Am I Too Old To Learn Guitar?
In this break down I am going to reveal what I have discovered from teaching guitar for over 15 years to kids as young as 4 to adults just starting in their 80s.
There are countless Youtube videos and blogs saying you can learn guitar when you’re older yet in every facebook group and day to day conversations adults are complaining how hard it is to learn guitar and how they wish they started when they were younger.
So if you’ve ever wondered if as an adult can you really learn how to play guitar and actually be good at it or is it too late to start - you’re not alone.
From over 12,000 hrs of in-person teaching here’s the truth: Anyone who says children learn faster than adults have never taught a child anything…
If you’re struggling to learn guitar as an adult you are either:
- Not putting in the time
- You are using a sucky method (check out mine it’s awesome 🙂
- You are breaking the rules of learning (check out my article on this)
You’ve Got To Put In The Time
Sorry (not sorry) to break it to you but no one comes out of the womb ripping on guitar. E.V.E.R.Y. S.I.N.G.L.E player has put in the time.
Here at my local guitar school we track practice minutes as part of my Guitar Practice System and some kids have reached 20,000 practice minutes by the time they are 9 years old...
That may seem like a lot but that's only 30min a day for 2 years...
Adults who have put in the same amount of time can ALWAYS out play every kid in every aspect of guitar. Why? Because kids are kids! Their brains are still developing, they struggle to focus, follow instructions, and aren't mature enough to practice effectively etc etc.
Yea but... I saw a child on tik tok...
- In a future article I'll address the child prodigy's.
Putting in the time and still no progress? Here’s Why:
If you're putting in the time but results are slower than what you want you are simply going about it the wrong way. It's literally that simple.
It's not your age, your hand size...
Wait, speaking of hand size
How many grown ass adults complain about their hands being too small yet in the same breath say kids learn better than adults...
Ever seen the size of a 5 year olds hand and how delicate their fingers are? 🤦♂️
Repeat: Maybe you're just doing it wrong.
This may be a sign of relief knowing there is a better way - or it may piss you off because you've been working hard and have gotten some results.
Here's the thing, what gets you from A to B doesn't get you from B to C. This is a trap that players run into when they get results early on then they get stuck.
Can you relate to any of these:
- You practice the same stuff over and over - thinking you'll get a different result
- You practice random things without aim or focus
- You break the rules for learning (probably don't know what they are unless you read my article on this)
- You endlessly searching for magic pills and duped by learn guitar instantly schemes
- The method you follow doesn't take the bigger picture in mind or build real musical skills - you just move your fingers around thinking one day it will "just click."
Yes, you can overcome a lot of problems by brute force practice A LOT but sooner or later YOU WILL get stuck.
Again, age has nothing to do with it.
>> You’re not too old. <<
You've just been set up to fail and weren’t given a roadmap that actually works for you.
Why Adults Actually Learn Faster—With the Right System
Adult Students Bring Real Advantages
1. You realize (hopefully) that to succeed you have to practice
A common thread with kids is they all want to be great - but they don't want to do the work to actually get there. Unfortunately, this immaturity actually stays with many into adulthood who want to "get rich quick" with little to no effort. e.g. "play like Slash" by playing XZY for 5min a day.
2. You're mature enough to practice what matters
Kids often just want to play riffs or try to play fast - which is fine, but to get to the point where you can learn full songs in just a few minutes, (or instantly), jam with your buddies (and actually sound good) and rip all over the fretboard you're going to have to develop real musical skills. Kids usually don't have the maturity to do this.
3. You can focus and stick with things
Kids left to themselves would watch TV, play video games, and eat ice cream all day. They're children after all... You know how to focus and can arrange your day to make shit happen.
4. You know how to accomplish things in the real world
You've built a career, raised kids, leveled up in life, and some how have kept it all together. You realize that to accomplish things you need clarity, goals, time management, and a system for success - practicing without aim or focus for hours on end in your bedroom just isn't going to cut it.
5. You want to play for you (not to impress others)
The guitar calls to some of us... Who knows why - and it just doesn't go away. You want to learn because YOU want to. Not because you mom signed you up for lessons or because you want to impress someone. (ok fine... babes do love guitar players 🤘😎)
This is about you. And when you're doing it for yourself, motivation runs deeper. You're more likely to stick with it, enjoy it, and appreciate it.
