Hi everyone, my Yamaha Pacifica 112VM and Yamaha FX370C guitars, a nice 1W Blackstar valve (tube) practice amp and all the other paraphernaila that you need to play a guitar arrived last week. I’m 57 and have never played a guitar in my life, but it seems like I’m a relative youngster here. It was seeing a psychiatrist a few weeks ago that prompted me to learn to play the guitar.
At this moment, arthritis in both hands, minimal movement in my wrists and a dodgy left shoulder means I can barely get my fingers in the correct positions for the A & D chords. That’s without trying to do the 1-minute chord change exercises! Anyway, I’d better get some practice in.
Hi, Another older passionate about guitar and figured that out late in life. I have always admired great guitar players but never thought I would find myself attempting to play. Background in piano but received a gift of a guitar after retiring from 30 years of nursing. Three years into working with Justin and often repeating many of his lessons (ya know the old brain cells can only hold so much) but loving the journey. I too have been a meditator for years, but find that playing guitar actually is like meditation in action. I feel that I get so much out of my practice and playing sessions. I have no specific goals now at fast approaching 69 years of age other than the pure joy of playing this instrument. And since starting with Justin I am now playing baritone uke and just picked up an octave mandolin! Does this GAS ever let up or is there a cure?? Hope all are enjoying this community as much as I am. Namaste’ from East Tennessee!
What an inspiring post!! And 80 open mics!! I am so impressed as I am so nervous about even taping myself. I would love to have just one person to jam with but live rural and know no one here that plays. Good for you Tony for getting out there!!
Oh did I need to read this today!! I had a bad night last night and felt like what is the use at 69 years old and not making the progress I was expecting. However, as a retired neuroscience oriented RN I so agree with your comments about the benefits as regards degenerative cognitive effects. I recently suffered a mild stroke and it has taken probably five months for me to get back to where I was prior with 3 years of practice under my fingers. But the motor and cognitive are returning and i feel like without my continued playing I would probably not have progressed this fast if at all. Thanks for your post and I will never give up this passion!
I understand that very well. I call it red light fever, when the red light on the camera or even microphone indicates it’s recording, my nerves kick in and it takes me a lot of concentration to get past that. With some of the songs I recorded for my learning log, it took numerous takes and even then the nerves meant the performances recorded are no where near how I do them live.
The best thing I’ve found and heard of from more experienced players to deal with such nerves is two fold, first use easier songs, ones you know real well and are possibly slower, second is to record a lot, as often as you can. That’s helped me. Hasn’t eliminated the nerves, but has helped reduce them.
Hi all, 60 years old , took up the guitar again 5 years ago when kids all grown up. I started playing 20 years ago, I was taught by a friend from work. He was a professional trumpeter in a big band in the sixties and when work dried up he joined our factory. He taught himself guitar and then taught me to play and read music. We had many jam sessions until the kids came along . Fast forward 40 years . I restarted and discovered Justin s site and how many bad habits I had/have. Stuck with beginners course and really like playing along to songs in app, but felt in a rut so have started lessons with tutor. This has opened up a lot for me and tightened up my playing. You can fool yourself it’s ok but not if you have to play for someone else. Still get frustrated that I make mistakes on things ov played many times but know I’m improving and enjoying the challenges
One thing i have found helps with ‘red light syndrome’ is to just continue playing. At first i would restart when i noticed a ‘mistake’ but that seemed to make it impossible to avoid them.
After i forced myself to just play through the mistakes i found i started making fewer when doing a ‘performance’.
And after listening back they are often not as bad as i thought they were.
Thanks much for the welcome! I am definitely an old dog by age but try to be forever young at heart and keep on enjoying LIFE! So far it has been pretty good! It can be very discouraging though when I get stuck trying to educate myself on how to do things on my computer and new fangled android phone! I have to do a lot of inefficient stumbling around. I hope you will give me some help so I can get the program going in the right direction.
Hey DevilDog! I am a NavyDog, 87 years old and also trying to get started on my journey with Justin this week. Hope we can hang together and give each other some help.
Hi there from Hereford.
I have to admit that I’m now in the old dog category! I’ve been messing around with my steel string acoustic for a while now, strumming along to REM, James Morrison, Stereophonics, Greenday, Foo Fighters and the like. I’d really like to move on now - I’d call myself a camp fire player, and would like to develop some finger style skills if possible. I’m finding starting on this quite a challenge!
Learning has been a bit of a solitary exercise so far - so I’m looking forward to sharing any progress with what looks like a great community!
hello. I turned 60 and decided it was not acceptable I couldn’t strum a few chords on guitar and sing along for my own amusement. so here I am and enjoying justin’s calm wisdom. and my fingers hurt…
Hi! I’m relearning at 67 and used a liquid callus product called Rock Tips to help with the pain while my calluses were forming. I still use it now and again when I’ve played so much it hurts. Hopefully you can find something like it where you live (or online through a music dealer). Good luck & have fun!
Sixty-three-year-old here who stumbled across Justin’s website a month ago after I received my first guitar (for my birthday) 18 months ago. Can an old dog learn new tricks? I really hope so.
You certainly can mate. Plenty your age and much older are doing it right here. Just reach out for any help and join in.
Lookin forward to your progress.
No I don’t remember those programs and wasn’t able to find them online (just references to them). YouTube is much better IMHO, as is all the learning material available. I can’t imagine a student new to music could learn as much from the old material (the old 1940s-1950 Hal Leonard Guitar Method books come to mind), and it’d take much longer (many of these require the know how of reading music) to get good enough to play a song. Back then, those programs sound like the closest thing to a group lesson.
And yes, old dogs like myself can learn new guitar tricks. I’m 64 and playing much better than I was just a couple of years ago, and using new techniques (to me) as well.
