Started playing at age 40 or older & still playing 10 years later?

[rich602]

I was in my 50's when I touched my first guitar. I worked pretty hard on it for a year or so and then tapered off. Progress was slow and I sorta got sidetracked by studying theory, that's the way my mind works. After I retired and moved to the peace and quiet of small town Colorado I picked it up again. A front porch is a great invitation to do some picking. The vast resources nows available on the internet has been a big help. I have been working on it everyday now for about the last six months, focusing on fingerstyle with a more disciplined approach. I am making some progress but still feel like a completly untalented klutz. I practice for relativly short periods several times a day. I'm 67 now and on a mission. Wish I had a singing voice, I make Dylan sound like Roy Orbison.

[Frederico]

I picked up a cheap Epiphone when I was in teens (1970’s) and like many folks at that time, wanted to play folk songs of John Denver, PPM and even Jim Croce. I played a couple years self-learned but was still not very good. Did not know how to read music just tabs. Then I quit. Don’t know the Epiphone model number and its whereabouts now.

Fast forward 30+ years to fall 2009. I went to a guitar shop with a friend who wanted to buy his first guitar (he is the same age as me). From that time onwards, my heart was set on fire again for guitar. A month later I went back to same store and bought my second Epiphone (also a cheapie). I was very happy with it first. Although it had been 30 years since I last touch a string, the fretting, fingering and strumming all fell into place naturally. After a few weeks I went to other stores and tried more different makes at higher price. I was attracted by a reasonably priced Larrivee L03r and bought it later (by mail order from a out of town dealer for better pricing). Since this relatively more serious guitar, I was infected with GAS and bought one more Larrivee, two Taylor’s (sold), two Martin’s and gave away the L03r to church music ministry. I’m anxiously waiting for a Bourgoeis this Spring and just started lurking for a nylon guitar now.

I spent some serious dollars during the past years but thoroughly enjoyed the process of trying new axe. Most importantly, the satisfaction when sitting down by myself and listen to the music that I produce from the steel and strings is priceless. Hope one day I will become good enough to perform in front of friends at private party.

My only regret is why I quit when it was a golden age to learn and play guitar. Now I can foresee all the aging issues that will happen, e.g. joint pain, back pain shoulder pain …Wish me good health so that I can play for at least 10 more years. I'm at 48.

[Broadus]

Originally Posted by Frederico

. . . .

My only regret is why I quit when it was a golden age to learn and play guitar. Now I can foresee all the aging issues that will happen, e.g. joint pain, back pain shoulder pain …Wish me good health so that I can play for at least 10 more years. I'm at 48.

"At least 10 more years"? More like 40 years.

To be only 48 . . . .

Bill

[Frederico]

Well, you never know. If not the worst thing to happen, joint pain or should pain may get in the way.

Hope not though

[RockerDuck]

I played clarinet in elementary and high school. I can read music. Played with my older brothers guitar at 6 and had learned all the chords. Play all the hillbilly songs of the day, until high school and someone asked if I played guitar and I said yes. My Parents bought me an electric. I was immediatly accepted because of my guitar playing. So I played from the late 60's thru the late 70's traveling state to state at most anything you can imagine. I played locally ing 80's having kids and working. Played at my church in the 90's still working. Didn't buy any new equipment for awhile either. Around 2007, I was jamming in living room with friends and decided I needed to be in a band again. So here I am, still playing. And I haven't learned a new song in 30 yrs. lol

[park_bench]

I took lessons for a little over a year when I was 13 - 14, but I didn't get the bug. I picked the guitar up again at 45 after a little more than 30 years without touching it. Now, six years later, I am still playing every day.

I definately don't have much natural talent, and wish I had put in more time when I was young. But I'm really enjoying it, can't imagine stopping, and am progressing (slowly!).

[Glennwillow]

Hi Bill,

I have a great deal of respect for players who started learning later in life and who make it work for them. It's harder than learning when you are 14-16 years old, and people who stick with it and advance are great examples of drive and self-discipline. It's very cool to see!

I would add that I am not in the group... I started at age 16 and have been a bit of a guitar nutcase ever since.

- Glenn

[Forensicguy]

I don't fit the criteria of starting at age 40 either...

I started at age 10 and in a couple of days, I'll turn 52. I haven't stopped playing in 42 years! My interest in guitars has only increased over the years too. The AGF has been very instrumental (no pun intended) in keeping my interest in guitars for the past 7 or 8 years and I blame everyone here for giving me so much GAS!

