The first thing that you have to ask yourself before starting your first guitar lesson is “do I really want to learn?” If you have ever stumbled upon that question once before, then you have probably tried to answer it about ten different ways: “yes I do,” “no I don’t…” “Well, maybe I do, but I’m just too busy, so I can’t… or… on the other hand, maybe I can still learn a few chords, a couple of songs, and just see what happens… oh wait, never mind – I think I’m too old to learn (sigh).” If this is how you have attacked that question, then you are not alone. Trust me. I have been there. Many others have too. Though this uncertainty may seem difficult to tackle, it can actually be solved quite easily.
First of all, you are never too old to learn to play guitar. In fact, you are never too old to learn anything. I know there is a saying that states “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but, to tell you the truth, it is just a bunch of B.S. You can really learn anything at any age; it just might take a little longer for those who are older. A twenty-year old may obtain nine months of guitar playing skills while a ten-year old abosrbs that much in just seven months, but all in all, you basically get the same results.
The second point that I shall make here involves the question of whether you have time or not. If you have at least 30 minutes a day to kill, then go for it -- take lessons, buy a guitar, etc. The worst thing that can happen is that you end up paying big bucks for absolutely no guitar playing skills (however, this should not occur if you think about what is written in the next few paragraphs).
A third thought that should enter your mind when deciding is whether you have a desire to play and whether you sense an appreciation for any kind of guitar playing that you hear – alternative rock, pop rock, blues, country, folk, classic rock, punk, jazz, metal, etc. If you feel you do – great. If not, then perhaps this is not the thing for you. I mean, let us face the facts – it would be very difficult to excel at something if you did not enjoy what you were hearing. However, for those that feel that they love the sound of a guitar and sense a desire to play, you will learn and enjoy yourself. It takes some practice, but you will likely see the time and effort that you put into your playing as a lot of “fun” rather than boring “work,” which is a very good sign that you are headed into the right direction.
One last note that should be brought to your attention, is the fact that the question “Do I really want to learn?” can be attacked by breaking it down into two parts:
The first part, A, is pretty easy to answer if you contemplated the second, third, and fourth paragraphs of this article. For those that did, it is either yes or no up to this point. The second part, B, of the question requires you to ask yourself “am I serious about this or do I just want to learn one cheap song and get on with my life?” If you are looking to do the latter, than just ask any old guitarist to teach you “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and in thirty seconds you will be a pro in no time. However, though this short-term learning process seems inviting, there is a drawback to this. If you do not own a guitar at home I guarantee that you will forget how to play that three note tune in about two days, honest to god! The reason for this is that when you learn a new song it really helps to have your own instrument so you can practice it once in a while and learn it by heart. As intelligent as many people are, some do not realize this. As a result, you and I have probably met 10-15 people who have, at one time or another, said something like “my friend taught me to play “Zombie” (by the Cranberries) once, but you know what? I forgot the chords, LOL, oh well!” So, in other words, if you really want to learn a.k.a. the long-term commitment, then you should probably buy a guitar to take with you wherever you go. Also, find someone who can teach you as often as you need. Otherwise, it may very well be all for naught.