When I first started learning how to
play electric guitar in my sophomore year of high school, I had no idea that it
was going to be one of the best decisions of my life. The lessons I took for
three years provided me with a solid background in guitar that I now appreciate
more than ever. Currently, I play largely for enjoyment, mental exercise, and
as a relaxation technique from a stressful school day. But I often think to
myself, especially when I lack certain techniques trying to master a difficult
song, “If only I could have started earlier, I would be so much better at
guitar…”
Is learning earlier necessarily
better? According the article “Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits” by
Dr. Perri Klass, taking music lessons in childhood comes with several long
lasting benefits: increased active engagement, discipline, strengthened reading
abilities, increased auditory skills, attention skills and memory skills. The
evidence suggesting longtime benefits emerged from a research study at
Northwestern University that examined electrical brain waves of two groups of
college students as each group listened to complex sounds. The control group
consisted of students who had never taken music lessons before and the experimental
group had taken music lessons as children. The brain waves of students who had
experienced musical training as children were more profound compared to the
control group, indicating that taking music lessons earlier in life increases
one’s ability to attend to the intricacies of music. This modification in brain
waves suggests a more permanent or robust change in brain structure resulting
from specific skills acquired through early musical training.
But is this not the result we
expect? Those who are taught a specific skill or learn a specific sport at an
early age are surely to learn something from that experience and generally be able perform better in that specific skill or sport later in life compared to someone who
has limited or no exposure. For example, if you took golf lessons as a child
for 2 years in which you learned how to hold a golf club, employ specific
strategies on the course, and swing with great technique, chances are you will
be better off on a nine hole course competing against a complete novice. Learning
new skills modifies brain structures and pathways through processes such as
Hebbian learning. It is hardly surprising that those individuals who take music
lessons as children retain those skills and have lasting brain developments.
What I believe is more interesting
and beneficial in younger musically driven children are the advances in
attentional and memory learning, discipline and efficient practice methods that
can be directly applied to an academic setting. When I wonder if starting
earlier could have benefitted my guitar skills, I also consider if playing at
such a young age would have been detrimental to my musical experience. What if
the teacher I was assigned mainly focused on reading music and boring scales? Or
what if my parents pressured me into taking guitar lessons and I developed an
anxious association with the instrument I now love? All of the awesome benefits
of learning a musical instrument at an early age would disappear with
unpleasant teachers or forceful parents. Dr. Klass addresses the positive
environment that must surround the student to achieve benefits from the musical
training experience. “Different instruments, different teaching methods,
different regimens — families need to find what appeals to the individual child
and what works for the family, since a big piece of this should be about
pleasure and mastery” (Klass). A great teacher is an important component to the
equation, a concept that Gary Marcus explains in his book Guitar Zero.
In
his chapter “Back to School,” Marcus discusses the overwhelming importance of
excellent music teachers and how crucial skills, such as enthusiasm and
constructive feedback, convey immense influence upon young students and
outweigh any advantages certain techniques, such as the Suzuki method, may have
over others. “It’s not about the technique; it’s about the teacher” (Marcus
84). Instilling great efficient practice routines and diagnosing pertinent
mistakes while keeping lessons fun and exciting are valuable skills that music
teachers must possess to maintain a healthy learning environment. Looking back on my once a week guitar lessons
for three years, I now realize that my teacher provided me with an excellent
learning environment. Completely versed in music theory, he started me with the
basics of scales, fingering techniques, and open chords, taking a considerable
amount of time to show me why certain notes go well with each other and how a
guitar’s fret board resembles a piano. When it became clear that I was not
necessarily interested in learning how to read music and would much rather
learn techniques that I could use to make my own music, he adapted to my style
and altered the path I was on, always keeping me excited to go home and
practice something new that I learned in class. His patience and willingness to
adapt to what I wanted to learn kept me fully engaged and opened me up to a
world of playing my own music in which the possibilities are infinite.
So should I have started earlier?
Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone is unique in his or her way in that regard. I am
just happy I started and thankful for my teacher's excellent teaching style.
Music has permanently changed me mentally and physically, providing me with
lifetime benefits that I am truly thankful for.
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