I’m a relatively new convert to the world of the tinwhistle and just wanted to offer my greetings! I’m nearly nineteen years old and just started playing on a Walton brass D that my parents bought me as a novelty years ago. As I’m sure is the case with most of you…I’m hooked!
My question is more out of curiosity than anything. I’m just wondering what age you were when you started playing your (current?) favorite instrument. My first instrument was the piano at a young age, but I feel that I appreciate the tinwhistle so much more as I’m starting a little later. Thoughts?
I was about nine when I had my eye on the piano that both my sisters learned on. And that was when my parents sold it.
Guitar and pennywhistles at about sixteen. Dulcimer at 35. But I’ve only realy got serious about the Guitar & pennywhistles about five, six years ago.
Piano–age 7. Played for 2 years. Relearned as adult. Fun, but I stink.
Viola–age 9. Played for 5 years. Now I play fiddle instead. Favorite, but I stink.
Guitar–strummed chords in high school. Never surpassed stinkage.
Whistle–got a Gen D at age 18. messed around with it. Resumed in recent years. Fun, but…guess what? Yep.
Boehm flute: age 10 through 18
Guitar: high school (Joan Baez wannabe), resumed in my 50’s, though it’s not my main instrument.
Recorders: quite seriously throughout my 20’s.
Mt. Dulcimer: my return to music in 2001, at the age of 48, have a growing collection.
Irish flute: part of the return c. age 50, started with a Tipple, then moved on to a Sweet and now have my Dave Williams 8-key Rudall — and three Tipples.
“Self-taught” piano - age 6 or 7 (my aunt bought me “Teaching Little Fingers How To Play” and I taught it to myself. I still play a mean “From A Wigwam” but never progressed much beyond that).
Saxophone - age 10. Played through high school. Really liked it, was mediocre at it, and I keep meaning to pull it out of the closet and play it again, but I’m too cheap to buy the mouthpiece and reeds it needs.
Whistle - about age 20 or so, don’t remember precisely. My favorite, and what I’m most proficient at.
I also started teaching myself guitar in my mid-twenties, but didn’t get beyond a couple of cords when I lent my guitar to a friend for a little bit - 10+ years later I am now dating that friend, and my guitar is still sitting in his living room (where he doesn’t play it either).
Saxophone - age 9 (5th grade, fall)
Guitar - age 14 (9th grade, February (the day I got my braces))
Various bamboo folk flutes - mid-late twenties
American Bb Fife - 33
Irish Flute - 36 (Though none of my flutes are really Irish )
Guitar - 16/17 yrs old
Pedal Steel Guitar - 25 yrs. old
Piano - 43 yrs. old
Whistle - 55 yrs. old
Flute - Not yet really but I’ve had a good for a couple of yrs. - soon
Concertina - 57 yrs. old
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