Sixteen Million Took Up Playing Guitar In the Last Two Years

[soulman969]

https://www.bassgearmag.com/16-mill...r-in-the-last-two-years-why-and-who-are-they/

16 Million Americans Learned to Play Guitar in the Last Two Years: Why and Who Are They?
Posted by Bass Gear Magazine | Oct 7, 2021 | News, Press Releases | 0 |

Drawing From Results of Nationwide Survey, Fender Doubles Down On Beginner Tools To Break Down Barriers, Demystify Guitar with Accessible, Self-Guided Experience

HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 7, 2021) — Today Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the results of a study, “Fender’s New Guitar Player Landscape Analysis,” commissioned alongside YouGov®, which revealed that an incredible 7% of the U.S. population ages 13-64 (approx. 16 million people) started to learn guitar in the last two years, with 62% citing COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns as a major motivator. Anticipating the growing need for individual, healthy and positive hobbies during a time of isolation, in April of 2020 Fender offered three complimentary months of Fender Play®, their complete online learning app for guitar, bass and ukulele. This resulted in one million new signups, amidst soaring guitar sales. To continue to best support this growing community, Fender partnered with YouGov® to commission a 10,000-person survey with the goal of identifying and understanding this new community’s needs. Learning from the data gathered, Fender will today launch the Beginner’s Hub, a network of online resources which includes every tool a new player needs to start, stick with and eventually master their guitar, bass or ukulele.

Among the respondents to the survey, which was structured to ensure natural fallout of guitar beginners and related target audiences from a demographically representative sample of the age 13-64 US population, 62% of beginner guitarists said that the COVID-19 pandemic was an important, driving factor in beginning their guitar journey. 77% of those polled reported that they found themselves with additional free time during this period, which they used to play and practice. While this group viewed the pandemic as a shared experience, the survey results revealed their motivations, life experiences and levels of dedication to be exceedingly varied.

(continued via link)

 

[AntStrat]

I think that’s great

 

[soulman969]

It also explains the supply vs demand push on pricing.

 

[crankmeister]

Could be a covid-era range of used guitars coming down the pipeline

 

[Chipss36]

They learned to play in two years?

no they did not….bad title fender.

they began to play, they began to start learning to play.
And about 90% or more will quit.


rare is the student that flat out plays in two years….
I am almost 60, I had one student my whole life like that. And a few 1000 students.

I would expect fender marketing to do no less, or Harley, or any other company that will soon die with most boomers ….me included…

 

[soulman969]

They learned to play in two years?

no they did not….bad title fender.

they began to play, they began to start learning to play.
And about 90% or more will quit.

In this case I believe "Learned" is a very flexible word. That's why I used the term "Took Up". That would more aptly describe the process of learning to play.

And I agree that many will quit or at least stagnate after having learned to play a few chords or pick out the melody of a favorite tune. But if only 10% stick with it that's still 1.6 million new guitarists buying gear so the instrument itself is far from dead.

 

[Chipss36]

I closed my recording studio, because my heart is not into what sells today.
I cannot track/mix a song I hate.
or track samples day in and day out.
It kills the soul.

what sells today, is not musicians that play instruments.
They play computers.

the state of the music industry has changed in vast ways.

Do Exceptions exist? Sure.

same with teaching music theory, had a long discussion with one of the best teachers locally. It’s not looking good. Not just guitar, all instruments.
Even voice.
Again do exceptions exist, sure.

does your local high school even have a band? Most today do not.

even the music stores you see the shift to things other than instruments.

it’s uncomfortable to think about all this.

but this is reality. I get it, fender is doing what they need to do,

once the boomers die out, a major paradigm shift will happen, and it’s happening right now, just rather slowly.

I would love to be proven wrong here…

In this case I believe "Learned" is a very flexible word. That's why I used the term "Took Up". That would more aptly describe the process of learning to play.





And I agree that many will quit or at least stagnate after having learned to play a few chords or pick out the melody of a favorite tune. But if only 10% stick with it that's still 1.6 million new guitarists buying gear so the instrument itself is far from dead.

