Is It Too Late To Learn Guitar? The guitar seems like a complicated instrument, with its strings and frets, as well as the coordination required to play with both hands. Many adults are then intimidated to pick up a guitar because of it.
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But it’s never too late to learn to play the guitar! No matter your age, you can become a beginner in it. You will find plenty of resources, also, which will be useful in your journey toward becoming a guitar player. Here are the reasons why you can play the guitar, and play it well, at any age.
You Have A Mature Mindset
Don’t fall for the popular belief that adults learn music slower than children! The opposite is true because adults are more mature and, thus, they are better and faster at understanding music theory. Plus, adults already have the emotional maturity to overcome the challenges that come with learning new skills.
There’s also the myth of the child guitar prodigy. While innate talent has its value, it isn’t the be-all and end-all of learning to play the guitar at any age. You have to understand that determination and desire combined with practice are the bedrocks upon which success lies.
Don’t focus your attention on what you cannot control and instead focus on what you can control. That’s exactly what a mature mindset has!
You Have Better Muscle Control
Yes, you may have issues with dexterity because your fingers are stiffer than they used to be. But it isn’t a hopeless case because there are exercises to develop your finger dexterity! You will also learn techniques that will make it easier on your fingers to play fairly complicated passages.
You’re also likely to have better hand-eye coordination, a skill that younger children are still learning. You can learn technical skills faster so your guitar playing skills can improve by leaps and bounds.
You Have Better Focus
As an adult, you’re likely to have better focus and longer attention span than children, a skill learned over the years. You will then spend more time reading about music theory and practicing your skills. You won’t be bored or intimidated reading guide books like Guitar Book for Adult Beginners by Damon Ferrante, too.
You will be more patient reading through the Beginning Guitar for Adults: The Grown-Up Approach to Playing Guitar, Book & CD as well. Your maturity means that you can understand even the more complicated concepts discussed in it. You’re more disciplined, too, so you’re less dependent on your mentor, a self-starter if you will.
There’s also the fact that you’re learning the guitar because you want to! No parents are telling you that you must learn to play it for one reason or another. Since you’re doing it willingly, you will go through the training happily.
Conclusion
There’s no right age for learning the guitar! You can start when you’re 8, 18, and even 80 for as long as you want to learn the basics first. Your playing skills will improve the longer you’re playing, and it’s already a reward in itself.
