What is the right age to start to study guitar?

[ZidokTV]

I started at 6 (solfege and piano), then I got bored at 9 and changed to the guitar. Im almost 33 and still play the guitar! ;)

[Toca91]

I started when I was 11. My parent's don't know how to play guitars. It felt like hell and a huge mountain to climb. It looked impossible to even play Cowboys From Hell riff! After months and months of barely making to sort my blistered fingers out on the fretboard I learned a lot of stuff. I am now 14, can play half of the Cowboys From Hell solo and many other stuff. I learned everything myself, so it is possible, you just need will to do. Peace! :)

[Brian567899]

I'm 13 and my camp counsler plays guitar, hes 24 and has been playing since 19 and he's a pro. He got me into guitar and Im going out to buy one sometime this week, I already know Oasis on acoustic.

[preplulu]

im 13 guitar seems pretty intresting and i realy wanna learn it am i too young to start learning it? ive been kinda inspired by teh guitarists in the bands im listening too so i though it would be cool to learn it.

[DaFiReX]

Just a word of caution for people who self-teach. If you start making technical mistakes, you have no teacher to tell you it's wrong so you could be doing it wrong for such a long time that you will never be able to do it properly.

[Toca91]

@DaFiReX Impossible. You can just play how you want to play and/or how it feels easier. There is no wrong or right, there is only different.

[TheRandomdavid]

I was self taught took lessons quit the lessons but I keep practicing I'm 14

[tokman20]

a teacher taught for 3 years in highschool but i never took it seriously, i just wasn't interested in guitar. 3 and a half years later i found myself picking the guitar up again and now i just teach myself :D

[Metallica42497]

dont get a teacher just learn on your own, it works better than having a teacher since u would rely on a teacher to teach you every thing

[BaktolKillWithGuitar]

im just 12, ive been playing since i was 7 years old..... got guitar lessons at 9 years old.. and now i feel like a pro..

[Raditzize]

Hi I'm 14, wanting to play guitar, my dads a guitar freak and has been playing since 12 (he's 53 now) im gonna get lessons at school soon. the one drawback is that im very un motivated, i listen to all the songs and im studying GCSE Music (british exam).

I can't read music properly, I'm alright since ive been doing Violin. I find it very hard to study and sit down and practice, how do I make it seem like not such a chore??????

[cryan5280]

@Raditzize Play freely without learning

I love the guitar because I just liked to fiddle around on it for like a year until I took it seriously and wanted to actually get good. That is when I decided I wanted to actually learn what I was doing.

[octaviocgsa]

started with piano at 9 until 17 years old in classical formation...learned music theory and all there. then switched to guitar at 18 ... now im 21 and got my first electric months ago. its sad but i believe i will never catch up the ones who have been playing since early age :/

[markway16]

I have a Question , I started playing back in feb 2010 i was 19 then , im 20 now uhm is learning guitar at 19-20 ok ? am i really that far behind , all i really do is practice at home , not like i have ne where else to go other then work n school

[markway16]

I have a Question , I started playing back in feb 2010 i was 19 then , im 20 now uhm is learning guitar at 19-20 ok ?

[CJRaaa]

@markway16 You're not alone! I'm 18, and i'm just now starting as well..

[ThexOriginalxMdhd]

I'm 15 :) and can't get any private tutoring. I just learn songs. Is that bad?

[Guessmylevel]

I'm 12, is this a good age?

[saderguy]

@Guessmylevel go for it

[tomdmcpwn]

hey, is that a peavey bandit 112?

if so, i was curious where you have the knobs set up (if that makes sense), becuase i have the same one, but im looking for a good sound to keep on the clean channel while i run my distortion pedal through it. if you could reply, that would be awesome!!

[CavenEdwards]

Oh another tip, never compare yourselves to other players, always set goals and always be you. Just do you. We already got paul gilbert, yngwie malmsteen, jason becker, Eric clapton, Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Kirk Hammett, Robert Johnson, Lenny Breau, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, ALbert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roy Buchanan. We already got all of them ALl we need is you. Just give it your all, give it everything you got and you will be rewarded.

[CavenEdwards]

And Remember, there is more to playing than just technical ability, theirs heart and soul too. You've got to put your heart and your soul in it and just have fun, and don't be intimidated by difficult techniques just give it all you got. Your selfworth as a player isn't based on how fast you are or how technical you are, its based on how hard you work, and how much you love it. You got to love it no matter if your bad or good.