[INFP47]

I'm 63 and I've been playing guitar for all of two weeks. I played sax in juior high, high school and the first year of college and then played old-time banjo through the 70's. I stopped playing banjo for 27 years and picked it up again 3 years ago and have played clawhammer style banjo nearly every day since. A couple of months ago I started feeling that I really wanted to play the guitar, in addition to the banjo. I'm pretty accustomed to changing chords and reading tab so that helps with the guitar. My goal is to be able to play rhythm backup in old-time jams when I don't feel like playing the banjo.
Assuming I have no physical reason to stop me, I expect to be playing guitar and banjo 10 years from now and beyond. My hero is Pete Seeger who still performs on the guitar and banjo at age 91. In fact, when I retire next year, we're moving to western North Carolina to be closer to the heart of old-time music.

Tim

[patticake]

does it count if i re-started playing at 51? i never loved playing guitar before - i had no choice but to take lessons, and hated every minute of them. played only to accompany singing or other guitarists, ended up playing bass almost entirely for 14 or 15 years...

...and then i found a guitar that spoke to me so strongly at a guitar center that i got interested, excited, and fell in love with acoustic guitar for the first time after 40 years. it's been nothing but acoustics for the past couple years, and i'm loving it!

[stevety]

well i have just started at 62 and have been at it for 8 months and i am really enjoying it. I am using learn and master guitar program and just taking my time. I have two seagull acoustic guitars i use.

[Brazad]

Yes.

Bought my first guitar at 24, a Fender acoustic. Learned basic chords and put it away for years.

March of '99. I would turn 40 in July. I rented an office in an old train depot building for my architecture practice. Turned out another fella had an office 40 feet down the hall from mine... and all he did was give guitar lessons.

Duh. Even I wasn't dumb enough to turn that one down.

Fast forward 11 years. I'm still smitten. Better than I was and not as good as I'm gonna be. 35+ guitars later I've got 3 acoustics that are amazing.

I'll be playing as long as my mind allows me to.

Gary

[DreadFred]

Bought my FG-75 in 1974 and played for about 6 months. Fast forward, took it out of it's case in 2007 at age 57. I practice everyday and spend all day looking forward to it...

[GuitarFundi]

Late bloomer here too. Started with my first Yamaha at 5 then parents divorced and Mom stopped my lessons to spite my Dad. Yearned to play but didn't touch one again until Highschool learned one lick "Fly By Night" then got side tracked with sports, girls.

I always swore before I died I would be able to speak French and play the guitar... then I broke my back in 2 places, arm, neck, etc. and was dying a slow miserable death at 33 and decided I better start playing as I aint got much time. Bought a Takemine GS330S from a concert guitarist that someone had gifted him (he was lefty and it was righty and he didn't much care for it). So I lay bedridden trying to learn, but my right arm started going south and eventually stopped after a few frustrating years. Got a miracle surgery that fixed my back and this year went thru 2 surgeries on the arm and have hope at 44. So I've been "tryin" to play since 2004, and practiced alot unsuccessfully, but now that I'm almost fully mechanical I am optimistic ;-)

My brother has between 30-50 guitars at anyone time which helps I just got my new to me Taylor 314CE and when I get it working I will be VERY EXCITED! Hopefully this weekend or early next week. I still have the Tak, a cheap resonator and the 314CE. Many of my friends are professional musicians so unfortunately I do know what a good guitar sounds!

One thing that was a playing miracle for an old beatup guy like me was when I was at my lowest in guitar enthusiasm I decided that consistency was more important than long practice, so I vowed to play for atleast 1 min a day. Yes, just a minute. Sometimes it was longer, but often it was like brushing my teeth. After a couple of months of this 1 min stuff I sat down to really play and had learned perfectly 5 chords and my C chord buzzed but was pretty good Hopefully I'll make music for the Lord before I formally meet Him

[gfa]

Born in '1959. I played for 2-3 years in my teens. Thought it would be fun to be a rock star, and when I figured out that wasn't going to happen, c. age 15, I quit. Didn't play again for 30+ years. Big music fan all the while, though. One day, c. 2008, it occurred to me that it might be fun to try guitar again. I borrowed a friend's Seagull to poke around with, and I've been playing ever since. Now, it's my favorite thing to do for fun. My skills are modest, but I have fun anyway, and I'm steadily getting better. I take lessons off & on, play with some recurring jam groups, play with my pals on the weekend, and occasionally do a little busking for fun. I play 4 nights out of 5. I'M HAVING A BLAST PLAYING GUITAR !!! My only guitar regret is that I missed out on 30 years of playing.