Short answer? Absolutely not! Drumming has no age limit—it’s about passion, practice, and having fun. Whether you’re picking up sticks for the first time or returning after years away, it’s never too late to start.
A question I sometimes get is, Am I too old to start to learn to play the drums? And the answer is no, you’re not too old. The thinking may be that when you’re younger, the brain learns things more quickly than when you get a little older. There may be something to that scientifically, but I think the issue is, are you willing to do what it takes to learn a new skill?
When you’re really young, you’re in learning mode. A child’s job is to go to school to learn, but if you’re 30 or 40 years removed from your school days, you might not be in learning mode, but you can still learn an instrument if you’d like to.
Learning any instrument comes with frustrations no matter what age you are, but you can do it if you want to learn. In fact, I can think of a couple advantages that older students have over young ones. When you’re older, you’re not forced to do it. You’re learning because you want to. Also, when you’re older, you’ll likely have more time management and self-discipline skills that can help you practice more effectively.
So no, you’re not too old to learn the drums.
