Too Old to Learn Guitar?

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My next door neighbor had a decorating & catering business that she ran out of her home for years. Her husband had their garage closed in and that became her office/warehouse/meeting area. She worked hard and kept a clear vision in her mind the whole time. One day she would open a store front with a gift department, a floral department, and a catering department.

In her travels around town she always kept her eyes the real estate market, always looking for that perfect property that matched the dream in her mind.

One day she found it. The place she had envisioned. It would need some work to get it to where she wanted it to be, but hard work was nothing new to her.

She bought the property and spent the next several months working tirelessly getting it ready. Scrubbing, painting, landscaping, overseeing contractors, paying attention to the smallest of details. Finally, the day came when everything was in place and the doors were opened to the public.

The business was a hit and took off. she hired more employees, increased her inventory, and her profits. She continued to work 6 or 7 days a week, loving every minute of it. She still does. Not bad for someone who went out on a limb and opened a new business at the age of 68!

We all know people like this, the ones who didn’t get the “memo” that, at age 65 it’s time to collect the gold watch and head out to pasture.

Are You Too Old to Start Playing Guitar?

If you “think” you are, then the answer is probably “yes”. You may have had the dream to pick up the guitar at a younger age, but got side tracked. Life has a funny way of getting in the way of such dreams. Raising a family, climbing the corporate ladder, starting a home, building up the IRA. Priorities change and the creative side of us gets put on the back burner.

But sitting there on the back burner, our dream continues to simmer, and one day we wake up to the realization that we only get one shot at our journey on this earth. That this is not a “rehearsal” for the real one. This “is” the real one and if we are ever going to do it, we just have to “do it”.

This applies to any pursuit that we have only dreamed about. Whether it’s playing a musical instrument, learning to paint, writing a novel or starting a new business. The only way to quench that thirst is to jump in head first. The best time to start is now!

Maybe you wanted to play guitar in your youth but just “never got around to it”. You may have even played guitar for a while in college but had to give it up for a “real” job. You might have wanted to take up the guitar as a hobby but in between raising a family and building a career, never found the time.

If playing the guitar is an un-quenched passion of yours then it may be time to make it happen.

You might be apprehensive as to where to begin. Start by buying a guitar! Next, take some lessons – practice and learn. Figure out how to play some of your favorite songs. As Nike would say, “just do it”.

Here Are 7 Things You Should Do To Get Started On The Guitar:

1. Most towns have a local music store. Pay them a visit and explain your goals and budget range for your first guitar. Put some guitars in your hands and see how they feel. They are all different, so the main thing is to find what is most comfortable for you.
2. While at the music store, ask about their lesson program. See if you can meet some of the instructors and determine if you could develop a rapport with one of them.
3. If private lessons are cost prohibitive, ask about books or videos the store may have to help you get started. Again, it’s all about what you are most comfortable with. Some people prefer a book over a video, or visa versa.
4. Look around online, there are a number of good courses out there that won’t break the bank. Understandably, I am a little partial to our lessons program at AdultGuitarLessons.com, because we have developed the lessons course specifically for the beginning adult guitar student – aspiring guitarists with “real life” experience under their belt.
5. Once you do start playing guitar it’s important to remember that it will not happen overnight. No one comes out of the womb “knowing” how to play. It is an acquired skill that takes time to develop.
6. If your fingers feel like they are moving slow, don’t automatically attribute it to age. Anyone and everyone who first picks up a guitar experiences the same thing. You are trying to train your fingers to do things they have never done before! It’s understandable that they might “put up a fight”.
7. The key to the whole process is a combination of patience and persistence. You should take a long term view of learning guitar and be patient with yourself, taking it slow in the beginning. You should also be persistent, knowing that it will require some effort and practice to learn how to master techniques and concepts on the guitar.

Most of all, if you have had the dream or desire to learn how to play the guitar, why not make it happen today? There is no reason to put it off any longer. Some may consider playing guitar to be a luxury and not a necessity, and keep putting it off until the “time is right”. But the truth is, if we wait for the “right time”, it often never comes. And take it from an old guitar player – playing guitar is not a luxury once you learn how, for me it is as important as breathing!

So don’t wait another minute – no matter what your age, go get a guitar, get some lessons, and get going!

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