Hi! I’m Paul from Grand Junction, Colorado. I’m 69 and recently retired. Have tried and failed a few times over the years to learn, I think mostly from not putting enough time in because I didn’t have much time. I do now and have been really enjoying the learning. I have gone through the real basic start and am able to play the 8 beginner chords without the charts now. Am starting to learn my chord changes now. Having a blast!
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Great stuff Paul. Many of us here have tried and failed before it finally stuck. For me, what worked was ignoring scales and theory (initially), focusing on chords and songs. Once I could play my first song all the way through I was off and running. I’m 67 and have been playing for 15 years now. Fun fun fun. Look forward to hearing more from you.
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Welcome. I was 67 when I started. I’ll be 77 next month. There are surely some limits to what I can do due to age but a lot of my limitations are absolutely self-imposed because I’ve been unwilling to do the work needed for some of the more advanced skills. I’m happy with being able to play along with recordings for a couple of hours to fill my retirement afternoons.
The big thing to know as you advance is that it’s often a rollercoaster ride. Good days and bad days. Don’t let the bad days, which occasionally seem to be “I’m getting worse instead of better,” defeat you. Decide what you really expect to get out of this and set your goals accordingly. Most of all have fun!
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…and that’s the point! Great you’ve found enjoyment in learning; that’s a good basis for your development as a guitarist.
Oh, first of all, welcome to the community and warmest greetings from Warsaw, Poland. I’m Tomasz, and will turn 73 in a fortnight.
Hello Paul.
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.
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 |
Welcome Paul. You’ve found this forum full of Vintage students of guitar. We even have a club!
https://www.justinguitar.com/clubs/vintage-club
Keep having a blast, and of course, be patient. I am 68, picked up a guitar for the first time 4 1/2 years ago and joined Justin Guitar after a year of futzing around with YouTube tutorials. Only in the last six months have I been saying that I can play the guitar versus I am trying to learn the guitar. It’s a real personal accomplishment and joy.
Welcome Paul!
Sounds like you’re already having a great time, but over time, it’s usually becoming even more fun! 
Hello Paul & Welcome!!!
I’m of the opinion that once we’re in our 60’s (or older) it’s a great time to learn new skills. You generally have more time, more experience and more patience, along with a more realistic set of expectations for how quickly we’ll progress! As older beginners, we’ve learned that anything worth doing is going to take time, effort & sticking with it even when the learning process takes a downturn or plateaus.
The most important ingredients for success are to find a good teaching platform (you’ve got that with Justin!), set some achievable short-term goals along with an idea of where you want the Journey to take you, commit yourself to regular practice & most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!
I wish you lots of success & hope playing guitar puts a big smile on your face!!!
Tod (your “neighbor”) in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Welcome to the community Paul!
Hi Paul,
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun 
Greetings,Rogier
Welcome, Paul.
Hi Paul, welcome to the community. It sounds like you are having a lot of fun now that you have time to consistently practice. Now that you know the 8 beginner open chords, you’ll have a lot of songs that you can play. Have fun learning to play new songs.