I always wanted to learn the guitar but always doubted myself. Now at 47 I got one from my wife for Christmas and have been making ears bleed since then. I have no musical background, can’t follow a beat to save myself and am slowly working my way through the open chords. I’ll never be a Jimmi Hendrix and I’ll never play like Keith, but I hope to eventually play something that sounds a little like music.
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Hi Tim
Welcome to JG, never say never you may surprise yourself and just be a late starter who becomes a wonderful guitarist. Follow Justin’s courses and have fun. 
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Hi Tim ,
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun 
Ahhh only 47 
very young, I started way later (…my avatar reveals it 
) but look what I have achieved already… okay with a lot of hours in the beginning… no, really a lot… but still if you organize your time better with a slightly better focus, the sky is not even the limit… but one thing is clear, the fun is today and every day you play …
Greetings,Rogier
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Hi Tim
Nice to meet you, from another Aussie
and hey, why not reach for the stars… what’s the worst that can happen?
but enjoy that journey, that’s the main thing 
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Welcome to the forum Tim. You have to think positively - if you live as long as Keith (i.e. forever) then you’ll eventually play like him!
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Hi Tim and welcome among us! Be reassured that self-doubt is very common, especially in adult learners… enjoy the journey and make “guitar time” that special time into your days! Not much more is required really to be able to find your musicality!
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Welcome Tim. I think you will find that if you follow Justin’s course then you will surprise yourself what you can do in a few months from now! Ian
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Welcome to the community Tim! There are many of us that started late. I also received a guitar for Christmas from my wife at the age of 60. I’m still loving it 8 years later. Enjoy the ride!
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Hey Tim
Welcome aboard. It will no doubt feel like an impossible mission at the start. But with patience (stick with the JG modules) and baby steps you too can be as bad as me soon!! Above all enjoy it.
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Hi Tim Its great to meet you cheers Hec
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Hi Tim, welcome to the community. If you follow Justin’s lessons in grade 1 and especially use all of Justin’s strumming practice suggestions, then you will get better at following a beat when you strum. Have fun learning a lot of songs with the Song Lessons and your strumming rhythm will get even better.
Hi Tim, great to hear from another Aussie. You’ve got the right attitude and it’s all learnable, every last bit of it. And it’s such fun when you can pull a song out of your back pocket at will. Look forward to hearing more from you, which part of Australia are you from?
Hello Tim & Welcome!!!
Only 47??? You’ve got a lot of time to go from now to Wow!!! The amount of improvement you’re going to achieve is going to surprise you!
Try this:
Use your phone & make a short (3-5 minutes long) video of yourself doing chord & strumming practice. Write down what you practiced. Then, consistently follow Justin’s Method for a few months. At that time, record yourself again doing the same practice routine as before but don’t watch the first one until after the new one. You will be SHOCKED at how much you’ve improved!!!
Good luck!!!
Tod from New Mexico USA
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Welcome Tim, from a fellow Aussie.
You’ve hit the jackpot here mate.
Quality environment here, with a great ethos, and friendly people.
Stick close to Justin’s lessons, and reach our here anytime.
You’ll be surprised at where you can be by next Xmas.
All the best.
Cheers, Shane
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Timbooooooooh
More Aussies! Where in Aus? There are a fair few Queenslanders here.
Consistency and time mate, very powerful combination.
Hello Tim.
Welcome to JustinGuitar and this fantastic community. There a whole host of golden oldies over in the dog house.
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.
We also host regular (virtual) JustinGuitar Community Open Mic events for community members.
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 / Moderator |
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Thank you everyone for the warm welcome. To answer those wondering what part of Australia I’m from. I obviously won’t give my exact location but I’m near Newcastle in NSW.
Now that I have a few chords under my belt, I have decided to restart this journey of musical discovery and just do 1 lesson at a time and stop trying to skip to the fun bits.
Hi Tim! Keep trying! It can be difficult sometimes but if you’re interested keep trying and don’t give up! You got this!
Nice to meet you Tim, cheers HEC UK
Welcome to the community Tim!