Are You Too Old?

How old is too old?

This is another common question that I’ve seen. It’s definitely a valid

question, considering that many people are often told that they’re too old to learn how to do things.

Personally, it’s a question that does sadden me a bit, because it makes people feel self conscious, not all that confident, and I know it’s a question that can make someone feel crummy just to even ask it.

Here’s the thing though. We’re often told that we’re too old to do things, when honestly, it’s often just a way to gate-keep things from other people.

Music is an incredibly satisfying experience for many different reasons. Whether it’s just listening to it, playing it, or even learning about it, it’s incredibly fun to do.

However, many people feel like they missed out on the one chance to learn how to play an instrument, back in middle school and they had to choose one elective over the other. Whatever the reason is. The point is, for many, they feel like they just didn’t get a chance to learn, which is more than fair! We all have different interests at different times, and we all have busy lives.

But maybe you’ve found yourself some free time, and you don’t know what to do with it. Music has always seemed really cool and it looks really fun. What’s better than jamming out with your friends, or learning how to play your favorite song, so you can play it at parties and become the life of the party yourself?

Is it too late now that you’ve settled down some?

In my opinion, so long as you have the will and determination to learn, you’re never too old.

I’m not here to gate-keep music and say you only have a limited window for learning music. If that were true, well, I probably would have never been able to take piano lessons that were required for me in college as a music student. If you do find someone who says something as ridiculous as believing in an age limit for music learning, I’d suggest steering clear from that.

There have been times when I’ve personally felt that I didn’t learn music at the “right age.” That instead of starting to learn music in the 6th grade, I should have started learning music as a 4 year old instead (or younger).

Maybe I would’ve been a better musician that way. These are the kinds of thoughts that definitely creep into my mind every now and then when I’m struggling with a music passage or something of the sorts. I have no idea if I started sooner, if I would have been a better musician than I am now or at that moment. It’s incredibly easy to be hard on yourself.

But here’s the thing.

There is no “right age” when it comes to when you should learn how to play a musical instrument.

The truth is, it doesn’t matter how much natural talent you have. It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Anyone who wants to learn can in fact learn how to play an instrument.

Are there days when you’re going to feel like you want to give up learning

an instrument?

Yeah. I’ve felt that!

But if you push through those rough practice sessions and forgive yourself for having a rough session, you’ll be just fine.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten frustrated when it came to learning an instrument, but you have to push through, and eventually you’ll get it in time.

Music is one big learning process, so as long as you take

your time with it, you’ll get to your goal no matter what age you are. And if it takes you longer than some prodigy child on the internet to learn an instrument, it’s okay.

It’s important to recognize and understand that everyone has a different rate of being able to learn. Just because they’re quicker at learning, doesn’t mean you can’t do the same exact thing they did in the end. You may be able to pick up a technique or learn a song faster and easier than them at a certain point. Who knows? Either way, whether you learn fast or learn slower, that doesn’t mean your learning style should be invalidated.

So if that’s part of your concern, don’t worry. So as long as you grasp the concepts and end with the same/similar results, it’s okay to take your time learning things. Kids don’t always learn faster than adults, and vice versa.

Even still, if you struggle with grasping a concept, it’s okay to take that review time until you can get the concept, no matter how long it takes.

Overall, like I said before, learning music or learning how to play an instrument is an incredibly rewarding experience. I truly don’t believe there is an age range or window when it comes to learning an instrument, which is what I’ve even based this entire business on. Anyone can learn an instrument, no matter their age or talent. You just need the determination and willpower to want to learn.

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Question of the day: What instrument do you want to learn? Leave your answer down in the comments!