Tag: Guitarist

Am I too old to learn guitar?

Nicole Neal4 Comments
English: A classic guitar headstock, showing t...
Photo credit: Wikipedia

 

Well, there’s a short and easy answer to that question – an indefatigable yes!

 

Hah hah! Of course I’m kidding! The answer to this question is absolutely and most definitely NO! There is no time like the present and there is absolutely no age limit to start learning the guitar (or any other instrument in fact).

 

There are a number of reasons why we are inspired to pick up the guitar and they hold true for whatever age you may be – you want to challenge yourself, it sounds cool (and it looks pretty cool too), you want to play the wonderful repertoire, pieces and songs that you really love, you want to express yourself or pour your emotions into music, you want to help inspire and entertain others. Now, I can think of no reason as to why age (whatever age that may be) would be a limit to fulfilling any of those things. Can you?

 

There’s an old Chinese proverb (and I’m sure I’ve written it on this blog before, but I’ll say it again) – the best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now. So, yes, you can whinge and whine and carry on that you should have started learning five, ten, fifteen, however many years ago, but there’s no time like the present!

 

I have a number of adult students who’ve come to me to pick up the guitar for the first time (wishing that they’d started earlier), but now very much committed to learning the instrument. These guys are really committed to developing their technique, their music reading and musicality, really committed to playing the music they’d wanted to since they were knee-high to a grasshopper, really committed to developing and honing the skills that are opening up a world of guitar-playing goodness, being an example to their children to show them the fulfilment that music can bring as well as the fruits of committed practice and hard work.  And they’re loving it!

 

There’s a whole wealth of joyful, enlightening, self-developing experiences to be had by starting to learn right now and imagine where you’ll be in another five or ten years time – wowing audiences, inspiring  your kids, teaching others and passing on your knowledge and skills. Once you’ve started to learn the guitar you can take it in whichever direction your heart desires.

 

So what is really stopping you from learning the guitar right now? A question to ask yourself.

 

It may be that it’s something you’ve always wanted to do and never quite gotten round to it. Well, perhaps it’s time to finally do it? What have you got to lose? Nothing, aside from time……

 

Mental Energy and Fuelling Yourself for Learning Guitar

Nicole Neal1 Comment
English: Pepitas - roasted and salted
Pumpkin seeds – one of my favourite brain foods! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

I’ve been reading a book recently by the name of “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Nobel Prize-winning author Daniel Kahneman (it’s a great read, you should check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555) . In this Kahneman discusses the idea that we have two “systems” operating in the brain:

 

  • System 1 – which is the “non-thinking” part of us, responsible for things that we do automatically, such as reflexes, reactions, habits and so on.

 

  • System 2 – which is the “thinking” part of us, responsible for us undertaking activities that require concentration, attention and mental effort.

 

This concept resonated with me in relation to learning the guitar, particularly so given that I’ve been learning a brand spanking new piece recently. It got me thinking that when we’re playing guitar, playing something we know absolutely inside out, backwards and upside down, something we’ve been playing for a long time, we’re really playing through our “System 1”. We’ve embedded something so much that it becomes a habit. And so it stands to reason, therefore, that when we’re learning something new, we’re utilising our “System 2” – concentrating and using real, discernable mental effort.

 

The new piece I’ve been learning recently is particularly involved, lengthy and intense – learning it has required some of the most intense mental effort and concentration I think I’ve ever exerted! After one particular lesson on this piece I felt like my brain had been pulled out backward through my head. I felt like I was like a zombie. I was also starving hungry! This is my “System 2” in full flight.

 

According to Kahneman:

 

“…the idea of mental energy is more than a mere metaphor. The nervous system consumes more glucose than most other parts of the body, and effortful mental activity appears to be especially expensive in the currency of glucose. When you are actively involved in difficult cognitive reasoning or engaged in a task that requires self-control, your blood glucose level drops. The effect is analogous to a sprinter who draws down glucose stored in her muscles during a sprint.”

 

Hmmm, very interesting. So when we’re learning a new piece on the guitar, really concentrating on reading each and every note, pitch, duration, rhythm, left hand fingering, right hand fingering, positioning on the fretboard and keeping it all together and all moving, we’re actually doing something akin to a mental sprint or some kind of mental “run” at least. You’re burning real energy, and burning it at a much greater rate than you probably would be when working on something you know inside out.

 

It’s probably a good idea, therefore, to think about fuelling yourself up sufficiently prior to a good solid practice session, particularly if you’re working on something brand spanking new! You don’t have to go crazy and use it as an excuse to pig out or to eat a lot of sugary or fatty foods. Just a little of something wholesome and nutritious before you sit down (and a glass of water so you’re well hydrated) is probably a good idea.

 

I’m no nutritionist, but something like a wee ham, cheese, salad sandwich on wholemeal, some Nutella or peanut butter on wholemeal, a handful of nuts and dried fruits or a banana prior to practice time sets me up well.

 

Here are some other ideas for you:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/16/brain-boosting-foods-that-increase-concentration_n_1096824.html