am I too old to play again?

[SWRnut]

I am 58 playing rock and roll average of 6 nights a month. I started playing at age 14 and have never been out of a band since I started. I never even considered stopping, so I guess I am blessed and crazy. I don't intend to ever stop, and my wife is convinced that I will die on stage one day.

 

[marko57]

I was 55 when I picked it back up and joined a band, after a 25 year absence. Do It!

 

[mc900ftj]

No, you are not. Start again. Do what you love.

 

[Bass Mayhem]

You are never too old. When/if you are so old you forget thing, just say "I play free form jazz..."

 

[Cycho]

I'm 68 and do about 20 gigs a year. Jamming tonight and many more to come

 

[Sandman64]

You're never too old to start playing or revisit any instrument. So go for it and enjoy it

 

[Tazinky]

I am picking up the bass after some yrs of not playing.
i have played guitar for yrs but I want to play in a band sitution again,
I am 54 yrs old
Dave

I quit playing in 1985 after having kids and not having the quality time for playing in a band anymore. About 6 years ago a buddy called me up to jam. Now I am playing more now than ever. I'm 57 now. Kids are old enough to come to the shows. Having a blast!!! Your never too old to Rock And Roll!!!

 

[Tom Howland]

If your not dead, Your not to old. Nut up and start playing.

 

[electracoyote]

56 here.

I manage and play in two cover bands. I'm the waiter, cook, and bottle washer in both.

But then, I've been doing this for 38 years pretty much continuously. If I stopped being an entertainer I'd have to buy a Corvette Stingray, go to strip clubs, and chase women. My wife would not see the humor.

Take care of yourself and enjoy a second childhood--be a musician.

 

[Blue Moose]

Well, I hope you're not too old because I just turned 54 myself.

I played in bands very actively for over 25 years, gigging at least a few times a month at minimum. My steady group fizzled out about the time my kids were hitting that "high activity" stage so I kinda fell out of it, just doing a few pickup gigs here and there. Now that the kids are older, I'm ready to dive back in, very much looking forward to getting back into the steady gigging thang. Yeah, the groupies will probably show up in walkers, wheelchairs or scooters, but a gig is a gig.

 

[ImNotJoel]

Mods we make a sticky here that you're never to old to start bass.

Go ahead pick up any bass anywhere in the world. Look up and down at every inch of it. Take it apart look everywhere. Now tell me if you found an age limit anywhere on the bass.

Go have fun OP I understand its gotta be hard starting later in life but who cares. You got plenty of years and people start at many different ages it's not taboo at all to start later.

 

[Shortie]

the most "fired up".

I've been in situations like that - they thought I was a crazy old man. A lot of younger people don't know how lucky they are to be able to play. You get older and you appreciate it more.

 

[SOUTH PAW]

I'm 54 as well, and glad I picked it up again back around 2000. I had barely touched my bass since 1985 and am happy I didn't let more time slip by as I have some ailments ( neck / nerve damage and carpal tunnel ) that would be discouraging to work with if I waited till now. The benefit was working / adjusting along the way as these problems developed with endurance and fatigue being the biggest challenge.

So definitely not. It will never be any easier than now.

 

[Robroy]

I am picking up the bass after some yrs of not playing.
i have played guitar for yrs but I want to play in a band sitution again,
I am 54 yrs old
Dave

You are too old when:
1. Parkinsons kicks in strong
2. You've had a sever stroke and can't feel one of your hands
3. You have assumed room temperature.

I'm 62 and have a gig tonight at Wicks.

 

[Gaolee]

There is no age limit, if you can still do it, then go for it and enjoy yourself. I'm 47 years old been in shape my whole life and I still race moto-x dirt bikes here and there and I go out there and beat everyone on the track. Wish I had done that for a living, but its just an awesome fun hobby and very dangerous. I for sure will always keep jammin my Bass guitars as long as I can, love music way too much to stop clankin on my Bass.

I have thought about that kind of thing and road raced motorcycles for a while. I'm glad I never did that for a living or played music for a living. Doing it for a living would take some of the joy out of it for me. I like my day job, but it's great having music as a pure release. Same with racing while I did it.

 

[whatizitman]

I currently have 5 goals in my life (I had 4, until I read through this thread).

1. NEVER go back to living on credit cards.
2. Stay healthy enough to ski for free when I hit my 70s.
3. Learn to play bass good enough to be in demand by bands, songwriters, etc... (still a ways to go, but within reach)
4. Learn to program good enough to have a 2nd career, if something bad happens at my current job (not in tech).
5. Gig, jam, play, record, produce, write, whatever until way into my 70s and beyond.

I'm 45 this year. Noodled a tiny bit with bass since age 30, but not seriously until a couple of years ago. Used to gig a bit in college on guitar/vox. Kept up the songwriting since then, but haven't played in a band situation until recently. I spent too many years in grad school, kids, being poor, etc... to do anything beyond record myself at home.

Until now, that is. Kids are teenagers. Work is steady with good salary and regular hours. Just bought a house, and bought my 2nd new car last year. Still won't spend a lot on gear/promotion, etc... But at least I have the time and money to buy something. So I've given up the adolescent fantasies of becoming a rock god. But I can still rock. I don't even have to play in the garage if I don't want to. I own the house! I have my own little daddy music cave, with room for buddies. That, and a hot water tank that doesn't suck! Yay me!

TB has been very motivating!!! I joined about year and a half ago.

About three years ago a friend/coworker and I were roped into doing a musical number for work - more of a joke than anything else. I said I would play a bass, and brought my cheesy little practice guitar amp (didn't have a bass amp). Hacked through a parody of a green day song, I think. My coworker played guitar, and we both sang. It turned out that we both had really similar interests, and hit it off musically. Within a year or so we had this hillbilly punk Americana project going, and have played a few parties. It made me take up the bass seriously, buy an amp (need something more powerful now, but whatevs). We now have another soul/cover project going on, and have improved our chops significantly. We plan to put something together for bigger parties and events - with drums, vox, horns, etc... 3 years ago I had no idea I would be doing anything music-related apart from my own stuff at home, but it all has just come together serendipitously. I plan to run with it all until it all runs out.

 

[HandsFree]

If by 'too old' you mean that you fear you're not going to be any good... That hasn't stopped a whole lot of players out there.

 

[Johnny Crab]

Just do it.
I restarted at 50 after being not-in-a-band for 17 years.....10+ years ago

 

[GIBrat51]

Are you too old? Depends on you, really. Here's a picture of the '70s California group, Spirit. The guy in black, with the shaved head, is a very good (as in Cannonball Adderley's band good) drummer named Ed "Mr. Skin" Cassidy (born in 1924). The founder of the group (Randy California) was his step son. Ed Cassidy was at least 20 years older than anybody else, when they asked him to join. He didn't seem to think he was too old...

 

[AlembicPlayer]

yes, you are too old to rock. sorry
please turn in your gear.