The Difference Between Learning an Instrument as an Adult vs. as a Child

Children learning?

It can be pretty straightforward.

Children seem to absorb things like a sponge.

Whether it be learning a language, a new skill, joining a new sport, or picking up a musical instrument for the first time. Children learn. They often learn fast. It’s what they do.

You teach them something new? They absorb it. They believe it. Mostly because they lack the context, prior knowledge and experience to argue against it. Children are often dependent learners.

But why does learning seem so much harder when we are adults?

Adult learning?

Learning can look a little different for adults.

When we receive new information — we automatically compare and contrast the new concepts to the knowledge and experience we already have up our sleeves. Our brains instinctively know that they can only process so much at a time. It tries to analyse new information and identify the key points that need to be remembered. Then it files the new source of information in line with the relevant context.

This process explains why it is so much harder to learn new knowledge and skills as an adult.

Whether it’s a new language, sport, skill or musical instrument - learning as an adult can be more challenging. Adults are self-directed learners. We need to make room for our brain to process new information. We have a wealth of experience. A wealth of knowledge. Learning something new can sometimes entail unlearning something we had once known, or was once deeply ingrained in our way of thinking and seeing the world.

So, How do Adults Learn?

1) Questioning (AKA Skepticism)

As adults, we challenge new information. We learn best when we compare and challenge new ideas to the wealth of knowledge and experience that we already have. It can be a healthy thing to be skeptical when it comes to learning something new. It’s a part of the learning process for us, as mature-aged students.

Through questioning things, challenging things, and comparing new information to the preconceived beliefs that already exist in our mind, it can enable us to more effectively cement the new information into our already established schemas and core beliefs.

Because we have wealth of experience to draw on, we need the opportunity to connect these new concepts to our personal situations.

2) Various Learning Styles

Whether it’s visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, or all of the above —

Adults often need to be stimulated in various ways to conducively understand, store and apply new information. Oftentimes, we are aware of which learning styles enable us to catch onto, process, retain and apply new information most effectively.

It can be beneficial to tee up visual, auditory and kinaesthetic stimuli/methods when learning or sight-reading a new song on an instrument. This can be helpful when learning fundamental concepts in music theory like sight-reading, rhythm, dynamics and expressive techniques.

3) Autonomy

Adults are self-directed.

Autonomous. Independent. We aren’t used to taking directions from authority figures like children when it comes to education and leanring. We no longer have our parents telling us what to do, and what not to do. We make decisions based on our values. We direct our own learning.

Children learn, often without questioning why. But as adults, we need to be explicitly told what we are doing and why we are doing it — in order for us to connect the desired learning outcomes to our own goals.

We know we are responsible for our own progress. Our own motivation. Our own mindsets. Habits. Practice schedules. Children often need a lot of external validation and extrinsic rewards, but adults are often self-driven. They derive of their motivation to learn intrinsically. They are responsible for their own progress, results, and attitude.

Hence, there is often greater satisfaction for adults, because they know that their performance and progress depends solely on themselves. But in saying this, it can be more daunting at times too: we only get out what we put in! With great reward comes great responsibility.

4) Overcoming Fear of Failure

As adults, we are often afraid to fail. 

Children don’t have the same social filters that we have (e.g. Fear of judgement). And for that reason, they are often more open and willing to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Whether it be performing, learning a new song, mastering a new musical skill on their instrument, etc. Children are likely to try new tasks and see them through, regardless of how well they do.

As adults, on the other hand — feel the daunting pressure of not being able to do something “perfect”, which can become a learning barrier. To do this, it can be helpful to engage in different learning styles and absorb information in different ways (i.e. As written above in “Learning Styles” — visual, auditory and kinaesthetic).

Overcoming this fear of failure can involve a few factors including: focusing on the process, breaking down the big picture into smaller chunks, setting short term goals, choosing repetition. By scaffolding the learning process, it can help protect our intrinsic motivation, our focus, and help us redefine “failure”.