[CavenEdwards]

I don't think people should focus on what is a good age or how long will take me to get good. You shouldn't think about these things when you want to learn guitar, you should play guitar. ALl this type of stuff trivial crap that will get you nowhere. If you go into guitar with the idea of just having fun no matter how bad or how good you are success is inevitable. You just got to love doing it. If you don't like doing it then its futile. Just have fun and don't worry about anything else.

[GiveMeATaco100]

I've actually played piano at the age of8 and then i started guitar at 12. I also can translate some guitar songs into piano.

[onixtheone]

when learning an instrument age doesnt really matter its all about how much practice time u put in when i started learning at 15 i used to practice alot everyday allday and i had this friend who started playing earlier than i had like 6 years earlier but in a few weeks i was far more advanced than he was i was like joe satriani and he was like someone still playing in street corners thats how much better i got than him in a few weeks its all about PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!

[ekku1979]

I started playing guitar when I was 27 so I guess some people think that I'm a lost cause xD

[weaponx29]

its me again...is it bad if you always used tabs just to learn a certain song or riff?? cuz all these years i've been using tabs...i dont know how to discover it by ear....

[weaponx29]

hi sir..im from the philippines..i started guitar at the age of 14 but now im 17..then now i have problems about my hand height and the length of my hand..im too big for my guitar...im 5'7' and my hand is too big for my guitar..

[NorthrendProductions]

I have been playing drums for a looong time...

Just picked up the guitar a few months ago.

I suppose 13 isn't a bad age to start?

[RTE101]

loved guitar and music forever, started playing actual guitar when i was eight. my family had no musical knowledge/background whatsoever. the only thing they did was force me not to quit. :) now i'm glad

[Scubar123]

If you try to teach a young child in most cases it makes music boring for them and when they are old enough they have second guesses about if they want to try again because of past experiences. I believe its better to wait. That doesnt go for all but for the majority of children.

[Scubar123]

The issue with trying to teach younger children how to play guitar is, learning the basics is extremely boring and takes a lot of dedication. Children 6 years of age, most children, do not like committing them selves to that. Guitar playing becomes practise which Is no fun. At an older age, at least 10 or 11, its easier to direct motivation into something like learning an instrument.

[100backbeats]

i'm 52 and still get in trouble for tapping my fingers.. LOL.. peace

[scripteddd]

I started at age 10 playing basic folk songs off a VHS tape I rented at the local library. I was able to pick it up extremely quickly - the fruit of endless motivation and repetition. A week after I'd gotten the tape, I had help from a 15 year old who'd begun playing guitar a year prior.

Yes, your child will only produce a racket lacking the proper guidance and motivation. My parents' music collection was enough for me - I loved music even at that early age and listened to it all the time.

[100backbeats]

a child can start at 3 yr.s old, the best way to know if your child wants to do this, is observe your child around the house watch if they tap their fingers or are drumming on things, if you see that they are keeping time, that could be a good indicater that they have some rythum, sign them up and good luck

[scripteddd]

@100backbeats

Haha, it's funny you mention the tapping - that had gotten me in trouble a few times in school. My parents thought I would end up a drummer, but I ended up picking the guitar.

There are so many concepts introduced to someone when they're learning an instrument. Rhythm is very important, and is something that just doesn't come naturally to a lot of people.

[LuisMetalKid]

i'm nine and i just started last february... my dad plays guitar and gives me all the stuff i want to learn

[simonspangles]

It's never too young.. Check out ' stevie vai child guitarist ' ... Not even a 3/4 size guitar... Amazing and humbling !

[Curl3y95]

I'm 14, and i haven't taken ANY private guitar lessons (though i really want to...) I started playing midway through 2008.

I'm starting to learn some music theory, like I know some of the intervals, how chords are constructed, and the formula for major and minor scales.

But I have a question-- would it do me good to keep learning, or should i stop(?)

Oh, btw- I'm REALLY INTO JAPANESE SCALES (Kumoi, hirajoshi?), ala Marty Friedman

[colie577]

Well, I'm about the same age as you are, but I've been playing guitar for much longer.

As you, I started without any private lessons, just reading tabs off the internet of some of the songs that I wanted to learn, but then i decided to start learning the Theory aspect to it. At first it seemed kind of pointless, but it really brought my guitar ability from able to play songs to playing fanatically. It helps you actually understand what you're doing, and improves your skill.

IMO, keep it up.

