Hello - David here. It’s all a mystery to me - but I'm here

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Yes, it’s a mystery how I got here or even where I am. I don’t do social media so I don’t know how these things work. Buttons everywhere! I came to say hello, am I in the right place? I’ll say it anyway.

Hello I’m David from Lancashire. I started playing guitar in my 30’s but gave up because I wasn’t getting anywhere. I’m 62 now and picked the guitar up again last summer. Just messed around with it for awhile then I found justinguitar.

I rushed through Grade 1 only to find I still couldn’t play anything. Gave up again!

A month later I kicked myself and went back to the beginning. I want to do it right this time. Proper practice, learn songs and take my time.

I’ve got the changes on A D E up to 60 good changes a minute. So now my priority is to learn songs with them. I’ve made a list of songs to learn before I move on.

I’m learning my first song. Not bad with the recording but not good campfire style. Never could sing! I don’t stop to change chords, I stop to change my voice!

I want to make my guitar sing!

I hadn’t seen my guitar for over 20 years but I’m starting to like it again now. It’s a Burns. White body, dark red mottled pick guards, maple neck, floating bridge and tremolo, 5 way pick-up switch and one of the tone controls is push pull. It’s nice!

I took a photo of it to put on my profile but it wouldn’t accept it. “file to large” I have no idea how to make it smaller or how small.

I’ve always dreamt of being a lead guitarist. They can make it sing can’t they! But when I registered on justinguitar last week I put “Rhythm” in my username to remind me to learn chords and rhythm.

At 62 should I be realistic and tell myself it’s not ever going to happen. Or should I keep going, keep learning, keep dreaming?

Oh well, I’d best go. I’ll press a button and see what happens next. If I don’t make it back, I’m lost! It’s a mystery. Technology doesn’t know how I work!y

Bye for now.

David

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Hi @BurnsRhythm, I found your post so you must have done something right. I’m in West Lancs (well a few metres inside the border with Merseyside…), I’m a female oldie (50’s) and picked up one of my kids acoustic guitars last September, had half a dozen local lessons and then found this site :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:. I’m still on Grade 1, module 5 and just plodding on with it. Definitely won’t be singing :rofl: but happy to just play along with easy songs at the minute. I’m ashamed to say I’m learning on a £35 Gear for Music acoustic at the minute but decided that if I’m still playing by end of March I’d invest in something better. Nice to see you here :+1:t2:

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Welcome David. There are quite a few Davids here, including me. I’ve got a few years on you and I’ve made some great progress in the last few years with Justin’s courses. It appears that you are, too. My vote is stick with the learning and the dreaming. It’s fun and satisfying to be able to do something that you couldn’t do a month ago. And then all of sudden you’re guitar is singing.
Dave

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David, your a young ‘un compared to some of us! I’m 70 and there are one or more older than me here still learning, it’s an endless path, there’s no endpoint to learning guitar, there’s always something more you can find do have a go at!
What model of the Burns do you have? Many years ago I had a Trisonic, then later on I had a Black bison - both were great guitars!
The thing to do is stick to the course and learn plenty of songs, the lead parts will follow after you’ve learned to play rhythm properly, it’s the most important foundation for playing lead guitar.
Take it steady and thoroughly and have fun and join in with the community to get support and encouragement.

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Hi Dave and welcome

Well after a few bump starts sounds like you have a plan. As for Lead or Rhythm ? Well if you have not got a knowledge, understanding and feel for rhythm, there’s a very good chance your Lead will suck. All good lead players got their foundation skills by learning Rhythm. So start there and the lead will come. And you are still young enough to get to a great level.

Cheers

Toby
:sunglasses:

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Welcome to the Community, David. All I can say is yes, yes, yes.

You’re in the right place, you posted right, and you’ve plenty time to learn to play some lead.

Just stick with the lessons, modules, and by the time you reach the end of Grade 2 you will have played a simple lead.

Take it slow and steady, enjoy every step.

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Welcome to the forums. The 60 changes a minute for A E and D is exactly how I started, then on to my first song, a simplified version of Blowin in the Wind that was in Justin’s first songbook originally. And that was just the start I needed. I started at the age of 53 and 10 years later it’s been a marvelous journey and worth every bit of effort it took. Hang in there, it just keeps getting better from here.

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Thanks all for your support and advice. I heard that guitar forums are good for inspiration and motivation. I can already see that’s true.
Darrel, my guitar is a Club Series.
Don’t be ashamed of your guitar Paula. My first guitar was an acoustic. I paid some bloke in the pub £5 for it. I was robbed! It was horrible. But it got me started and if I hadn’t bought that I would never have bought the Burns and I would never have had the dream and I would have ended up playing dominoes!

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Hi Dave, you’ve somehow staggered and stumbled your way into a great group of people here - most of us are actually named Dave or David. Even the ones who have the misfortune of not being named Dave secretly wish that they were Daves too. Aside from so many Daves and wannabe Daves, everyone here is generous with praise, advice, and offering support for each other. Looking forward to sharing the guitar journey with ya!

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I did a quick Google image search and Burns Club series pics look pretty cool. So how about a pic of yours, David?

:rofl: with one or two exceptions, Dave. I do love to be an exception :laughing:

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image

If the buttons are working you should be able to see my guitar. Someone told me that it’s like what Hank Marvin played in The Shadows but I don’t think it is. There’s a model called the Marvin.

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Actually, I wish I was called Dave Gorman because of this :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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What, because you are a “David” and not a “Dave?” It doesn’t work that way, buddy! Dave or David, you are part of The Club and you can’t get away from it! :grin:

Ok, I see what you did there - you have applied the Dave Gorman rule, haven’t you? Well played, now that I understand it!

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You have sent me down a wormhole!

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Hello and welcome David. :slight_smile:

Keep pushing along, you’ll get there and it is certainly worth it.

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Hello @BurnsRhythm welcome to the Community.

Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Moderator

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Hi @Richard_close2u Thanks for the welcome. I’ve been here a couple of weeks and the forum is a real eye opener for a techno illiterate like me. I’m starting to get the hang of it.
Someone changed my title. I get why they did it. It’s ok but I always sign David now that I’m all grown up! And the first “but” makes me sound more illiterate than I am.
Any chance of changing it again?
Thanks
David

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All done for you David :slight_smile:

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Hello David welcome to the Tribe! Play on brother!

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Hi @Richard_close2u It looks better now. Thank you. Keep up the sterling work.
Cheers

Hi SgtColon It looks like your reply has been sat here for a few days. Sorry, I missed it. Thanks for the welcome and the push.

Hi Schmidtrock Thanks to you too.