin and just keep changing to bigger sizes as you get older.

edit: well, you don't always start with a 1/4 size, depends how big you are!

I started with a 1/16th size. I was pretty tiny though, even at 15 my full size is a serious stretch. My next violin will be a small full size or maybe a 7/8 or 15/16 size.

Isn't he about 23/24??

cool!! I wish to be like him one day

i was 8 - i'd been messin around on piano sice i was a todler - but i started on cornet at 8 - on a flugel mouthpeice of all things

I started playing the piano at the age of 13 (almost 2years ago) and i've done Grade 4 theory last march (I got 97/100!)

I'm doing Grade 4 practical and Grade 5 theory very sonn :S

I'm sooo nervous!!

Have a banana half an hour before an exam. That should help!

Car Expert

When I started takining voice lessons, I was 11 years old.

Unfortunately, I didn't start taking piano until this past spring (when I was 16 years old.) I really enjoy it!!

Singing - 10, and never gave up! YAY - Singing is my main passion..and I want a career in musical theatre <3

Violin - 7, did grade 4, gave up...took back up at 17, didn't want to do the grades, but am currently able to play grade 5/6 pieces, so may take an exam at some point

Piano - 10 - didnt do grades Just taken it back up, so scrap the "10" and put a "19" there

Cello - 19 - yeh yeh, i'm old! But actually finding cello okay, maybe to do with the whole violin thing

Flute - 19 - yeh yeh, i'm still old, but flute is AMAZING...i'm absolutely addicted right now, (deciding between cello and flute as to which I prefer, possibly both ) I'm finding it easy peasy at the moment, 3rd/4th octaves later and i'll keep you posted

I started violin just before my 8th birthday and I LOVE it!

VN

GREAT!!

Recorder at 7 - heh, still play it now and then
Piano at 10
Treble recorder at 11, school talked me into it

Also did violin for a few months when I was 13...didn't like it though.

Oh, and irish penny whistle once upon a time

Hoping to do clarinet/sax soon

clarinet - 9 grade 8 distinction
piano- 11 grade 5
sax- 13 grade 6 distinction
voice- 13 grade 5 merit ( i lost my voice half way through the exam!:()

i find that most people who play piano started a lot erlier than me, and so i don't sound too good when i compare myself to them. who else started piano later on? i started 3 years ago.

Piano - 9
Clarinet - 12
Bassoon - 15

Voice is hard since I've been singing in shows and stuff since I was about 6 but I didn't have lessons until I was 14.

NM

I started piano when I was 4.

I started the piano when I was 8 And violin 11.

started flute at my first opputunity, yr 2 aged 7!

Just started sax not learning it though just playinga t my own comfort with a great abracadabra saxophone book!

Iv been able to play piano from a very young age, but im now 14 and doing grade 7.. i didnt start lessons until i was... *thinks*... bout 6... but iv been able to play since i was about... 4

What do you mean by "able to play" if you could play before you had lessons?