My story here will seem to fly in the face of convention but I am going to say it anyway
At age 12 my father made me take accordion lessons which after the first few weeks grew old. I wasn't thrilled anymore but I had to continue.
Cut to 2 years later in 1964 when the Beatles came out.
After some hesitation I decided NOT to ask my parents for a guitar for the money I made them waste on things like a Shwinn (sp.) bike and amateur radio station.
I had lost interest quick on those after the expense.
A neighbor, though, had a new guitar (this was 1964 when not EVERY TEEN had a guitar), and he could NOT play it at all but I asked him to come to my house and bring it.
Long story short, the MUSIC that I learned in those accordion lessons PAID OFF royally in learning to play the guitar. It became very easy for me to grab a music book from the Beatles and almost immediately start playing the songs. Needless to say, my friends were impressed.
But one day MY FATHER SHOWED UP with a used guitar that he bought for me because he heard me play many times in our porch with the neighbor's guitar!
I will always be grateful for what he did then for me when I least expected it.