Is an Adult too Old to Learn How to Play a Musical Instrument?

Articles on Music | Topics: music, musical

by Ilana T. Juarez

Is an Adult too Old to Learn How to Play a Musical Instrument?

There is no qualm that learning to play an instrument, as an adult is a not the same experience as learning to play when you are a child. Anyone can learn to play a musical instrument. All you need to do as an adult is make a little break in your life and have an attitude that is willing to try. The challenge of learning an instrument as an adult is that you have to be self-disciplined. There is no one telling you that it is time to practice. You have to be committed.

Look at the reason you want to learn to play an instrument. Remember you will be investing financially as well as your time. If you do not really want to play the instrument for several years, you may want to consider a different avenue. As soon as the newness wears off and you have a clear view of the long road ahead, you may want to quit. To sustain your high level of inspiration, determine a practical reason you want to learn to play an instrument. If you cannot think of a reason, you may have to accept that learning a new instrument may be exciting for you but probably will not be a permanent part of your life.

Once you have identified your motivation, the next step is to schedule a time in your life that you will dedicate to practice and lessons. Adult responsibilities are demanding but with anything in our lives when we really want to do something we make the time necessary. Once you have done this you need to find a teacher and begin. Remember to be patient with yourself. You will need a minimum of a year of regular practice to see substantial progress. If you stick with it, you will love the results.

There are several myths floating around about the adult who wants to learn to play a musical instrument:

"It is harder for an adult than it is for a child"

"Children are more flexible"

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"

Remember the reasons children want to play an instrument are quite different from that of an adult. Children decide they want to play because they heard someone play somewhere and they think it is "cool" to be a musician. Now this is great for getting them started but adults have very different motivations. Children are accustomed to being on the beginning end of things. Adults are accustomed to having already completed the tasks. The children are learning new things constantly, so picking up an instrument is simply another thing to learn in life. Adults, on the other hand, will have to reprogram ourselves to learn a new task and realize that in this area adults are not proficient they we would like to be. Taking up the opportunity to learn a musical instrument will move the adult out of their comfort zone (and that is not necessarily a bad thing). There is no standard for the adult to measure himself or herself against (as there is in their chosen profession) so this is new ground.

аQuote of the Day

People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around—the music and the ideas.

—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)

Adult students who do not give up on their dream and do not have preconceived expectations will do well. Some adult expectations:

Expect learning to be difficult

Expect to see results in about one to two years of steady practice

Maybe no expectations

Just want to have fun and share the music with others

Staying motivated is very challenging for the adult student. When you are learning warm-up with music, you already learned. The better you become the easier the songs will be and this will give you a visible sign that you are making improvements. Another way to stay motivated is to go and listen to musicians who play the instrument you are now interested in learning. You may want to buy some music that highlights your instrument. Some adults who are just learning instruments also love to write and keep journals showing their journey into a new adventure. With today's technology, another way to stay motivated is to join an online support group and share your struggles and victories with other adults who have chosen to start learning a musical instrument later in life.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Is an Adult too Old to Learn How to Play a Musical Instrument?" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by MusicInstrumentsCds.com.

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