Learing to play at 74

[Boat9290]

I am 74 years old, found Justin on the web and started learning the guitar December last year. I decided to buy a better guitar than the old one I had for some years and never played. I went to the local Guitar shop in Guildford and purchased a Gretsch Starlight. Since then I have I have been using Justins on line course but still strugling. I wont give up I have decided to have 1to 1 lessons with a local teacher to help me get on better.

[TheMadman_tobyjenner]

Welcome to the Community Peter.

@Boat9290

the local Guitar shop in Guildford an

Guess that might be Andertons per chance

For encouragement you may want to check out this topic

Older guitar students - can 'old dogs' learn new tricks?

In the original JustinGuitar Forum, many ‘mature’ beginner guitarists would arrive with a measure of doubt. Doubt that they could learn to play guitar. Doubt that they were not making a mistake. Doubt that anyone else of ‘mature years’ was doing anything as daft as they were in dreaming of becoming a guitar player. And so a discussion started to test the waters of ‘who else is out there like me’? Lo and behold … tens, dozens, scores, nay hundreds of old dogs made themselves known. And so t…

As I always say, never too old to rock and roll.

[tony]

Welcome to the community, great to hear from you. Hang in there, it just gets better and better.

[stitch]

Welcome to the forum Peter

[judi]

Welcome, Peter! To my mind, there’s benefit (especially for us older learners) in combining Justin’s course with some one-on-one, in-person tutelage. I’d do the same if I could find a compatible teacher near me!

[LunaRocket]

Welcome, this first year seems hard for most everyone, especially us older folks. Glad you found a local teacher.

[roger_holland]

Hello Peter,
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun
Greetings,Rogier

[amandaw57]

Welcome Peter, glad to hear you still persevering with it and pushing forward.
Good luck and enjoy the ride
A

[Avalon426]

Hi Peter
Nice to meet you! Welcome to the community

@Boat9290

I wont give up

Love this! I agree with what Tony said… it just gets better and better (and very fun!)

[skinnyt]

Welcome Peter. Age is no barrier, it might take a bit longer but you will get there.

[SteveL_G99]

Hi Peter, welcome to the community forum. Like other have said, be patient with yourself. Take a look at Justin’s Nitsuj lessons for Grade 1 and you can see that it takes time to train your hands to form the chords and strum a steady rhythm at the same time. I hope you find a teacher to give you some help in getting over the beginner hurdles. But if not, then don’t be afraid to watch the beginning modules over again with guitar in hand. I’ve done that several times and learn something new each time. There are also a lot of classic songs in the Grade 1 song lesson videos on the website. I’m 68 and have loved playing all of them. Have fun learning songs in each of the course modules.

[Old_Guy_n_a_Guitar]

Hi Peter,
Welcome to the community.
Just keep plugging away.
Keep practicing and it is amazing the progress that you can make.
Take care,
Vinnie

[SgtColon]

Hello Peter and welcome to our community.

I hope the 1 to 1 lessons help you along on your guitar adventure.

[Boat9290]

Thanks to everyone for your positive support I will keep going and the 1to1 is a definate help. I do find that it takes a long time for things to sink in but I get there in the end. I have 1-2 hours on and off during the day and normaly do most days if I can. It would be nice to find sombody in my area that is also learning so I had sombody to Jam with. Once again thanks for all the support. Peter

[Boat9290]

HI all, thanks for all your support. Its now three months later and I have been with a 1to 1 teacher for a while and I am glad to say its helped alot I am also now a year older and loving every minuit. I am slow at learning but I am learning so much more having a teacher as well as Justins lessons. I only have a lesson every 2 weeks but I play for 2-3 hours on and off most days. I have now purchased 2 other guitars one a nylon achoustic and one steel string acoustic. I got the steel string one so that I can leave it on my boat for tha summer so while I am away I can still practice. I wish you all the best with playing and hope one day I wilol be able to post a video of me playing but I think that will be a whilre yet.

[Boat9290]

Hi all just an update on things. Since finding a guitar teacher I am getting better, I have up- grader my amp to a Boss Kartana 2. I also got a katarna 2 personal plug in for my solid guitar so I don’t disturb the anybody ( these are presents for my wife ). Now I have decided I hat the old block of wood guitar I bought second hand for £20.00 ten years ago must go so next week I an going to Andertons to treat my wife again to a Fender Player, I spoil my wife.

[CT]

Welcome aboard sir! You started your guitar journey just in time. 75 is just too late to get started, it’s the cutoff point for “learing.” LOL