Hello everyone,
two weeks ago I bought my new 
.
The age of 69 didn’t stop me of trying something new and I always loved the sound of a guitar but didn’t dare to learn to play it myself, I got an Ukulele instead a few years ago and I liked playing it, the instrument being so small and handy I had much fun with it. Then some month ago I saved a big dread nought 12 string guitar from being thrown away, I took it home and put my fingers on it, 12 strings, big guitar, metal strings and I was frustrated immediately…and then I thought, no - there must be a way to do it - even for me and I got myself this nice 6 string beginner guitar and here I am 
.
Playing the Uke had advantages, so the start was smooth. I still have to get used to the size of my guitar and unfortunately all the chords are diffrent but I will manage.
Up to now I am at lesson 4 , my fingers are getting hard skin on the fingertips and I have so much fun playing and listening to the nice sound of my new guitar 
.
Greetings to everybody all over the world from Germany.
Welcome to the community Angelika!
thank you Shawn 
Welcome to the community Angelika.
Hello again Angelika!
Do you still have the 12 string guitar? So glad you could “save” it! Something that new-to-guitar people don’t always know is that often our instruments can benefit from have a “setup”! If you take the 12 string (or your new 6 string even) to a shop that sells guitars, they usually can do a setup to make the guitar easier for a beginner to play. New strings, adjustments to the height of the action (the distance of the strings from the fretboard) making dure the neck is straight… etc. All these things could help you to enjoy the guitar more!
Good luck!!!
Tod
Thank you Ian
Hello Tod,
yes, I still have the 12 string guitar, because it is so big it is up in the attic now. And yes, when I had “saved” it I thought I could cut the strings and just set up 6 new strings instead of 12, take nylon ones to make it easier for my fingers, then I read about the neck and the tension changing because of the 6 strings …so I did nothing like that. As I can’t play much yet it just would have destroyed the original guitar and converted it to a piece to suit my beginner abilities what didn’t feel right for me. So instead I bought a new beginner guitar which I am happy with for now. But the idea of bringing it to a shop to make it nice and new for me ones I am able to play sounds very good and I think, that’s what I will do, one day in the future probably .
Thanks for all your tips Tod.
Hi Linea, I’m looking forward to your LL. I’m a loyal reader and can’t wait for us to master Grade 2 together.
Cheers Withold
Having breezed through Beginner Level 1, I’ve started Level 2 and things are definitely getting a bit more challenging for me now. I’ll probably be spending quite a bit of time here – I’m currently on Module 8 – but I’ve already had a sneak peek and learnt the F chord, as well as Music Theory 1 and 2 alongside it.
Considering I’ve only been playing for six weeks, I could actually be very satisfied, but it feels like everything is going too slowly for me. I can fret the chords well, even the F and F#, but the transitions are far too slow. I’ve barely touched on rhythm and strumming yet, and fingerpicking with a pick is a real challenge for me. I can only play songs in bits and pieces, if at all.
All in all, I’m still highly motivated, and since playing the guitar involves such a wide range of skills (chords, strumming, music theory, fingerpicking) and I’d like to move towards classical playing later on, it’s likely to be a lifelong process of learning and practising. I’m looking forward to it.
Incidentally, I’ve learnt how to change strings, as the rescued dreadnought needed new ones and two strings on my practice guitar snapped overnight without me doing anything.
In @witkatz, I’ve found an excellent study buddy .
This is exactly the right approach to help you get closer to your own goals. Grade 2 covers a wide variety of techniques and serves as an orientation phase on your own guitar journey. Justin demonstrates a wide range of techniques, with the intention of letting aspiring guitarists get a taste of the topics and try them out for themselves to figure out what they like to do and where their journey is heading. You could take a quick look at the “Rat Busting” lesson in Module 14, which may help you sort it all out. Let your curiosity guide you—you’re on the right track, and you’re in good company here on this forum.
LG Withold