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  #16  
Old 10-06-2010, 01:28 PM
sayheyjeff sayheyjeff is offline
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Missed your 1st thread about learning after fifty - or maybe I forgot? - . Got my first guitar, a Gibson LG1 new as a kid. After about 6 months it was clear that practicing was less important to me than schoolwork.. Was kept in school but the lessons were stopped. No gain. 2nd down was in high school where I gave it a shot on my own trying to learn and play with friends. Didn't work. In 1980 I decided to try lessons again. This time it was classical. Missed most of the lessons the 1st 6 months due to work. Struck me as unwise to continue to pay for lessons I wasn't taking. Bit by the bug again back in '04. Been taking lessons most of the time since then and working at it pretty diligently. Not a talent, and progress is slow, but I am enjoying it. Practice most every day. Love taking my lessons. Been working through The Fiddler's Fakebook with a flatpick for nearly 3 years. Play lessons from Flatpick Guitar Magazine too. Playing with the CD beats the heck out of playing a duet with a metronome. There are at least 3 or 4 songs/exercises I can pick up most issues. Found someone thru the Martin Forum to play with regularly about a year ago and that is great. Met some others through the forum and local AGF gatherings and that has been good for me too. Still have the LG1.

jeff
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  #17  
Old 10-06-2010, 03:46 PM
BULLSPRIG BULLSPRIG is offline
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I'm 46 right now. I started playing at age 12 and stopped altogether at age 18. From age 18 to about 40 (22 years) I never played. But I did keep 1 guitar, a Yamaha FG-335 that whole time. I found it in my garage, covered in dust, 2 strings. Not proud of that, just being honest. Never had a case for it. At age 40, I wanted to try and reclaim the turf I laid in my teens.

It was agonizing and slow. In some ways, I'm maybe a tad better right now. But I don't have the same lead solo speed, nor the ability to create and write like I once did. I've purchased 2-3 acoustics since age 40. I still have a void I'm trying to overcome. It has to do with finding an acoustic that suits me to a "T" and one that I can't wait to play. Its out there, for sure. I have a bad habit of buying a guitar because its a good deal, or because of the name.

Quite often, I hear some of you folks play, and I think to myself, "if I had THAT guitar right there, I'd be in heaven."
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  #18  
Old 10-06-2010, 06:01 PM
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tbondo tbondo is offline
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Default I'm like RickS

like my friend Rick Skeens, I had a long hiatus (though he was much more accomplished when he gave up-- still is, BTW....he's a really good player) .....got my first guitar in early 20's (community college grad present), knew a couple of chords and 2 songs (playing at most once a year) until I turned 50 (2001) , decided to learn how to play or give it up altogether....bought 1st expensive guitar (Taylor 510) for this initiative and got hooked up with this forum as a result.....though I'm still not really any good at all, I'm better than I used to be and I'm having more fun than I could have imagined.....two important features for my continued enjoyment...1) playing with others (AGF get-togethers, open mics, MonroeStock, guitar camp) and 2) trying all manner of new ideas and songs based on GP and Acoustic Guitar magazines.....and incorporating/retro-fitting into my new and old original songs....
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  #19  
Old 10-06-2010, 07:37 PM
Broadus Broadus is offline
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Thanks, Tom. That's pretty close to the "started at 50 and still playing ten years later."

I think one thing that's hard, particularly for older adults, is having patience to walk before we run, or maybe even crawl before we walk. We've accomplished some things in other areas of life but are back in kindergarten and elementary school with the guitar.

Bill
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  #20  
Old 10-06-2010, 07:43 PM
d7sharp9 d7sharp9 is offline
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One day at the tender age of 37 I woke up and just felt I needed to learn the guitar. I can't explain it, there had been plenty of guitars around when I was growing up but I'd never played one. I bought a SCGC OM/PW and have never looked back (just two years later). My wife will tell you I've never put it down
It has been a real renaissance. I've had a heck of a time learning to play and enjoying the music of others.

Witness some proof of just how much fun I've had over the last two years ...



Me and Tommy



Me and Andy



Me and Antoine


Me and Don

All masters in their own right and from my experience truely lovely people. Thanks to each of them for the inspiration. I think I'll go play right now...
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  #21  
Old 10-06-2010, 07:49 PM
zplay zplay is offline
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Missed the other thread.

Never played an instrument or knew anything about music till I started in college and learned basic chords and fingerpicking. Learned a number of songs, but stopped playing by my mid-20s. Then I started up in my late 40s and have continued over the past 12 years. My interest stays strong, though my playing time and effort has varied. I don't intend to stop, though.
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  #22  
Old 10-06-2010, 08:05 PM
leftync leftync is offline
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Did I answer this? I guess memory loss speaks to my advancing age.
Started fooling with guitar after picking up autoharp in my late 40s, after about 30 years without it. Finally got serious enough to buy a lefty guitar at about age 51. Still playing six years later.
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  #23  
Old 10-06-2010, 09:32 PM
Misifus Misifus is offline
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I can't help you because, although I'm 68, now, I was only 22 when I started. Perhaps there aren't very many members who fit your criterion.

