Good evening. I am a senior + citizen (68 y/o) picking up a guitar after 55 years. What are the challenges, expectations, and recommendations to encourage someone just looking to do rhythm strumming of music that can be recognized? I do not read music and am challenged by notes, metronomes, and counting.
Welcome to the forum Chris. Thereās lots of 60+ beginners following Justinās Beginner Course and doing very well.
Hi Chris, welcome from another āold dogā (as we call ourselves around here)! Thereās a topic dedicated to old dogs learning new tricks over here. My advice would be to try to let go of what you cannot currently do and what currently challenges you, and follow Justinās lessons from the beginning. I think youāll be surprised and pleased how quickly youāll be doing
ā and more! And donāt be shy about asking questions on this forum. There are lots of folks happy to share their experiences.
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Hello Chris & welcome!!!
Challenges - for me (62 yo) - stiff fingers because arthritis is beginning to be problematicā¦ memory isnāt what it used to beā¦ seeing & hearing have both deteriorated over time. There are āworkaroundsā for all of these issues however! Everyone is different mentally & physically so what works for me might not be the best for someone elseā¦
Expectations - I expect to sound & play better as I progress through Justinās syllabusā¦ having played at playing for decades, the last few months (since starting Grade 2) have really been exciting! Iām playing new stuff with techniques that I couldnāt do before!!! Itās been a breakthrough experience!!!
Recommendations - One of the most useful bits of advice I received in the early days of learning guitar is to buy a stand or wall hanger so your guitar is available to play easily. Then, when you have a few extra minutes, you can pick it up and plat for 5-10 minutes or so! I practice scales or chord progressions while my coffee is brewing in the mornings!
Another thing is to consistently practice playing āin timeāā¦ Rhythm is the key to sounding good!!! Start early learning to use a metronomeā¦ I think Justin talks about this in Grade 1 - the āDisappearing Metronome Trickāā¦ cool lesson!
I think possibly the absolute most important thing about playing/learning guitar is to keep it fun!!! Without keeping the joy level up you will probably put the guitar down. (Feel free to quote me @JustinGuitar !!! 
)
Good luck!!!
Tod from New Mexico USA
Have lots of fun learning!!! Itās a long journey but thereās a ton of enjoyment along the way!!!
Tod from New Mexico USA
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Hi Chris,
Welcome here and I wish you a lot of fun 
And Iām almost certain that the most fun (or progress (which for me equals fun) can be found by starting at the beginning of the course Grade 1 and youāve already played before, I read, so thereās a good chance that youāll get through the first lessons flying ā¦ and anyway you play songs in no time 
Greetings,Rogier
Welcome Chris, as Judi said, check out the dog pound, plenty of old mutts hanging around.
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Welcome Chris! I wish you lots of fun learning to play guitar.
Just follow the beginnerās course and nothing can go wrong!
We all are facing our challenges and struggles regardless of age from time to time. An advantage from starting late might be, that we are a lot more patient with ourselves and aware of the fact, that we wonāt get super heroes in just a few weeks. Having fun and keeping on, even when things arenāt going smoothly from time to time, is key. One step at a time, a few steps every week, will build up your skills.
If you want to get confident as rhythm guitarist, I would highly recommend to enroll in Justinās Strumming SOS and Strumming Dynamics Courses. They are really helpful:
All good Chris. Youāre certainly in the right place here mate. Superb tuition, and a great supportive community with a tremendous ethos.
You may be very surprised at where you can be after 12 months, if you really dig in.
And at 68 mate, thereās some old fossilised dinosaurs gettinā around here that would see you as a youngunā
All the best.
Cheers, Shane
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Iām not quite a senior but not a spring chicken either.
My aim is nothing more advanced than to play along with some songs I enjoy. For this you absolutely donāt need to read music and donāt need a metronome either (you need to learn to play in time with a band which may or may not be as precise as a metronome).
My advice would be to practice in small chunks. You donāt need to do 3 hours at a time. Iāve found it handy to practice for 5-10 minutes at a time and do that a few times each day while I build up the strength and dexterity needed to play
With patience and practice you can do it
@cbelfield Hey Chris! Not much to add to what these Justin Community Stalwarts have already said here. Some great advice and approaches can be found on the pages of this Community and I would recommend finding the ones that are suitable to your level and use them as a knowledge āmineā. . .many of the struggles youāll face in your guitar journey have been face by others in the past and there is a wealth of knowledge circulating in the community!!
Most of all ENJOY the ride!! As I hobbies go, Guitar is a super fun and challenging way to pass some time.
Best of luck going forward!!
J
Hi Chris,
I saw some good advice above. There really are a lot of folks retired or nearly so that have picked up guitar for the first time or in several decades on the forum here.
Some ideas to keep you going:
- use the forum search. You will find many things have already been asked - including things specific to being older!
- hour hands wonāt want to move like you will need them to. You need to slowly grow the flexibility to prevent injury, so donāt force it beyond muscle fatigue. Search for topics on stretching and read through them.
- Be mindful of your posture as you play. It will take some fiddling to find your proper grip, sitting position, etc. but it is important to not set up your body for early fatigue or injury because you sit poorly or hold your shoulder in too much tension.
- You donāt need to read score or learn music theory. You will probably want to understand ātabā, but it is fast to understand the basics, then learning the finer details will come as you need it.
- Justin classes start at the very rudimentary knowledge point. It is usually best to cover those so you donāt have any gaps in what you re supposed to have seen. Even re-watching a video has corrected something I missed or misunderstood, so go through all of them.
- you donāt NEED to do the video classes in order, but it is generally good to do that. If you want to skip ahead for a topic important to your goals, then go for it. You may need to find some supporting lessons, so be ready for that.
Thatās a lot of stuff, and all of it has related queries on the forums here. Welcome and may you enjoy your playing!
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Welcome to the community Chris. There are several of us that started in their 60ās or later. Enjoy the journey!
Welcome Chris i`m nearly 70 how did i get so old but my mind is stuck in the 1970s i have a slight memory prob and sometime a tremor in my fingers but determination a practice helps i will never be a good guitar player but i can hammer out a few tunes i think the trick is to learn some upbeat campfire songs like buddy holly a lot of his are only 3 chords that way you can impress a load of people.
Just like anyone else starting out or picking it back up after a long hiatus:
- Start at the beginning of the beginners course and follow the program to completion
- Four down strums per bar until you get the groove of strumming and keeping time (not a bad idea when learning any new 4/4 song)
- Tap your foot to keep time
Honestly that is pretty much all of us regardless of age!
Nothing about guitar comes naturally, or not as naturally as it seems when you watch someone play.
it takes practice and effort but it comes!