How old were you when you started playing guitar ?

paulyc

Well-known member
Title is self explanatory, looking to see what the most common age was/is. Starting my 8 year old with lessons, I think he’s too young (my wife wants him to start now), I was about 10 when I started and I don’t remember having as much trouble as my 8 year old seems to be having. Any of you have kids that play ?
 
17. I developed the interest when I was 11, but my parents refused to get me a guitar. One day my older brother bought a guitar and amp for my older sister. He knew I wanted a guitar so I was pretty pissed lol. But she ended up not playing the guitar so I took it. I was hooked.
 
Title is self explanatory, looking to see what the most common age was/is. Starting my 8 year old with lessons, I think he’s too young (my wife wants him to start now), I was about 10 when I started and I don’t remember having as much trouble as my 8 year old seems to be having. Any of you have kids that play ?
I’m a guitar teacher and it’s always different for everyone. Even if he’s having trouble now he will still make little jumps just from the lessons . Just being around the lessons keeps building little things up for kids
 
Regardless the age you have to want to do it. I was 12 when I started and would practice religiously every day after school
 
So my parents MADE me take the lessons, I pretty much HATED it at 10 through probably 12 or 13, but freshman year of high school I went back to it and loved it. I farted around with it in between. I looked back at those couple/few years of lessons and was glad my parents made me do it because I had a HUGE leg up on all the high school dudes that were just starting out. It was under my fingers already. I knew how to hold the pick, mute, etc.
 
I started at 10 and had a really shitty teacher that wanted me to play the eagles.

Then I discovered the internet and tabs at 12 and I was all in. You mean I can learn the misfits and iced earth on guitar?! I was sold.
 
I started playing bass when I was 10. I was a probably too young and even though I took lessons, it was kind of a toy for me and it didn't totally stick. I was 14 when I switched to guitar and that's when the bug really bit, and I started playing all day long. I was doing small tours with my first band three years later. I wouldn't expect much from an 8 year old, but if he's interested, laying down that familiarity may bring him back to the instrument when he's older. Just plant those seeds and make it exciting for him, don't be one of those parents who really try to push their kid into an instrument. If it's a chore, they'll drop it the moment they can.
 
I was in 5-6th grade. Think I was in 7th when I got my first electric and amp. Got my first Marshall at around 19-20.

I was big into blues and Hendrix, along with Sabbath.

Thing to get my 10 year old into it. He doesn’t care. I got him into Taekwondo for a little while, but he quit that too. It sucks as an instructor that my kid doesn’t do it.
 
13.

Went to a buddies house that had a band and was killing it on guitar at the same age, he started at 5 and has a dad that also played. I’m talking 3 doors down, Van Halen, Styx, Kansas, Motley Crue, skynyrd, dude could do it all.

My parents didn’t support me the same though - no one really ever has to be honest including my fiance‘ - I can only play when all my daily shit is done otherwise I catch sass the rest of the day/night.
 
I posed with a guitar starting at like 8. I could play the A-team theme at 12 in 6th grade.

At 22 I met a killer guitar player that was my age and picked it up at 19. I've been practicing for 30 years to try to get as good as him.
 
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