Why the Pandemic Unintentionally Made New Guitarists
Playing guitar is hard. It’s one of the hardest things to do starting out.
It’s so difficult that almost everyone quits playing guitar within their first year of starting.
“90 percent of those beginners also abandoned the instrument within their first 12 months of playing.” — Beinstock from Guitar World
It’s ok to admit that it’s almost impossible to keep playing. I forced myself through that first crusty, miserable year and almost gave up.
It takes a special kind of desire to keep at it when there are other things you could be doing.
It’s especially harder for someone who knows nothing about music or rhythm.
(I remember a friend taking me aside and telling me that I’m a terrible dancer. This was about 6 years ago, and he wasn’t wrong.
After taking some dance classes and learning guitar, I’m now able to fend for myself on the dance floor.)
Learning guitar takes commitment and pushing through some serious discomfort.
However, the pandemic has given many people something good and unexpected— it’s given them more free time.
“16 million people took up the guitar”
Guitar World announced in October 2021 that “16 million” people had started learning guitar. This is an insane amount of new players, especially since the number was dropping over the more recent years before the pandemic.
People just stopped caring about guitar and acoustic guitar was starting to fade out.
Recently though, there’s been some changes in our day-to-day that has the young and middle aged going back to guitar.
These are some factors attracting new guitar players:
- TikTok influencing the younger generation
- Better Online Learning Sites and Resources
- Better Guitars for Cheaper Prices (Martin X-Series, Fender…)
- Lockdowns forcing people to stay indoors
- Guitar lets challenges people in an indoor setting
These five factors have had a huge impact on new guitarists, but the top two are TikTok and cheaper guitars.
Cheaper, More Stylish Models Creates More Guitarists
I bought a Martin-X guitar about a year ago, and it changed my entire perspective without forcing me to cough up a thousand bucks.
I paid around $500 for a solid, easy-to-play acoustic guitar
There are of course other guitars, maybe better guitars, offered by brands such as Eastman and Taylor, but I wanted a Martin.
I used to play a cheap and large Fender dreadnought guitar. It was uncomfortable to just hold in place.
It hurt to play and still hurts even after callousing my finger tips. I’ve changed to lighter strings but somehow it still hurts.
I bought the Martin because of its style. It’s a slimmer body that sits comfortably on my lap.
One thing I noticed though was that almost every great guitar company has hopped on this bandwagon of smaller guitars.
It’s like the world of guitars realized that people actually want acoustic guitars, but they want them smaller and with better playability.
They also don’t want to spend thousands of dollars for something that sounds great.
Too much to ask for?
Luckily for us, guitar companies have taken notice of these new trends and made changes to their marketing and guitars.
Starting to Play Guitar Has Never Been Easier
If you’re thinking about starting guitar then now is really the best time to start.
There are so many free and cheap lessons out there now that you could easily find a teacher or course for you and your budget.
Some Ideas to Consider:
- Get a guitar that feels fun to play. Don’t get something large, clunky, and hard to work with.
- You only need to practice about an hour a day to see good results.
- Don’t buy an expensive guitar but don’t buy something too cheap. The good price range is $400 to $600.
- Practice, practice and strive to understand music theory.
- You will make a new friend. Yes you’ll meet guitarists, but the guitar literally becomes your friend. It’s always there when you need it.
There are many great benefits to learning guitar, but the best thing to remember is that you’re also working on yourself.
You are going to have personal and unique struggles to overcome. Sometimes you will have hard days that make you want to quit.
But the reward is worth all the struggle, and you’ll eventually have fun, I promise.
