Learning guitar, does age matter

supertramp

This may seem a stupid question

They say you learn things easier when you are young.
Does this apply to learning the guitar? Is it harder to pick up, the older you get?

hudie mcmenamin

It depends! Are you musical, can you hum a tune in key? That helps.
Is there a particular style that you are dying to know how to play or some band you want to emulate? If you have that fire inside you, and you are prepared to practise every day, then age doesn't matter.

Alcoholocaust

It doesn't matter at all, a child will learn as easily as a grown man. Some people do have a general knack for it though.

SMM

Woohoo yeaah go for it!!!:)

adox

I picked up my first guitar last year when I got it as a present for my......40th birthday!!!

Its the best present I ever got.I love music and have played the drums in the past at a competent level,but always wanted to have a bash on guitar.Its brought me hours of pleasure over the last year and thats without any lessons,just googling stuff and reading mags has been enough to keep me going so far.

So whatever age you are go for it.

Feelgood

supertramp wrote: »

This may seem a stupid question

They say you learn things easier when you are young.
Does this apply to learning the guitar? Is it harder to pick up, the older you get?

If you like music then go for it, learning guitar isn't easy but then again nothing is at first....

I find the downfall in people is due to the first couple of months where your fingers hurt and you cant hit the notes properly. Most people just get annoyed and pack it in with frustration. DONT PACK IT IN...

Stick with it, it will definitely get easier and is very rewarding. Don't try to do too much at first but keep it at a constant...say 30 mins a day for the first month and then work your way upto an hour a day. You should be banging out tunes within 6 months and its all really fun after that.

Personally I cant understand how people go through life without learning an instrument of some sort. Music is without a doubt the best thing on this planet in my opinion.

Enjoy it!.

Johnny Storm

Feelgood wrote: »

If you like music then go for it, learning guitar isn't easy but then again nothing is at first....

I find the downfall in people is due to the first couple of months where your fingers hurt and you cant hit the notes properly. Most people just get annoyed and pack it in with frustration. DONT PACK IT IN...

Stick with it, it will definitely get easier and is very rewarding. Don't try to do too much at first but keep it at a constant...say 30 mins a day for the first month and then work your way upto an hour a day. You should be banging out tunes within 6 months and its all really fun after that.

Personally I cant understand how people go through life without learning an instrument of some sort. Music is without a doubt the best thing on this planet in my opinion.

Enjoy it!.

+1
Stick at it and after you get over the initial hump you will begin to notice the effort paying off.

DeadSkin

Nope age don't matter. I started playin' about 2 years ago, main problem I have is not having enough time.
Someone posted a similiar thread recently in the the Playing & Techniques & Theory forum above, have a look see here.

Keyzer

supertramp wrote: »

This may seem a stupid question

They say you learn things easier when you are young.
Does this apply to learning the guitar? Is it harder to pick up, the older you get?

Dude, don't ever think you too old to do anything.

As long as you apply yourself to your instrument, practice and stick with it then you'll be fine.

Get a decent guitar, a chord book and learn your favorite songs.

Before you know it you'll be flying...

Gaspode

Never too late to start playing. Hard to get time to practise though without the threat of dicorce becoming an issue!!.

supertramp

Thanks alot everyone......I am going to give it a bash. At least I can have a laugh at myself...

Mr. CooL ICE

supertramp wrote: »

At least I can have a laugh at myself...

Wrong - Have a laugh WITH yourself. Oh, wait...



Feelgood pretty much summed it up better than I ever could. My parents made me take piano lessons when i was about 11, but it just bored the hell out of me, as all I wanted to do was play Oasis (!) and Blur (!!!) stuff. I lasted 2 years before I packed it in. Fast forward to the summer after my leaving cert and I got the urge to start playing music again, so I invested in a bass. Haven't looked back since.

My advice: Get the guitar. Enjoy it.

Redjeep!

You're never too old.

You'll probably never the chance to tour the world with huge band and snort coke off a supermodels thong, but then again you're probably not doing it for that reason anyway are you...are you ?

There's plenty of folks do it who aren't exactly young. The main thing that I found was that you need to set out some time each day to practise otherwise you'll never get round to it.

Just enjoy.

red_ice

supertramp wrote: »

This may seem a stupid question

They say you learn things easier when you are young.
Does this apply to learning the guitar? Is it harder to pick up, the older you get?

Picking up a guitar was the best thing i've done in my life. I didnt know it at the time, but when i started learning i pretty much set myself up to be able to block out any situation that came my way which put me in a bad mood. Theres nothing better to get lost in.

I dont think that its easier to learn when you are younger, infact i think thats very far from the truth. There are 7 chords you need to know to play guitar at entry level, a b c d e f g. If you sit down and learn 2 chords on your first night. Change between them for 10 minutes, then come back the next night and learn another one then change between the 3 chords, in a week you will have all 7 down. All you would have to get covered is your strumming pattern. Its very simple, but it does require you putting in 20 minutes a night at least. Once you have them down and some basic strumming patterns, you will be able to come up with stuff on your own. Then learn a major bar chord and you will be laughing. If you put the work in, in a month you will be able to play basic guitar! I've really only started playing good guitar/bass in the last 3 years and im playing 14 or so years now. If anything, its easier to learn the older you are imo!

if you find the guitar is not really your thing, try the bass. I've moved on to playing bass and its the most fun i've had playing music in a long time. Its really easy to get in to, you can jam with people and all you have to hit is one string (when your learning).

Never the less, get into music in some way, guitar is definitly worth having a go at, regardless of age