[Curl3y95]

thanks man/girl,

thats pretty much the stage i'm in right now-

learning Theory seems a little pointless (and boring/irritating?) but it kind of helps when i'm showing off in front of 6 friends and a fellow cocky guitarist >:)

but i think i should also incorporate the little i know about theory with some Emotion and phrasing, and continue to do that as i learn more theory

Thanks-_-

[49Ferdinand]

i started playing the guitar with 15 and when I was young my parents wanted me to play piano and I just said "NO! this sucks, I don´t want to play an instrument. it´s boring!"

yaye and for some reason the idea of playing guitar came into my mind when I was 13, but my parents said I would drop it after a month or two...but I didn´t ;)

and now I also like playing keyboard as much as playing guitar^^

[soupie]

I started when I was 17, my stepdad played guitar all the time when I was a kid. but I never played the guitar in front of him, we didnt get on. lol

I wished I'd started younger.

but I play guitar, I dont study it, but I'm starting to.

[GeeZoiks]

Gave my son a 1/2 size guitar, Amp and FX when he was six. He is eight now and has learned how to pick notes, at random mostly, and play a couple of power chords. He picks it up now and again when the inspiration takes him and has a good bash and lots of fun getting "Satch", Hendrix and U2 sounds. As Andrew Wasson says, the guitar is just too difficult for you kids, but is great for making a racket and posing :) and a good experience might encourage them in the future.

[umumohi14]

1:34 xD

i started on the TV advertised Esteban guitar.

[MikeDPGuitar]

I started at eleven, and I think that twelve or thirteen would be better because I got my first guitar when I was eleven, but I couldn't really play it until twelve or so, and didn't grasp any music theory until somewhere around thirteen. So... maybe puberty?

[klummster88]

id say that just RIGHT after puberty is a great time to start...ignoring all the other benefits, women like musicians...and pubescent men like women...thats A LOT of motivation

[TheElectricHeat]

If you can't afford an education, you better start immediately no matter how old/young. Having trouble finding time to practice? Get rid of your TV and don't bother with pets. If you work hard and learn learn your theory you will advance quickly. Know C major/A minor like the back of your hand and everything else will fall into place

[ChyronIsChillin]

I'm a little pissed off that I haven't done anything from the time I was little. Because of that, I'm not really talented at anything. I'm 15 and just this year started taking guitar lessons. I've been doing lessons weekly for almost 2 months now, and I'm practicing even more. I just hope that since I started late that I won't screw up. sigh....

[chris145799]

dude i started when i was 17 and im 20 now. i dont think its ever too late to start playing as long as you have fun

[omgaroflolz]

slash started guitar when he was 15

just to let you know ahaha

[ChyronIsChillin]

I think Paul Gilbert did too.(He's my favorite guitarist)

Yeah, don't worry, I found out after I posted that that 15 is a fine age. And it seems to be a lucky one too.  ;D

[omgaroflolz]

:) yeah, i dont think it matters too much when you start, its more about how much you practise, e.g

someone could start playing when they were 10 and like practise for an hour every 3-4 days for like 6 years, and be as good as someone whos been playing like 4 hours a day for a year. ahah

[watchthisOo]

Gilbert started with 5 :)

[ChyronIsChillin]

I believe to be honest in a video he said he started at whatever age, and then only started getting good(or taking lessons) at 15. Something like that. I don't know, I don't particularly care, since he's my favorite guitarist.

[heavydoombeje]

And J.Page with 14...

[PhilomathBret]

15 is actually a great and young age to start playing guitar. You could become an amazing guitar player after starting at that age.

[Zornarka]

I started at 14, but didnt play much until i was almost 15, does that mean I can get REALLY good if I practice some almost every day?

[PhilomathBret]

Sure but I recommend I playing every day!

[Dannicthemanic]

I started at 20 and I'm doing great, so you should be just fine.

[levaann]

I started when I was 12

[Draugoth]

I started at 16. THe good advantage I had was that I've been into music for a real long time, honest to God I used to play old Steely Dan records when I was four. I used ot do dome piano lessons at six, but it was the music note that killed it. I stil cant understand music notes, they are just ambiguous to me.

[TheMetallkylling]

well, i started playing when i was 7, my dad learned me some easy chords, like am, e, d e.t.c. but i kinda stopped playing until i was 13, that was when i gpt my first electric guitar.

