90% Give up the guitar in the first year

[mrjop1975]

Interesting but I can believe it. When I started, someone from the church I went to showed me some chords and chord progressions and I was really on my own after that, gleaming from reading books, and people showing me things here and there along the way. I came close to quitting because I could barely go from playing in G going from a G to a C back to a G. I finally was shown an easy way to do that, using my 3rd, 4th and 5th finger to make a G chord and being able to easily slide my fingers over to a C chord made the difference and why I didn't quit.

I also think the other thing to about beginners wanting to quit could be the quality of there instruments. I am not saying a beginner needs to spend $2000 plus for a killer first guitar, but I am saying a beginner needs to have a realistic expectation that they need to invest in a good quality, well made, well known guitar, make sure that it has a quality set-up, and accessories like a capo, pics, an electronic tuner. I may be mistaken but I think that if someone puts a bit of an investment in it up front, that would make them want to make sure there investment was worth it. My own two cents worth for what it's worth.

[Graylocks]

I find that most of the tween students i get do not want to become musicians they want to become famous. The quit when they realize the road to celebrity is paved with a hell of a lot of practice.

Adults often quit when they realize they don't have the time and/or energy to put in the amount of practice and patience that would make playing satisfying to them.

Thankfully, there are exceptions in both cases.

[DBW]

I bought a starter Fender acoustic back in 2006 and tried the Fender play on disc. I didn't really understand what was going on just by watching a video. The strings were also hard to play. That guitar sat on a stand for a couple of years. I was deployed to Afghanistan from late 2007 through 2008. I ordered a Gibson Les Paul (Swamp Ash Studio). It was delivered to a friend and was waiting for me when I got back home a year later. However, I had bent one of my left fingers (my middle one - I call it my Taliban finger). I fell while on patrol and instead of wrapping my arms in front of me, I tried to catch my fall by placing my left hand behind my back. A bad idea when wearing body armor.
It was bent for the rest of the time I was over there. When I got back, the VA Doctor had it in a brace for a year, slowly twisting it back into a relatively straight shape. The Les Paul sat in the case for 10 years. I would pull it out every once in a while but I still didn't understand what I was doing.
Then on my birthday in 2018 I decided that I would get in-person lessons. That made a huge difference for me. I pulled out the Les Paul and actually learned how to play it. Learning how to change chords was the most frustrating part, but my instructor taught me how to slow down, do it over and over, and use a metronome. When it worked for the first chord change I knew the method worked and stuck with it. Here I am 3 1/2 years later. I've scaled my lessons back to every other week but I still value them. I also find electric easier to play but I'm enjoying my acoustics more as my fingers have become stronger. My friends and family been very complimentary about my progress and I can really tell a difference. I'm glad a stuck with it after all. I'm not going to stop playing until I die.

[KevinH]

Many of the people I've known over the years that played guitar have given up on it. I hope there's no correlation there .

I was in the local Apple store last week talking to one of the geeks while waiting on having a laptop checked out. He said many of the employees there were taking up guitar during the pandemic, just for something to do. He had done the same and sounded overwhelmed. I tried to encourage him, but I think many people that start playing don't realize how long the road can be.

[jfan175]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

I think that’s probably correct for 90% of people trying to learn any new hobby. Especially, since we’re now an “instant gratification” society and want things immediately, just like googling or texting. If someone’s not instantly able to be a success at something, it’s easier to just give it up. I’ve seen it out of my own 5 kids, with archery, sports, musical instruments, riding lessons.

Completely agree, and I've seen it with my son. If it didn't come fairly easy to him, he moved on to something else.

I wonder how many of that 90% were young folks who became really good at Rockband type games and thought their "skills" would be carry over to a real guitar?

[czgunner]

Where are all the second hand guitars for sale? Seems the market would be swamped.

[Jamolay]

Definitely a difficult cheep guitar and no one to encourage them through the first month of finger pain probably weeds out a lot.

I bet a lot has to do with other local life circumstance and stage of life. If you are a teenager, you likely either need to be a rare super obsessed guitar junky or more often have a peer group also into guitar and music.

As an old dude starting guitar, I have the maturity to recognize my interest and I have will, plus I don’t need any one else, I am doing this for me. Not to mention I can afford a playable guitar.

[DBW]

Originally Posted by czgunner

Where are all the second hand guitars for sale? Seems the market would be swamped.

