Too old to learn?

[old geezer]

too old to learn....  wot ??

it just takes practice, practice, an' more practice.....

[Howard Jones]

A few months after falling in love with the melodeon (maybe a year or so) I arrived at a plateau.

This is quite normal, don't worry about it.  I'm 55, I've been playing guitar since I was 12 and picked up other instruments along the way - I've been playing melodeon for more than 25 years.  I like to think I play to a reasonably high standard, but I'm still trying to improve and I still keep hitting plateaux, or even slipping back if I've not practiced properly and let things get a bit sloppy.

You can't expect to make continual constant progress.  Listen to lots of music of the type you want to play (not just on melodeon) and hopefully it will spark off new ideas.  Go to sessions, join a music group, talk to other players - most are happy to give advice.  Above all, keep going - don't get discouraged and don't give up.

[Steve Jones]

Howard is right. A positive way to look at it is this: a leap forward is always preceded by a plateau. So you could say that plateaux are essential.

I certainly found this to be my experience over nearly three decades of fiddle playing - until I hit my final plateau 

[ukebert]

Seriously though, I firmly believe that it is a mistake to just start plying on one row to begin with, because then playing across the rows can get to seem like something difficult or 'advanced'.   Its not, is still just a matter of pressing a button! 

I'm part way through teaching a short course for absolute beginners,  and the first tune we are learning is played using both rows.  The second tune is in A.  When I first learned I played up and down one row, and for a long time there seemed to be a barriers in my head, which made me avoid using both rows in one tune, and even more so made me avoid playing in A.  I'm hoping that my current students will be more open minded about what they can play.

ps. all the students are over 50!

I agree. I started off playing on-row, found cross-rowing a little difficult, got into cross-rowing and am now trying to force myself to play on-row a little more to get more bounce!

On topic though, if you can tell that there is a different note on the push and the pull and can tap your foot along to some music then you aren't too old to learn.

[ladydetemps]

I'm wondering if I'm too young to learn....I don't have the patience or endurance.

[Matthew B]

I'm wondering if I'm too young to learn....

Have no fear.  This problem will solve itself.

[ganderbox]

I'm wondering if I'm too young to learn....

Have no fear.  This problem will solve itself.

I wish I had that problem.

[Peter G]

As a 'vet' in two ways (veterinary sturgeon...

I keep checking your photograph doggedly and - no doubt about it, there's something fishy about this claim of yours!

have I been Russelled? Gave up juggling a football and going for the ankles at 50 (realised I was past the age where i  might be called out of the crowd to score the winning goal at the cup final) and been like a fish out of water until I threw myself into the swim, bought the box and started practising scales.  And thereby hangs a tail.

[TonyRussell]

This thread has been an eye-opener for me, I'm not older than everyone else after all! A great comfort in my dotage. Tony.

[Accordion Dave]

I am a member of the half-century club. I have been playing the piano accordion for about 4 decades. 
Until recently the bisonoric, diatonic melodeon was totally foreign to me. I thought that I would never be able to learn the ins and outs of two different notes on each button, but now it has become second nature to me.

For several years I have had a one-row with brass reeds and leaky bellows. It is nearly impossible to play.

In the summer of 2007, I found a 1-row Hohner with steel reeds and tight bellows. The sound was amazing compared to the old wheeze-box. With a decent box, my playing rapidly improved. I bought a 2-row during the summer of 2008. Now I have decended into MADness as you folks call it. I delight in acquiring melodeons. Each has a unique sound.

Back to the original post... Age 50 is definitely not too late to learn to play the melodeon.     
 

[summerstars]

As to playing in sessions, not sure if I am up to that yet, I can't even play in front of my family . 
..........
I try to practice most days, having an expensive box does help to encourage using it.  So I will persevere and continue practicing, if I have the courage I may even take the Saltarelle to Towersey!

Wendy

Wendy,

I started playing from scratch 4 years ago, having never picked up any other instrument in my life before that.  4 years on I have a repertoire of about a dozen tunes that I am confident with, and a few more on the go.  do try and go to sessions, and do take your instrument with you - you can always leave it in the box - not the car though - on the basis that if you don't take it, you can't play it, but if you have it with you, you don't have to play, but can if you want to.  after six weeks of persevering, knowing I still couldn't play a tune, I took the box with me to Sidmouth, and spent half an hour each morning practising Winster Gallop, on the second morning I was joined by a couple of youngsters (in their twenties) who sat down with me and actively encouraged me, insisting I played, at my speed, with them joining in  -  wow  -  thankyou all - you know who you are!; at the end of the week I could play 1 tune!  Took the box with me to Shrewsbury after playing it for only 4 months, with only one tune that I could play confidently - sat in the beer tent and was actively encouraged to play - at my speed, and then had others joining in with me!  wow what a feeling that was. I didn't get through the tune  - but it was worth the effort, this was followed by old hands helping me by showing me just one or tricks of the trade.

