Late Starters

You know I was a late starter.  I feel there were some challenging things about that and some things that gave me an edge over many younger players.

Being older, its natural that the beginner flautist has different sorts of expectations from that of a beginner child so it is important to approach the whole adventure of learning the flute in a somewhat different way.


Often adults self assess themselves way too harshly, or set goals that are currently unattainable and the end result of that is frustration and eventually loss of interest.

If one is coming to the flute at an older age, one should keep certain things in mind. This will ensure that you enjoy learning, make steady progress, along with deepening and widening your musical horizons in a way that would not have been possible had you not decided to embark on your flute playing expedition.

• First and foremost one should have realistic expectations. If you assume a slow and steady attitude to learning you will find that you have time to enjoy it a whole lot more.
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• The second point to keep in mind is that although something may not sound great the first few times we play it, if we are practising well, something almost magical happens between our practise sessions and it happens without any apparent effort on our parts. If we learn a new piece this week and practise it thoroughly, methodically and systematically, by the following week we will notice a very marked improvement even if we have not played it often.
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• Another important point is to choose tunes that we really like. When we love the sound of a tune we are far more enthusiastic about putting the effort in to learn it.
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• Never strain yourself. Being tense and uncomfortable serves no good purpose at all and just ends in disappointment and discomfort. So always, always listen to what your body is telling you and try to approach your playing sessions with a 'go with the flow, mentality,' if there is discomfort take a rest and always confer with your teacher if you have any pain or discomfort during playing. He/she will check that your posture is correct and that you are not inadvertently forming bad posture habits.

One suggestion that can be helpful to more mature learners is to record their lessons and listen carefully when you play them back.

If you are keen to make quick progress you must set a realistic goal and work methodically towards achieving it.

Learning to play a musical instrument has many, many benefits that go far beyond mere enjoyment. When we learn an instrument we are also learning to fine tune vital skills such as co-ordination, rhythm, listening, and general appreciation of music.

I hope you will follow your heart and listen to your dreams. If you always dreamed of playing the flute but life just didn't give you the chance until now, don't let anyone put you off. You will be amazed at how fulfilling it can be and you will gain new energy and confidence to say nothing of the sheer enjoyment of being able to play.