how many players started out late in life

[chopper45hd]

ok so how many good guitar players started learning and playing late in life,such as in their 30's? most everyone i see and hear talks about how they started as a kid and thats why they are good, i am 36 yrs old and started out less than a yr ago, i cant play much and am still struggling to learn scales and clean chord changes. i learned the mechanics of guitar repair ( electronics and such quickly) refinishing guitars came easy to me as well,
but the actual playing and playing well still eludes me, any suggestions or help for me or am i doomed?

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Chopper:

It doesn't really matter WHEN you start to play guitar. Guitar is a passion for most of us, it is a release from reality.

Anybody, of any age, will only improve with quality practice. If you practice wrong you aren't going to learn as fast as somebody who attacks it logically and methodically.

Also, everybody has different levels of proficiency they want to achieve. Some people are happy sitting on their porch playing Wish you were Here to themselves while drinking a beer on a nice day, others are maniacs that will figure out entire albums (Kiss Alive 1 and II) and play along with the CD's note for note.

The most important thing is to have fun with it.

Also, pain is your body's way of saying STOP, YOU'RE HURTING ME! When that happens, quit for a while. You can do serious damage to yourself if you don't listen to your body.

[chopper45hd]

Re: how many players started out late in life

thanks for the response and encouragement
what is quality pratice and should i pratice with tabs ( which usually dont sound right,or i have someone say thats not right and show me a different way to play it,that my stressed brain doesnt retain lol) i see alot of scales but they have different patterns at different web sites for the same scale,and as for theroy of all of it i am totaly lost. ie: root notes of scales.
i have looked for a teacher in my area but cant find one that can fit lessons into my work schedual,or else wont take new students,or my biggest gripe: dont care enough to actually teach.
i got started cause i love music and wanted to play in a band someday,i enjoy just plucking around and as my wife calls it makin noise,but really want to actually play like some here i have heard.
lost a good friend and bro who taught me what i know about repair and refinishing as well as what little i know of playing,figure i can pick yall's brain and experience to continue learning.
actually just the encouragment is a big help. thanks for being part of a good site.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: how many players started out late in life

No problem.

First...let me say that TAB is EVIL with a capital E. It is good for a guide, but so many guitarists are tied to it like an umbilical cord, they never try to learn stuff off of a CD [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

By quality practice, I mean this. Have a goal...say you want to learn single string licks and work up to 160 BPM (beats per minute). Get an exercise book, get out your trusty metronome, and start at say 80 BPM to get the exercise burned into your fingers and brain, then gradually increase the tempo to a point where you can't do it cleanly or get sloppy, then back off 10 BPM's or so and that is your starting point. Record this someplace with the exercise and the starting BPM. Get it down at this speed and increase like 4 BPM's, then go back down, go up 8 etc. etc. and you will see yourself improving through the days ahead [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

I can't stress this enough...keep records of what you do. Eventually you will have a pile of exercises with your history on it, so you don't get bored.

If you must learn by TAB, pick a song you like, and do it bar by bar, with a metronome and the CD, and work it out.

I personally like Troy Stetina's products. I think they are some of the best self-educational references around. Go to www.stetina.com or Amazon.com and you can find his stuff pretty reasonably.

Also, set realistic goals...meaning, if you are a beginner, you can't honestly ask yourself to play Eruption note for note over a weekend. Baby steps, single string licks, then crossing strings, then sequences, then chords, arpeggios, 3 note-per-string scales etc.

Shoot me an e-mail if you need more advice so I don't clutter up the board [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Freehill]

Re: how many players started out late in life

LPC makes some good points in his post. I started learning guitar at age 14. Didn't start getting serious with it until about age 20. So now I'm 29 and have 15 years of playing experience under my belt; only 9 of which were productive. Its not age that counts, its the persistance to stick with it that matters.

[Black Mask]

Re: how many players started out late in life

LPC is pretty much correct. I just want to add that it's EXTREMELY important not to become discouraged. Judging by your first post, you seem to think your age (and the fact that you started late) is the reason you're not the best guitarist in the world. The reason you're at the skill level you're at now is because you've been playing for less than a year. Everyone who's new, regardless of whether they're 12 or 112, has a learning curve. The people who wind up playing guitar for years and years are the people who persist because they have a genuine love for music.

I'm 21 and I started when I was 17. A lot of guys will tell you that's kind of late in life, but it felt good for me, so that's exactly what I did. You have to go at your own pace and do not let your lack of experience hold you down. Instead, use it to fuel you onward.

