HI,
I’m Joe, a Brit living In Barcelona, Spain. My daughter is dabbling in learning to play the guitar, so I decided to join her. I learned about Justin Guitar through Youtube after searching for middle-aged guitar students’ successes (mid-life crisis anyone?), and having seen examples of success, along with some of Justin’s videos, I decided to part with some cash and take up a new activity much to my wife’s mirth… I’ll show her! Hopefully, having a month’s holiday will allow me to establish some basic fundamentals and routines.
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Hey Joe, welcome to the forum. Nice to meet you.
I started playing at the age of 53, it wasn’t mid-life crisis, it was something I’d long dreamed of doing and I saw a friend progress relatively quickly after they started learning that motivated me to try. I’m now 65 and am thrilled that I stuck with it.
Suggestions.
1 - Songs. Get to where you can play a complete song all the way through. Choose one with simple and only a small number of chords. For me, that was the breakthrough that really motivated me to keep going.
2 - Daily practice. Just 10 minutes min. Make it part of your lifestyle, like having that first cup of tea in the morning.
3 - Justins beginners course has great stuff. For me the lesson that helped more than others was the one minute chord changes along with his fingering of the A chord. It gave me an anchor finger when changing from A to E to D, a common chord progression. Nowadays I play my A much differently (which isn’t a critic of his fingering, quite the opposite)
Have fun
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Welcome aboard, Joe! 
Glad you found this community and start learning the guitar. Sounds great, you and your daughter will be on this journey together! 
That’s amazing and I wish both of you loads of fun while learning and making some nice sounding noise together then.
Cheers - Lisa
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Hola Joe and welcome on board.
You have certainly found the right place to learn, following Justin’s system and pathway. Also great that you will be learning along side your daughter. For encouragement you both, I’d recommend you check out @Malz Mal and daughter Lara at out Open Mic and Livestream sessions. Fantastic duo and could show you future possibilities.
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Welcome to the forum Joe
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Cheers Tony and Lisa,
@Tony - I’m 50-years-young and right at the beginning, so songs seem a pipe-dream at the mo’, but it’s inspiring to read your advice. I’ve just finished an hour of strumming and pressing down on the fretboard and my finger tips really don’t know what’s hit them! They’ll toughen up, of course. They’ll get some more roughing up tomorrow. I’d heard about the 10-minutes-a-day to start off with and thought it was a bit lightweight, but can see why it makes sense (and so do my fingers). But a lifestyle it shall be… looking forward to it.
@Lisa_S Yes, I have romantic notions of father and daughter jamming together but we are both under strict instruction to practise with headphones. But when my wife is out of the apartment, we’ll try to make a clanking noise together, I’m sure. Thanks for your time and encouragement.
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When I started, my goal was to play 15 minutes a day. At the start I could only play for 5 minutes at a time before my finger tips hurt real bad. Damn steel strings. So I played 5 minutes 3 times a day. Yeah, they did toughen up, if I play now for several hours without stopping, they start to hurt a little bit. Not enough to stop me playing longer, just that I’m aware the fingertips hurt.
Many years ago I remember going to a pub that had a great blues band playing. They played all up for probably 3 hours. I went up to them afterwards to thank them for the great night and the lead guitarist was showing the lead singer his fingertips. They were bleeding.
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Why thank you for your welcome and recommendation. I’ll try to check them out.
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Cheers Stitch! No doubt I’ll benefit from people like yourself in due course, so thanks for making me feel welcome.
Yep, many years ago I was an apprentice carpenter and after using tools for a month or so my bloodied hands had calluses on calluses. But years of teaching, holding pens and doing nothing much more than typing have left my hand rather delicate. Soon I’ll be screaming ‘I’ve got blisters on my fingers’ Ringo Star-style 
!
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Hello Joe & welcome aboard!
This is truly a wonderful journey you’ve both embarked on…
it’s definitely not a race but if it were you could safely say that it’s a marathon, not a sprint…
I heartily concur with Tony’s advice except to stress that the FUN should be the 1st priority! If it stops being fun, the guitar won’t get picked up as often… speaking of which, find a spot for it that’s easily accessible!!! Pick it up when you have half-a-mo with nothing to do… just a few strums can put a smile on my face!
Good luck & enjoy!!!
Tod
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Nice one, Tod! Today I received a Gator case to keep my new distraction safe and sound. Pleased as I am with it, I can see that this could be a ‘out-of-sight-out-of-mind’ excuse when the inevitable frustrations kick in. I read similar advice that you’ve given a few hours ago and it makes perfect sense. Once my wife is more accepting of my new madness, perhaps she will see that it’s a rather beautiful object that have on display somewhere in our small apartment. But while the sheer joy of opening the case and picking my guitar up lasts, it shouldn’t get in the way for the foreseeable.
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I totally understand, so here’s some more advice… talk her into going with you to a music store. Get her to look at the guitars with you… when she says something like “Oooh, that’s a pretty one!”, you tell her it would really look great out on display in your home!!! Win/Win!!! She’ll like the new Object d’art & yew get a new toy!!!
Sneaky, but effective!!! 
Tod
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I already have it, Tod. After a month of deliberation over whether or not to splash the cash, watching endless Youtube videos and several visits to music shops in Barcelona, I settled on an Epiphone ES335 in a raspberry tea burst finish. Not a Gibson, I know. But then again, I’m not Eric Clapton either. I have always loved the look of semi-hollow guitars, and was pleased to read that they’re a fairly accommodating instrument for newbies, too. Being a keen photographer, I know that having something you appreciate aesthetically goes a long way in keeping you motivated during the those times when nothing seems to be working for you. Early days yet, but my enthusiasm is certainly piqued.
But, hey, when I need advice that requires cunning and guile, you’re the person to turn to.
Cheers!
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HaHa! Really, I am not that cunning & me thinks you may have missed the point here…
The agreed upon formula here on the Justin Community Forum for the correct number of guitars 
is Always:
Current number + 1= Happy Guitar Player!!!
The caveat being that “If Mama ain’t Happy, NOBODY’S Happy” so therefore you have to make her think it’s HER IDEA for you to buy more gear!!!
I’m really just joking… that Epi’s sure beautiful… but then so are so many others!!! 
Tod
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BTW, I have a D’Angelico semi-hollow, it’s a Deluxe Series SS Limited Edition in Sapphire Blue that’s my absolute favorite… she’s a dream to play!
Enough writing… time to play!!!
Tod
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P.S. Pics of your guitar would be nice too!
T
What a beaut! Ta for the share.
Enjoy your strumming!
Joe
Welcome to the community, Joe 
I would also like to see a picture of your guitar
With my husband and me, it’s my husband who is often wearing noise cancelling 
, when I’m playing. So maybe, with both your daughter and you playing that could be an idea for your wife?
Oh… He also said, he is fine with the idea that I would consider treating myself with a new guitar for Christmas “but it has to be blue” 
Hmm … This does resonate quite well with @CATMAN62 's idea. Should you fancy a second guitar, you could choose one in your wife’s favourite colour and chances are she will be more happy with it being openly in display in your flat
Hi Jolyon, welcome to the community. Your guitar playing journey, both alone and especially with your daughter will bring you many, many hours of enjoyment, satisfaction and memories to cherish.