Learning an instrument as an adult

[Red Herring]

It is usually recommended to start early if you want to learn an instrument, but it's never too late.

Have you been studying an instrument as an adult?
If so which one and did you teach yourself or did you take lessons?
Was there an instrument that you already knew how to play and that helped you with a new one later on?
How would you weigh theory vs practice?

Anecdotes and recommendations welcome!

Let's see if you guys can motivate me to pick up that neglected mandolin and give it another try

 

[Aquarelle]

Oooh, I love the mandolin! You should definitely give it another try!

I have played flute since I was 9 years old and dabbled in piano and trombone (randomly) as a young person as well, but the only thing I ever got really good at was flute. I think in a way playing flute helped me learn other instruments, but I also think part of the reason I never got good at piano was because with the flute, your hands work together to produce one thing, whereas on the piano they both kind of have to do their own thing. I always had trouble with that. It's kind of the same on the guitar, which I am currently trying to teach myself.

Guitar has been weird, in that for about 6 months I practiced a lot, and felt like I didn't really make much progress at all. Then I took a bit of a break from it, came back to it, and all of a sudden found that I was making more progress. I don't know if I just needed a break to overcome that plateau or what, but I'm happy!

I also want to buy a keyboard sometime this winter and make another try at piano.

 

[Red Herring]

Thanks! I just found out that [MENTION=1180]whatever[/MENTION] plays the mandolin as well. Is there a special method/book that you guys would recommend?

 

[miss fortune]

being antisocial in a way, I taught myself to play it... and since I learned it before the advent of high speed internet, I learned from a book with pictures... learn the finger placements, learn what makes each sound by playing around with it and start by playing things that you're familiar with so that you can learn by ear as well as by reading music... gotta learn if you're playing it right... after you've gotten familiar with how to make the sounds that you want you're free to do anything

now, of course, there's youtube videos of anything

 

[Omission1234]

i play guitar, ive been playing for 8-9 years now and continuously learning theory.. when im disciplined enough. I've recently have been teaching myself the button accordion two row. I also have a few recorders and tin whistles I mess around with and a little keyboard. I like to sing too. I think theory and practice back and forth mixed with patience and not taking yourself too seriously= a positive outcome! Music is supposed to be fun, fruitful but most importantly fun and however you go about it, its always good. Do what you feel is natural and right Good Luck and rock out! :hi:

 

[Omission1234]

for scales on guitar and theory I have theory texts and the guitar handbook, I also found que cards helped with memorizing the basic placements.
also don't use tablature... save yourself from bad habits now. Listen to music. I like pop/ techno instrumental songs for finding rhythms and riffs, opens a new space besides copying the songs or albums. that being said learning albums has its place too.

 

[sprinkles]

Electric bass is pretty easy to learn.

Easy to learn but difficult to master.

 

[Lark]

A lot of the instruments I want to learn are weird things which no one teaches.

 

[sprinkles]

A lot of the instruments I want to learn are weird things which no one teaches.

Go for it! If nobody teaches then you can't really do it wrong, I say.

 

[Lark]

Go for it! If nobody teaches then you can't really do it wrong, I say.

I dont know, some of the instruments I dont even know the name of. I know the hurdy gurdy is one. There is another which is like a guitar but is a box and sits on the ground. The bard's "guitar" too, I'd like to learn that, I dont know if its the mandolin though.

 

[sprinkles]

I dont know, some of the instruments I dont even know the name of. I know the hurdy gurdy is one. There is another which is like a guitar but is a box and sits on the ground. The bard's "guitar" too, I'd like to learn that, I dont know if its the mandolin though.

Bard's guitar is probably a lute or something similar. There are people who teach that.

There are people who teach the hurdy gurdy as well but you'll have to track them down.

 

[Omission1234]

alot of culturally specific or period instruments you won't find anyone to teach them. Just if you can find one pick it up look up music with those instruments in it and test it out for yourself. Note by note and then get fancy! (technical advice) haha Seriously you can't go wrong!

 

[Stanton Moore]

It is usually recommended to start early if you want to learn an instrument, but it's never too late.

