Is This True?

When Learning anything Weather it be Guitar or Building Houses Its Better To Do a Child? With the whole "The Mind Is a Sponge"

I find i have a harder time Trying To Learn as an adult and maby that comes from the time i have these days then i sued to have then again i never had much time on my hands...Is there any real Good Way To learn weather you are a Child Or An Adult?

I have never realy had lessons and there for i just played around on the neck. Strumming Patterns and so on..I find myself always playing the same old Riff I have Tried To Create..

the "The mind is a sponge" thing is valid up to about 5 years old so no, there's not much of a difference learning guitar as an adult or child.

It may be a little harder as an adult to learn guitar because there's work and aging begins (losing brain cells), not to mention weird diets that really affect your intellect, and, in my case, too many hobbies to have enough time to properly learn guitar.

I guess the best thing to do is to focus and set goals over a few weeks/months and see how you progress just like you did in grade school. You can avoid dating, too, yeah, you know you're all messed up when you start to have feelings for someone.

I know for me time is not much as it used to be..But any chance i get i will sit there for hours even if i play the same old stuff i know and try to mix it up just to learn..i never had the time for lessons so i sorta self taught and im thinkin of getting my nose into books..see if that will help and find locals to jam with so i can build up skill...

Throughout my life of a mere 31 years I have had to learn in 2 main ways. Taught-by-other(s) and taught-by-self. I've studied computer programming at college.. and before and after that I self-taught myself. I've studied at university but only by correspondence.. so in that sense I was really self-teaching myself with a structure set out by others. Same with guitar.. same with a lot of things.

When you are self-teaching, even with a structure set by others, it is really a matter of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and that is when you really start to learn. Playing the same old stuff again and again, even if you are trying to find new ways to play it, is still inside your comfort zone and while you will learn a great deal over a length of time, pushing yourself outside of the comfort zone will get your learning so much faster.

Ever tried slide-guitar? Why not? It can be used it just about any type of music.. may be not in its traditional sense but if you are holding a solid object against the strings and sliding it back and forth to get microtones, then you are playing slide guitar. You will never know unless you try it and get out of your comfort zone.

Originally Posted by: ewickIt may be a little harder as an adult to learn guitar because there's work and aging begins (losing brain cells), not to mention weird diets that really affect your intellect, and, in my case, too many hobbies to have enough time to properly learn guitar.

Man! You sure aren't out to win any friends, at least not anyone in the over 50 crowd.

You are correct, it is harder to learn something new the older you get, but not for the idiotic reasons you gave. I know because I am one of those donut eating dead brain cell old farts you mentioned. It's harder to learn something when you are older because you are accustom to and comfortable with your life and as much as you may want to learn and do something new, it's hard to get over old habits, such as, working 10-12 hours a day to care for a wife and children or your aging parents. However, if we decrepted old "one foot in the grave" poor souls had no responsibities and only cared about ourselves, we could take the time and money and use it to lay around the house playing the guitar all day.

Now Mr. Light487 seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He knows the importance of caring for someone other than himself. He absolutely understands hard work, dedication, and the "comfort zone". Pushing yourself and trying different things. I don't know this guy, but I think I would like to. As for Mr. Ewick, no so much.

After the monitors read this, I will probably not be back, even though this is constructive critizism. How can anyone learn anything, if are never told the truth? Just to let you all know, I'm not really upset. I just thought Ewick has his hat screwed on a little too tight and I thought I would try to be funny at his expense.

Oh, Mr. Hozzy. The best time to start learning the guitar or anything you are interested in, whether you are young or old, is NOW! Start with the basics and grow from there. There are many people on this site who will help or point you in the right direction. Good luck!

wow this is a good thread.
me im only 23 im still very young and just about everyone over 40 i know still thinks im a kid (i can guess why and i dont really mind).

i think that its easier to learn when your young because you mind is like putty, you go to school everyday and learn stuff. so i guess you can say you practice learning when your young. but as you get older after youve been in the same job and habits (unless your an avid reader)for a while you not learning as much so you get out of practice. (like i said im 23 and even i feel it since i didnt go to colleage). is that to say you cant learn?? is it too late?? i believe that the only time its too late is when the dirt covers your eyes for the last time.

now i dont want to offend anyone by this but if there was a cut of age for learning we'ed all be in trouble.
if you really want to learn how to do something just do it. that saying goes for playing guitar or serial killing or just about everything else in the world. and never listen to the old saying "if at first you dont succed pull your forskin over your heap."

