The Advantages of learning guitar for every age group
By Chris Glyde
The first thing I’d like to say before discussing the pros and cons of when the best time is to start learning guitar is the following: there is no better time to start than now. Do not use age as a reason not to start. Are there some benefits to starting younger? Yes, but there are also some benefits to starting later in life. Without further ado, et’s jump right into it!
Starting when you’re young:
The great part about learning guitar as a young child is that you will have less difficulties with the physical aspect of the guitar. You haven’t been manhandling your hand for decades like adults usually have. You’re not burdened/stressed out by certain beliefs that are going to make it harder for you to continue on. Basically, you’re a blank slate not burdened by any of life's typical trials. Most kids have more belief and faith in themselves than adults do. For example, do you think a kid ever gives up on learning how to walk? Of course not. They don’t just fall over themselves a few times and then throw in the towel. This doesn’t happen at all. They have no basis for failure. They don’t hold themselves back.
However, what’s hard for kids is to understand the concepts. Oftentimes musical concepts are very hard for them to grasp. The concept of rhythmic notation, kids take much longer to get down than teens and adults. They have a trouble understanding music theory as well. Young kids have issues focusing on technical problems within their playing as well. So, overall, as a child the physical part – the beginning of guitar playing – is easier for them. The concepts are the struggle.
Starting when your older ( 35 and older):
The great advantage of starting when you’re older is that the concepts are a lot easier for you to understand because your brain has fully matured. This makes rhythms, reading music, theory and the application/integration of all concepts much more straightforward.
The challenge for those that are older is working through negative beliefs about themselves. They aren’t any good at anything, they don’t have any skills, it’s too late to learn something new, etc. These kinds of negative mindsets need to be removed if you’re going to succeed at guitar.
Additionally adults, depending on personality and career choice, have a long path to travel to get over the beginner stage because it takes them longer to rewire their fingers to operate correctly. This is after many, many years of misuse. It can take an adult 1 1/2 to 2 years traditionally to get the foundations down as opposed to taking a child 1 year to really start getting the foundations down. Now, that being said, most adults traditionally have certain skills that are farther than foundations at this point, it just takes them that long to get the physical basics of down (open chords, power chords and barre chords and speed playing up to 300 to 400 bpm).
So, again, there are advantages to learning as an adult and as a kid, so there is no excuse to not begin playing guitar at any age!
About the author:
Chris Glyde is a guitar enthusiast who loves teaching. If you’re looking for a motivated guitar or voice teacher in Rochester New York check him out.