Remember, if you don't take it with you, you can't play it - if you do take it, you just might pick it up - no-one will laugh at you, they will however help and encourage you

[tallship]

Well said summerstars and a warm welcome to the forum. I know you've been lurking for quite a long time as I found your youtube version of Speed the Plough a while ago.

Pete. 

[Gary]

I started when in my mid thirties (now nearly57) with the pokerwork ,however never practiced much, just messed around and enjoyed that. My turning point came when I heard Sharon Shannon and yearned to play as well as her(aiming high but why not ! ) Also tracking down tapes, cds that I could play along with because I play by ear. Two turning points in my progress, Theo sorted out the action on my box so i could manage to play without my fingers getting stuck in the holes and last year meeting Mally at Whitby when I purchased several of his books and cds which are all played on a DG box. Hurrah, I can practice far more,learn new tunes and even join in with a local fortnightly musicians gathering. Next part is to learn to read music which helps to follow tricky bits of tunes and also then  I can then recall the starts of the many tunes !

Keep at it ,

Gary

[Tony Gibbons]

My one and only (sadly) accoredian pupil is well into his 70s. I've been teaching him for about 4 years now. Not folk though but based on the tunes & songs that he is familiar with. His wife is German so we have such things as "Heideroslein" and "Friedel-Madel". He's doing well and enjoys the 'sessions' we have playing together. I've also learnt a lot from teaching him and I retire from 'professional' work next year.
Some years ago my wife had a clarinet pupil who started when he was in his 50s having bought a clarinet for his daughter who then decided it wasn't for her. He took it up not wanting to waste his money.
Two years ago and after 30+ years of playing D/G (mainly on single row) I started to get to grips with a B/C/C#. At the same time I began to work on cross-rowing on by D/G. It's taken a long time but I'm getting there in leaps and bounds.
It's NEVER too late.
which reminds me a friend of mine revived his love-life with his wife (both in their late 50s) by having an affair.
It's NEVER too late.

[OldDog]

Hi,

I'm 64, and if I can do it anybody can. I taught myself harmonica several years ago, then the concertina three or four years ago, and now the melodeon. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't start music lessons back in 1954 when my mother asked if I was interested (I said "no thank you" because I knew that I didn't have the patience to practice.) If I only knew then what I know now!

Regards,and Good Luck!

Paul N.
Tonawanda, NY

[nfldbox]

Listening to the radio and there was a young highland piper and his favourite student. The teacher said, "He's great. And he's 73, started when he was 65." The student, on air, said, "Actually, I'm 80. When I came for lessons I was 72 and I was afraid you would say I was too old to start, so i said I was 65."

[TonyRussell]

We'll soon see about being too old - just bought my first, ever, CBA http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,3836.msg48704.html#new never touched one before so this'll be interesting (at least to me ). BLT.

[pokerwork50]

After seeing the Witchmen's band at Rochester Sweeps 2 years ago, I decided that the meoldeon was for me and got a Honer Pokerwork for my 50th!
18 months and 2 workshop weekends later, I'm having a ball, crossing rows, walking the basses and generally experimenting.
Only drawback...not enough time to practice effectively...full time job gets in the way!
loving it though

[zubz]

Another perspective ... quote from Leonard Cohen when he was touring last year:
"I first played this 15 years ago ... when I was just this crazy young 60 year old with a dream ..."

 

In a similar vein, I heard of a chap who had a 60th birthday party and called it "My Halfway There Party".

That's the spirit!

 

[Alison Scott]

performance anxiety anyone?!

The bane of my life to be perfectly frank and it seems to have sprung from nowhere. I've done hundreds of gigs in working men's clubs and countless floor spots and gigs in folk clubs over the years. Now I struggle to record myself practising to monitor progress without nerves taking over. It's a funny old life. 

I struggle too as those who know me will know. The weird thing in my case is that I'm almost never nervous singing, and I often require nerves of steel in my day job and rarely feel the slightest flutter. But I am a big old heap of nerves on the box, and the standard solution (play out more) has only been partially effective. I am, for example, looking forwards to not being nervous in the Sunday night band at the folk club; must have played there fifty times by now.