- By Dylan Kay
“I couldn’t possibly play guitar – I’m too old / not talented enough / no-one in my family plays / my hands are too small…”
There are many excuses for not trying, but here’s the good news.
In 25-plus years of teaching many hundreds of students, I can count on one hand the people who I genuinely felt couldn’t learn guitar.
Of those, one is still having lessons with us nine years later and sounding great!
Don’t you have to start really young? You can… but you don’t have to.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to play but not had the chance – the beauty of choosing to play later in life is that you have more control over your time and, with the right guidance, you can make the most of it!
Equally, if you can start young, go for it! Surely you need to be really “talented”? In short, no.
There isn’t space here for a long explanation, but I’d recommend reading the book Bounce by Matthew Syed which explores the myth of talent through examples in all disciplines, from Tiger Woods to Mozart.
So, what does it take?
In my experience, becoming a good guitar player takes three things: the right guidance and support, commitment and perseverance.
Put simply, with the right teacher and the right attitude, it is amazing what you can achieve.
Do I even need a teacher?
You might be lucky – you might just happen to find the right content online and choose to go looking for it at the right time, in the right order, and you might, by chance, practice it all correctly and make good progress.
That’s a lot of ifs! In our experience, most people make very slow and patchy progress when trying to teach themselves.
Put simply, having a good teacher will help you make faster, more certain progress.
The first-rate teachers at Auckland Guitar School help guitarists of all ages and levels make real progress every day of the week.
With its friendly, supportive atmosphere and an unparalleled range of opportunities for students to apply what they’re learning, the school is able to provide a unique experience for Howick guitarists from its Uxbridge Road teaching studio.
Visit www.aucklandguitarschool.co.nz, or call 533 5246 to book a free intro session and find out how to transform your guitar playing!
- Dylan Kay is owner/teacher at Auckland Guitar School.
