How to get young people motivate to learn guitar?

[Nimiety]

Have you considered having guitar lessons = extra high school credits? That might offer extra incentive to stick with a music program. RCM offers that perk. Maybe you could arrange for something similar.

Are you familiar with Sistema? Their program might also offer up some ideas.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Quakeroatmeal

I'd like to preface this with: It's very commendable that we want younger people to show interest in guitars.

BUT there are plenty of stomach churning answers here.

Playing video games has NOTHING to do with ones sex life. Please stop with this outdated, old timey concept. Just because it was uncool to play Pac Man in your generation, does not mean this is the norm anymore. So stop it.

If I had a grandparent dangling, "Play guitars, get girls" over my head I would roll my eyes and get back to Call of Duty, and think they're being creepy.

We live in a time where younger people no longer view mass reproduction of our species as important, and the numbers show it.

So using "girls" as a trophy, or shaming people for gaming is not going to work.

I have done my share of playing "Call of Duty." Pacman??!! i I was once a nationally ranked chess player. I understand the appeal of games.

Regarding "shaming" I have never done this to my grandson or to anyone else, so perhaps you might lighten up a bit.

I do think that when I get to the end of my life and look back on it, I'll find that I was able to give a lot more back to other people through music than I ever was through playing video games. And for that reason, I don't spend time on video games anymore.

What you spend your time on is up to you. It's your life.

My oldest son actually composes some pretty awesome music for video games you might recognize. So there's a place where music can make a contribution to entertainment and video games.

We all make our choices in life. This is a forum for guitar players and musicians, and for many of us, music is on a higher plane compared to more passive, less creative forms of entertainment.

- Glenn

[Quakeroatmeal]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I have done my share of playing "Call of Duty." Pacman??!! i I was once a nationally ranked chess player. I understand the appeal of games.

Regarding "shaming" I have never done this to my grandson or to anyone else, so perhaps you might lighten up a bit.

I do think that when I get to the end of my life and look back on it, I'll find that I was able to give a lot more back to other people through music than I ever was through playing video games. And for that reason, I don't spend time on video games anymore.

What you spend your time on is up to you. It's your life.

My oldest son actually composes some pretty awesome music for video games you might recognize. So there's a place where music can make a contribution to entertainment and video games.

We all make our choices in life. This is a forum for guitar players and musicians, and for many of us, music is on a higher plane compared to more passive, less creative forms of entertainment.

- Glenn

My post wasn't meant directly to you, but this is exactly the tone that sends younger folks running away in droves.

We are all on this forum out of a mutual admiration of the guitar, and sure we may think it's on a higher plane compared to other forms of entertainment, but one mans "higher form of entertainment" is another mans snooze-ville.

And this topic was started asking how we can interest younger people, and my recommendation is still, don't turn your nose up at what interests them, all that'll do is push them away.

Todays Twitch streamers are yesterdays rock gods.

[martinhubltz]

Originally Posted by Quakeroatmeal

My post wasn't meant directly to you, but this is exactly the condescending tone that sends younger folks running away in droves.

We are all on this forum out of a mutual admiration of the guitar, and sure we may think it's on a higher plane compared to other forms of entertainment, but one mans "higher form of entertainment" is another mans snooze-ville.

And this topic was started asking how we can interest younger people, and my recommendation is still, don't turn your nose up at what interests them, all that'll do is push them away.

Todays Twitch streamers are yesterdays rock gods.

I have been working in technology for twenty five years, currently working for one of FAANG companies. IMHO, playing video games is a waste of time and not productive. Learning music or creative art really open up kids creativity. Video games are so addictive and they are much worse than drugs. That's why I am trying to get young people away from video games and into music and arts.

Playing video games is very easy and everyone can do it. Playing guitar is not easy, some might even say difficult. If something is difficult to achieve, it is definitely worth it.

[Quakeroatmeal]

It's a guitar forum, and I get that but there's no point arguing who's hobby is more "difficult" "worthwhile" "prestigious" etc.

Times are changing, and that's apparent when people are on here scrambling to try and get younger people to appreciate the guitar.

And before anyone says, but guitars are booming again! Yes, because of the pandemic and we are already seeing that slow down.

Lots of people got into guitars to be like their favorite musicians, but when your favorite musicians no longer plays a guitar what will you aspire to play to be like them?

I've stated my point already, and will be bowing out of this topic.

[Sonoma2]

Video games. Not my thing. My son is 14. He plays Minecraft. Because of it he's learned to code. I do not know to play Minecraft and have no interest, but it's probably not as easy as he makes it look.

My son, however, also plays the violin rather well (for his age). He's worked hard and he's good. Playing the violin is also not as easy as he makes it look.

Goes both ways. Gamers have some serious skill and being good at it takes work, good eye to hand, quick-thinking, reflexes, and ability to interact well. Playing an instrument, oddly, takes those very same things. More in common than one might think.

But, I think if you're going to teach kids to play guitar offer them something tangible in exchange. Transportation? Food? Tutoring?

[Picker1]

Teach kids a song that they want to learn. There's not a lot of contemporary acoustic guitar music, so that might be a problem

[pagedr]

Originally Posted by martinhubltz

I have been working in technology for twenty five years, currently working for one of FAANG companies. IMHO, playing video games is a waste of time and not productive. Learning music or creative art really open up kids creativity. Video games are so addictive and they are much worse than drugs. That's why I am trying to get young people away from video games and into music and arts.

Playing video games is very easy and everyone can do it. Playing guitar is not easy, some might even say difficult. If something is difficult to achieve, it is definitely worth it.

This is seriously misguided. Plenty of creativity can come from playing video games, and guess what, not everyone needs/wants to be creative! I know a number of people whose love for video games led them down a path to become designers, coders, etc. Video games are not "easy" either. They are just like guitar - you can learn a few chords, or get the basics of a game down, with a little practice. But if you want to be really good, you have to put in the time.

As for video games being as addictive/worse than drugs...no. Just no. That's insulting actually. As someone who has dealt with addiction for years, and knows many others who have as well, I can tell you very very certainly that you are just flat out wrong.

[KalamazooGuy]

Yeahhhhhh but when you are the only guy at the campfire who brought a guitar, the chicks notice [emoji6]

Originally Posted by Quakeroatmeal

I'd like to preface this with: It's very commendable that we want younger people to show interest in guitars.

BUT there are plenty of stomach churning answers here.

Playing video games has NOTHING to do with ones sex life. Please stop with this outdated, old timey concept. Just because it was uncool to play Pac Man in your generation, does not mean this is the norm anymore. So stop it.

If I had a grandparent dangling, "Play guitars, get girls" over my head I would roll my eyes and get back to Call of Duty, and think they're being creepy.

We live in a time where younger people no longer view mass reproduction of our species as important, and the numbers show it.

So using "girls" as a trophy, or shaming people for gaming is not going to work.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by martinhubltz

I have been working in technology for twenty five years, currently working for one of FAANG companies. IMHO, playing video games is a waste of time and not productive. Learning music or creative art really open up kids creativity. Video games are so addictive and they are much worse than drugs. That's why I am trying to get young people away from video games and into music and arts.

Playing video games is very easy and everyone can do it. Playing guitar is not easy, some might even say difficult. If something is difficult to achieve, it is definitely worth it.

Can you back up your wildly inaccurate and emotionally charged false claims?

See my post above about hysteria.

Every single thing you just wrote is false

[Kerbie]

I think we've reached the end.