Am i very old???

[sadromanticghost]

I have a serious question for you..I used to play classical guitar for 6 years and now it is 5 months i'm trying to play electric guitar...and i like it very much..I am 21 years old..Am i very old to start playing electric guitar at this age??Answer me please!

[seasoned_chicken]

personally i dont think any age is too old. But, yea, some people would say thats quite old to start.But seen as you've played classical you should advance pretty quickly =)

[winterhawk1969]

I am 33 and just started. If I had started at 21, I'd have 12 years under my belt(cringe), If only. I would say 21 is NOT too old.

[trendkillah]

You're never too old to start. Because it's fun! :)

[James8831]

This old thread has it down..

http://guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3222

[skee1]

No your not to old!
I started playing drums when i was 8 years old then
played a little on the Dobro guitar off and on then
went to harmonica.
At 21 years old i took up the spanish electric guitar
and now been playing for over 30 years on the electric.
I think you already got one thing going in your favor
which is you have some classical theory.

Mark

[dbarband]

started playing guitar when i was 12 years old, when i was 18 i stopped playing, eighteen years latter at age 46 , here i am again playing and loving every minute of it. never to old to start

[munqy]

i'm in the same situation as you bro... i'm trying to adapt to electric guitar playing - only i new to using pics. I've also played teh acoustic ( a spanish with a freakin wide neck) guitar for 6 years - and now im playing an electric for 7 months now. wait teh dosen't answer ure question. Ahh... yeah bro ure old ...
naaah ... ure never 2 old for the guitar even if its an electric.

[White Rabbit]

I'm 23 and just picked up my first guitar on my birthday. I'm slowly learning to play it here and there. I'm assuming in 10 years that I'll know some cool sh|t because it seems to be coming fairly easily. I don't think it matters what age you start as long as you're dedicated to learn.

[top hatted]

It depends of your aspirations with the guitar. If you want to become a legendary guitar player I think you started too old, but if you just want to play the guitar for fun in your bedroom and then show your progress to your friends or family you can start playing whenever you want.

[skee1]

21 is not to old to become a great guitarist.
If you can hang out with the great guitarists you
could also be a great guitarist.
Most all great guitarists stole everything they could
from other great guitarists then came up with thier own
style.
You should alwasy get around guitar players that can
play better than you .This way you could be a great
guitar player by stealing and learning everything you
can from them.You can learn alot faster plus cut some
years off on getting to the top.
If you hang out with beginner guitarists your progress
is going to take alot more years to become a good guitarist.

Mark

[Sivert Skaaren]

hi...
i talked to a guy who had just started to play.. and he
was 60... still.. he wasn't doing it to become pro...
it was just for fun.. but it shows us that u're never
to old to start... = )

[paulbs]

I started at 50. I will never be good but I have a lot of fun.

[kingdavid]

Originally posted by top hatted
It depends of your aspirations with the guitar. If you want to become a legendary guitar player I think you started too old.....
I don't know if I sound like I'm a bit full of myself,but we'll see about that.Try and remember that name,kingdavid.
It's not too hard to remember.
I'm dead serious.

[bhagavar]

Like all others said, you're never to old. I'm now 19 and started with 12. Also trying the jump from the acoustic to the e. Sometimes guitarplaying is only frustrating, but if you are getting better and bette the love to your guitar is raising into heaven.

(Sorry for my english)

[fender_tukman]

Dude, you can never be to old to play the guitar, my papaw was 52 when he started

[Leonel Paiz]

This December will be my second year playing both electric and acoustic and Im only 24. Keep it and you'll get down!!!!

[Axl_Rose]

Originally posted by dbarband
when i was 18 i stopped playing, eighteen years latter at age 46

Man you should complain about that.. youve lost 10 years somewhere along the line!

Nah seriously, i started playing guitar when i turned 18 and it was far too late. Since i was 15 i toyed with the idea. Now I'm 19 and ive basically put in around 2 or 3 hours practice a day, after a year and a half i can play loads of guns n roses and songs by kiss, aerosmith, skynyrd and stuff like that!
But i'm not in a band!! the guys who started early are!!

Later Torby

[yukonc5]

Playing any instrument is or should be a non-stop learning experience. I say you are never too old to learn anything. They say "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"...well watch me. Today I learned to bite the mailman...woof :D

[Vormitash]

I started playing folk guitar in the early sixties, played, gigged a little for a couple years and dropped it when 60's British invasion took over. (Those guys were using more than 3 chords!)
I resumed playing in the past year, bought an electric, and am making SLOW progress. I don't expect to join a band, but who knows. I'm just playing for the fun of it and, for me, that's enough. I guess what I'm saying is, if you enjoy any activity, do it! Forget about age. Of course, if you're looking for the big time, fitting in a certain professional groove, getting a record contract, maybe age is a factor. But playing music, since we emerged from caves and trees, is just something we do for the joy it brings us. Or is that too lame?
Bob

[pstring]

I wonder if people have this same discussion about Knitting, or stamp collecting? I think any thing you enjoy doing, you wish you would have started earlier, a friend of mine once told me he was 39 when he got married, and if he knew then what he knows now, he would have waited at least 10 more years!

[kingdavid]

Originally posted by pstring
I wonder if people have this same discussion about Knitting, or stamp collecting?...
I think this age question is important to people like me who're starting out and have ideas about making a career out of it but have been regularly seeing 6 month olds(:D)playing on MTV....
It's kinda depressing you know.
But not enough to be a deterent,fortunately.

