Hello every one,
I am also new on this web site and playing, I started about 5 weeks ago for my second time. I always wanted to play the guitar but I never had the time or the encouragement to do it. 5 years ago I bought a guitar and started to take lessons, my teacher was pretty good but we were using a book (Mel Bay's GUITAR METHOD, grade1) very boring book, then my teacher had to move to a different location that was kind of far from were I live so I did not continue the lessons.
This year I am 41 years old and I decided that it was time to learn to play the guitar, I got a new teacher. This teacher used to tour with some bands like, Limp Bizkit, Widespread Panic, Tonic, Cake, Sister Hazel. I am taking right now 30 min lessons on Saturdays; I think I am getting better than before. Let me tell you, at first my fingers did not want to move or it will take a tank just to move them. Now my fingers are a little bit more agile but I am still struggling when changing chords, I guess I just need to keep playing and playing. There are some days that I play better and other days forget about it but I still have the spirit..
Welcome to GN! Indeed, all you need to do to get those fingers is just keep on practicing.
Like Arjen said, welcome to GN....
I've been playing for about 30 years now on and off, a couple of years ago I decided it was time to turn a life-long ambition...to be able to play guitar...into reality. The help and support I've had from the GN members has been unbelievable...ask for help here, people are queueing up to answer....
This year, I've played along with a pretty good pianist in a hotel bar in Benidorm, played my first open mic...about 5000 miles from home in the Fallout Lounge in Dallas, TX...and joined in with a gang of blokes (at 48, I'm one of the youngest there!!!) who play oldies on acoustic every tuesday night in a local pub...even played on a friday night in same pub, sat in on an electric set and played a few songs....
So I'd say yes, you're never too old to learn....there are times I am so jealous of members like Arjen, xSkaStyleex and Yoyo...so young, so talented....but these days, I make up for my lack of natural talent by dint of sheer bloody hard work and hours and hours of practise....
So keep at it mate, it gets easier....and you'll find a lot of 40+ people here...lots of grey beards, lots of thinning hair, but lots of experience, which they're always willing to pass on....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Welcome back to guitar!
Yes a lot of us 'old guys' here. I started 2 years ago around 41 also.
Just push yourself through the frustrating beginning of uncooperating fingers and it really does get easier!
You will love it when you get to the point where your learning curve changes and you can look at something with a few chords that you already know with a new strumming pattern and are able to do it in a few minutes flat!
There is also so much technical support and emotional support to help you through the tough times. The experts here never get tired of talking us through our obstacles along the way. :D
If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.
Welcome to GN :!:
I started playing guitar for the first time about a year ago at the youthful age of 53 - loving every minute - and the fingers are learning with me :lol:
BS
Hello cifran03,
Welcome to the forum and just so you know you are one of MANY "elders" who are just staring out. I am 38 and I just started 5 weeks (almost 6 now!) ago. You came to the right place for help and after reading this forum (as well as the accompanying lessons) you will be TEACHING your teacher a few tricks! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Welcome aboard. You've come to a great place.
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Hey cifran03,
Welcome to the forum.
At any age, the moment you make your decision to learn is never old enough.
I'm 45 and only started a year and half ago. So you already ahead of the game in my books.
Enjoy the rest of your time with it.
Kenny
Welcome to Guitar Noise,
I started 10 months ago at the ripe age of 46, I am now 47.
What can be accomplished?
I will be posting a thread in Guitar Players forum in a couple of minutes titled "My first concert, sorta."
cifran03
41? You're still a kid! :D
Dom, the bass player in my band is 57 years old. He started playing for the first time just 4 years ago, but you would never know it. He's pretty darn good!
So, just stay at it. Remember it's all about having fun and enjoying the beautiful sounds of making your own music.
And just like Vic, before you know it you will be hooking up with others to form your own Geezer Band. 8)
And Welcome to GuitarNoise.
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Welcome to the group mate. :)
There's enough older learners around here to form a Big Band. We could call ourselves Mid Life Crisis! :D
I started last year - at the age of 58 - so you're way ahead of me in the youth stakes.
I had all the beginner's excuses - fingers too big (I actually bought a classic style guitar because it had a wider neck), fingers too stiff and old, brain too decrepit, etc.
All rubbish! :wink:
The more I played the smaller my fingers got. The pain in my left pinky (arthritis I guess) actually disappeared due to the exercise, and so on.
I now know a heap of chords and can do fast changes between them. I've been slack about learning whole songs, but have now turned my efforts to building a bit of a repertoire.
The first few months are slow, but full of small victories. The main challenge at first is finding motivators that will keep you practising and practising, and then practising a bit more.
Then one day you realise that you're past the worst of the reefs and sailing in open water. :D It's a wonderful journey - don't miss it! :)
Welcome to guitarnoise.
When it comes to guitar anytime time is a good for learning to play. It comes down to what your expectations and goals for playing are. Could be playing acoustic around a camp fire to being original and playing Heavy metal. The more you work at it the better you become and the easier it gets. One day you'll get to the point were everything you play will sound great and you won't want to put it down.
Thats when you'll hear things like this:
"All you want to do is play that guitar you never spend any time with me anymore"
Joe
I just started learning violin, I'm 18 and I was told that it was odd that I'm this old and learning to play classical style violin, as opposed to the fiddle... so there's always criticism 8)
Steve-0
Thanks every one for the support I am sure that I can count on you for help on my lowest moment of frustration.
I am not sure how much I should play, I work all week and I only have time to practice when I get back from work maybe 5 or 10 min here and there. On the weekends I practice more, 30 min here and there, in total maybe 2 hours a day. I bought a stand and I keep my guitar next to my couch so I can grab my guitar and practice a little bit between watching TV shows; is that a bad habit that I am developing? My teacher said that it is a good idea because a lot of people do not practice because they keep the guitars in their cases.
Oh!! One thing that I am worried about is changing chords, I'm still struggling. I bought a metronome to help me but I do not know, I put the metronome to the lowest (40) and still takes me 2 or 3 more clicks before I can put my fingers on the right strings.
The thing is that I know where my fingers suppose to be but I guess my fingers are getting the message a week later. Any suggestions in how can I improve that situation or is just a matter of keep playing and playing?
Welcome to guitarnoise youngin.
Eventually with practice you will get the changes down. Just think ahead of what the next chord form is like and when you have it in your head go for it. Try practicing going back and forth between two chords and when you have that try two others etc.
