I'm 50. I just started playing again after a 20 year hiatus. This is my third attempt to learn to play, and now with the internet and GuitarTricks, I am actually taking structured lessons, so I am really hopeful that I'm going to stick with it this time. The past two times, no formal lessons, just learned from friends and beginner books and I got frustrated when I got up to the F-Chord (Barre Chords) and gave up - don't give up !!

Things are so different now with all of the information that is at my fingertips and with the structured course on GuitarTricks. For example, I just took my old guitar in to the shop and had it "set up" - I had no idea that was a thing. He lowered the action (it was ridiculously high, but I had NO IDEA that it could be easily changed, I thought I had to buy a really expensive guitar to get one that had light low and easy action) and straightened the neck, put custom light strings on it. That was $50 total and took a couple of hours - OMG, I wish I had known this before. It's a completely different instrument and so much easier and more enjoyable to play! I also bought an assortment of different picks and found that it's much easier for me to play with a super light pick (.35 instead of .70).

Stick with it, it will start to feel natural. But don't be shy about trying different size guitars, lighter strings, lighter picks. If you have an old borrowed or inherited guitar, spend $40 or $50 and take it to the guitar-shop and have them do a "set up", it may be that your action is too high and the neck is warped, which will make playing a LOT less enjoyable. If you aren't sure and don't want to spend that money unless you need to, go to the guitar store and play some of the more expensive acoustics that they have. If they feel significantly more comfortable and easier to play, easier to push the strings, the guitar shop CAN get your guitar to be more comfortable. I wish I would have known that for the past 40 years!