Hi everyone! Big step for me to post something and not just absorb content passively as I do for other social media. So please be gentle.
My name is Matt, and I’m 55 and planning ahead for retirement years, so decided to give guitar a try. Played piano at ages 6-12, so some familiarity with music but I’m about as creative as a tree stump.
Super introverted, I like to learn songs at home and play them solo until they sound moderately like the record. I started Justin’s course in Nov 2024, as an alternative to watching too much cable news covering the election. It’s been a perfect distraction.
I just started grade 4 and know I’m going too fast. I went back and re-did grade 2 once already. But I really wanted to learn barre chords so pushed too quickly toward that goal.
Nearly ruined by early guitar career trying to master F chord too soon. Thought I’d pulled a tendon in my thumb. Listen to Justin when he says not to push yourself too hard!
Anyway this community seems so kind and helpful, it’s an honor to now be a part of it.
Welcome, Matt, from a fellow cheesehead (well, former cheesehead - I’ve spent the last 40 in Texas).
Your background is eerily similar to mine, except for me, it was organ lessons, which I finally convinced my folks to quit wasting their money on when I was a freshman in High School. If only they’d put a guitar in my hands back then… The last piece I butchered was Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Truly painful to listen to. My sister and I took lessons at home, and my parents always made a Scotch and water (or two) to help poor Dr. McArdy get through my lesson. On a positive note, it was not too difficult to get back into reading notation again.
Whereabouts in Wisconsin do you live? All of my relatives still live there, in Wales, Delafield, Hustisford, and Milwaukee.
Keep at it, and if you’re really like me, you will meander all over the place into different styles of playing. What keeps me going is learning to play my favorite songs, and finding new songs that I just have to learn.
Welcome to the forum Matt. It was creative to come up with that line, so don’t fret (pun intended). You’ll master the F chord in time - as well as any of us manage to. I started my musical journey as a high school trumpet player, but gave that up on graduation. There just weren’t a lot of people at parties saying, “Hey man, break out your horn and play something so we can all sing along!”
It is indeed, you’ll always find someone who is willing to help and support, each one according to his/her own level of skill, knowledge, feeling and unique being…the best wish I can make is for you to become one of those many people too…sometimes sharing is just what is required, whether it is a struggle, a small or a big victory, or just an idea or some chatting.
Welcome Matt slow and steady wins the race there is no rush better to learn some easy songs well than a lot of songs badly grade 4 from 2024 wow that’s moving I`m still on grade 2 after what seems a long time anyway take it easy and have fun !
Hi Matt, welcome to the community forum. One way to make sure you don’t go to fast is to make sure that you learn songs and you go through the lessons. It OK though to look ahead at the lessons while also working on consolidating the earlier lessons by applying to songs.
Welcome to the community Matt! Enjoy the ride a little more and the goal(s) a little less. Play a bunch of music with what you know to keep it fun. Rock on!
Welcome to the community. I started playing 14 years ago at the age of 53 thanks to Justin guitar and am so very glad I did. It’s a great reward to be able to pull a song out of one’s back pocket at will. Look forward to hearing more from you.
Hi Matt, I’m a bit late to the party…welcome to the Community! I sympathize with not feeling creative. I keep trying to get better at improvising over backing tracks. I haven’t found the spark yet. Hope to “see” you around, you sound like a person with a lot to offer — especially to beginners (like me).
