Hi I’m a complete beginner at the age of 52
I’m left handed so getting a guitar was expensive and a nightmare. Plus being dyslexic add other complication especially processing the lesson.
Any one else have these issues
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Lee welcome and honestly do not let that put you off playing guitar come on on in and start learning man loads of help here cheers HEC
Please don’t take this the wrong way but it sounds like you’re setting yourself up for failure by starting with a list of problems creating the wrong mindset.
Just take your time, be patient and methodical and none of these things need be an obstacle. There’s plenty of people on these forums started at 50+ and 60+ with a range of conditions and are doing well with learning to play. It doesn’t happen overnight for any of us
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Hi Lee, and welcome! To answer your questions: Yes, there are other (perhaps many!) left-handers here in the Community. If you type “left handed” into the search box, you’ll find some good conversations. Also, be sure to check out Justin’s “Nitsuj” videos of himself learning left-handed! If I recall correctly, he goes all the way through Grade 2.
And - my husband is dyslexic…he’s played guitar for years. 
Again, searching the Community with the word “dyslexic” will give you plenty of conversation to explore. I expect, like most things, how people manage their dyslexia varies. Remember that each us has some trait that makes guitar a bit more difficult. (For me, it’s being physically small.)
So do read and ask questions - folks here love to share!
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Haha that sounds familiar. I am left handed, full on ADHD with major dyslexic. I had issues with this stuff my whole life. When It came the guitar I picked up a right handed guitar, thats what was avalible, and that just felt right alo and went from there. I did not look back. If you watch Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure. Which way do you play air guitar? There you go.
Jokes aside, It sounds like you already got your guitar so at least you are that far. Regardess of how us lefties choose to play, we always will have have special issues to figure out. I have a real hard time writing out tabs and drawing out the fretboard. I always do it backwards, sometimes upside down or worse I do both at the same time. One good thing on justins in the chord library you can inverse everything, you can see the opposite fingering for lefty style.
Don’t think just feel.
-Bruce Lee
Good luck, you will do fine.
Edit hours later 
Haha there it is in the moment the ADHD. Welcome to the community of course, I am glad you found your way here as well. Tons of supportive people and lots of great resources. Have fun.
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Hi Lee, welcome to the community forum. Everyone above has already given you good suggestions and advice. I tell people who are not left handed to look at the Nitsuj left handed lessons on the website, since they are recorded practice sessions. I looked at most of them myself and I am right handed. Be patient and have fun learning songs.
Hell Lee and welcome. You will find much help in this community. Enjoy the ride.
Hi Lee and welcome to the community!
I agree with @mattswain that you might be setting yourself up for failure if you put these preconceived hurdles in front of you.
Age: absolutely not a problem. Loads of us in our 50s, 60s 70s making progress.
Left handedness: three options for this. Buy a left handed guitar as you did. Downside is price and fewer options. Play a right handed guitar which is what I do even though I’m left handed ( there are advantages as well as disadvantages to this) - checkout the forum for more info. Last option is to do what Hendrix did and turn a right handed guitar upside down 
But all of these are totally doable.
Dyslexia: more problematic for the reading part of lessons and music theory. However most of Justin’s course is videos and listening and then doing. So I think you have to focus more on the feeling and doing rather than reading. I don’t know where you live but in the UK last week,the tv chef Jamie Oliver documented his campaign to increase teaching resources for dyslexic pupils (important for many societal reasons). He advocated the use of Dictaphones for learning rather than books and text. Perhaps for some of the parts of the learning that require reading you can get someone (your partner perhaps?) to dictate from the written page in a form that you can listen to. Even for something like chord grips or notes on the fingerboard, this can be possible as Justin actually does in the videos during the lessons - like 1st finger on 2nd string 1st fret etc.
Just an idea. Don’t be pre-defeated by your difficulties. We all have them. I can’t hear in one ear. It makes playing along to backing tracks almost impossible for me as I cant separate the backing music from what I’m playing. But I still find a work around.
