Bucket list
Seems to be a theme here! Another old guy starting out! Just tryin to make music at 51! SOO how long before my fingers actually do what my brain wants!? LOL
# 1
You're right, I've seen quite a few posts from people in the same situation! To answer your question:
I've always wondered how much our muscle memory skills decline as we get older. And I'm only 26 so I can't really answer that! But I didn't start playing guitar until I was 25 and I'm actually learning pretty fast. But that's because I follow this rule: "The key to adult learning is repetition." And I like to add something to that for guitar: "The key to adult learning is A LOT of repetition."
But there's one other factor that matters just as much as the "quantity" of repetitions: it's the "quality" of those repetitions.
So it's entirely up to you. What are you trying to learn? Basic chords? Lead guitar? Rhythm? Are you playing on an acoustic or electric? What kind of music do you want to play?
Your answers to these questions will make it easier for me to give you some suggestions on how to accelerate the process.
I've always wondered how much our muscle memory skills decline as we get older. And I'm only 26 so I can't really answer that! But I didn't start playing guitar until I was 25 and I'm actually learning pretty fast. But that's because I follow this rule: "The key to adult learning is repetition." And I like to add something to that for guitar: "The key to adult learning is A LOT of repetition."
But there's one other factor that matters just as much as the "quantity" of repetitions: it's the "quality" of those repetitions.
So it's entirely up to you. What are you trying to learn? Basic chords? Lead guitar? Rhythm? Are you playing on an acoustic or electric? What kind of music do you want to play?
Your answers to these questions will make it easier for me to give you some suggestions on how to accelerate the process.
# 2
Physical ability is going to be different for everyone. Muscles do have a great memory. I'll be 70 this year and working on finger picking which requires both hands finding strings.
A trick I believe I learned here at GT is to set one finger of the chord, try that for a while, add second finger and so on and so forth until you have the chord fingering down. You don't strum the guitar, just set your finger down in the chord shape. Rest them there for a few seconds. repeat..
I like to start with Am then E.. so I can practice changing back and forth between the two.. I may be wrong, but I like to do the open chords (cowboy chord) for my warm ups.
Keep at it, you be surprised at how fast it comes after a while..
A trick I believe I learned here at GT is to set one finger of the chord, try that for a while, add second finger and so on and so forth until you have the chord fingering down. You don't strum the guitar, just set your finger down in the chord shape. Rest them there for a few seconds. repeat..
I like to start with Am then E.. so I can practice changing back and forth between the two.. I may be wrong, but I like to do the open chords (cowboy chord) for my warm ups.
Keep at it, you be surprised at how fast it comes after a while..
# 3
Yeah chords are a great way to warm up. To me warming up requires two things: movement (of course), but also stretching. And fingering certain chords requires you to stretch those tendons on the sides of your fingers.
Or even playing certain scales or licks that require you to stretch could work.
Or even playing certain scales or licks that require you to stretch could work.
# 4
I started playing when I was a teenager. Through the ensuing 30+ years, I never quit playing, but there were periods of more intense learning.
I can't say that learning anything now is any more difficult that it was back 30 years ago. The big difference between now and then is availability of time and energy! :).
Everybody is different, but one thing I have found about myself is that it's more than muscle memory for me. A lot of the repetition for me is not just embedding the movements into my muscles, but the notes and the music into my brain. I found I would often struggling with a solo not because it was technically demanding, it was because I didn't have the music in my head.
I play covers. Some solos I do are improvised, others based on the original. Regardless, I have found that just listening the original songs I am learning over and over again (on my commute to and from work) helps a LOT...much more than I anticipated.
I can't say that learning anything now is any more difficult that it was back 30 years ago. The big difference between now and then is availability of time and energy! :).
Everybody is different, but one thing I have found about myself is that it's more than muscle memory for me. A lot of the repetition for me is not just embedding the movements into my muscles, but the notes and the music into my brain. I found I would often struggling with a solo not because it was technically demanding, it was because I didn't have the music in my head.
I play covers. Some solos I do are improvised, others based on the original. Regardless, I have found that just listening the original songs I am learning over and over again (on my commute to and from work) helps a LOT...much more than I anticipated.
# 5