...learning music for the Older person....

galwaytt

...o.k. long story short: I don't play anything. I should, as I believe I have an aptitude for it, and my house, as a child was filled with it - my Dad is an excellent trad musician. Which probably explains why I wanted nothing to do with it = Aversion Syndrome !!

Anyhoo, now mid 40's with kids of my own, I must admit I have fubar'd mightily. We should all play something. I have an 11 yr old learing the piano (with gritted teeth........:rolleyes: ) and an 8yr old bursting to play the guitar....

This is also prompted by watching and listening to a great guitar duo in The Twelve, Barna, a few times lately......

Based on the 11yo's experience, and watching her do (or not !) her lessons, it got me to thinking.....have I left it too late to learn ?

My thoughts are this: I have bought the 8yr old a guitar, which is probably too big for him tbh....(is there a kids size ?), so that's available to me.
The 11yr old's keyboard is available to me.

I think the keyboard is the way to go - so lets say I elect to do that - I will need lessons. I'm that kind of person; give me a task, and I'm yer guy - self motivating study was never my strongpoint (my L.C. will testify to that....)

Now, are there any lesson-methods (yes, using a teacher), outside the realms of the traditional method, that are available/I should consider ( the hard work that the 11yr old is making of it is what's informing me, here....). Think of it as.........Mature Student type lessons......somebody to learn WITH as distinct as from.........or......

I think the learn, rote, solo practice, thing my 11yr old does is either hard work or, she's making hard work of it.......

I'm in Athenry, so a local source would be my preference.

Any thoughts welcomed.

Finally, different question: what should I be looking for in a guitar for an 8yr old, to make learing attractive - I may have gone overboard already.......

Oh, and, I need to get my Dad recorded........major, mafor fubar if he passes without it......

18AD

First. It's never too late to start!

Pick your instrument and work on that. Branch out later.

Definitely get yourself some lessons (from a good teacher). You can do grades on the piano, as far as I know. Someone else here should be more informed than me.

For buying a first guitar, the advice is usually to get something cheap but functional. Shelling out for a fancy guitar that could end up on the shelf is kind of a waste, and something you can do with certainty after a year or two.
You can buy three-quarter size acoustic guitars and possibly harder to find in electric.

Lastly. Learning music is hard work. Try to balance the hard work with play and take a break if you're frustrated.

Good luck. You can't start soon enough

ednwireland

go for it. I used to play in brass bands at school soon was always thinking I should learn to play again. soon started up at 40 with and acoustic guitar. messed around for two years and then got a few lessons. can play a few tunes now. and got a new electric for christmas

Malice

Regarding getting your 11 year old more motivated, my sister is a piano teacher and she tells me that kids love learning stuff that they identify with. She has had great success teaching kids the Harry Potter theme tune for example.
I was forced to do the piano for a couple of years by my parents as a kid and I hated it. Learning all those chords and scales and their relationship absolutely drove me nuts. It was only years later when I took up the guitar on my own terms that I realised how enjoyable and rewarding playing music can be. By "my own terms" I mean that I was the one setting goals and challenges for myself rather than taking lessons.

I would also echo what the others have said and recommend that you go for it!

galwaytt

Hi All - sorry, only getting back to this now.

I think ye're all right -if it's not fun, it's not worth doing.

Malice - good idea - I was actually listening to Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' one night on the iPod and the piano caught my ear and I thought: 'hold on, that doesn't seem very difficult' and I picked up the laptop and YouTube'd it and lo-and-behold, if there wasn't a plethora of 'how-to's ' for that very song............so, learning something you're interested in, is actually far more productive, and likely to be successful, than not ! The thought of all that 'have-to' scale work isn't exactly motivating........

18AD - good point. What I bought wasn't dear, but it's the size that's bugging me, so I'll do a bit of digging on that. If it works out, the larger one will the there, waiting !

Once again - tks !