 

[Higgins1980]

https://www.bassgearmag.com/16-mill...r-in-the-last-two-years-why-and-who-are-they/
sounds like there’s going to be a flood of nice used equipment in about 6 months to a year after most quit playing when they have to go back to work or get tired of having to practice and still not sounding like Steve Vai (or whoever the kids listen to these days)
16 Million Americans Learned to Play Guitar in the Last Two Years: Why and Who Are They?
Posted by Bass Gear Magazine | Oct 7, 2021 | News, Press Releases | 0 |

Drawing From Results of Nationwide Survey, Fender Doubles Down On Beginner Tools To Break Down Barriers, Demystify Guitar with Accessible, Self-Guided Experience

HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 7, 2021) — Today Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the results of a study, “Fender’s New Guitar Player Landscape Analysis,” commissioned alongside YouGov®, which revealed that an incredible 7% of the U.S. population ages 13-64 (approx. 16 million people) started to learn guitar in the last two years, with 62% citing COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns as a major motivator. Anticipating the growing need for individual, healthy and positive hobbies during a time of isolation, in April of 2020 Fender offered three complimentary months of Fender Play®, their complete online learning app for guitar, bass and ukulele. This resulted in one million new signups, amidst soaring guitar sales. To continue to best support this growing community, Fender partnered with YouGov® to commission a 10,000-person survey with the goal of identifying and understanding this new community’s needs. Learning from the data gathered, Fender will today launch the Beginner’s Hub, a network of online resources which includes every tool a new player needs to start, stick with and eventually master their guitar, bass or ukulele.

Among the respondents to the survey, which was structured to ensure natural fallout of guitar beginners and related target audiences from a demographically representative sample of the age 13-64 US population, 62% of beginner guitarists said that the COVID-19 pandemic was an important, driving factor in beginning their guitar journey. 77% of those polled reported that they found themselves with additional free time during this period, which they used to play and practice. While this group viewed the pandemic as a shared experience, the survey results revealed their motivations, life experiences and levels of dedication to be exceedingly varied.

(continued via link)

 

[Dreamdancer]

Those are the resellers you need to finesse when everything ll come back to normal cause at least 8 out of 10 ll drop the hobby and try to get their money back...your mission if you choose to accept it is to make sure you get the best possible deal out of them leveraging your knowhow vs their lack of it....

 

[Stone]

I started ~2.5 years ago and im still going strong, in fact my practice regime has gotten longer and more intense as the months go by

As for the article Bon Scott said it before Fender

There was fifteen million fingers
Learnin' how to play

 

[3bolt79]

I don’t expect to see a gear glut anytime soon. Used prices right now are crazy. Why would I buy a guitar off of reverb that is priced higher that it would cost if it were brand new, from one of the major retailers?

Anything for sale on reverb or eBay, that is priced reasonably, is snatched up quickly.

I just bought an Epiphone new that was 50 bucks more than several listings for the same guitar on Reverb. And these jokers still want you to pay shipping.

 

[3bolt79]

I started ~2.5 years ago and im still going strong, in fact my practice regime has gotten longer and more intense as the months go by

As for the article Bon Scott said it before Fender

There was fifteen million fingers
Learnin' how to play

Yeah well you are a prime example of someone that can learn to play in two years. You have something that the statistics didn’t seem to take into account…Talent. And you work hard at developing it.

 

[Stone]

Yeah well you are a prime example of someone that can learn to play in two years. You have something that the statistics didn’t seem to take into account…Talent. And you work hard at developing it.

Thanks Scott I appreciate the kind words, talent not so sure, but drive, dedication, determination and strict practice regime yes and most of all is that i enjoy what i do

 

[Deafsoundguy]

what sells today, is not musicians that play instruments.
They play computers.

the state of the music industry has changed in vast ways.

Do Exceptions exist? Sure.

I know what you’re saying but it does differ depending on your locale. Here in the Pacific NW, there’s an unbelievable amount of talent and it’s not computers. Sometimes I’m blown away by the sheer freshness of some of these bands playing very different cool stuff.

