I haven't played in 20 years — where do I start

Start smaller and gentler than your memory of your old self wants to. The good news is that much of what feels lost may become familiar sooner than expected: fingerings and reading often return before endurance does, because they draw on previously learned patterns. What needs deliberate rebuilding is the embouchure and endurance — the coordination and air control that return through regular, low-stress playing.

A realistic first month:

1. Short and daily. Fifteen to twenty relaxed minutes every day rebuilds far faster than a two-hour session once a week — and won’t leave you sore and discouraged.
2. Long tones first. They rebuild tone, air, and embouchure endurance more efficiently than anything else. Play them soft and even.
3. Easy, singing tunes. Something like Danny Boy or slow hymn tunes rebuilds phrasing and gives you the sound that made you love the instrument — motivation matters.
4. Stop before you’re tired. Early on, quit while the sound is still good. Playing into fatigue builds bad habits and sore lips.

Look for progress across weeks rather than demanding it in days, and do not measure the returning you against the eighteen-year-old you. Recovery time varies with health, practice history, and consistency; the useful next milestone is finding a band that fits, not meeting an invented deadline.

This is one question under Returning to it — the full treatment lives there.

• returning
• adult learner
• practice
• embouchure