Senior Instructor at Halifax Guitar Lessons
You may have tried to learn to play guitar when you were younger and even if you did that was a long time ago so you can’t really remember any of it.
That’s ok. You are older now and you have a bit more time and money and your desire to learn to play is starting to get rekindled.
But you are hesitant because when you first tried to play things did not go well so you do not want to waste any more of your time, energy and money.
If you have never tried before you may be hesitant too. Can you really teach an old dog a new trick?
Here are 3 important things you need to consider as an adult who is learning to play guitar so you can be successful.
1. You Are More Than Capable To Do This
Just because you are older now does not mean you can’t learn something new. And guitar is no exception.
You are not too old, your hands are not too small, and you do not need to be born with talent to be successful.
As a matter of fact, you have many advantages now that you likely did not have when you were younger.
I find most adults can handle challenges much better than children for example. Adults also tend to be able to stay motivated and focus better than children.
I help older people learn to play guitar every day and we have a lot of fun in the process so you can definitely do it.
2. You Must Make A Firm Commitment
I believe this is where most adults make their biggest mistake.
Learning guitar may seem daunting but so is anything new that we have yet to accomplish and conquer. If you do not approach this with the right attitude you can sabotage the whole process before you even begin.
For example, a lot of adults that I talk to want to “try” lessons out for a month to see how it goes. They do not want to commit to it yet because they are not confident they will be successful.
I can usually get them to see enough progress in that first month that they continue but it is much more difficult than someone who comes in determined and ready to learn.
Instead of taking 3 months to get them to that point they start like that right away and usually make a lot more progress in that same amount of time.
Why? Because they are committed to learning guitar. No matter what. They are ready to do whatever it takes. And that attitude always wins!
3. Find A Guitar Teacher Experienced With Adults
This is the key point of this article really.
When I first started teaching I did not really see this as an issue but as I get more and more students that have had bad experiences with other teachers I am finding out this does matter.
Adults are busy. They have other priorities like kids, jobs, marriages, mortgages, etc.
It turns out many younger guitar teachers do not like teaching adults because they are not as committed as they are and sometimes treat adults like everyone else.
Unfortunately, that will not work and can lead you to get frustrated and quit and sometimes forever.
You need to find a guitar teacher who understands you and your challenges and will work with you to overcome them. Someone who has experience with adults already and even better it they happen to also be an adult!
In The End Just Go For It
Learning to play guitar can be a bit frustrating at the beginning. That’s because it is the most difficult part in the process and where most people quit.
If you make the commitment to do it no matter what and press through the early difficulties you will find a new world awaiting you on the other side.
Playing your favourite songs either by yourself or with friends is a lot of fun and an awesome way to relax and forget about the stresses of everyday life.
As you move forward in skill and keep improving you will start to learn how to hear and play songs yourself and get to the point where you can learn other new skills on guitar you never thought you would achieve.
It all begins with the belief that you can do it and a firm commitment to following through! Just do it!