Fathan....I am 65 years old and I just started to teach myself how to play...I bought my first K/B in Nov. of 04 and since then have bought two more...I am committed to learn and I am having fun while doing it..
you are never to old to learn...you just need to be committed to you goal....good luck
and Listen to all of the good folks on these forums....

iT 'S NEVER TOO LATE. i WAS 60 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED TO LEARN KEYBOARD. I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, BUT I HAVE A TYROS & A PSR 3000 THAT I USE TO PLAY MANY GIGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I HAVE ABOUT 15 NURSING HOMES, PLUS PRIVATE PARTIES, SENIOR CENTERS ETC. I'M NOW 70 YEARS OLD AND CONSTANTLY AM BUILDING MORE BUSINESS FROM WORD OF MOUTH TO NEW ACCOUNTS. I DO NOT READ MUSIC WELL, BUT DO VERY WELL BY EAR, SO AGAIN, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START. GOOD LUCK. BOB

God, I didn't realise there were that many people in this forum not being adble to read music. I thought I was one of very few "uneducated" here.

I too got lessons for about 2 years, on an old 2 manual Yamaha electric something when I was 24 years old, but on most occasions the time was spent telling jokes with the teacher.

I play exactly the same as Starkeeper. I need some notes to start, and then I play, using the chords. If it is in a difficult key, I transpose in C, mentally calculating the "distance" of the first few chords and usually after a few tries I have it.

I find too that not being able to read is a pain in the butt. Not being able to read deprives me of the freedom to play what I want, when I want. Wasted youth. I just hope that "never too late" exists.

A problem that I have is not being able to sing or hum in tune while playing a line with the right hand. When I am singing to myself I am usually in tune, but when i lay hands on the keys, garbage comes out of my mouth. Any suggestions?

Count me in not reading music. Well not much anyway... Once I told I could never learn the chords or what are c,d,e,f ect. Now I know the basics of them and learning something new every now and then.

Learning isn't about your age, some people, like me, needs to hear and see at least 10000 times before learning anything and some needs only once..

And what do I know!! I've heard this only 9 times before...

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Tony

http://zleepy.cjb.net

A little OT here. I usually like the original version of songs, not a new arrangment in another key by a different arranger (musican not keyboard). Sometimes the original song is in C, G, or F, and the written music is in E. The arranger made it more difficult on purpose.
Starkeeper

I actually started the reverse of many of you. I grew up reading music. Actually got my college degree in music..but was weak in ear training because I only played the notes.. Then at my church im surrouned by people who didn't read so Ive learned over the last 15-20 years to play without music.. It really opens things up being able to do both things! Thats the Ideal!

I teach piano and in my experience it can be difficult to get students who have played by ear to play by notes. This sounds bad but just looking at the aspect of learning to read the notes its often easier to teach someone who knows nothing about music than it is to teach someone who plays by ear.

Why?

1. Note reading needs to be done in baby steps.. you need to go through the phase of counting ..whole notes/quarter notes/ egbdf/face/major scales minor scales Theory etc.. and the truth is it probally won't sound great for a while. This is the hard part but it needs to be done! ok the regular student does goes through this as the only way it can be done...but sometimes the one who can improvise likes to skip this part... Hehe the problem can be they often they want to make it sound better by jazzing it up changing some things NO! Not at this point! Follow the notes! learn proper fingering! Rythms! learn the theory behind your chords etc. Then read read read read read.. The parents sometime complain their learning these songs outside the lesson that they like to play for fun. I say Great! do your lesson but read read read! When I grew up our house was filled with song books..classic/pop/church/ etc. for fun my sister would sit down and just play through a book.. we all ended up excelent site readers.. read read read... but you'll need to learn the basics first.. you need a few years of bootcamp and then it will all come together... once your reading is profecient meld it with your improvising. change chords for color, make difficult arrangements easy, make easy arrangments difficult etc, play in all keys.. understand the theory behind your chord changes.. hehe you have the power!

GL with learning note reading!

By Timo1:
......often they want to make it sound better by jazzing it up changing some things NO! Not at this point! Follow the notes! learn proper fingering! Rythms! learn the theory behind your chords etc......

The story of my life....

Following is a conversation between me and my teacher that happened the first 15' of my very first keyboard lesson:

Teacher: Ok, now with the right hand hold down the chord you see on the staff with the fingers corresponding to the numbers you see above it (C,E,G chord, fingers 1,3,5).....no, not like that (1,2,4), use fingers 1, 3, 5.
Me: Nope, using fingers 1, 2, 4 feels more natural to me, I'd rather do it my way.
Teacher (wide eyed in shock): No, don't make me hit you on the head, you will do as I say.
Me: But why?
Teacher (shouting): Because I say so and because that is the PROPER way to do it!

If you see me play you'll realise that still, after almost 12 years, I can't put my fingers on the keyboard properly. Not her fault though.