12yo wants violin lessons. Too old?

[CatsArePeopleToo]

He has guitar and keyboards lessons, but lost interest. What do I do?

What put him off the other instruments? Was is it the discipline of needing to practise?
Ask him why he thinks violin would sustain his interest.

Not too old - but - the violin is a tricky instrument for beginners and takes a lot of practice and hard work to get it sounding anything other than horrible.

Under normal (not corona) circumstances you might be able to get some trial lessons - my son's school did this for year 7s, they could try a new instrument for a term including borrowing the instrument and lessons.

I suppose it's never truly too late but most people start younger. I was 2. My dad taught it and was keen to get me playing. Didn't mean I did that well long term though. It also depends what you want to achieve. Playing for fun vs joining the BBC symphony orchestra at 18 or something. Go for it, it can't hurt.

It's never too late to learn an instrument! He will get decades of enjoyment out of it. How on earth can 12 be too old?

If you are thinking of grades then yes he will be behind children who started younger but what does that matter unless the only reason you want him to learn is for UCAS applications?

You can hire one and give him a three month trial. Expect him to practise and warn him you won't be rehiring if he doesn't. 12 isn't too old, I'd be more worried about the track record personally.

He got this idea from watching YouTube
That violin would be cooler than guitar. So he dropped guitar. Still loves his keyboard.
I know people who could teach him, but they say he's too old to learn properly.

but they say he's too old to learn properly

What do they mean by that?

I work in a music department of a school. you are never too old to start learning an instrument. The most important part of learning is to have fun and to be able to play music - that is a life skill. when people say "learn properly" they mean probably too late for him to become a professional but I would guess that is not his aim. some parents are also desperate for students to Grade 8 to get the extra UCAS points but in all honesty that means little as the better universities don't count them anyway. Let him start, hire an instrument and given him a term of lessons. If he doesn't practise or take to it then easy to cancel.

I started learning at 26!
Got up to grade 5 before other life commitments got in the way but I still play. 12 is not too old!

FWIW I also have a guitar and a keyboard, and learned quite half-heartedly ... sometimes it's about finding your instrument.

I'd let him try if you can hire/borrow a violin for cheap for a short period and then reassess if he wants to continue.

Lots of people pick up a new instrument at the start of secondary school. That’s pretty standard AFAIK so 12 hardly seems ‘too late’.

@CatsArePeopleToo That is complete bs. I've seen adults who learn properly and they are self-taught. We really need to move away from this idea that learning a new skill is only something you can do in early childhood. I've learned plenty of new skills later in life.

If your DS watches YouTube, perhaps he's a fan of TwoSetViolin? It's a nice channel made by two musicians and has over 2 million subscribers. This is the video they did reviewing some adult learners, they are at least double the age of your DS

The good thing about musical instruments is that they literally don’t give as shit how old the person playing them actually is. Anyone who really disputes otherwise, is a bit of a Boris Johnson.

Too old for what?

To whizz through the grades quickly and compete for orchestra places with other violinists his age? Yes.

To make it as a professional violinist? Quite probably.

To find an interesting and challenging hobby that he can continue into his adult life if he so chooses? No, not at all.

Also, I would have probably made it further than grade 5 but was learning trad scottish stuff by ear alongside the classical/grades/sheet music.
If he wants to learn you should consider finding out what kind of music he wants to play, and then find a teacher who can do that... music lessons through the school might not be the best option.

Too old to ‘learn properly’ you know some real snobs OP!

Unless your only aim for violin lessons is for him to become a lauded professional musician (obviously extremely rare), then I’d pay for them. If you have the resources then why not let him try.

No, he isn't too old! Ignore the nay-sayers and find a non-ageist teacher Get a few trial lessons first. Obviously there's a lot to learn, but if he's learned instruments before then that's a good start on the musicianship side of things. Later on (or straight away) he could consider the viola which is often in demand for orchestras.

Find a teacher who isn't obsessed with passing grades or getting into a symphony orchestra before leaving school. Some people want to suck all the joy out of everything.
Play for fun, and yes to watching Two Set as pp said above - it's great.

I

Auto - if you play the viola the orchestra will welcome you as it's a shortage instrument, and then all the violin players will take the piss out of you for playing the viola.

I started violin at 12. By 15 or so I had caught up with several of my classmates who had started at 7 or 8. None of us were child prodigies, of course. Grade 5-6 ish standard by GCSE.

I have enjoyed playing as an adult, mostly traditional music. A lot depends, like anything, on how much practice you put in.

I think the real advantage of starting young is the amount of time and years free of any responsibilies and carefee to practice, change instruments and really get into it!

Personally, I think there is such a thing as too young to take up an instrument, to be able actually concentrate and learn anything meaningful. Althoug it's undeniable that well into adulthood it's harder to learn, even hand dexterity is trickier. But it is still more than possible to learn to a decent level!

I know people who could teach him, but they say he's too old to learn properly.

They're fucking idiots

Not too late, I know of a lad who started at 14 and by the time he was 16 was playing with Halle Youth.
This is no mean achievement it's a hell of a standard only the best pass the auditions.
You can do anything if you put your mind to it and are prepared to put the hours in.
If it's a hobby great, well he plays 2 instruments already, surely enough for a hobby you don't want to devote hours upon hours of practice to.

My next door neighbour is a violin teacher and has pupils who are learning to play in retirement. And DH started learning the piano in his 50s and seems to be progressing pretty well.

Go for it!

I had a school friend who started viola aged 12 at secondary and ended up as principal viola with the National Youth Orchestra (ok, extreme outlier in terms of talent - but some people manage to learn in their teens or even as adults and get to a reasonable or even good standard, so they can get involved in orchestras and chamber music).

I think it's sad attitude to say he's too old at 12. He doesn't have to be on the London Philharmonic to get enjoyment from it!

I agree that you should see about hiring one if he has form for dropping hobbies, but there's no harm in trying something new and not liking it after all.