I'm 68 and just starting a few months ago

Hello all, I retired a couple of years ago and am using Guitar Tricks as my main learning tool to learn my first musical instrument. 

I enjoy practicing, but I am afraid I kind of flail around a bit.  I have finished Fundamentals 1 and I am starting Fundamentals 2.  I generally will do a couple of Tutorials a day ( I am calling a "tutorial" a series of videos or lessons kicked off by a "Welcome " Video -  I may be wrong), and I am wondering if I might be better advised to do a single tutorial a day and try to practice after the lesson.  

Any tips on basic strategy would be appreciated!

Thx!

Gary

Hi Gary

I am 63 and started when I was 57. My ambitions were quite broad when I began and have been tempered as I grow older. I think those of us on in years, need to decide what it is that is really important to us and work to accomplish it, rather than try and "take it all on" as I did when I started. 

Fundamentals are great, but they are just an intro into a very broad study. Which is my point. At 68, I will say to you what I say to a lot of people I meet in the same age group - pick what you want to accomplish now that is doable. A song. And work on that song until you can play it to a degree that people recognize it. 

Choose a song you like and will enjoy playing, and make sure it is a simple open chord strummer. 4 chords tops. Once you learn 1 song  and know the chords and can transition between them, the easiest next step is to ask "what other songs use these same chords?" This is the easiest way I know to build up a song list that you can play. We are not looking for perfection here, just recognition. Your playing will improve over time. Just get it the place that people say "hey I know that song".

If you really wanted to get into the weeds at 68, you could chase down theory and ask/answer "why does this song use these chords and these notes?" That will take you down a rabbit hole that can be interesting, but also time consuming. But you would gain a better understanding of why music works the way it does and if someone said to you "let's jam in F#" you would just go along with it and jam away. Or maybe write yourself a song.

From my experience with other people in our age group, we just want to play songs. And songs that everyone can learn quickly because they already know how to make some basic open chords.

Good luck

Bill

Thanks Bill! 

That is definately my goal - learn some songs and rhythm first and then move on from there.  I don't have aspirations to be a great guitarist - just to enjoy it and maybe play a song occasionally for my family and friends. 

Regarding theory, I am interested - to a point 😊.  I  did a few hours of Scotty West's course before joining GT.  I do find it very interesting, so I may pick that back up after I finish a learning GT learning path. 

Thanks again

My pleasure Gary. Best of luck 

Bill

Welcome, Gary!

And, thank you Bill for your great response.

You said it so well, I have nothing to add - except to wish you both the best!

Have lots of fun with your music - there's nothing  like it.

- Lisa

Ahhh, you are still my favorite fundamentals teacher Lisa 🙂

Bill

Hey Gary,

Good luck on your adventures! Just remember to take the time and enjoy your accomplishments as they come. You got this!

Be Safe,

Kyle

Hello Gary, and welcome!

 I started at 64 and it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s been a life changing journey! Learning music at any age is a wonderful experience, but even more so when you’re an older learner. The cognitive, physical and psychological benefits are huge. There’s many studies showing how much learning a musical instrument does for us as we grow older. I encourage you to do an internet search on the topic, you won’t have to look long.

It’s been over 3 years since I started and the progress has been slow. It can be frustrating at times but I’m trying to learn to be patient with myself. And that’s the best I can offer to you; be kind to yourself…this is supposed to be fun! When you get frustrated (and you will), just take a break for a couple days and do something else. That helps me regain my perspective and it usually helps me break through whatever I was struggling with.

Bill said it right…don’t try to take on too much at one time. Baby steps are needed to build confidence.

Also, consider keeping a journal of your guitar journey. It can be very helpful.

Best wishes,

Steve

I just found my way back to the Forum here - I have heeded some of the above advice and I am having a really good time. 

As an update, I shifted my priorities from trying to plow through the lessons to learning a few simple songs and trying to get my chord changes fast enough.  I am finding that a couple of Anders' practice songs are worth focusing on at this stage - I really like "Stepping Out " and "Bittersweet Rainy Day".  I still suck, but I have recorded my self and noticed some modest improvement.

Again thanks fo the encouragement.

That's great news. Keep it simple and have fun with it. Your improvement will come with continued playing. 

As a side note, I was curious as to why I have difficulty learning as an older learner and found out there is something in our brains called Mylene. This is really the secret sauce that allows things to flow smoothly in our brains and is probably the main ingredient in what we call muscle memory. However, downside, old guys like me. It doesn't build up as quickly as a young person. Which means I'm behind and will always be behind. But that's okay, for guys like us who take this guitar up late in life we should get out of it what we can and enjoy every minute of it 

Bill

Yes Bill, myelin is not as efficient as it used to be -  similar to Yourelin! 😁 |

But seriously, you bring up a good point - it is a heck of a challenge for most older learners and we just have to temper our expectations and goals.  I get geat satisfaction butchering a simple song as long as it passes for music to my ears.  I'll keep at it, I really enjoy practicing and seeing my small improvement every week or so.  

Thanks !

It is a challenge for us older learners, and that can make it easy to get discouraged. 😟   I don’t know which is harder…learning the guitar or learning not to compare myself to others. When I start down that rabbit hole I try to remember what my own goals are, and accept my limitations; and remember that I’m just doing this for fun! I have no delusions of being the next super-guitarist. Perspective is everything!

I’m grateful for what I can do, and hopeful that I can continue to improve. The more I tell myself that, the easier it is to turn discouragement into encouragement.

I began keeping a journal when I first started the guitar, and I’ve just recently started to record my playing. It helps when I can look back and see how far I’ve come. It doesn’t matter how far that is, as long as it is forward.

Best wishes,

Steve

Great point Steve! Just moving forward is the goal each time we pick up the guitar. Let’s not under estimate how far we can all go with some determination, consistency of practice and good instruction which is definitely on GT in abundance. Never give up and never give in, just keep going!