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

Hi everybody!

I am 49 ( I guess this makes me part of the old dogs) and I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Tried to learn electric alone when I was 16 but that didn’t last long.
Last week I checked Justin platform and decided to give it a try. I am now in my day #4 and I am finally managing to get a grip on the first D and A module. On the first 2 days I thought I would never be able to get that D chord lower string playing right but now it’s all coming along. My 49 year fingers hurt just writing in the keyboard of my laptop :smiley: .

Just want to say that all the stories of this tread really inspire me to play.

Cheer everybody!

Pedro

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Hi Pedro , :smile:
Yes you are absolutely right (not according to my own rules I was trying to delay old dog, but yes) :smile:

Enjoy the pain in your fingertips, don’t exaggerate, but a little pain is part of it in the beginning…Justin calls it is like a transition ritual :sunglasses: ( I felt it a little bit yesterday and today :flushed: after learning a certain song (never thought I would ever experience a calloused finger "pain"feeling again :upside_down_face:)

Welcome here and I wish you a very long time with guitar learning and playing.

Greetings,Rogier

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Hi Pedro.
You’re in!

Woof woof.

Welcome Pedro! You’re making good progress! The severe finger pain doesn’t last too long - you’ll be doing much better within a week. Don’t be shy about asking questions - we’ve all had them. And keep us posted on your progress!

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Hi everyone! 57 here. I got a beautiful Martin acoustic guitar from my wife a few years ago on my birthday. Not exactly sure why, but I feel now is the time to learn to play it for real.

Hens

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Welcome to the kennel, Hens!

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Welcome Hens! Now is always the time to learn to play. No reasons needed! Hope to see you around the community.

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Hello Hens!
57 is a great age to start learning guitar (actually - ANY age is a pretty good age :rofl:)
Good luck with your Journey to musical greatness!

Tod

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Hi Hens,
Welcome here and you are so right that ‘now’ is the right time to start :smiley:, because it is always the best time :sunglasses:

I wish you a lot of fun :sunglasses:

Greetings Rogier

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Hi Hens, welcome to the community forum. Now is a good time to start and you have a great new guitar to play. I wish you a lot of fun learning to play.

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Hello Henz, I have laid out a warm blanket for you in the kennel. Snuggle up and make yourself at home. :slight_smile:

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Hello, all. I am Derek. I am 62. I just signed up for the blues immersion 2 class. We’ll see. Im from the home of the Delta blues…Mississippi (USA). As I was meandering through the time capsule, I looked around and realized that more sand was out of the hourglass than in it. I have always wanted to play. So, with some time and some disposable income, here we go. I hope to chat with you guys often.

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Hi Derek & Welcome to the kennel!!

What’s your guitar history like? Have you been playing for a long time or are you relatively new? I’m not a BLIM student but have heard some really good things about what’s happening to the “Play Grade” of many -if not most- of the 1st class to come out of the course! I won’t be in Blues Immersion 2 but maybe class 3 or 4 later. I need to complete Justin’s Grade 3 & feel a bit more confident/competent first!

Good Luck!!!

Tod

By the way, I’m also 62, have had guitars for many, many moons but only with Justin’s curriculum have I made any meaningful progress towards actually playing music! Those 3 songs that were in my repertoire for years got a bit old to my friends & family!!! Now I’m learning new music, new techniques, correcting bad habits & actually playing songs from beginning to end & not just a riff here or there (think Smoke on the Water, or the intro to Pretty Woman!) or just mangling anything that I’m attempting for the first time!

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I bought my first guitar at 14, played until 16, then decided I couldn’t do it. Sold my 68 Fender Tele and kept my amp to throw pool parties with girls and friends. LOL. So, I picked up the guitar again last year and have practiced some form every day since August 2023.

So, thank you Tod. Look forward to connecting.

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Hi Derek,
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun and have a blast at Blim :smiley: :sunglasses:

Greetings,Rogier

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Welcome to the pound Derek and great to see you in the main Community area having signed up for BLIM, most of the Blues students there never make it across to here. Shame, coz as you will see lots of good stuff and helpful people. Enjoy Class 2 it really is a good course and well worth the effort. Just 3 weeks to go now but the last 6 months have flown by.
Immerse yourself !

:sunglasses:

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Hello Derek.
Come on in … have a sniff and a wag and a bark … make yoursefl at home.

Aaiiiieeeee.
:astonished:

Richard, I know. Young and dumb. But, I am not sure back then, the 70’s, we were very interested in “vintage”…we were all living for “now”, then. LOL. Wish I had it back. I live in the same town with the guy I sold it to, and just have never gathered the courage to see if he still owns it. If I were not so chicken, I’d call him him and ask him to buy it back. Loved that guitar, but couldn’t play it for to save my life.

I am better now, but have a long long long long way to go. I have a small collection, but I very much long to be able to just sit and play and go gather up people and jam. Working towards it.

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Another female newbie here at 58. Starting from scratch 2 weeks ago but sofar enjoying it. Lovely to find this thread. Very encouraging. I may just have to participate in the community to keep me accountable…

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Hello Sylvia & Welcome!

I’m 62 & have been with Justin for a bit over 2 years now… take the lessons from the very start slowly & methodically… Justin will guide you carefully into being able to play & reach your guitar goals! Justin’s online lessons really give us top-notch instruction & the price is definitely right!!! I hope you find a fun-filled path ahead & really enjoy the Journey!!!

By the way, I always recommend to guitar “newbies” that if you haven’t already, buy yourself a stand or wall hanger. That way, your guitar won’t be put away in it’s case/bag in a closet somewhere… instead it’ll be close at hand & ready to play when you only have a few minutes to spare. I like to practice for the 5 minutes or so that my coffee’s brewing in the mornings - you’d be surprised at how those few minutes here & there add up!!!

Have fun!!! :smile:

Tod from New Mexico USA

P.S. Finger pain does go away… it’s a rite of passage! :crazy_face:

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