Many people assume that only children can learn guitar quickly. Adults tend to think they can’t compete with younger folks, and often don’t push themselves as a result. However, I’m convinced that adults can learn guitar just as fast as children—if not faster, given the right circumstances.

My view is that every age has its own pros and cons for guitar playing. Children, while usually receptive to new knowledge and less afraid of a challenge, are typically immature and short-sighted. Adults may be reluctant to learn something new and unsure of themselves, but they tend to be more disciplined and organized.

I’m absolutely convinced that if adults take full advantage of their station in life, they can learn guitar as quickly as anyone. Arguably, they have the tools to learn much faster than children, even though their brains are at a less optimal stage for learning.

If you’re an adult who wants to learn guitar as fast as possible, I hope you find the following tips to be useful!

By the above I do not necessarily mean, “become a professional guitarist.” Obviously, trying to become a full-time musician isn’t viable or even desirable for most people. What I mean is that you should adopt a true professional’s mentality in order to improve quickly.

So how do you start to professionalize? First, I think you need to take some pride in your musical studies. Rather than “getting through” practice sessions, they should invigorate you.

Ideally, they’re the best part of your day! Also, instead of learning as little guitar theory as you need to scrape by, you should aspire to know as much as possible. Try to approach your guitar studies with a positive, if not loving, attitude.

Let’s take the circle of fifths as one example. An amateur guitar player might have some understanding of the circle, but nothing like full comprehension. A professional, on the other hand, knows all the fourths and fifths inside and out, and is comfortable in all 24 keys. For them, the circle of fifths has a kind of beauty to it. There’s no reason for anyone who wants to improve quickly not to hold themselves to this sort of higher standard.

Another way to professionalize is to listen like a pro. You should be listening closely to all the music you encounter, even songs you don’t necessarily like but happen to be playing in your vicinity.

Obviously you need to be listening closely to your own playing as well. A professional doesn’t learn a song in a half-hearted way. They practice intently and deliberately until they can produce the exact rendition they’d like to hear.

I realize that the examples above are not possible for everyone to attain. My larger point, however, is that if you want to improve as fast as possible, you should move forward ambitiously and fearlessly, hoping to learn everything you possibly can.

We hear a lot about the advantages that children have over adults when it comes to learning music. What we typically forget is that adults are advantaged over children in a number of important respects.

For one, adults usually have more worldly resources. While children are at the mercy of their parents’ generosity, adults often have some discretionary income that they can spend however they like.

So let me make a fairly straightforward point: if you have some extra cash sitting around and you’d like to improve at guitar, spend your money toward that end!

But how do you spend effectively? Too many guitar players see buying new gear as a way to improve. Unfortunately it’s not, despite what 10 million ads will tell you.

You can attain virtuosity on a very inexpensive guitar, and you can be mediocre on a very expensive guitar. If you’re committed, you should be spending money on 1) more time to practice guitar, and 2) a musical education.

We all know that “time is money” in a certain sense. I’d go so far as to say that time is greater than money. Therefore, if you can buy yourself free time to practice guitar, you should simply do so.

This can take a number of different forms. You might hire someone to mow your grass instead of doing it yourself and use that time to practice. You might reduce your working hours (and take a reduction in pay) to increase your guitar hours.

Paying for a musical education can take a variety of forms. If you’re considering going back to school and have the means, then I encourage you to do so. Taking lessons from a good teacher will also help you a great deal. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking lessons, even if you can only take them virtually. Tons of excellent guitarists teach these days, and there’s someone for every budget.

My advice for choosing a teacher (if you want to improve quickly) is to pick someone who cares about your progress. A lot of teachers out there don’t really expect much from you, and won’t really encourage you to work hard. Ideally, you find someone who’s a top-notch guitarist so they can double as a role model.

All told, different strategies work for different people. The main question, really, is how badly you want to play well. In my experience, the people who make big leaps of progress in a short time are extremely strong willed and single-minded.

If guitar mastery were a locked door, then most players are knocking once or twice, maybe ringing the doorbell, then walking away. Players who want to improve quickly are pounding on that door until their fists bleed. In other words, you should be prepared to work really hard.

There are always a million reasons to wait. Maybe your new guitar is coming next week. Maybe you think you’ll have time to practice once the golf season is over. When other people make excuses, we tend to see right through them. But when it comes to our own reasons for procrastinating our guitar work, we take them as gospel.

If you’re serious about becoming a good guitar player, you need to start today. Life can seem long, almost endless, but in reality it’s pretty darn short. When we die, we’re inevitably going to leave a lot of important things undone. That’s fine; that’s how life goes. But guitar playing doesn’t have to be one of those things. Even a little bit of practice each day makes a world of difference.

One thing I’ve noticed is that it feels good to be productive. In many ways it’s more enjoyable than procrastinating. The next time you’re sitting in the Netflix queue, feeling lazy, waiting for the next episode to start, I challenge you to pay close attention to the quality of your experience.

How great do you feel in that moment of idleness? If you’re anything like me, that’s actually a pretty low moment for you. It’s just not as fun as it should be. Meanwhile, guitar playing is not only more fun, but arguably more worthwhile. So you have to ask yourself: how will you spend your limited time?

A lot of adults want to learn guitar, and that’s a wonderful thing. The good news is that, contrary to popular belief, adult-beginners can still become great players. You don’t necessarily need to start as a child to play really well!

Above all else, your guitar-learning method will determine your musical potential. In my view, people put too much stock in the concept of natural talent (you got it or you don’t) and not enough stock in sheer force of will. If you want more discussion on the supreme importance of method, check out this awesome post.

Finally, I want to share an essay by the virtuoso guitarist Ricardo Iznaola about teaching adult beginners. He published it in 1994, but it’s as groundbreaking today as it was then. You can find the essay right here on his website.

Good luck with your playing!

Are you looking to upgrade your gear or browse some awesome guitar learning materials? Check out my recommendations page to see all my favorite stuff. 

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