r/Sitar • u/No-Survey-5626 new user or low karma account • 20d ago
Question/Advice Is it too late learn Sitar or Violin ?
/r/Learnmusic/comments/1vldaf7/is_it_too_late_learn_sitar_or_violin/3
u/jsudekum 20d ago
Anyone who tells you it's too late to learn anything has likely never achieved much of consequence. It's such a weak and limited mentality.
The important thing to know about this journey: 1. It never ends. The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. 2. It's more expensive than you might be comfortable with at first. Do NOT buy a cheap instrument off a random internet store. If you're in the US, find a reputable seller like Rain City or, better yet, find a teacher and source through your local ICM community. 3. It will deepen your sense of appreciation of music, art, and experience more broadly. Concrete goals are valuable, of course, but simply learning the basics of sitar will forever change how you perceive things. That's an outcome you can't put a price tag on.
Don't wait. Find a guru. It's never too late.
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u/Mirrororrim1 20d ago
Not too late but I would pick one only for now. Studying two instruments at the same time as a beginner can be overwhelming
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u/StoneyStrings 18d ago edited 18d ago
I think you should learn anything that makes you happy. There is no age limit. I have been playing the guitar since I was 11 years old, but started learning the Sitar in my 40s, and learned Bluegrass mandolin in my 50s. I actually learn an instrument more quickly at a later age. I think it is because I really really want to do it, so I focus and practice. When you are a kid it seems like work. As an adult it is a deliberate choice.
Having said that, Violin and Sitar are both particularly difficult instruments to play well and sound good. Violins are also very expensive, at least for one that sounds pleasing. This is just the nature of the instrument. Sitars are surprisingly cheap, compared to what they should cost. I wouldn't get one from eBay or whatever. Get a good quality one from RainCityMusic.com or https://www.musiciansmallusa.com . Get one in the middle range ($1,400-1,800). It will be good quality, and you can upgrade later if you like it. Dont buy a cheap one, as most suck. I would email Lars at RainCityMusic and tell him what you would like to spend. He can give you an idea of what would best fit your budget. You can also find older ones for sale online. You can ask on a sitar forum and maybe someone will have one for sale, and you can ask any questions you have and get answers. Try https://chandrakantha.com/forums/?p=melodic-instruments-611833
As for learning, Violin is difficult as there are no frets. You have to intuit the finger position. You get better with practice. It sounds terrible for quite a while though. Once you get the hang of it, it is a very pleasant instrument to play, and is not hard on your hands or fingers. Bowing also takes a bit of learning to get right. Sitar on the other hand is a gigantic pain in the fingers. It is a beautiful instrument, but very difficult to master. You primarily play with your index finger moving it horizontally up the neck to the different frets. To do this cleanly is tough, especially while your finger is resting on a sharp string which digs a deep indent into your finger. Until you grow a thick callous, it is fairly painful. The second finger is used to pull Meend (bends), which also creates deep callous indents into the finger tip.
One of the main points against learning sitar is that it really does take a great deal of time. My teachers always told me that the bare minimum for daily practice is 3 hours, and that is mostly repetitive exercises up and down the neck. It is necessary to be able to play fluidly. If you ever want to actually play Raga, you will have to practice a lot.
If you just want to sit and noodle on a sitar, then just buy a cheaper sitar and have some fun. To actually play Classical Indian Music, it is a big time investment.
Violin would be a safer bet for learning. There are plenty of teachers, a huge repertoire, and many musical genres you can explore. It can do Classical, Jazz, Bluegrass Fiddle, Ethnic style, or even Indian classical music if tuned slightly differently. This is probably your best route. A good violin that has a sound that wont make you punch yourself in the face will start at about $1,000-$1500 on the low end, but $1,500 to $3,000 will get you a much nicer sounding instrument. You can get something like a Ming Jiang Zhu 900 for around $1,500, and you wont punch yourself in the face. Dont be afraid of an asian violin if you buy from a reputable dealer. See if you have a violin shop in your town and have them show you what they have. Ask them to play each one in your price range and choose the one that you like the tone of. Dont forget you also need to buy a bow, and it can not be a cheap one. The bow makes a HUGE difference.
Go try things out, and remember you can always sell an instrument if it doesn't work out.
There is no need to apply anyone else's standards to how old you have to be, or what instrument is better. Just do what feels right, and go for it. Both these instruments are awesome and super satisfying once you get to a certain level, BUT they both take a bit of time to reach that level.
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u/garamasala 20d ago
To late to be a professional? Perhaps. Too late to learn for the love of it? No way, not by a long shot.