How much has age affected your playing?

We all know that Horowitz played concerts into his 80's but what about us mere mortals. What part of your playing has been affected most by the aging process and what can be done to prolong our playing life and maintain our proficiency? I have observed the following things about myself as Father Time and I get better acquainted.

1. Speed. I can't play uptempo tunes (250+ bpm) without the tune getting ahead of my brain. Result - more mistakes, erratic tempos.

2. Stamina = fatigued after about 30-40 minutes of solid playing.

3. Arthritis (knees/hips) - affects mostly bass pedal play; able to play pedal-only bass only on slow and medium slow tunes.

4. Memory - remembering changes from familiar but infrequently played tunes.

5. Complacency (aka laziness ) - lack of desire and incentive to learn new tunes (I don't think I know any tunes from this decade).

I'm sure there are more subtle things but these are the ones that stand out for me. How about you?

chas

All things mentioned can and do effect your playing. Not to mention moving equipment if your playing a gig. I guess the only weapons we have to fight it are, stay iin shape with exercise or Yoga, Eat right for energy, keep you mind active with different activities. I still like learning new songs even though I'm not playing out much anymore. I think just going to my piano and playing for a short time each day helps keep the chops up. Even if its just running thru scales and arpeggios. Just playing the arrangeer makes you lazy. For memory I just use my iPad for my music and I've gotten back into reading more, even taking notes as I read a book, its remembering that persons name you just met thats gets me LOL!
Just keep on keepin on

I feel very fortunate that I was able to perform until age 77, at which time health issues forced my retirement. All the things that Chas mentioned, plus others brought about the rapid demise of my musical entertainment career, which lasted for more than 40 years. Now, I spend most of my time in a recliner on a heating pad and sipping ice water. Yep, had to give up on the bourbon - now that really hurt!

Gary

You're not doing your body any favors, Gary.

4 Hidden Ways Drinking Ice-Cold Water Is Bad For You :

1 Cold Water Can Affect Your Digestion.
2 Cold Water Can Negatively Affect The Spleen.
3 Cold Water Weakens Your Immune System.
4 Cold Water Can Exacerbate Existing Health Conditions.

Ironically, the GI doctor was the one who told me to drink at least 70-ounces of ice water daily, because it would help my digestion. The same doctor just prescribed a new medication to help activate some enzymes in my lower GI tract that cost $3,000 US for a two-week supply. I think he must have confused me with Jeff Bezos!

Gary

[

1. Speed. I can't play uptempo tunes (250+ bpm) without the tune getting ahead of my brain. Result - more mistakes, erratic tempos.

2. Stamina = fatigued after about 30-40 minutes of solid playing.

3. Arthritis (knees/hips) - affects mostly bass pedal play; able to play pedal-only bass only on slow and medium slow tunes.

4. Memory - remembering changes from familiar but infrequently played tunes.

5. Complacency (aka laziness ) - lack of desire and incentive to learn new tunes (I don't think I know any tunes from this decade).

I'm sure there are more subtle things but these are the ones that stand out for me. How about you?

chas [/quote]

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Good topic, As far as the those what I consider extrema up tempos, just slow it down and gradually bump it up. Stay relaxed and breath!

Stamina - take breaks and stretch.

Memory- keep a note book. I've slowly been converting my decades worth of charts on my ipad, using On Song app. No shame in pulling out your notes. Hey, even Sinatra used a teleprompter later in his career for songs he had been singing over 50 years.

Complacency- try to get together with other musicians, and I'm sure they'll call tunes that are new to you. It also great to have accountability partners, even if you just have to prepare for a rehearsal band. Also consider studying with a teacher. Classical, jazz or whatever you're into or want to learn more about.

Go to performances, check the greats and up and coming musicians on you YouTube, and try to keep an open mind. You can find plenty of motivation even in styles outside of your comfort areas.

Of course make sure you eat healthy, exercise, rest, and I also believe meditation is very beneficial for musicians.

As musicians, we are life long learners, and that in itself is a good thing for all of us as we age.

As I understand, insurance in US doesn't really cover all the bills. You know, people abroad tend to simplify things, like "it's way better out there", or "it's way better here", but the truth, I guess, is more complex everywhere.

Had to lower key on many tunes. Think about weight of equipment when loading up. Often choose the lightest, not what I want to use.

Don't get distracted by pretty women as much (DAMN)!

STILL FUN, though!


R.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.”

Well, I often notice that I'm rather to play my guitar, or a keyboard without using styles... I'm not as excited about all the buttons on a keyboard and big colorful screen as I used to be... Funny thing - a lot of musicians here had to start with guitars and pianos as there were not any digital instruments available, and switched to arrangers later; and I had to start with arrangers because it was convenient, and now in my 30's I'm thinking more and more about moving to less digital instruments.

How much has age affected your playing? No, that should be:
How much have you allowed age, to affect your playing.

Yes, I do have some of the aging problems mentioned here, but Parkinson Disease keeps me in a fighting mood. I guess you can call Parkinson a helper in this case.

Think young, John C.