consider the 1st 3 months or so, is going to be mostly physical, not so much musical. You have to learn how to shape chords, and move the shapes without muting strings. You will be using your non-dominant hand for this, so it will take a bit to teach the fingers to move independently of each other. Especially the 3rd and 4th finger, they like to move together for some reason...

so its mostly strengthening your hand muscles and teaching them to hold shapes and then change shapes slowly at first then more quickly.

you can do this on a 200$ guitar or a 2,000$ guitar, the net result will be the same, other than the prettier guitar might make you want to pick it up and play more often. your choice.

what is important is to play every day, working up to at least 30 minutes. if you play 30 minutes everyday for a year you will notice much improvement.

you won't be doing much shredding for a year or 2, unless you are a prodigy..

shredding involves playing scales and arpegios very fast, its mostly robotic, once you can play, you may not find it very inspiring or even interesting, but such is a musical journey.

a physical teacher is a must early on, they can show you a lot and help you from injuring your hands, which will greatly slow or stop your learning. I used to always tape my lessons with a cassette recorder, I'd recommend you using your phone or similiar to record your sessions for reference. also start recording your own playing once you can stand to hear it played back. it will help you hear problems you didnt notice cause you were too entranced trying to get the next chord shape ready etc....

once you have the physical abilities to play chords and notes, you can begin to learn the layout of the fretboard, and all the nuances and playing styles.

you will get out of it, as much as you can put into it, and how many things in the world offer you that kind of deal?
enjoy the journey, its worth the effort..

 

wanted to add, a music store can help you pick out a guitar that is comfortable to play, especially for a beginner. depending on your physical factors a 3/4 scale might be easier, or maybe a semi hollow might be lighter and easier on you back and therefore you will play longer.

don't buy the 1st guitar you pick up, you may be able to rent a guitar for a few weeks at a time to see what works best, your teacher can help with this. that first guitar makes a lot of differnce and without any knowledge aforethought its difficult to choose the best one for your hands,build, etc.

 

The oboe is a nice sound I am a sucker for ballads and its fits so well with that genre.

The Saxaphone is another instrument I would like to at least try. I have always had this thought that I could just pick one up and find my way around the instrument to play it, no idea why, but I bet the reality would be something totally different

 

I was moving my fingers earlier mimicing play a guitar and totally see what you mean about the 3rd and 4th right now it doesnt feel natural.

I can totally see this taking quite a bit of time indeed.

A bit late for that I have just spent a lot of money for the guitar I always liked I know its not always about the guitar and on it own it will do nothing but, its the one I always fancied and told myself one day I will buy it, that day was today.

I am going to be realistic and start off with 15 minutes a day and go from there, a friend told me my fingers will be sore for a while so will have to get used to that.

I can tell you right now a guitar prodigy is not me, I am more like freddy fat fingers haha

This will probably be me.

Shredding is the dream years down the road but even if I could just add a decent 80s sounding guitar solo with harmonics I would be happy as Larry, whoever he is.

I have sourced a local teacher who is literally 10 minutes away and have sent an email, just waiting on a reply.

Totally agree, I will do my best to make Wes Borland proud

 

They're actually fairly easy. Started out in elementary school on the trumpet but moved to clarinet after a year. The breathing is nothing, and the fingering was super easy, it's almost exactly like the recorder we all got to play in early elementary school. Moved to tenor sax in junior high, same key and everything I literally jumped right over and went off with it.

@StormChaser I don't see why you cant. I'll be 50 next year, been playing since I was 15/16 or so, I don't see any reason I couldn't stop and pick it up all over again tomorrow. Unless you've got some serious arthritis or something, just be patient and remember it wont come in a day, and go for it. Playing guitar is just like anything else, practice, practice, practice and anybody can do it.

 

I purchased earlier the guitar I always said I would get if I was to start learning I got the Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Child Stratocaster Journeyman Relic in Black, it comes tomorrow I am super excited. Overkill absolutely but there has always been something about that guitar.

I do also like the Gibson Les Paul guitars and like the jazz sound i'm a big fan of George Benson, if in a few months I am ticking along I might get a sunburst one of those too.

I rememeber back in the day I always liked Carvin guitars but I dont see them around these days.

 

I dont have any arthritis thankfully but, the one thing I dont have is patience so I know there are going to be hot and cold days with that but, one thing I am is a realist I know this is not going to happen if I dont put the time and energy in everyday, even if its for 10 minutes or so.

I am so envious of all guitar players, it must be such a rush to stand there creating this awesome sound.

