Am I too old, is it past my time?
What’s the best age for my child to start learning an instrument?
These are two of the most common questions we get asked here at Gumbley’s!
The short and simple answers to these questions are: as young as possible and no, you’re not too old! This article will look at a few common things that come up in the discussion of age and learning!
How we Learn
Consider music as a language, something you can pick up through hours of exposure. There is no age limit! The term “Exposure” includes: listening to music, watching live music, tapping your feet, talking about music, the list goes on. Music is fundamentally communication and learning an instrument is like learning how to form words and sentences to talk to other musicians. Now I know this makes no sense to some of you reading as you may have never experienced it. This is why trust and faith in your tutor is paramount!
Older folk!
When it comes to you older guys the number one thing that stops people pressing the “book now!” button is fear. Fear of failure, fear of not being good enough, fear of making a fool of yourself, fear of friends saying “you’re a bit old for that aren’t you!”.
It’s really common for older guys to think that they are past it. The crazy thing is there is so much potential for really great musicians out there! Think about the idea of exposure… if you have a few extra years under your belt then you probably lived through and experienced some of the best years of music. Music is built into the core of your upbringing. So, all you need is time and dedication to learn how to put that into playing an instrument.
The top reasons for the more mature muso giving up are lack of confidence and patience. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you have more time than you think you do. You just need to be patient, trust in your tutors’ advice and most of all put in the hours to practice and understand your instrument! Learning keeps you young!
Don’t get caught up in the farce that quick progress is good progress. You may see results tomorrow or it may take a year! Either way you have to find enjoyment in the learning, become friends with your tutor and with time you will experience the magic that is creating soulful tones!
Young Faces
With young children it’s a totally opposite situation. Young children generally have no fear and are willing to try anything! The number one thing parents worry about is the focus and understanding. As I said previously you have to think about the “exposure” idea. The most beneficial thing for young kids is listening to, dancing to and tapping along with music. This helps them to get their own understanding of what music is and how it feels.
Instrument lessons look slightly different depending on the age:
- Kids that are still learning how to communicate (1-4). These guys will spend their time in lessons passively listening and copying. They’ll learn how to make basic sounds and keep in time with the beat of the music.
- Slightly older kids (4-6). Children of these ages will be taught the same skills at a slightly higher level. They’ll also start to explore the idea of co-ordination and active listening.
- Older kids (7+). These guys will learn all the same skills including the co-ordination and active listening. They’ll also explore creativity and how to apply their skills in a musical situation.
The top reasons your child might stop lessons at these ages are: they’re bored; they’re fed up with it being difficult; and they’re not seeing instant results. The key to tackling this is communication with your child’s tutor! Make sure their tutor knows what your child is thinking. Then you can talk about what can be done to make it fun and interesting again.
There’s no point forcing your kid into doing grades and learn songs if they hate the lessons. This will make progress slow and painful and they will grow to resent the lessons and learning an instrument in general.
Keep boosting your child’s confidence by showing their skills to family members and asking them to explain what they’ve learnt today. Kids love to talk about their progress!
Old or Young
We already have students from age 3 to 87! And they’re all awesome! Go check out their progress on our YouTube channel!