The most important thing is that you enjoy it.
Best Ian
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Hi Lee,
I’m sorry to read that you are left-handed, I have friends who are and a brother… 
I don’t foresee any problems, but if you encounter them, just ask your questions and it will be resolved 
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun 
Greetings,Rogier
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Hey, it’s important to celebrate us poor, maligned, cursed from birth left handed people! We have rights (they don’t work so well)! We can play guitar! We can even open a tin can with a can opener, although a left handed can opener on Amazon costs 50% more than a similar right handed model. 
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Welcome aboard.
Another leftie here, playing left handed.
Injuries prevent me playing right handed guitars, otherwise I would do so, but the only real difference is a lack of choice in the guitar department.
Drooling over the racks and racks of right handed guitars, only to find a lonely left handed one in the corner 
Dyslexia should not be an issue. Just listen to the videos and take it from there, no reading involved.
And the age thing? I’m pushing 60, and am just getting the hang of it after 4 years, but I told myself at the start - I’m not planning on playing the Royal Albert Hall in the next few months, so why should I worry about how long it takes to learn?
Have fun.
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Lefties unite!
Welcome Brotha!
Being dyslectic mught mean you have to draw up your own learning material.
Being a lefty kinda forces you to do that already.
quick tip: right click a chord box in a lesson page that’s right handed, click “copy image path”, go to your favourite AI tool like chatgpt etc. say:" this is a righthanded chord box, convert it to a lefthanded one. draw it as ascii art, but also draw the lines of the frets" and presto, a graphic lefthaded presentation of the right handed chord box
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@mfeeney0110 Yes I can even cut paper with right handed scissors !!! 
and use a tin opener but not at the same time as playing guitar
Actually there are a lot of us lefties in the community.
Indeed there are @Prof_Thunder. I’m a lefty that chose to play right handed. It works well enough for me. Fast strumming is a challenge but I have no desire to be a shredder. Actually, I have seen my right hand dexterity improve a lot over a few years playing. My fingerstyle playing with the right hand feels very comfortable now.
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Works for me too but I’m also struggling with faster strumming rhythms.
Hello!! Another fellow lefty reporting in.
Welcome here.
As far as guitars go, there are several manufacturers that make left handed versions. So just have a look around on the web, you’ll be surprised. (Here, in the heart of Europe, we even have our own store, dedicated to lefty guitars… LeftyGuitars - The ultimate choice in lefthanded guitars)
Regarding learning: take chord boxes for instance, turn them a quarter turn right and you end up with a mirror image for your guitar. Same goes for a right handed teacher. You get a mirror, which makes things much easier. (at least for me). Tabs are the same for everyone.
And did you know that some of the most famous guitar players were left handed?
Another resource for us lefty players: https://leftyfretz.com/
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Hello Lee
Welcome to JustinGuitar and this fantastic community. Please take your time to look around and get to know the wider space. View by Categories.
We are a supportive and encouraging group of students and guitarists from across the world. Essentially, we are all here for music and to improve as players. We truly are a ‘community’. Members help and support one another and a friendly, positive attitude underpins this. We hope that all - young or old, experienced or new players - adopt and foster the pay-it-forward ethos that Justin personifies and embedded all those years ago when he started the website and forum.
Also, please make sure to read the Community Etiquette announcement for some important information and guidance.
If you want to record yourself to show your progress and / or seek feedback there is our ever popular Community Recordings section.
Behind the scenes there is a small and dedicated team who work to make the JustinGuitar experience as good as it can be. Check out the Onboarding sessions provided by Fanny. Justin also has a small group of Approved Teachers he recommends for people wanting 1-to-1 lessons to supplement his courses - of which I am privileged to be one.
That is plenty to be going on with. It is a vast community space so if you need help as you find your way around just ask.
Cheers. Richard
| Approved Teacher, Official Guide & Community Moderator |
well, I started a year later than you. Welcome to the community. Hang in there, the reward is well and truly worth it
Welcome to the community Lee, be sure to enjoy the journey!