[6 string madness]

im 15, n i started at around 11...dayum, im feelin really young round everyone here, lol...but i dont think your too old, pretty young actually.

[GeeScott]

As Satchel Paige said, "If you didn't know how old you was, how old would you be?" When I bought my first guitar three years ago at age 55 my instructor said, "Why does an old guy with arthirtic fingers want to play guitar?" Because I've always wanted to and it may be the last thing I do before I die. My yougest son, 27 at the time, had a college "surf" band (actually got paid for playing sometimes) said give it at least three years before I give up. Still learning, acquiring guitars and other instruments. Actually helping arthritis (but not my knees). My wife says I have to learn to play one thing before I can buy another. Never too old.

[James8831]

Originally posted by GeeScott
When I bought my first guitar three years ago at age 55 ...My wife says I have to learn to play one thing before I can buy another. Never too old.

Firstly good for you,mate!
Keep on keepin on..

Secondly..Women :rolleyes: ! Tell the missus she can't buy any more cups, plates,domestic appliances etc until she's used them all up..live dangerously :)

Cheers.

[Ono]

It'll be too late when you'll be dead. Have the more fun you can get from life till then.
It's also difficult if you have no hand, even if your feet could probably do the job, if you want to.

[aiwass]

It is never too late to start. Well, if you wanna get good at it, you might wanna start at least before 60, but... Torben Enevoldsen, Danish neoclassical shredder, started at age 23! That dude is awesome, and i don't think he's much older than, say, 35.

[keef888]

HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!You're not too old! You're never too old too start anything new, especially in art/music. Don't let someone else's notion of what "too old" is, dictate what you want to do!

[sadromanticghost]

Well until know i have seen so many posts from you..and thank you all of you...At some replies i saw:IF YOU WANT TO BE A GREAT GUITARIST YOU ARE TOO OLD BUT IF YOU PLAY FOR FUN YOU ARE NOT...My favorite guitarists are :Randy Roads..Cris Oliva...Dave Murrey...And every 80's guitarist....I don't know their names...But i'm talking abou groups like Europe..Cinderella..Tesla..e.t.c.Well here is my total question...Am i very old to play some day like these guitarists???I remind you that i used to play classical guitar for 6 years and now for about one year i play only electric...And i study 2-4 hours a day...So tell me your opinion about....

[aiwass]

Let me put it this way: If technique is the matter, don't worry. Practicing for 2-4 hours every day (yes, every day) and doing all the right technique excersises, you can be faster than malmsteen in say 5 years or less. Of course it depends on the person, but at an average rate of progress and with alot of devotion to practicing, you can be just as fast as anyone. The "speed building" era of a guitar player's life doesn't last for as long as he/she (oh look, i'm being politically correct) plays the guitar, although it is usually maintained. The speed building and progession in technical proficiency is with many guitarists not more than maybe 5 to ten years long. So unless you are really 92 years old right now, you have no reason to worry about technique.

[kimbob]

Originally posted by sadromanticghost
Well until know i have seen so many posts from you..and thank you all of you...At some replies i saw:IF YOU WANT TO BE A GREAT GUITARIST YOU ARE TOO OLD BUT IF YOU PLAY FOR FUN YOU ARE NOT...
I'm a new member here and I've got to tell all of you, I'm really having a great time visiting this site(also learning a little too). As far as the age thing goes, I'm no spring chicken. I'm 44 and I've been playing since I was 13. I,ve been playing professionally since I was 16. I've been in 12 different bands. I even played a stand up Bass in a Rockabilly band for 3 years. The thing that I've noticed about my music career is that it goes through stages. When I first started to play I'd reach a certain plateau and then level off. I still do that. I'll reach a certain skill level and sort of hover there for a while. Then, just when I think I can't learn any more, I'll discover something new and get excited about playing all over. The point I'm trying to make is, you are never too old to learn new stuff. Don't let my age decive you, I can bend metal with the best of them, I'm no slouch. I'm a sucsessfull professional guitar player. It took years of hard work and sacrifice to get where I am. Speed is cool but there's no substitute for experience. To all you young players out there, remember this, "The young horse may be fast, but the old horse knows what's goin on"! So get out there and break some strings on stage!
P.S. Am I the only one here that does this for a living? I'd be interested in hearing from you. Thanks for the opertunity to voice my views.

[bosveldbees]

Age is only number without meaning. If you practice everyday practice the right excercises, you can become a very good guitar player in 3-4 years time...and i mean VERY good.

[Lordathestrings]

Originally posted by kimbob
...P.S. Am I the only one here that does this for a living? I'd be interested in hearing from you. Thanks for the oportunity to voice my views. skee1 is gigging regularly in the US, and lalimacefolle is a pro in Marseilles, France. There are others who post ocaisionally.

[kingdavid]

Sadro,you worrying about becomong good enought o do this,like professionally or for a living,right?
Well,I'm like that too.But I'm told it's part of the process.Everyone who earns from this goes through that doubt phase.It's a natural thing,just don't let it distract you.And again don't try to ignore it.
You'd think from the way I talk I'm this genious!!!!!!
If you only knew!?
But then again maybe I'm not that badly off you know.
I'm a physics undergrad.