Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum 50 too old to start?

Be honest. Is 50 too old to start piano lessons? Are all my neural pathways for music, memory, etc... dead? Keep in mind I have a 6 year old daughter and a 3 year old son to keep up with so I have old mommy brain too!

kibabrown you know what they say. If you dont use it, you lose it.

One of the best predictors of loss of mental functions in adults is lack of mental and physical exercise.

The older you are the more good it does you to do things that exercise your whole brain, like playing the piano.

Go for it.

I am reminded of something I read on another site: "If you start learning piano today, then in a few years, you'll be a 53 year-old who can play the piano. But if you don't start learning now, then in a few years you'll still be 53!"

So go for it! As long as your fingers and ears still work, it's never too late!

After teaching (coaching) young children in the past, I'd say learning classical piano would be a piece of cake compared to what you are in for! Seriously, your 50 and your kid is three. Wait until the crazy high school days are upon you and your nearing 70 having to chaparon wild booze parties and what-not.

You said be honest.......your doomed!

Learning piano should be no problem however.

Absolute best and I mean BEST of luck to you.

Two years ago, I asked if I was too old (at 63) to start learning piano, and I got a long thread of answers from people as old, or older than I am. I think the oldest was a 70 year old just starting. At 50, you won't learn as fast as the kids, but you will definitely learn to play music. I'm a really slow learner, so you will probably learn faster than me. But it's not a race. It doesn't happen overnight, and it takes work, but you can definitely do it.

We have some old fingers here. A few didn't start until retirement. You should hang around and check out their 'masterpieces' at our next recital this May.

Hello kimbabrown. If you have a 6 year old daughter and a 3 year old son at 50, then starting piano lessons should be a breeze for you. My interest in playing music started at the age of 53. Its a journey I'll take 'till the final encore. Best of luck.

I hope 50 is not too late. I started at 52.

No you are not too old to start. You are never too old to start. You might not learn as quickly as a fifteen year old, but don't let that be an excuse for not getting better!

Remember, as steve turano would say, Christmas is always coming so you might as well start now! Good for you!

It is absolutely NOT too late! I'm over 50 also and I just started.
I like the message above that says if you start now you'll get older and playing the piano, if you wait, you will still get older....but you won't have the fun of playing the piano!

It isn't easy - it takes a lot of mental energy - but it IS worth it. I can't tell you how much satisfaction I'm getting from even the exercise pieces I'm playing.

GO FOR IT! And have FUN!

I started at 51. I have a bad case of tendonitis, might get surgery at the VA soon,but I have learned to play some of my favorite tunes. I learn slow as well. But about 2 years into it now, I am having a blast. Go for it.

If you don't want to become a professional concert pianist, 50 is as good as 30, 20 or 13

Being a musical/musician parent is also strongly beneficial to your kids I think.

I agree with Al-mahed, sharing music with your children is most rewarding. Practicing the piano together has added one more meaningful activity to the list of things my son and I share. I believe he tolerates the inevitable frustrations associated with learning to play much better because he sees me experiencing the same thing. He is 8 and I am 43. My music right now is a bit more difficult than his, but he is catching up to me very quickly (and I anticipate his surpassing me soon). So he is clearly learning at a rate faster than I am, but I AM learning too! Best of luck to you!!! Obviously I would be an advocate for "GOING FOR IT."

Is 50 too old? In one word: NO.

No! One half to one hour of you time everyday learning to make beautiful music is a good thing. I started at 52 (with a background in music) and even now, with way less than a year of lessons, I'm playing some very satisfying music.


KZ

.......and another 52 year old starter.

Kimba, I'm months away from 50 with a 6 year old daughter and I'm starting piano lessons. My oldest went off to college and I really miss hearing him practice his piano. I figured, why not learn to play myself?

I was 61 when I started.

I started last December aged 63, even though I had an operation on my right hand about 10 years ago for Dupuytren's Contracture (at the moment it doesn't seem to be having any detrimental effect)!

Admittedly, I had played the piano a little in my teens and have played the classical guitar off and on up to about 10 years ago which all helps.

So - go for it!

Didn't exactly start at 71 but it had been 57 years between piano lessons. Doing great. This year I expect to add the word "learned" after the Beethoven Pathetique sonata, which is on my bucket list.