I am 15 I want to learn to play the violin. Am I too old? Will it take me to lon

Question:I already play bass guitar so I know about notes and major, minor,
and middian scales and all that stuff. But i know that fingering on a bass is WAY easier than violin and am scared to start. I will feel stupid because I will be so old, and be a beginner. My friend is 14 and is already teaching classes! ( Well that's because he's brilliant and amazingly skilled) But still, I just want to learn because whenever I hear the violin play, it's like the person playing the violin, ans whoever is around me, isn't there. It's just me and the music. Hey, cheesy, I know, but absolutely true. I just want to know how I can play that kind of beautiful music, and not take forever to learn it.
#1 Am I skilled enough?
#2 Will it take me a long time? ( It took me 1 year and a half until I learned fairly well how to play my bass if that helps)
#3 do you have any advice on this subject for me?

and finally, #4 THANKS!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I already play bass guitar so I know about notes and major, minor,
and middian scales and all that stuff. But i know that fingering on a bass is WAY easier than violin and am scared to start. I will feel stupid because I will be so old, and be a beginner. My friend is 14 and is already teaching classes! ( Well that's because he's brilliant and amazingly skilled) But still, I just want to learn because whenever I hear the violin play, it's like the person playing the violin, ans whoever is around me, isn't there. It's just me and the music. Hey, cheesy, I know, but absolutely true. I just want to know how I can play that kind of beautiful music, and not take forever to learn it.
#1 Am I skilled enough?
#2 Will it take me a long time? ( It took me 1 year and a half until I learned fairly well how to play my bass if that helps)
#3 do you have any advice on this subject for me?

and finally, #4 THANKS!

Don't worry!!!

I started violin when i was 12, only 3 years younger than you, and i knew music, but i had never in my life played a stringed instrument. On my first day, i was picking up the fingerings and memorizing them. Believe me, it looks hard, but it is oh so easy. Bass guitar is harder than it, and since you've mastered that, violin will be a snap to you. I think you are skilled enough.

My violin teacher one day was telling me about her other students. She told me that she is also teaching a 51 year old, with no experience in music whatsoever, how to play!!! So i think you will do fine.

Although you hear people say it a lot, there is no age limit on the violin. There is no age limit on any intrument.

This is not a teach yourself instrument. I strongly suggest getting a teacher. I thought i could teach myself like i did with all of the other instruments i play, but i couldnt. So i got a teacher.

Now about how long it will take you....

People learn at different speeds. I learned all of the instruments i play fairly quick because i am naturaly musically inclined, but i'm not sure how long it will take you. Just pay attention to your teacher and practice as much and as often as you can.

And my advise on this subject.....

Never let your hand curl around the neck!!!! if you feel your palm rest against the neck, fix it. also hold the bow in the correct way. your teacher will tell you the correct hand placement, but make sure you don't get lazy like i did :). my teacher is always correcting me on that....

Don't put too much rosin on the bow. It will create an scratchy sound.

Also don't put too much pressure on the strings when you play. This will also create a scratchy sound.

Matinece is very important. Make sure you wipe around the bridge after you play. You are wiping away rosin dust that can erode the varnish on the violin.

Loosen the hair of you bow when putting it away. I did not and my bows are affected because of it....your teacher will explain why you need to do this.

Well, that's it. I have just shared all of my knowlage on the subject (besides the parts of it, but you don't desperatly need to know that....).

Happy to help.

15 is young. And you'll regret it later if you don't start now. Think about it, once you're eighteen you will have been playing for 3 years. And at your age you probably have the maturity to commit to it, unlike an eight year old forced by their parents.

although i do not personally play the violin, i have a friend (she's the same age as me - 16) that started playing it for string class just this year. (she plays the piano as well). i think she is quite amazing at the violin and plays beautifully.

and since you have had experience with a string instrument, i am sure it won't take you long to learn!

go for it! =)

You are never to old to start something new. You already have expirence with the bass. that will help you some. as for the time it depends on how much you want to work for it. my advice take lessons maybe from your friend.

If you can learn to play one instrument, you can learn to play them all because the only real challenge left after getting familiar with music is getting familiar with the instrument. The trick to playing a second instrument (and a first, really) is to repeatedly test your self on how quickly you can see a either a note name or a note on staff and be able to instantly play that note. The way to do that is with scales, scales, scales, and not just scales, but scale patterns and excercises. Professional players can play faster music (more notes in a shorter amount of time) because the association in their brains between the written note on the page and the fingering on their instrument is so strong that they can react very quickly to the written music. To learn a new instrument, that's all you have to do. So anyway, to answer your question, yes, go for it! Whether you believe it or not, your second instrument will be easier to learn than your first because you don't have to learn how to read music.

You're never too old to start, and it's good that you have music knowledge. And yes, the left hand works substantially different on viols than it does on bass guitar, so that will be something for you to deal with.

At 15, you are still quite young. Basically, it depends on what your ultimate goal is. If you like classical music, you might get to the point where you could play professionally in an orchestra's string section, but perhaps not be a concert soloist [most virtuosos started years younger].

My advice is to start taking lessons, since this is quite obviously a strong interest for you and you have a passion for the music/sound. If you end up not being cut out for it, you can stop -- but if it's "in the cards" for you to do well at this, you can't know that until you actually start.

The best advice I can give you [having studied cello] is to not spend a fortune on your first instrument -- in case you end up not continuing with your studies. Try to contact some violinists [I called my local AFM office] in order to find a mentor for advice on where to get a good starter instrument, particularly manufacturers. With all viols, there's a fair amount of crap out there, and you need something with fairly decent construction so you'll hear properly -- the thing has to resonate sufficiently, rather than be dull.

Finally, do some networking to find out which are the best violin teachers in your area.