But, on the other hand what sucks is the blues scene. I mean I really love the blues and there just hardly anyone taking on that genre. I have done sound for the last 4 or 5 Winter Blues Festivals here and at 62, I’m one of the youngest guys in the whole room . Every year it looks like retirement home recruiting. It’s just so sad and it bums me out. I can’t understand why it’s a dying genre with the unbelievable skill a guitar player must have to really stand out in a SRV type of gig. Today youth just want to hear electronic kick drum and 3 bass notes with rapping over it instead. All day long. I don’t get it, and I’ll never get it.

Every day when I go thru the coffee drive thru, inside the coffee wagon at every Dutch Bros franchise, all you hear is the same crap blasting out the windows. It all sounds the same. And they can’t even hear you talk because it’s too important for them to listen to the stuff blasting away inside day in day out. But that’s another story and a different rant.

 

[Higgins1980]

I started ~2.5 years ago and im still going strong, in fact my practice regime has gotten longer and more intense as the months go by

As for the article Bon Scott said it before Fender

There was fifteen million fingers
Learnin' how to play

love that song. Still not sure what the schmaltz was.

 

[Stone]

love that song. Still not sure what the schmaltz was.

Definition of schmaltz


1: extremely or excessively sentimental music or art" … It's not showbiz schmaltz; it's a story about the battle to overcome hardship. … "— Elton John

 

[Higgins1980]

Definition of schmaltz


1: extremely or excessively sentimental music or art" … It's not showbiz schmaltz; it's a story about the battle to overcome hardship. … "— Elton John

Ah. What my generation would call “cheese” Lol

 

[train]

Fender also said one third was praise players. Not sure they would be sellers.

 

[Wound_Up]

https://www.bassgearmag.com/16-mill...r-in-the-last-two-years-why-and-who-are-they/

16 Million Americans Learned to Play Guitar in the Last Two Years: Why and Who Are They?
Posted by Bass Gear Magazine | Oct 7, 2021 | News, Press Releases | 0 |

Drawing From Results of Nationwide Survey, Fender Doubles Down On Beginner Tools To Break Down Barriers, Demystify Guitar with Accessible, Self-Guided Experience

HOLLYWOOD, CA (October 7, 2021) — Today Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the results of a study, “Fender’s New Guitar Player Landscape Analysis,” commissioned alongside YouGov®, which revealed that an incredible 7% of the U.S. population ages 13-64 (approx. 16 million people) started to learn guitar in the last two years, with 62% citing COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns as a major motivator. Anticipating the growing need for individual, healthy and positive hobbies during a time of isolation, in April of 2020 Fender offered three complimentary months of Fender Play®, their complete online learning app for guitar, bass and ukulele. This resulted in one million new signups, amidst soaring guitar sales. To continue to best support this growing community, Fender partnered with YouGov® to commission a 10,000-person survey with the goal of identifying and understanding this new community’s needs. Learning from the data gathered, Fender will today launch the Beginner’s Hub, a network of online resources which includes every tool a new player needs to start, stick with and eventually master their guitar, bass or ukulele.

Among the respondents to the survey, which was structured to ensure natural fallout of guitar beginners and related target audiences from a demographically representative sample of the age 13-64 US population, 62% of beginner guitarists said that the COVID-19 pandemic was an important, driving factor in beginning their guitar journey. 77% of those polled reported that they found themselves with additional free time during this period, which they used to play and practice. While this group viewed the pandemic as a shared experience, the survey results revealed their motivations, life experiences and levels of dedication to be exceedingly varied.

(continued via link)

I was wondering why they asked me about that stuff. Makes plenty of sense. I started like 3.5 months before covid really started in March, the day after The Allman Brothers 50th Anniversary show at MSG in NYC. I think that's when "lock down" started, anyway. So, we could "flatten the curve" or whatever it was.

 

[Stratoskater]

15.8 million of them are now selling starter pack guitars and amps on CL.