Im 25 and Been off and on since i was younger...Being younger my mind was else where and i find being an adult im busy with work..providing for my wife and mother in law since my father laws recent passing..I actualy find i have time to sit and practice..as for going out of the comfort zone.Its tought i dont even know where to begin..I like to watch Guitar world Disk lessons.like Steves Vais 10 Hour Work out..witch most of it is what im working on now..Alot of it is way to difficult and i find myself taking on a bit more then im used to i have a nice amp..a line 6 Spider 2..i like playing with features and practicing to get good sounds out of different effects..The problem is i dont even know where to begin and thats why i need a starting point witch i cant realy create my self..i have thought of going out and getting a book for teaching or Chords..Getting tab books on my favorite songs would seem like a waste at this point..I dont know if any one has triend books..What would you recomend? I was thinking the "Guitar For Dummies" Or something like that witch will probly bring me to the begining take me through what i have learned and hype it up with new material..Paying so much for weekly lessons is tough finacialy so im thinkin paying so much for a book and call it a day..learn from there meet locals jam learn from them and see what happens..I like this site alot and it seems i get realy good feedback no one "Judges". you guys actualy give some good advice..If anyone has any good ideas just throw em at me Im always up for new ideas and trying new things..

like i said in my post try practicing learning. read a book for half hour a day, try sudoku play freecell on your computer. those kinds of thing will help you teach yourself how to learn again. learning guitar is a little bit harder but its still the same way. get a chord book and pick 3 and play them till you have them without thinking. when i was learning scales i would write them out in 3 or 4 note coils and the melody made them easier to remmeber.

just try everything and maybe something will work.

Chord books and online lessons are a start, but you really need to get a good instructor. Before anyone jumps, I realize not everyone needs an instructor, but most of us, including myself can't tie our shoes without a picture, need one to get off to a good start. Just make sure he teaches theory along with the guitar. Don't get one that just teaches songs or you will end up learning to play just those songs. You want the ability to play any song.

I know good instruction cost money and you can't expect anyone to work for free. So, if you really have the desire to learn the guitar, you will find a way to earn the money for lessons. Don't expect for someone to pay for them. It's your dream, no one elses! You need to also pick up the guitar and learn some things on your own. No one can learn it for you.

Go ahead and get a 101 chord book or a Mel Bay book and start doing something now. Work on the lessons later. Just for fun. What chords can you play in progression without losing a beat? Can you play C, G, G7, C7, D, D7, Dm, F, F# ? If not, why not? You would be amazed of how many songs you play with C, G, and D only! You can Google chords, lyrics, tabs, and about anything to do with any song.

I maybe wrong, which I seldom am (that's a joke so don't get you bowels in an up roar), but I get the feeling you are dragging your feet. Learning to play the guitar is not that difficult, learning to play it well is. So, what are you going to do? I know in today's world everyone is busy, but I'm sure you can find half an hour each day to practice and learn something. Just skip watching a little television or miss a meal or video game, or whatever!

Ever hear the joke about the man on street stops another guy and asks, "How do you get to Cargnie Hall?" The man replys, "Practice, practice, practice!" If you want it bad enough, you will find a way, but it is up to you to do it.

Oh yeah, remember the old man sitting on the front porch in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life"? He yelled to Jimmie Steward and Donna Reed (I know Jimmie who? Donna?) "Kiss her!" and then he said, "Youth is wasted on the young!" Ain't it the truth?

good post looneytunes.

i wanted to put this in my post beforebut i was tired and about to go to sleep.

the one book i think can help you get going to the guitar grimoire exercise book by adam kadmon. just about every exercise in the book is based on some scale. it also contains things like finger independence and string skipping exercises.

there is a whole series of books (the guitar grimoire) from scales and modes to chord theory. the only negative thing i can say about these books is they do not hold you hand. its cut and dry, nothing but the most basic of explanations on how to play the next part.

i personally have the scales and modes book (very hard to understand its just fingerboard patterns) and the exercise book (248 pages of will shattering finger brakeing exercises)

I guess I can now pass as part of the over 40 crowd since I am 40 ... I just started learning (electric)guitar this year really . I had an old acoustic in my hands about 30 years ago but I have more of a grasp of how to learn now than I did then . If I can understand why or how something works , I can make it work .Back then it was only "do this" like monkey see ,monkey do -took things at face value and never really questioned it further. Now its easier to know the breakdown and the construction of music,chords .I'm not saying I understand it fully...not in the least. You might just be trying to learn with a guitar that doesn't suit you or maybe it just needs a good "set up" .I found that once my axe's action was lowered , my aging fingers worked the frets much easier. Find a few simple songs and tab them out . You'll get it.