It's probably coming sooner or later.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by DBW

I bought a starter Fender acoustic back in 2006 and tried the Fender play on disc. I didn't really understand what was going on just by watching a video. The strings were also hard to play. That guitar sat on a stand for a couple of years. I was deployed to Afghanistan from late 2007 through 2008. I ordered a Gibson Les Paul (Swamp Ash Studio). It was delivered to a friend and was waiting for me when I got back home a year later. However, I had bent one of my left fingers (my middle one - I call it my Taliban finger). I fell while on patrol and instead of wrapping my arms in front of me, I tried to catch my fall by placing my left hand behind my back. A bad idea when wearing body armor.
It was bent for the rest of the time I was over there. When I got back, the VA Doctor had it in a brace for a year, slowly twisting it back into a relatively straight shape. The Les Paul sat in the case for 10 years. I would pull it out every once in a while but I still didn't understand what I was doing.
Then on my birthday in 2018 I decided that I would get in-person lessons. That made a huge difference for me. I pulled out the Les Paul and actually learned how to play it. Learning how to change chords was the most frustrating part, but my instructor taught me how to slow down, do it over and over, and use a metronome. When it worked for the first chord change I knew the method worked and stuck with it. Here I am 3 1/2 years later. I've scaled my lessons back to every other week but I still value them. I also find electric easier to play but I'm enjoying my acoustics more as my fingers have become stronger. My friends and family been very complimentary about my progress and I can really tell a difference. I'm glad a stuck with it after all. I'm not going to stop playing until I die.

Hi DBW!

This is a great story! I'm so glad you got your finger fixed up, glad you had that Les Paul waiting for you, and glad you have made some good progress on both electric and acoustic.

And thank you, too, for your sacrifices and your service.

Take care,
Glenn

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Chickee

You’re right Glenn, I was and am very lucky. Ultimately he and I sing and play together to this very day! We would sit on the stoop in Brooklyn as young guys and play all night. He bought me my Univox LesPaul copy when I was thirteen years old. My rock and roll life was up and running and continues today.
Me and big brother!

Man, Chickee!

What a great photo! And what a great story!

- Glenn

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by czgunner

Where are all the second hand guitars for sale? Seems the market would be swamped.

Look at any Hollywood set that is trying to represent a home. I bet that somewhere it is decorated with a guitar. That helps power the guitar gamble: "I can always decorate with it."

Bob

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I am assuming that the AGF is full of people who are fairly dedicated to learning to play the guitar better, so based on that assumption, I'm wondering what the members here think makes the difference between players sticking with the guitar rather than giving up.

- Glenn

I wonder what percentage here have come and gone over the years.

[Rogerblair]

Back in about 1959 or 60 my brother bought a used Sears Silvertone from a friend and gave it to me for my birthday. That lit the fuse. I’m not sure what kept me going at that point, as the guitar was hard to play and there were no other musicians in my household…just enthusiastic parents and brother. Maybe that support structure was what did it.

Every week, I watched Ozzie and Harriet, waiting for Ricky’s song at the end… I WAS RICKY NELSON, gosh darn it! Following all the popular singers and groups, I taught myself some rudimentary chords, and was able to pull off a couple of songs within short order.

Shortly afterwards, my folks allowed my to give up the accordion and helped me buy a Gibson Melody Maker. I didn’t have an amp, so I plugged into an amp that a buddy was borrowing from his dad.

We formed a band with a couple other guys and my music days began in full swing. A couple of bands later, we were playing at high school sock hops and starting to build a nice set list…British invasion was taking over and we tried to keep up with that music. The big thrill then was that the girls liked guys who played in bands.

In 1964 I graduated from high school and was soon working at an art studio, which, along with a serious girlfriend relationship, started to displace my interest in playing in a band. Shortly afterwards I got drafted and my life suddenly changed completely.

I didn’t play guitar for 15 or so years, but picked it up again when my wife’s brother got me back into music. I haven’t stopped since.

Music adds so much texture and pleasure to my life. I would miss it terribly if I couldn’t play.

Roger

[Alex&r]

I just wonder whether that 90% misses out on the people who return to playing after years away.
I was talking to my dad at Christmas and he remembers when I got my first guitar. I must have been seven or eight years-old. He says I was inseparable from it, bringing it to the dinner table etc etc. I don't remember the make but it was white with a transfer of a seagull on it and a black pickguard!
Although I have cousins who are really musical, playing traditional Irish music on traditional instruments, I didn't know any guitarists but persevered and learned the major and minor chords from a book. Then I stopped playing.
I did pick it up again when I was 17-18 and played with some mates in a band. We played a handful of gigs in a Labour Club and community centres, bad covers of the Jesus and Mary Chain and Stooges mainly! Same old chords! Our drummer went on and had some success in music during the 'Britpop' era but I never progressed as a player and whilst I always had a guitar to all intents and purposes I gave it up.
Anyhow, life presented me with an opportunity to take it back up in a serious way three or four years ago and boom! It's become v important to me and I'm back to that 7-8-year-old who carries it everywhere.
Anyway, long story short...giving up isn't necessarily permanent.

[Glennwillow]

Yes, I do know that some players stop playing and then later come back to it. And who knows what that percentage might be.

As a guess, maybe 10%? So even if 80% of those who started the guitar give up, that's still a pretty high percentage.

In my generation a lot of players actually learned to play, even played in bands, and then as life took over, they put their guitar down and didn't pick it up for another 20-30 years. Then later in life, maybe even at retirement from the work force, they picked up the guitar again and really dived into it.

I do think this is a pretty common situation.

- Glenn