Am I too old to learn the Guitar ?

Man : Hi, Music Star Academy?

MSA: Hi, yes this is Music Star Academy. Can I help you?

Man: I’m wondering if you have guitar course for adults?

After 13 years of giving music lessons, the most challenging ones are to provide guitar lessons to adults. I mean people age between 40 – 72 years old. Why 72 ? I have one student whom age is 72. A man who paint buildings all his life and playing guitar at his leisure time, this is what he told me “ Young man, before I step into the coffin. May I know the secrets of playing Jazz music as during the 40’s my favorite songs mostly are from that genre.” And so i gave him 3 months class and off he goes playing all that jazz music he love so much.

Why challenging? Is not because of hard joints of the fingers, or slow understanding or full capacity in the brain that unable the student to learn. But the way of thinking. They always come into class with a full cup instead of an empty one. I’m not talking about all, but mostly. I have 60 years old that seems to catch up playing guitar in less than a month and happy with his achievement. 

Maybe I’m young? They seems to already lose confident when they see a young teacher. How this young man can teach me anyway? May he is less experienced to. I get this all the time. But I still believe that, to them seeing is believing. If they see me play a few tunes, then I’m over stage 1.And I don’t mean playing metallica or shred lick like from Malmsteen. Tunes that they would understand and comprehend. They will then have confident on me to teach them.

Stage 2, you can’t scold. You can't make negative statements. You need to be very careful in giving pointers and make encouragement rather then penalties. Take time slowly and move according to their speed. Don't rush and be more caring.

They don’t expect much, just to be able to play some everygreen songs and chat with you sometimes, they will feel their time is spent worthwhile.

To me, I like teaching adults a lot. Because i get to help them regain the music in their life, everyone goes through life, ups and downs. I believe that music works as a salvation to it, and I am honored to be able to help and provide my service to them.

SO back to the question? Are you too old to learn the guitar?

NO you are not.

Come along if you have doubt, I will always find a solution to help anyone to be able to enjoy the beautiful art and craft of the guitar. 

Because I love it so much!!~ 

How Long DO it Takes to Learn the GUITAR?

How Long DO it Takes to Learn the GUITAR?

Just the other day as usual a new student came and register for guitar lessons, as usual too the parent will ask a few questions on how the process and how much a guitar is but that particular day one of the same questions I get everyday seems to have just spark a thought. The question is,

How Long Do it takes for My Son to learn The Guitar?

Maybe it’s the arrangement of words in that question spark a whole different spectrum of answer from the ones I have been answering all this time.

How Long?

I have asked myself once, how long do you want to learn the guitar? I mean if she would refine the question to be how long you think my son can strum twinkle twinkle little star? I would just answer on the 3^rd class. But How Long, man it’s a hard one because I myself doubt it. Is it because I don’t know?

Yes

I would answer “I don’t Know”, learning the guitar is an endless journey. How long depends on how long you want to learn, until your desire on improvement on the guitar fade off. I have been playing and learning the guitar 18 years now and I still learn it today. Everyday when I pickup the guitar I felt I still lack of this and lack of that. My sweep picking is not as good as Jason Becker and my composition sucks if it’s to compare to Joe Satriani’s. But in another point of view I felt lucky, because even my life is now full and currently adding on daily life commitments. My desire to improve on the guitar still burns. How can I resist from learning the whole tracks in Deep Purple’s Machine Head album? How can I resist to master Perpetual Burn?

You kinda of start off learning chords, then melody. Learn abit of theory, move on to techniques. Covering songs, learning artist styles…etc.. So there are tons of lessons, tons of guitarist you can learn from. How can the learning stops if a lesson it created from a guitarist? As everyone is unique , every lesson and sometimes on same thing might be different if taught by a different perspective. And there’s always something new to learn from.

How long?

Man I give up on answering it, if someone takes guitar playing and learning seriously, it’s for life I gonna tell you. I will be taking this for life. Whatever that will be going against it, I will hop over and continue.

What did I answer the parent?

I said, he will take it in for life if he learn from me. I will make sure all of my students taste the meaning of music and what the guitar can do to make it so beautiful for everyone and most importantly for himself as music will change and alter your life in a better way. Then I added, if you mean by able to strum and sing twinkle twinkle little star? His 3^rd class… The parent smiled and nodded. He knew he made the right choice in bring his son to me, the correct teacher for guitar and life.