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Undoubtedly some of the most frequent letters I get here at TheGuitarLesson.com are from people asking whether they are too old to learn guitar. In fact, the “Am I too old to learn guitar” subject line letters come from people in all age groups.
It’s funny because I’ve had 13-14 year old kids ask this question, adults of all ages of course, and even a 74 year old grandfather who wanted to jam along with his grandkids.
This topic seems to be on the mind of all adults considering guitar lessons, so let’s talk about it for a second.
Am I too old to learn guitar?
No.
Your age has nothing to do with learning guitar, regardless of whether you are 15, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70+.
It’s that simple.
As long as you are physically able to fret the strings on the fretboard, meaning that your fingers can move freely, you can learn guitar.
Is it harder for adults to learn guitar?
Possibly, but not because of the reason you think.
The advantage youngsters have is due to the fact that they have more time to practice.
In essence, people that are 20+ have much less free time on their hands. Why?
- working at a regular job (plus overtime)
- bills to pay and life goals to stress about
- spouse to devote time to
- kids to raise
Once people enter their 20’s, and especially after having kids, time becomes a very scarce commodity.
The lack of time is the biggest inhibiting factor in learning guitar for most adults, simply because the guitar takes practice. How much practice is ideal? At least an hour a day. Try squeezing 1 hour of uninterrupted practice time into the day of a parent working an 8-hour job.
People at a later age going into retirement have more free time on their hands. They are working less, the kids are out of the house. This means that they have more time to practice guitar. And yes, they do learn to play. I have loads of online students that are in retirement and are enjoying their new hobby.
5 reasons adults can learn guitar easier than kids
Adulthood has it’s challenges, but also it’s perks when it comes to learning guitar.
- You know the music you like, since you have been listening to music for decades. The motivation you get from wanting to learn a song you love, or in general, a genre of music you are into can mean a huge difference.
- Playing guitar reduces stress, and we all know that we need less stress in our lives. Once you are comfortable with the basics and reach a level where you enjoy playing simple songs, grabbing your guitar and doodling away can become a great way to escape from everyday stress.
- Adults are better at time management and prioritizing than kids, which translates into one thing. You can make the time for a new hobby by prioritizing it over other less important things, that you might have eaten away at your time. I had an adult student that always complained that he never has time to practice, but always talked about the TV series’ he watches regularly… I think many would agree that playing guitar for an hour every day is much more advantageous than watching episode 351 of whichever TV series is popular at the moment.
- You have command over your finances. You can sign up for premium guitar lessons. You can get that beautiful guitar that will motivate you to play. You can even hire a teacher.
- Technology is you friend in everyday life, and in your efforts to learn guitar. Do you have a smartphone or a tablet? Yes? Than you can learn guitar. The quality of online guitar lessons has evolved beyond what live teachers can offer, and as an adult,. you have unrestricted access 24/7.
If you have time to practice, you will learn guitar at any age
Anybody can learn to play guitar at any age, as long as they have enough time to devote to it.
If you have always wanted to play guitar and you find making music motivating, don’t assume your age is an issue. Make the time, and you will reach your guitar goals. You will feel yourself getting better with each day of practice and you will hear the results.
Now you might be wondering how long it takes to learn guitar, right? Here is what you can expect.
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