Well you have all given me the encouragement I needed as I am 58 and just started to play the cello in Feb. I took lessons when I was 8 and it has been hard not to mourn 50 lost years of playing . I will keep at it and hope to be able to make some beautiful music one of these days . I still have a little nagging voice inside that says I am being very foolish and this will never work . I think I will tell that voice to shut up .

As the amazing Shinichi Suzuki always said. Don`t learn music to make it a career learn for the love of learning and achieving. Suzuki really believed that everyone can learn - it`s just a matter of training.
I started cello at 9yr and loved playing. My son started at 6 and I sometimes wish he`d started earlier. I now teach kids from 3yrs and it`s truely amazing how much part of their lives and personalities music becomes. The dicipline and love they learn through music filters through everything they learn in life.
Everyone can learn and have fun and play well with the right help - go for it!

It`s not too old to start learning cello at 14. I start learning it at the age of 13 and got my grade 5 cert in just one year times. All thanks to my cello teacher who had been so strict to me.

Just practice hard, and I spend almost an hour on scale and an hr in exercise pieces, 2hrs in J.S Bach Suites/Concerto... everyday.

That`s why I`ve got such a acceptable results.

Its never too old to start learning. I do agree that it is better to start at a younger age but if you work hard enough you`ll gradually get the hang of it. Tip: treat your cello as though it`s part of your family, I know it sounds wierd but you start to respect more and love it more.

HAVE FUN !!!!!!!!!!!

It`s never too late to learn an instrument. To ilona and others, just keep on practicing. Tell those discouraging little voices to be quiet and listen to the beautiful music that you are making. I started in my 50`s a few years ago and am having a wonderful time with it. There`s a great book called "Never Too Late" by John Holt about his adventures as an adult beginner on cello.

I can agree with that. You can start an instrument at any age and be as good as someone who has been playing for much longer. However, I do have something to add to this.

Everyone learned how to read, write, do basic math, etc. in elementary school. We learn the fundamental concepts first, and gradually build up our knowledge and skills in these concepts until we branch off to study them at a higher level in university. What am I getting at? Teaching someone musical concepts for the first time at age 40 or so is similar to trying to teach someone at the same age basic math.

Children have much more open minds, because they haven`t been filled with information yet. There are certain aspects of playing music that should be taught at an early age in order to be understood. Music is a language, simply put. One needs to learn to read, write, and speak the language in order to know it best. It is harder to do this at an older age, because there is other knowledge in a person`s brain that conflicts with the true understanding of music.

I`m not trying to discourage any older people who may be reading this to learn music (I`m not talking about you, Brendan). I`m just saying that it may be a bit harder for you to get around the concepts with all of the knowledge you`ve acquired so far. It may be difficult to find a professional position as a musician at that age, but as a hobby, music is definitely a good choice! I, myself, started taking piano lessons at age 7, and started playing (and contine to play) the saxophone in junior high.

The world needs more musicians - don`t let my comments discourage you in any way. I am simply enlightening you on the power and complexity that music is.

Thomas

I started when I was 15. So no its not to old. For me it was easy because I played piano and was familiar with music. If you try and practice you`ll be great.

Nope!! I started at 14 too... although it may have been easier for me because I have played the violin since i was 5...

OMG!
I started only 6 months ago, when I was 14. I asked myself the same question, having knon many people who started playing instruments around the age of 4-5-6. The thing is, at our age we are still capable of learning fast, but are also able to decide exactly what instrument we want to play. Many people who started in Elemantary school were pushed into it by their parents, or what started out as curiousity turned into their parents not letting them quit. Most of my friends that ahve been palying for 8-9 years now don`t have the passion for it anymore, because they associate it with their parents` dream, not theirs. Besides, I know a few professional musicians who started around 17-18 years old, and are now in University. So, don`t worry

Dude! This started in January 2004! Did anyone else realise, this... and it`s still going!