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

Cool, like minds.
Have to admit that age may slow my learning some but
eventually I prevail.
On this particular song Aime the intro was quite a challenge and am still
working out some of the kinks, finger stretches on certain chords.
Thats great that you and your partner enjoy the music together !

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Hi gang :wave:

I only started guitar about 4 years ago and I struggle a bit with consistency. I am in my early 50’s now and had a thumb joint replacement in my fretting hand a year ago.

It has knocked me down a bit but I’m getting back up :muscle: I need to justify the guitars I own, right?! :laughing: It’s a bit of a slow road but I’m getting there.

I like most music (with a rock preference) and I love both acoustic and electric. I even have a loop pedal - crikey that’s some tricky stuff and I am currently useless at it :upside_down_face:

I live in London UK and would like to find a jam buddy or two. I would like to find the courage to do an open mic one day too!

I do not believe our age limits us dogs but find that all the adulting can get in the way of the fun! It’s a balancing act

Peace out :purple_heart:

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Hi Bernadette and welcome.

You’ll find retirement handy later on then. You get to be an older dog but with luck less responsibility, so more time for new tricks ! :sunglasses:

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Yes, Amie is a tough one but with perseverence… (It’s actually one of our personal favorite songs to sing together). Keep in mind, I believe Vince Gill played guitar on Amie and he is definitely a tough act to follow! My husband has been playing guitar for probably 50 years so he knows a few more tricks then I do. He makes a great sounding board for problems I may be having or just useful tricks he knows.

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No way! When you get to be our age (I think I am a few older than you) you don’t have to justify anything anymore! If anything, a joint replacement sounds like a good reason to get a new guitar!

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Actually Dave I did buy a mini Maton to help ease me back in :laughing:

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So if I’m 52( this year) does that mean I can join the old codger thread as well @TheMadman_tobyjenner :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: I thought it was only for really old people like you!

Welcome all (especially those not so old in their 50s) stick at it for a few years and you’ll be playing like an old pro (well an older person anyway). It’s tough the first six months although Justin breaks it down into nice bite size pieces but once things start to click your progress will really speed up. Lots of people here as you’ve discovered who were int he same position 1-2-5-10 years ago and always happy to answer questions. No such thing as a silly question in here.

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I was not familiar with Maton, not too common in the USA. Those look like pretty high end instruments. Way to “ease” back in!

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As long as you are an old codger and not a curmudgeon, you are welcome!

There really is a fine contingent of well matured beginning guitar players here.

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Hey ho!

50 and 1/2 here, played a bit when I was young / at Uni but not since, back on the horse so to speak, looking forward to learning again, and this time probably doing it right haha.

So many more resources available now, massive shift over those intervening 30 years!

Also have Rocksmith setup thats a heap of fun too.

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Hiya all. It’s great to see so many women picking up the guitar! Love the guys too, but I can see no good reason for men to have all the fun.

My oldest child once tried to get me started on the guitar. My fingers kept muting the strings, and we both got frustrated pretty quickly. I found Justin’s site about a year ago and found him to be such an encouraging teacher. The message I got was to keep working on the trouble spots, but don’t let them stop you from moving forward with some fun things. So I worked and practiced and worked some more. I can now pretty confidently call myself an intermediate-level guitar player. I am 56 years old and looking forward to many years of learning and playing music.

About that “old dog” phrase --First of all, as a dog owner, I know for a fact that old dogs are pretty good at learning new tricks. Second, age does have some benefits. My “in-person” teacher commented that he likes working with older students because they have a lot more patience. One of my goals is to write songs. I know there are some very talented young songwriters, but I do think experience can add a certain amount of richness to our music.

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Hi Donna, I would love to explore writing too. I have a note phone and am getting into the habit of jotting down lyric snippets and ideas. Ya never know, a song might pop up out of all those scribbles :laughing:

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So, I’m really late to this thread. At my age, 68 in about six weeks, I am entitled to be late from time to time :upside_down_face:
My story is the same as many here. I was determined to be a guitar god in my teens, up until I realized it involved work and commitment. :wink: I got tired of people telling me I could not play the guitar and actually leaving the room when I picked one up. Fast forward 50 years. My desire to play never faded. I found Justin’s site, May 2020, and bought a decent guitar. Now I find amazing enjoyment in playing, no one runs from the room anymore and I actually found the courage to begin recording my efforts and posting on the audio visual of you playing (AVoYP) section of this forum. Talk about a high! The people on this forum are amazingly supportive. You are never older than you feel and playing guitar will strip years off that feeling! Pick up your guitar, follow Justin and go for it!!

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Indeed. I tried once and packed it in. Then tried again 10 years ago at the age of 53 and am SO glad I persevered. For me, having a clearer goal than just “wanting to learn guitar” made a difference, and for me, in the beginning, avoiding scales or theory made a difference. Now I soak up as much theory as I can. The experiences and joy I’ve had and continue to have make the initial struggle so worthwhile.

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I think part of it, for me at least, is that I am finally mature enough to be doing it for the process (which never ends no matter how good you are), rather than for some imagined result of being a “rock star” or something. Besides, it keeps me off the streets, and I sure am too old to be out there…

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I Just turned 70 and returning to guitar after 50 years. I have a fender strat purchased new in 2001and just recently picked up a lightly used Ibanez acoustic AD60L (left handed). After a year on Justin’s site I am currently on Grade 2 Module 11. Having serious difficulty with the dreaded barre F cord but determined to hang in there.

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Hi @runhappy, welcome! You will get lots of support and encouragement around here. Stick to it and you’ll conquer that F chord, too!

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Blockquote The message I got was to keep working on the trouble spots, but don’t let them stop you from moving forward with some fun things.

You nailed it!

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Howdy all
I’m Paul, 46 year old beginner. Been on the forum for a while but dont think I did the introduction.
It’s great to see so many others of similar age, and older, picking up a guitar for the fist time. Age it seems is no barrier!

I have a Yamaha Pacific 112v and a Positive Grid Spark amp. Want to get to the point I can just pick it up and play covers with confidence.

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Hello Paul,
You are a young spring flower compared to the people above, :sweat_smile:…I would also like to look here,…but that “may” only in 2 years, right? :roll_eyes:…I am now 48 years young :innocent:
Greetings to you all , Rogier

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