I often get the question, "Am I too old to learn to play the guitar?" I've gotten this question from people in their 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and higher. A quick answer is that it's never too late to learn to play an instrument.
Not too long ago there was even a program on TV showing a man who had taught himself to play the guitar with his feet because he had no hands. Amazing! He even played before the Pope and quite a few TV stations featured him.
With a quick YouTube search, you can find quite a few people playing the guitar with their feet. I wouldn't be surprised if they were inspired by the man who played for the Pope, Tony.
Several years ago I got a call to teach a woman and when we met I noticed she had very severe arthritis. She asked me if I thought she was too old to learn to play the guitar.
I'm not sure of her age, but it was very hard for her to walk and I wasn't sure if her fingers could bend by the way she was holding them. Turns out she could move the index and second finger on her left hand.
She had also wanted to play the guitar all of her life. Not sure if it would work, I gave her several songs with two finger chords and she is probably the most excited student I've ever taught. Wish you could have seen the excitement in her eyes when she could sing and play these songs.
Later, in one of my Worship Guitar Classes, an 'older' member of the class proudly told us that her mother learned to swim at the age of 90. She had always told her daughter that learning something new is always a good way to 'stay young.'
Are you too old? I would say NO. As long as you can move your fingers, you can learn to play an instrument at any age. And, as Ruth's mother told her, it can actually help to keep you younger.
Learning to play the guitar at any age has many benefits. Playing the guitar can help your mind and it a wonderful stress buster too. It can be a way for you to express yourself in music.
Playing Christian music, in particular, can help you connect with your Creator besides being lots of fun!
Guitar Expert Jean Welles teaches Christian Guitar Lessons to all ages. There are free guitar lesson videos for most of the lessons at http://www.worshipguitarclass.com/.
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