Have you been studying an instrument as an adult?
Yes: I play drums, bass, keyboards and guitar.
If so which one and did you teach yourself or did you take lessons?
I took lessons for some of it, but I also taugh myself most of what I know.
Was there an instrument that you already knew how to play and that helped you with a new one later on?
Piano. It's the most basic for learning music theory.
How would you weigh theory vs practice?
Practice is everything. Having an intellectual understanding means nothing without the learned ability to play what you know. This takes lots of repetition, but is it's own fun.
Anecdotes and recommendations welcome!
You will get frustrated with the slow pace of it, but this is only a matter of perspective. Learn to love the sound and motion of playing and be patient with yourself. The only way to learn things quickly is to have played many hours at slow to moderate speeds, and playing things accurately at those speeds. Only then will rapid learning be possible.
My father took piano lessons at age 50, and was suprised that it was difficult to do (he had two PHD's)
Let's see if you guys can motivate me to pick up that neglected mandolin and give it another try
It's not unlike going from couch-potato to athlete. Possible, but very difficult at first. So be gentle with yourself, don't push hard and injure yourself, don't go so easy on yourself that you don't progress. Keep you hands, wrists and arms as relaxed as possible. Take some lessons and learn 'proper' technique. This is important. the established ways are around for a reason, so don't try to reinvent the wheel. It causes frustration later on when you realized that you have to relearn the basics in order to progress.
But you can do it!

.....

 

[Lark]

Bard's guitar is probably a lute or something similar. There are people who teach that.

There are people who teach the hurdy gurdy as well but you'll have to track them down.

Aye, not really in this neck of the woods.

Although to be honest I really should be interested in bodhrain or uilaillian pipes (no idea if I spelt those right)

 

[Aquarelle]

Aye, not really in this neck of the woods.

Although to be honest I really should be interested in bodhrain or uilaillian pipes (no idea if I spelt those right)

there are some good youtube videos for bodhran.

 

[Lark]

There's an instrument the fecking gypsy beggers play in belfast sometimes which I often wondered whether it was a real thing or something they invented, its like a fiddle or violin but has a sort of horn or trumpet thing as part of it, anyone know what this is?

 

[1487610420]

Originally Posted by Red Herring
It is usually recommended to start early if you want to learn an instrument, but it's never too late.

Have you been studying an instrument as an adult?
Yes: I play drums, bass, keyboards and guitar.
If so which one and did you teach yourself or did you take lessons?
I took lessons for some of it, but I also taugh myself most of what I know.
Was there an instrument that you already knew how to play and that helped you with a new one later on?
Piano. It's the most basic for learning music theory.
How would you weigh theory vs practice?
Practice is everything. Having an intellectual understanding means nothing without the learned ability to play what you know. This takes lots of repetition, but is it's own fun.
Anecdotes and recommendations welcome!
You will get frustrated with the slow pace of it, but this is only a matter of perspective. Learn to love the sound and motion of playing and be patient with yourself. The only way to learn things quickly is to have played many hours at slow to moderate speeds, and playing things accurately at those speeds. Only then will rapid learning be possible.
My father took piano lessons at age 58, and was suprised that it was difficult to do (he had two PHD's)
Let's see if you guys can motivate me to pick up that neglected mandolin and give it another try
It's not unlike going from couch-potato to athlete. Possible, but very difficult at first. So be gentle with yourself, don't push hard and injure yourself, don't go so easy on yourself that you don't progress. Keep you hands, wrists and arms as relaxed as possible. Take some lessons and learn 'proper' technique. This is important. the established ways are around for a reason, so don't try to reinvent the wheel. It causes frustration later on when you realized that you have to relearn the basics in order to progress.
But you can do it!

This, pretty much. And nowadays, chances that something you are looking for NOT being on the web are slim. Books/websites/tutorials/videos.

 

[Lark]

there are some good youtube videos for bodhran.

I'm currently looking at some, I knew there were instructionals for guitar, all the popular tunes from video games and stuff so decided there could be the same for other instruments.

I'm convinced that I heard a remix at one point which was Carmina Burana or a very similar tune with uillean pipes in it but I cant find it, I'm looking for something which could combine music like that.