I have plenty of time in the evenings and decided to learn how to play a guitar at 53. Anybody on here start playing around the same age? If so, did you learn yourself or take lessons or both?
I have plenty of time in the evenings and decided to learn how to play a guitar at 53. Anybody on here start playing around the same age? If so, did you learn yourself or take lessons or both?
5ker wrote:
I have plenty of time in the evenings and decided to learn how to play a guitar at 53. Anybody on here start playing around the same age? If so, did you learn yourself or take lessons or both?
Hey 5ker
I played and taught guitar for a living from the time I finished school until I was 40. I taught a number of folks who started 'later' in life, and many of them did just fine.
The main thing, imo, is playing every day .. it's like running, in that regard, I suppose. Do it every day, and don't let it slide. Taking lessons is a great way to be steered toward new things to work on, and I think it's particularly helpful early on, but a year or so should be plenty to keep you going for a while. Though, it depends a lot on what you want to learn and play, etc; if you just wanna strum and sing a few Beatles tunes, no problem .. if you wanna transcribe and play Pat Metheny solos note-for-note, you might need further studies. :) Classic guitar, similarly so.
The 2nd main thing, imo, is to keep it fun; like running, work on what you enjoy, spending time between "practice" and "play". And finding some other people to play with is helpful. But don't shoot for the gold - I know people who stop running as it dawns on them they're never going to go sub 14, etc. Same thing with guitar .. one reason children often stick at it better than adults is they don't bring all these preconceived notions about how good they're supposed to to be, they just sit down and play.
Cheers
Great! Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I don't have high expectations, just want to play some Neil Young, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty type of stuff.. I live in an area with alot of musical talent that has inspired me.
Wow - I have been telling my wife for 5 years that one of the only things I have not accomplished is learning to play guitar. Of the things I have wanted to accomplish anyway.
I am seriously considering making an effort at this at age 45- but I have absolutely zero musical education. I just really really like Keith Richards\' work.
I was watching videos on how to buy a guitar today.
My plan is to only watch tv on even numbered days, and on odd days work on my guitar playing.
Maybe this thread is a message from god that I should try it. If I fail,, so what, right?
Go for it. I gave up cable over a year ago, that is one reason I have time in the evenings to practice... I bought an acoustic guitar off of Craigslist and have watched some Youtube videos plus bought a beginner book. I'm working on picking up some lessons from a guy that plays regularly during the week.
Jello stripe wrote:
Wow - I have been telling my wife for 5 years that one of the only things I have not accomplished is learning to play guitar. Of the things I have wanted to accomplish anyway.
I am seriously considering making an effort at this at age 45- but I have absolutely zero musical education. I just really really like Keith Richards' work.
I was watching videos on how to buy a guitar today.
My plan is to only watch tv on even numbered days, and on odd days work on my guitar playing.
Maybe this thread is a message from god that I should try it. If I fail,, so what, right?
At 46 I started learning almost a year ago and now I have 4 guitars and, well, I can play maybe 4 chords and one song. I need to spend more time at it for sure. But it is a blast and I enjoy just messing around with it. This year I am planning to take some lessons and devote more time to practice.
My gear is:
1) Fender American Standard Tele
2) Gretsch Special Jet in tobacco sunburst
3) Vox S55 Double Cut with a gold top (very nice guitar)
4) Norman cedar top acoustic
5) amp: Vox AC4C1
I'm not planning to buy any more gear in 2013 but I do have my eye on a Gretsch Power Jet Firebird at some point. And a Strat.
At 46 I started learning almost a year ago and now I have 4 guitars and, well, I can play maybe 4 chords and one song. I need to spend more time at it for sure. But it is a blast and I enjoy just messing around with it. This year I am planning to take some lessons and devote more time to practice.
My gear is:
1) Fender American Standard Tele
2) Gretsch Special Jet in tobacco sunburst
3) Vox S55 Double Cut with a gold top (very nice guitar)
4) Norman cedar top acoustic
5) amp: Vox AC4C1
I'm not planning to buy any more gear in 2013 but I do have my eye on a Gretsch Power Jet Firebird at some point. And a Strat.
I dabbled for years but made a New Year's resolution last year to get more serious. Bought a good guitar that I love to hold in my hands, signed up for lessons, and committed myself to practicing every day. YouTube tutorials and Internet guitar tabs help the process and make it fun. I'm still not good enough to play in front of people (in part because I am an awful singer), but I can spend hours every evening noodling away on the couch and can play bits and pieces of lots of songs I never dreamed possible. I'm 54, so I say, "do it."
Simple question I've never quite understood about electric guitars:
Keith Richards' guitar sounds about a million miles different than Pete Townshend's and those are way different than, say,scratchy Haircut 100.
