Are there any older folks on here? I will be 75 in about 3 months and am fighting stiff finger joints and really wondering if there are enough old brain cells to absorb all of this, LOL. It is a bit discouraging.
I have had guitars for about 20 years and never could get the hang of it, I started with an acoustic that was wrong from the beginning, action was way to high and just atrocious to try and play. I gave up on it.
Then at a Mom & Pop music store, they had me try an electric guitar, I was really impressed by it and got into really trying to learn. But also doing that wrong as I tried to self teach and found out that was not good.
Forgive me for getting carried away with my life with guitars.
4 Likes
Welcome to the community Michael there ate lots of old guys here. I’m 61 not new to learning but you’ll find lots of beginners over 60 here Older guitar students / Can ‘old dogs’ learn new tricks?
@1oldman Don’t worry there are plenty of us of how shall I put it, of a more mature age. Don’t be put off, I have a few years on @stitch and just started on Justin’s lessons at the beginning of the year after not having picked up a guitar for 50 years.
Also welcome to community from another Michael:notes:
Thanks for the welcome. I have some pretty bad health problems, but I am hanging in there.
One of the problems with learning is there doesn’t seem to be much music for my tastes.
I am a real fan of the Shadows, Ventures, Duane Eddy and Dick Dale. So I guess that pretty much makes me old school.
But I am trying and practicing at least 3 times a day. I have been having some internet problems lately due to Thunder Storms, so I haven’t been logging on very much. Repairman is supposed to be here in 2 more days, I sure hope he will find and fix the problem.
Once again thanks.
1 oldman
1 Like
Hi Mike,
Welcome to the community and I think it is fascinating you want to learn guitar. There is no age that is too old to learn. I have the same problem, arthritis in my hands that slows my progression sometimes, but I power through it. The way I see it I love to accomplish goals that people say I can’t do. Maybe I am a little slower in progress, but I am still here progressing. I recommend to follow Justin’s method step by step and dabble in his music theory lessons. Understanding the big picture really helps me to not just understand what sounds good but how the notes fit together in patterns. You will see after learning just 4 chords in his basic lessons you can play countless beginner level songs. I suggest to record yourself on day 1 to track your progress. Compare it to how you sound next week and next month. You will see how much untapped talent you have and the artist inside you will emerge. Looking forward to hearing you play sometime. I have some of my (work) staff out in Greenfield Indiana. Good people out there! Good luck and we are here to cheer you on!
Jeff From California.
1 Like
Keep it up! It is a fantastic way to keep you young!
Follow the course and learn basics and a bit more. In the process you will probably discover music and songs that are really fun to play but you wouldn’t have thought you would like had you not tried to play them.
Once you have enough basics, you probably can find specific tab and lessons for some of the music you want to play.
An old trucker from Indiana with arthritis and a guitar with high action should be playing the blues…
I’m just a relative youngster at 70 
I second what @jamolay said about exploring music that is outside of your normal taste. I used Justin’s app for its karaoke capability. My goal was to play lots of different songs as away to practice different chord changes, strumming patterns and speed, rather than choosing them based on my musical taste. While I didn’t like everything I tried, I found a LOT of songs that were fun to play and made practicing that much more fun. Justin also recommends songs at each level as a way to practice/consolidate new skills. Again, I found songs that I wouldn’t have searched out but were great to learn and are now part of my song catalogue, along with all the ones I chose.
Enjoy the journey!
2 Likes
Welcome, Michael, never too late, never too old. Follow the course and you’ll be able to learn and over time the practice will work on those stiff fingers. Take it slow and steady and enjoy the process.
Greetings, Michael. A bit late to the party but in my advanced youth (68) it is not unusual 
My story, like many of the senior sect on this platform is not dissimilar to yours. You mentioned stiff fingers. After years of manual work involving chainsaws and other big boy toys my hands are somewhat arthritic and I suffer with recurring trigger fingers in both ring fingers. What I have discovered is that practicing the guitar using Justin’s go-slow approach and working on finger placement has definitely improved my hand dexterity, at least while playing guitar.
I reside southwest of you between Martinsville and Bloomington.
3 Likes
Hi Mike.
A very warm welcome to the Community.
There are many old folk to accompany you on your journey down them dusty highways of fingers and chords and strumming.
Enjoy and join in.
Cheers
Richard
Hello Michael and welcome to the community.
Someone on here once said, “You are never to old to rock”.
1 Like
Hello Michael and welcome to the community.
Someone on here once said, “You are never to old to rock”.
SgtColon, I may not be to old to “rock” , but I am almost positive, I am too old to “roll”. 
Hello, 62 here and a former trucker in Europe. I stopped trucking at the age of 42, and then I started learning guitar.
Hey, that’s what music does to you, it carries you away, nothing to forgive!
Good luck on your musical journey!
1 Like
I get frustrated quite a bit, but I think I may be trying too hard. I am going to have to slow down and spend some more time on things. Has anyone else been in this situation?
I am too much in a hurry.
Hi Michael,
Take a deep breath 
…find a small target you want to learn…a lesson or a song…but most of all keep breathing calmly…and no, sorry not everyone gets frustrated, or don’t like it anymore, at least I never do…but many experience it, but they continue to breathe and continue …small steps, good luck and find a small goal that you can work towards… …I wish you a lot of fun 
Greetings.Rogier
Thanks Roger,
I think I am trying to get in too big of a hurry, so I am going to slow a bit. I do take deep breaths and press on.
I am going to learn this no matter what, just need to slow up a bit.
Sometimes the slower you go, the more you learn.
Hi Michael. When I first started all I wanted to do was learn everything without delay. I soon realised that the human body learns these skills at a far slower rate, it’s just how we work!
Set small goals and celebrate when you achieve them. Before you know it you’ll look back and see the real progress you’ve made.
Hi Michael and welcome!!
Hang in there and rock on!
Never to late.
Cheering for you 
Hi Mike, here a note from 2oldman…lol.
Great to see that you after many years still enjoy your life with guitars and to see another oldtimer…
Cheers
Richy