-Raf
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  #24  
Old 10-06-2010, 09:40 PM
stevety stevety is offline
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Default starting guitar at 62

I just started six months ago i am 62.Was hurt at work so had to retire so i needed to keep busy i am really enjoying it.
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  #25  
Old 10-07-2010, 12:33 AM
Tuffythepug Tuffythepug is offline
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I picked up a guitar for the first time when I was 40. I had wanted to learn for a while but, being lefty, I was unsure how to get started and where to get a guitar, etc. Finally my wife said "why don't you rent a guitar from a music store and see if you have any luck learning. Then you could buy one if it looked like you'd stick with it." I thought I'd have a hard time finding a left-handed guitar to rent but it turned out that our town's little music store had a lefty Yamaha that they weren't having any luck selling. They rented it to me for 3 months and I faithfully tried to teach myself some chords and a few songs.

That was 20 years and about 2 dozen guitars ago. I have taught myself to be a reasonably good strummer and finger-picker in the meantime. I never gave much thought to playing leads but I'm now thinking I might as well give that a try too. I'm glad that I found that first rented Yamaha or I may never have taken the step to becoming a guitar player. It has brought me a lot of joy over the years.

It's never too late to begin.
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  #26  
Old 10-07-2010, 03:16 AM
gstreet gstreet is offline
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I took up the guitar as an absolute beginner a bit over five years ago at the age of 43. Playing guitar has been a hobby and a means of relaxation for me. No doubt that learning an instrument is a challenge for us older folk. It was pretty humbling when a few years into it, I encouraged a friend's 13 year old son to take up guitar and within 18 months watched him pass me by! I recognise that with career and family responsibilities I just don't have the drive or time to progress as fast as I would like. I try to stay fairly relaxed about my progress and just enjoy the journey. I'm happy at how far I have come and look forward to getting better over time.

Cheers,
Carl
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  #27  
Old 10-07-2010, 05:54 AM
CharlieG CharlieG is offline
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Like Golfer I played trumpet in high school band some 50+ years ago. I picked up a guitar for the first time when I was 67 and that was two years ago. At my age I don't intend to learn much more than the basic chords and and be able to play with friends in bluegrass jams.
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  #28  
Old 10-07-2010, 07:33 AM
Broadus Broadus is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Misifus View Post
I can't help you because, although I'm 68, now, I was only 22 when I started. Perhaps there aren't very many members who fit your criterion.

-Raf
Hi Raf. You seem to be more of the norm around here--folk who started relatively early and have continued playing. And a lot of members started later and have been playing for only a few months or years. Thanks for posting.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuffythepug View Post
I picked up a guitar for the first time when I was 40. I had wanted to learn for a while but, being lefty, I was unsure how to get started and where to get a guitar, etc. Finally my wife said "why don't you rent a guitar from a music store and see if you have any luck learning. Then you could buy one if it looked like you'd stick with it." I thought I'd have a hard time finding a left-handed guitar to rent but it turned out that our town's little music store had a lefty Yamaha that they weren't having any luck selling. They rented it to me for 3 months and I faithfully tried to teach myself some chords and a few songs.

That was 20 years and about 2 dozen guitars ago. I have taught myself to be a reasonably good strummer and finger-picker in the meantime. I never gave much thought to playing leads but I'm now thinking I might as well give that a try too. I'm glad that I found that first rented Yamaha or I may never have taken the step to becoming a guitar player. It has brought me a lot of joy over the years.

It's never too late to begin.
Tuffy, you're really the exception--started later and still going two decades later. That's great and encouraging. Thanks.

Bill
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  #29  
Old 10-07-2010, 07:39 AM
Broadus Broadus is offline
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And it seems as though a lot of us had some kind of early musical training. When I began the 10th grade in high school, I took a notion to play in our high school marching band and played the trombone for those three years. Thirty-eight years later since I last played trombone, my default reading of notes in standard notation is bass clef. It's been a struggle to learn treble.

Bill
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  #30  
Old 10-07-2010, 08:24 AM
Oatmeal Oatmeal is offline
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45 years old here. I got my first guitar for my 42nd birthday. In most simplistic terms; I feel like the snowball is rolling a little faster and getting a little bigger. I'm working through Stefan Grossman's fingerpicking DVD's and keeping at it daily. Some days I surprise myself; other days not so much.

I was athletic as a kid/teenager and picked up quickly on "hand-eye-mind coordination" type of activities. I quickly learned that playing the guitar at 42 wasn't going to come as natural as learning when I was younger. All-in-all though, this has turned out to be a very gratifying journey.
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