Just turned 40 and figured it was time to fulfill my rock and roll dreams. Also, I've been trying to teach my kids the value of carving out a little time each day to better themselves in some fashion -- practicing a sport, working on math, reading, etc. What better way to get that message to sink in then by showing them? I'm hoping that even an old dog can learn a new skill if he puts aside 30 mins per day, every day.

I'm on day 5 ... fighting sore fingers and frustration, but having fun.

I picked up my first guitar a little over 2 years ago at age 44. I started going through the Core Learning courses that Christopher Schlegel gives here on GT. Oddly enough, he's my age and attended a rival high school here in St. Louis, and it's possible we may have run into each other at parties back then. Or maybe he played at some of the parties that I attended. I thought he looked familiar, but those years a little fuzzy, if you know what I mean.

In any event, while going through those courses, I became distracted by other things in life a few times and stopped practicing for a few months at a time. I will also say that I was at first having trouble getting in good practice time because of my fingers getting sore from trying to learn on a cheap guitar. I ended up buying a couple of guitars that were easier to fret and it made a world of difference.

I did eventually get through the Core Learning 1 and 2 courses, but I was having trouble making the jump to the next levels. Some of us older folks can't spend all day in our bedroom with no other responsibilities and find it hard to set aside the time. Especially, when we don't feel like we're making much progress. I was getting a little impatient to hear something coming from my fingers that sounded more complex than "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but wasn't quite ready to jump into more complex strumming and hammer on and pull offs etc.

Later my interest started to peak again and I ended up finding this guy online who didn't do the Core stuff so much, but was very effective for me in getting strumming patterns and such down with cord progressions that sounded melodic and similar to to well known songs. Being able to hear melodic cord progressions has kept it interesting while practicing cord changes rather than just simple down strokes on each beat. Now, I'm at a point where I think I can start trying some of the simpler songs on GT so I came back because, I can tell that there are some really good instructors here, I just wasn't ready for in an online setting before.

Are you too old to be a rock star? Probably... Are you too old to follow a dream and have fun learning something and hearing music come from your hands that you may have thought you couldn't do? Never!

Enjoy!

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Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.

I have to smile, maybe a bit ruefully, at these comments. I just started two weeks ago, and loving it. I'm 83!.

We all hope to make it to your age. I started at 63 and have been playing for 20 monrhs. I am not as good as I would like to be but I try to improve a little every day and I am. I have a deformed pinky and play with 3 fingers. I use to get frustrated when I could not do some bar cords or cords. Now I find ways to get around the issues at hand We must remember playing is for fun and to keep the brain sharp. Good luck and buy a lot of guitars so you cant bail. I have 15 so far and checking out my next piece. Johnnyrock

Not much of a chance that I'll bail, even with just my one 29 dollar axe. Having too much fun! How do you fret a G major chord with that pinky?

I am just about to turn 54, and I started playing only a couple of months ago. Sure, it aint easy, but I don’t look at it as ‘I should had started when I was younger’. I am just letting myself really enjoy learning how to play, and every time I learn a new lick or a cool chord progression, the more I enjoy playing.

I like to live by the old quote …

“Growing OLD is just a bad habit that a busy man has no time for.”

… so, just enjoy it...and keep on truckin’!

Right.

Anyway, on topic:
urocker, dude, you just started out late man. You'll still learn.
Just keep strumming. You may temporarily strum without playing any chords. Mixing a chord pattern with a strum won't be long until your right hand will get used to a beat.

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