That's an interesting question and I suspect that it's going to vary widely depending on many, many factors. For me, it's been difficult but a lot of that has to do with my age when I started (mid-forties) and not really having any musical training on any other instrument. But (and this is BIG) I don't find it impossible because it's something I really, really enjoy. I have always found that enjoying what you're studying makes things much, much easier. You have to have and maintain a certain passion for it.

I've always been told that kids learn things much faster so I would imagine that a lot of the youngsters here on GT will say that it's been a lot easier for them. And then there's the question of how much is a natural ability to learn something quicker than something else. Some folks just have 'it' (whatever that is).