Learning something new and breaking out of the monotonous routine of daily life is the dream of millions of busy adults around the world. The feeling that you’re potentially missing out on something good or even life-transforming, can happen when you feel bridled to the responsibilities of your career, family, and relationships. Like other pursuits, guitar lessons for adults can sometimes end up being situations where busy people try and fail to find the time and energy to learn something new. However, they don’t have to be.

Find a Teacher Who Cares

In Adult guitar lessons, practicing under a skilled, patient instructor is essential for success. Finding an instructor who is both friendly and able to keep you accountable is the key. When looking for a guitar instructor, it’s prudent to ask some questions such as, “What sort of music education have you had? and, “If you take lessons from him/her, can he/she give you a glimpse of what both of you will be doing over the next 6 months?”

Be clear about what you’d want to achieve in your guitar lessons for adults before you look for a teacher. Certain instructors bring special skills to their lessons. Thus, if you want to learn to read music, write songs, or improvise over some jazz chords, ensure you ask prospective instructors if they have any experience in those areas.

The Work

Guitar lessons, even when taken under the guidance of a great instructor, can only bring a student so far. According to teachers having many years of experience, more than 90% of the technical excellence a music student achieves is honed tediously while practicing alone over the several months and even years. If you’re a busy adult who can’t set aside more than half an hour a week to practicing, this doesn’t mean you should drop the idea of learning how to play the guitar.

However, don’t forget that learning the basic skills on the guitar will take you longer than a person who can put in more time and effort. It’s crucial to be very clear about what kind of time you can commit to learning the guitar before you start looking for an instructor, for your guitar lessons for adults. If you cannot play that frequently, that’s OK. But do tell your instructor during the first few lessons so that they can plan their lessons accordingly.

The Gist

If you’re about to take guitar lessons for the first time, it’s vital that you ask yourself this question - what the motivating force behind your interest in learning is? There aren’t any wrong answers here. Possibly you are trying to learn enough so that you can sing and play simple songs by the campfire. Alternatively, you might feel like your creative side wasn’t nurtured enough while playing guitar around a campfire as a child. What motivates you to accept the challenge of learning something new is vital since it will inform how your lessons are structured; and what material you and your instructor will need to cover.