So often on the internet, there is just so much information about learning to play the guitar and that is not a bad thing, especially if your interest is in playing the guitar. I do understand that it is a popular choice, because it takes so little to learn to play enough chords that you can sound decent in a very short period of time. I actually picked up the guitar myself and a learned about a hundred pieces of music in eight weeks. What is also important to state is that by this stage of my life, I had been taking piano lessons for 10 years (wich most definitely helped).
So yes, learning to play the guitar can be rather straightforward to learn, however, it can really make your hands hurt. To be more specific, you can end up with a sore left wrist from wrapping your hand around the neck of the guitar and yout finger tips very sore from the strings digging into your fingers.
I think a piano is much kinder on the hands because you don’t need to hold your wrists and hands at weird angles and you certainly don’t have strings digging into your fingers.
The added benefit to your hands is that playing the piano will keep your fingers nimble. When I talk about keeping your fingers nimble. I am refering to keeping all of your fingers nimble. The other thing that playing the piano does, apart from keeping your fingers flexible, is that they are kept strong . Your wrists will also maintain or increase in strength by playing the piano. I know this because while I might not have won physical contests, I have certainly won more than my fair share of arm wrestles.
If anyone has got their heart set on learning to play the guitar, then do not let me dissuade you from it , but I think learning to play the piano is better, partly because it can keep your hands moving and not become too stiff. I also think playing the piano is helpful in maintaining a person’s fine motor skills.
I believe that at least in my own case, that playing the piano over the years has saved me from getting arthritis in my hands and wrists, when I have developed arthritis in most of the bigger joints in my body.
Of course you need to want to play the piano, not just learn to play because of the benefits to your hands and wrists, but for those who truly desire to play, there are fringe benefits to playing the piano, that can help you defy aging.