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Comment by BahUnfair | Hacker News Reader

> Programming is not like playing a musical instrument, it is not something that you have to have a genetic disposition for.

As someone who is stumbling through the basics of programming and learning guitar, I can tell you that the secret to success in both is practice and putting in the time. There are very few activities that you cannot become good at with sufficient time and resources.

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The thing is, there has to be some genetic/early developmental disposition. I "got" programming the first time I tried. 5 years on I'm still fumbling my way through beginner guitar.

playing a music instrument, e.g. guitar, does require a lot of muscle memory, which takes a lot of time to develop.

apart from mental abilities, programming requires typing skills.

it's easier to learn how to pick at a keyboard effectively than how to pick at a fingerboard effectively. Keep practising the guitar.

I don't know if there is or if there is not any disposition or genetic element but if it applies to one, it applies to the other. There are people who, even with effort, fail to "get" programming (or, more specifically, the logical concepts behind it) in the same way that you're struggling with the physical aspects of the guitar.

I've had to do quite a lot of DIY as a home owner but I still feel as useless and incompetent as I did years ago. The difference between DIY, though, and programming is that the average joe doesn't have to program whereas I still have to do house repairs.. :-)

Yeah that's the point I'm trying to make I think - I get programming when others don't (even without practice, the practice just made me a lot better). And as much practice as I give it I don't get much further with guitar.

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