Many of us encounter our first music lesson experience as kids who wonder what it feels like to play guitar, piano, violin or some other instrument. It probably didn’t take that long for us to attempt to compose something new (not necessarily “good”, but new) as well. But what if you never discovered music as a kid? If you think that you missed out on that window for learning music, it turns out, this is not true!
“Am I too old to start learning music?” is a question that is familiar to music teachers all over the world. To put it simply, No. No one is ever too old to learn to play music, and we’re here to let you in on the secret to learning music at any age.
TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO LEARN MUSIC AT ANY AGE:
Ready for the big secret? The two things you need to learn to play any instrument are…
- Patience, and
- The willingness to put in the time for practice
… Really? That’s it??? Yes, it’s true
Alright, maybe you’ve heard this before, but you still feel like you don’t have the talent, or ability to learn music, no matter how much you’ve tried. If you feel this way, just remember this.
Natural talent can help people to learn music faster and more easily, but it has nothing to do with being able to learn to play an instrument. It’s like learning languages, or anything else, really. Some people learn languages faster than others. Some people can cook spectacularly, and some are potential hazards to society when they’re in the kitchen (sorry!). The point is, everyone can speak a language, and most people of adult age can cook a simple meal that is at least edible.
Anyone can be taught and everyone can learn if they are motivated to, and progress is progress, no matter how small.
THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT
Learning to play an instrument is the same as picking up any other skill. You first need to take the time to give your body, brain and muscles the chance to adapt to certain movements (i.e. strumming, holding drumsticks, bowing, pressing on strings, etc.). Next, you need to give your mind an opportunity to absorb any necessary musical knowledge you will need to read and play music.
Doing this takes time and dedication – this is where being older can give a slight advantage, as more mature students tend to be able to focus better and have greater patience than their younger counterparts. Adult students also tend to be more analytical and able to process information more systematically, allowing them to learn faster by correcting mistakes in a more targeted & effective way.
THE BOTTOM LINE
While the above may not apply to EVERYONE, the point is that everybody is teachable and everyone can learn, no matter how young or old you are. That said, it does help to have someone (a teacher or a friend) to give you constant feedback. It will vary from person to person, but don’t judge your progress against someone else’s. Ever.
Everyone is their own person with their own style of learning. Find a method that works best for you, then take it from there.
So are you too old to learn drums, or piano, guitar, or violin, etc? Absolutely not!
The human brain is capable of learning music and retaining new information anytime, no matter how old or young you are.
You can learn almost anything, including music, at any age.
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