[YoungGuitaristt]

Hey Andrew thanks alot! Im 16, started about 8 months ago. And its just going great! :D I can play stuff like Comfortably numb and stairway to heaven solos. In my opinion:

If one or both of the parents play guitar. The kid can start at a pretty young age. Not at lessons. But basicly learning small simple melodies. To get a little bit of knowledge on the fretboard. As they grow they get the left and right hand ability to play more complicated stuff. But the child must like music. Don't push it

[Drjnfan93]

I started at 15 and am self taught. But the problem with being self taught is that I have know idea what you are talking about in a lot of your videos lol. But still your videos are awesome

[DavyT09]

i started playing when i was 14 with an electric and took weekly lessons for a year. in that first year i learned the basics of reading music, chords and a good bit of technique. i've been learning independently for 2 years now and i just started to learn sweeping. i'm very glad i took lessons and might start them again soon, i recommend lessons to anyone and thanks for the senior wasson they have been quite helpful

[psufb14]

hi. i just started playing guitar and i learned how to read tabs. i learned a little of the eddie van halen eruption solo . i was wondering if this will help me or hurt me in the long run.

[musicfreak9000]

i've only been playing for about 4 mouthes and i've realy not been praticing much because i have to learn the basic first any tips on how to get though the basic???

[creativeguitarstudio]

Hello "musicfreak9000,"

The basics tend to be different from person to person. Learning the open position chords and how to read music in 1st position might be a good start. But, I'd also suggest getting yourself a teacher to help guide you along with learning some of your favorite songs.

- Andrew

[Zornarka]

I agree with creativeguitarstudio, I'm 15, and I've tried private lessons. I have only ben there for 3 half-hour lessons, but now I can read tabs, the E-scale, a practice to learn how to controll the whereabouts of my fingers on the fretboard, a little bit hammer ons and a melody the teacher just came up with. You should try lessons too!

[shreddakj]

I started when i was 10 got my first electric guitar at 13 and played my first satriani song at 15, now i'm 19 and I'm doing a music degree majoring in jazz performance.

[InnocentExile182]

i started at 17, i taught myself, but i try very hard to develope a good technique such as picking style and fingering, i also dont know much about keys, but i know time sig's well and i just have an ear for key

[brich949]

Im 16............I kinda think it may be too late for me, but still I really want to learn. Do you think I still have a chance? My neighbors dad is a full blown expert on guitar and he has offered to teach me.

[creativeguitarstudio]

Hello brich949...

Age 16 is an excellent age. But, I'd suggest you take lessons from a person who teaches as a vocation, they'll probably offer you far more material. Your neighbors dad could be a good start though. All the best.

Andrew W.

[brich949]

Thank you very much! Its good to here encouragement after hearing a long line of doubt's and antagonizing remarks.

[1234Sebster]

@brich949 Check out glenn tipton painkiller solo 

He didnt start till he was 19

[Niamorg1007]

@1234Sebster Kickass example.

[PlochpReborn]

@brich949 go for it man!!

[MultiMusicFanatic]

@brich949 Belive me, you are not too late. I started at seventeen and I have worked my way past many friends who started at nine. All you need is practice practice practice :)

[quazzie11]

@brich949 - Just chiming in here. 16 is NOT too late. Zakk Wylde, a very accomplished player, started when he was 15 and had been playing for only 6 years when he recorded No Rest For The Wicked with Ozzy Osbourne. It's all about how badly you want it.

[larznjak28]

i playd piano for half a year wen i was 3 then i picked up a guitar and ive been playing for 9 years now and im doing fine, ppl voted me best in my school so yea, i dont think im that good but im doing fine

[funtochill431]

I tried starting my son at 6 and it was a total waste of time. I wish I'd seen this video. The jerks at the music store told me that 6 was a good age. I wasn't allowed into the lesson room, I sat across a hall and watched. The teacher didn't think it was good for me to be inside {?} I'm going to try again when he is 10 or 11. Thanks for this video - it just didn't come soon enough for my kid !

[Amphibianman94]

i started at 7 and i've been doin' gr8 since... but i've been off and on around 10 and 11 cuz i started taking drum lessons to get my rhythm down. but now im all guitar and im 14

[acledmaiden]

I started at 14 and been playinng for 2 years, i took piano lessons and i never enjoyed it half as much as i do finding stuff out form my own fingers. It may be slower but true understanding of music isn't taught.

[loveguitars]

Excellent Video. I wish I had that problem. I started learning guitar at 40. LOL

[j0ey3200]

Really good video. You make good points. Keep the videos coming!