Dear LPG readers, 

I am sure that everyone has heard the theory that the most important thing we need to do in old age is keep the grey matter ticking over.  We get told that one of the best ways to do that is to try something absolutely new.

But, you might be thinking, what can a person who has lived so long, not have tried during their time on this earth?  I looked up three lists of new things to try and learning to play a musical instrument comes quite high up on the list. 

There are always surprising things to learn online and though some will say that you have to take any findings that you have googled with a pinch of salt, I found three websites that all inform of a similar statistic.  They all tell that about a quarter of people in this world have never tried to learn to play an instrument at any point in their lives. 

I am guessing that among the other 75%, there will be those who were forced to try something at school that they either grew out of interacting with, or hated the sound of so much that they gave it up as soon as their parents were not looking, although I could not find any statistics to prove that theory. 

It is never too late to start, although where you want to go with it might be a conundrum in itself.  There will be those who have spent a big chunk of their lifetime saying. ‘I have always fancied having a go at the …’ and I have no doubt their next word will be piano, guitar or drums.  I can also hear their next sentence being, ‘but it is too late now’.

I am cheating because I know a little about pressing the keys of a piano but anyone can start a musical journey.   You don’t have to be a virtuoso to be counted as a musician.  There is nothing wrong with having a collection of party pieces comprising some of the classics; Twinkle twinkle little star and chopsticks come to mind. And there is also nothing wrong with having only one tour di force in your repertoire (until you have perfected your next show-stopper).

 As soon as we get up in the mornings we can nearly always hear some kind of music.  The birds will be singing outside and I defy anyone to turn on the television or radio without hearing some melodic ear sweetener even if it is the jingle that introduces the news.  It is very hard in this day and age not to hear music where ever you go and making a little of you own from time to time can be quite therapeutic.  

I want to tell you non-instrumentalists that it is never too late so if you are thinking that getting to grips (or getting to grips again) with even the most unusual of sound-generating gismo, now might just be the time.  I suspect that the reason why this theory is so accepted by older non beginners is because of all the brainwork and coordination involved.   But embracing the brainwork is one of the three most important reasons for that first press of the key, twang of the string or bang of the drum.  

If you are not sure which instrument you want to try first, I have found a couple of internet suggestions for the easiest way to start your musical journey and, if you are so embarrassed and worried about just how sweet your first melodic production might sound, yYou can always start by using YouTube as your first teacher.

HG, New Cross.

HG shares the easiest musical instrument to start with…

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…and a few first lessons

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