The Old Way vs A Better Way
Let’s break it down:
OLD WAY | BETTER WAY |
|---|---|
❌ Watch random YouTube videos with no clear order | ✅ Structured, step-by-step system will levels to achieve |
❌ Do boring one dimensional "spider walk" drills | ✅ Learn and riffs & songs in a leveled system to build and integrate all your skills. |
❌ Get overwhelmed with too much theory / skip theory so you never understand music. | ✅ Learn theory the easy way AND how to use it |
❌ No way to track progress | ✅ Detailed progress and skill proficiency tracking to know if you're getting better |
❌ Feel overwhelmed, lost, and always guessing | ✅ Feel confident with your path |
❌ Skip steps and get confused and frustrated | ✅ Learn the RIGHT concepts in the RIGHT order and progress easily. |
Why The Guitar GPS Method Is Perfect For Adults
The Guitar GPS Method is an entire ecosystem for learning and mastering the guitar from ZERO to high levels of playing. It's designed for adult beginners and frustrated intermediates who want to make real progress, without the confusion or frustration.
What Makes The Guitar GPS Different?
1. It’s a Roadmap, Not a Bunch of Random Lessons
With the infinite amount of information these days - you don't need stuff, you need the RIGHT stuff in the right order. Leveled courses, Progress and proficiency tracking - learning guitar has never been so easy.
2. A Complete Holistic Approach
The Guitar GPS Method isn't a "course." It's an entire ecosystem of 35+ courses that uses my Multi-Dimensional learning where build your skills, knowledge, and creativity while keeping you laser focused every step of the way with my Guitar Progress System™️.
3. You Get POINTS For Progress!
Get points for developing real musical skills and your proficiency with those skills. See results on your Reports Dashboards, check leaderboards - It’s fun, visual, and addictive in the best way.
4. No B.S. RULE
No 10,000 lessons you'll never have time for. No filler content without any real purpose, No click-bait B.S. with false promises. Wouldn't it be nice to get what works?
5. Learn From A Learning Expert
It's one thing to play guitar and show people stuff - it's a whole other ball game when your coach is an expert in the art and science for how the brain learns and develops musical skills and has tested his methods with real every day learners for 15+ yrs.
6. One Mastermind
Instead of 30+ instructors taking you in different directions or having "beginner" instructors who don't know how to prepare you DAY 1 for high levels of playing you get a single mastermind (me) who has a solid track record of student success.
7. Friendly Community & Useful Feedback
No "bro tips" or feeling like you gotta do it alone. We got you! 👊
Real Stories from Adult Students of the Guitar GPS Method
I’ve learned more in 3yrs than the past 30 yrs before signing up.
"You get a planned out and proven path, and a well rounded music education!"
Bill B.
I’m Addicted!
"Now I can play all over the fretboard in any key, spice up my fav songs, and even jam with my daughter when she plays piano!"
I used to play quietly in the basement but now I want people to hear and I want to make it loud!"
Derek M.
My Friends Don’t Believe It’s Me Improvising!
FAQ: What If I’m Really Starting From Zero?
Congratulations on starting your journey! Everyone starts somewhere and we have a 100% success rate getting players up and playing fast - so long as you can follow instructions and do your part.
“What if my fingers are too stiff or slow?”
To solve this you need to have good technique, minimize tension, and understand how to build speed. We'll coach you every step of the way.
“Can I still build muscle memory at my age?”
Yes. Neuroplasticity (your brain's ability to adapt) continues well into your 70s and beyond—especially when you're actively engaged. With over 12,000 hrs of in-person teaching I have never seen anything that indicates adults can't learn because of their age.
"What if I don’t have much time to practice?"
Even 10–20 minutes a day can lead to real progress if you practice the RIGHT things, in the RIGHT order, and in the RIGHT way. That being said, you're going to have to put in the time to develop your skills like everyone #Make it happ'n Capt'n.
“What if a can’t read music?”
There's multiple ways to read guitar music. You'll quickly find that reading music is VERY easy when you approach it the right way. The problem people have with reading is they start with the hardest / most complex methods first.
"Isn’t it too late to be good at guitar?"
Define "good player." If you want to play your favorite songs, jam with confidence, shred 600+ notes per minute, learn by ear, improvise all over the fretboard in any key, break out of box position - yes. Totally doable starting from ground zero.
In Summary, Your Age Isn’t the Obstacle—Your Approach Might Be
You don’t need to "start young" to play guitar. You just need a structured system that actually works.
You need a simple system to build your skills, your knowledge, and your musical creativity in the right order and in the right way!
You’re not too old.
The best time to start is today!
Check out our free resources to get started and get notified for the next time we open up enrollments into the Guitar GPS Method online Academy!