What causes that difference in sound? Can Keith's guitar be made to sound like Haircut 100? Or are they structurally different?
jello striper wrote:
Simple question I've never quite understood about electric guitars:
Keith Richards' guitar sounds about a million miles different than Pete Townshend's and those are way different than, say,scratchy Haircut 100.
What causes that difference in sound? Can Keith's guitar be made to sound like Haircut 100? Or are they structurally different?
Different amps make a huge difference, and I'd argue they're the most significant contributer. Pedals are also really important. Pickups also make a difference...a single coil Strat isn't going to growl like a super strat with active pups. Body shape of the guitar contributes to some extent, but that makes more of a difference with passive pups than active pups (i.e. EMGs sound like EMGs no matter what guitar you put them in, and that's also why most Les Pauls use passives, because why lug around a guitar that weight if you're not going to take advantage of the tone you get from that body).
I started playing guitar when I was 19 but never really played with other people. I took some lessons, watched youtube tutorials and downloaded tab. I switched to bass a year ago at age 33 and started jamming with a group of guys I grew up with. The guitar experience has helped a great deal but being able to lock in with a drummer and complement a guitarist has helped me improve quite a bit.
Learn a few chords and find some people to jam with, you'll pick it up much faster.
Keith Richards and Pete Townsend are going to sound like Keith Richards and Pete Townsend even if they switched guitars. Not to say that there aren't differences in the electronics, but the player's style, which comes from his brain and fingers, is what makes the style. Do you think if Keith would have picked up Jimi's guitar he'd sound like Jimi?
ok, I just got my courage up and bought a guitar. A Seagull Entourage Rustic, $315.
I'm pretty excited - sort of a meaningful moment for me.
i learned at 23-24, and i suspect it's no different than learning at 34, 44, or 54 (as opposed to learning as a teenager or whenever you're old enough to hold a guitar). haven't ever researched if there are "brain advantages" (i've always heard it's easier to learn a second language at earlier ages) to learning earlier, or if it's simply an element of time/practice.
full disclosure: i'm extremely mediocre--i play chords and strum, no finger-picking or solos--and learned from a book, so take any advice i have with that in mind.
i will second what's already said here: play everyday. from my experience, it took a full year before i could play one song (peggy sue) with reasonable authority, so be prepared to struggle for a long time. also, be prepared to struggle with bar chords, so early on stick with songs in the key of A or D or G.
i never thought i'd be able to play by ear, but after about 4-5 years i could, especially once i learned that most songs rely on a 1-4-5 chord progression (1 represents the key, more often than not the first note of the song, so if it's in the key of A, it'll generally be combined with D+E, key of G will be combined with C+D, and so on). hence, "three chords and the truth." if you want to get fancy, generally the 1-4-5 also has a 6 that is the minor (for example, G-C-D-Em).
the advantage you'll have now is the internet and access to chords for virtually every song...
Keith often[usually] uses open tunings and a capo way up on the neck
he plays open tuning riffy stuff, twangy blues,
keith is a very unique rhythm player ,to play gimme shelter or honkey tonk women you have to physically act like keith to get the time right
the way he pull his arm away from the guitar keep the time unique
pete townsend uses a lot of power chords Root and 5th
they attach the guitar very differently
I've had my new guitar for 3 days now and am really enjoying it. I got a book to teach me the basics and then maybe I'll see about lessons.
The hard part is getting my left hand to do anything constructive - I never use that hand for anything except maybe typing. telling it to make exact and precise movements is really hard.
but I love the sounds I am making and learning a new skill has been good.
My fingertips are killing me - it feels like I have permanent grooves in them.
A lot of good stuff on youtube. Check out justinguitar. It's the next best thing to live lessons.
jello striper wrote:
I've had my new guitar for 3 days now and am really enjoying it. I got a book to teach me the basics and then maybe I'll see about lessons.
The hard part is getting my left hand to do anything constructive - I never use that hand for anything except maybe typing. telling it to make exact and precise movements is really hard.
but I love the sounds I am making and learning a new skill has been good.
My fingertips are killing me - it feels like I have permanent grooves in them.
Keith Richards plays in "open G". Thats why he sounds different (and f#cking awesome.)
5ker wrote:
I have plenty of time in the evenings and decided to learn how to play a guitar at 53. Anybody on here start playing around the same age? If so, did you learn yourself or take lessons or both?
I started playing guitar at age 30 (that's late for most guitarists I think). I taught myself with the use of chord charts. I already had a music background though, being a piano player since age 5, so I didn't have to learn music theory...just had to learn how to play the chords and the individual notes.
anyone have a suggestion for abasic guitar to start with?