I started playing Piano at 9 and got to grade 9 but the only reason I never started the guitar instead of the piano was my school friend Peasmold (yep thats his christian name) got a guitar and wanted us to start a band, we never did and moved in different circles as we got older but I was liking the Piano alot and moved to synths when I got a Roland Jupiter-8 for Christmas and its gone on from there.

 

Last edited: Jun 25, 2024

Your never to old to start to learn an instrument but no matter how early someone starts to learn, there's never enought time to learn it all.

Because when you think you almost have, some stupid 10 year old will do something on youtube leaving you thinking how the hell did he do that?

 

Of course you can learn . . . and play as long as you physically and mentally can do it.

 

Oh man don't sweat it. I'm one of the 'Ritalin generation' hah my ADHD is STILL through the roof to this day, if I can do it, you can do it!

I grew up wanting to be a guitar hero, then around 18 or so got into industrial music and nowadays I would kill for a JP-8 haha. Kinda funny, I could get like 10 of my JCM800 heads for one of those Jupiters nowadays.

 

If you have the money you should try, or you'll never know. Not everyone can become a great guitar player, but usually not due to their age. It's because of the Notes.

People of the same age learn how to do some truly dangerous hobby activities all the time. All you will have to worry about is watching out for other band members who may try to kick out your walker.

 

I read a couple of weeks ago about someone completing a masters degree at 105. They were quoted as saying they'd always wanted to do it and thought it was about time they got around to it. Many may have said that really was leaving it a bit late. She thought different.

Slightly younger, but nonetheless Tony Cicoria decided he wanted to learn to play piano at 42.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Cicoria

Don't allow age to get in the way of your journey.

 

My Dad drummed in his younger days but had always wanted to learn guitar and never did, even when he saw all his sons pick up an axe and had all sorts of gear in the house. Finally, when he retired at the ripe old age of 63 we bought him a decent acoustic and some guitar Lessons, he's never looked back. He goes to Spain for the summer with his caravan and spends his evenings belting out tunes at the campsite bar with others, he's living the dream. You've a 13 year head start, get shredding! It's so great for the brain too particularly as we get older.

 

I'm sorry to break the bad news, but you can't. It is well known that the Spanish inquisition will burst into your house and demand you stop playing immediately.


Seriously though have fun with it!

 

Meet mom.

At 53 years of age, she found faith (or as some might say, it found her!) and she picked up the guitar and learned it. I learned guitar just watching her enthusiasm and dedication, and she even went on to write songs for her Lord into her 70's.

When she was 84, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, heart-failure and MDS (senior blood cancer), but until her final day in June of 2008, she led a full, love-filled life that benefitted and encouraged everybody around her.

Be like mom. Life's short, keep learning. Always!
Martin Barret

For more of 'mom', you can hear her Patsy Cline-esque voice forever via Soundclick.
https://www.soundclick.com/patbarret

 

you might want to try coated strings on your guitar, like the Elixir nano-flex or polyweb, they will be a little easier on your fingers and they will last a little longer, also you should probably work on using 9's on your guitar until you get your fingers used to things. the lower the gauge number, the thinner the string, the less pressure or force involved from your fingers.
something like these perhaps..

 

Age is only a number, you can absolutely learn to play Guitar, I started in 1n 1962 there wasn't much available mostly Mel Bay books, my mum paid for lessons, but I couldn't read music to save my life, I was lucky enough to have a few friends that played guitar in groups and offered to teach me, I went to concerts watched what the guitarists did, made notes went home and practiced. I started playing in local bands and haven't given up since. Hard work is the way, I do occasionally tutor but now to older people who want to learn to play as a hobby, my days as a studio, session and stand-in guitarist ended about 10 years ago due to health issues, I still went to jam sessions at pubs, bars and brasseries up until covid lock downs stopped everything. Now I just compose to maintain my abilities and sanity, but who knows I'm might start up an old foggy group to play at retirement homes. So you see you are never too old and you may really surprise yourself, there are lots of lessons on youtube, and if you have friends who can play ask them for help, just don't give up on yourself, you are still young at 50, good luck

 

dud from my POV, anyone can do whatever they want, just do it!!! dont rely on anything... well.. maybe on dont get too obsessed with the tone and the most expensive guitar... etc... xd
but u can do it! take it slowly cause shred its not easy, but not impossible...
i can recommend u as a guitarrist, to play more slower than faster... try this for a few weeks, then u tell me! , slower its only for muscle memory on your arms, fingers etc but to your brain to see and hold that info to throw whenever u want !! seriously, work most time the slow play, after 10 min u can see some difference.. from there, wait few weeks !

 

The priests of the temple of Syrinx are the ones to really worry about. They don't take kindly to guitars.