Can I learn to play guitar?

Hi everyone.
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.

I hear the question "Can I learn to play the guitar , even at my age?"  I hear this from people in their 30's and in their 40's. And the answer is yes! With a qualification: if you'll allocate the time to learn/practice/play the guitar. Just taking lessons isn't enough. And I know everyone knows this, but when it comes to doing it we don't always allocate the time. You need to set aside some regular time almost every day. I say almost everyday because we as busy adults can't always play EVERY day. But we should have the time scheduled and when we have to travel etc, we should get back on the practice schedule as soon as possible.

I can hear you saying "I know, I know". And I know you know. But you have to do it. After playing guitar for 40 years, I wanted to learn a new instrument (for me) to remember what it is like to be beginner adult. So I started to learn the banjo! I spent years standing next to a banjo playing rhythm guitar in small clubs. But I never bothered learning. A few months ago, I bought a banjo and started learning.

It was going well. I was learning rolls and started a couple of songs. I was playing/practicing everyday, even if it was just for 10 or 15 minutes. Then disaster struck; I slipped on the stairs and jammed my left shoulder. Nothing was torn, just bruised enough that I couldn't hold my arm up enough to play banjo. Not at all. So I stopped learning for about 5 months. After some physical therapy my shoulder is great. A few weeks ago I picked up the banjo.

I had forgotten just about everything I had learned; the muscle memory had faded. Not surprised. I started all over, learning some rolls and learning some songs. I now have 2 songs about up to speed and I can fake a few more. I'm doing it the old fashioned way, a little bit at a time.

Even though I'm a guitar teacher and I run my own business as a guitar teacher, I'm just as busy as anyone else. I have lots of things to do when I'm not giving lessons. I have to always tend to my marketing and sales needs. Then there's the books and maintenance of the guitars , etc. Things to do around the house. And I got kids! And three cats! Ok, only Zuko is a high maintenance cat.

So, what I do is I look at my schedule each day and figure out when I can plug in at least 15 minutes of banjo practice. With the way my schedule changes throughout the week, I can't say I can practice banjo the same time every day. But I target about 15 minutes each day. I don't always hit my target. I was never good with shooting at things.

But, and here's my secret, I watch for unplanned practice opportunities. If a student cancels, I pick up my banjo. If I'm home for a lunch break I grab it for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. If Zuko wakes me up at 5 in the morning , after I feed all three of them, I grab my banjo. I have it on my mind that if I get a few minutes, I will play the banjo for a few minutes. As long as other higher priorities have been fulfilled. If you can't do that, then maybe learning an instrument ins't high enough on your list of priorities.

I have a lot of adult students all the way from 21 to 67 years old. And I've noticed that the most successful of them are the ones that consistently find time to play/practice. Yeah, the more you practice the better you get more quickly, but anything consistently will work.

Try it out for a month and see how it works.
Keep playing guitar!

Terry
www.napervilleguitarlessons.com
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