As for tab vs. non-tab, I don't think tab is inherently evil, but rather a dependancy on tab. Tab is a tool, but if you're not careful, it can become your master, not the other way around.

I would recommend learning minor and major scales, and if you're interested in covering famous rock bands, you should pay attention to how pentatonics work. Pentatonics are the bread and butter of blues-based guitar solos (all rock is blues-based).

[kickaxeguitars]

Re: how many players started out late in life

I started at 19 but had no guidance or time. I would play like 1/2 hour total a week..
I quit the next year, picked it up again around 23, and still hack away at 34.. I play maybe 1 hour a week..
Of course, I have a family and 2 jobs so playing guitar is not a high priority for me..

[spencer4hire]

Re: how many players started out late in life

I picked it up at 40! What was I thinking?!!
Well what I was thinking was if my son (13 at the
time)could pick it up that fast so could I. Yeah right! Oh well I still struggle at it but I love
playing the guitar. Oh yeah I am 46 now with 8
Charvels/Jacksons. Just keep at it!

[chopper45hd]

Re: how many players started out late in life

thanks again for the encouragement everyone. its nice to know there are players out there that are goin thru the same thing i am.
lespaulcustom...thanks for the site,i may be shooting you an email or 2 if i get stuck again.
at least i dont feel so alone after finding so many good ppl here on this site [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: how many players started out late in life

No problem Chopper....we are all here to learn and share our experiences with each other. That is why this board is the greatest board on the net.

[tcrockerusa]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Hey Chopper, glad to see you made it over here. Was I lyin'? Mr LPC, very cool replies. Me, I guess I'm the old man here, I started 2 years ago at 46. I have some bad habits with my practice, but at least I know what they are.

Mostly, I'm spendin more time building gittars than playin em. One thing I did when I first started, which was a big help, was that I made a real effort to start doing things with my left hand that I usually did with my right. Simple stuff like unlocking the truck door and switching what pocket I kept my change in and thumbin through the newspaper and liftin my coffee cup/beer mug. Basically, I started finding that my left hand got more dexterous and stronger. Plus, the sex was great (did I say that out loud?). I can even do a pretty good signature leftie.

My practice is usually going over something I sorta know to work on getting it right, then working on something I need serious practice on. I read and listen to a ton of stuff (everything) and every day I'm reminded how little I really know. At the end of practice I usually do something I know good, and do it a little different than the last time. I try to find time to just play, too - without the pressure of learning something. I'm into Floyd, Zep, Jimi, Stones, Dead etc. and a lot of old blues. I play a Charvel Model 1A (my avatar), stock with no mods, plus a bunch of handmades and a Cort elec/acou, a fender folk, and a Martin 12 string. (BTW, I lurk here EVERY night, but rarely post - I mostly just soak up the knowledge from guys who have become household names around here)

[tcrockerusa]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Dang, where's the edit button when you need it. Chopper, keep looking for a teacher, one that you 'click' with. I have a guy that is an amazing fingerpicker, but he is on the road playing a lot and can never get to all the questions I have when he does have a few hours for me. But, being able to ask stupid questions and actually watch somebody's hands do what you have a problem with makes all the difference. I also got a keyboard a couple birthays ago, and learning that has given me a sorta base for theory that washes over into guitar. Plus, sometimes I just set a rhythm track on it to jam! My problem is that there ain't enough hours in a day. But, during the hours that I can't have an axe in my hand, usually in the back of my mind is what I want to do once I pick up a guitar. Does that make sense?

[tcrockerusa]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Maybe I'm just dense, but it was only a minute, and I still couldn't find an Edit button for my post.

Anyway, Tab is merely a way to go from point A to point B. It's a way for you to get a general idea for something you sort of already know. It's a cheat sheet (compare TABS of the same song and they are usually different). For what it is, it's great, but learning real notation will open up a new world of playing. Learning theory and notation will let you listen to something in a new light and actually 'see' in your head what the player is doing (while following along on sheet music), and either KNOW why, or ASK why. For me, TAB is usually something I download that is a starting point. I get a riff in my head and then do a GOOGLE search for Molly Hatchet or the Allman Brothers or Mark Knopfler and take it from there. Don't laugh, but I just started working on Steamroller Blues/James Taylor via TAB.

The best think, like LPC said, is to be organized, intelligent and driven. It takes a lot of work, but it isn't really that hard. The old cliche 'Practice makes Perfect' is really spot on. Duplicating chord shapes and learning riffs and solos is pretty much a matter of being repetitive and developing muscle memory. Hey, there's a lot worse ways to spend your free time!

[RR_1525]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Chopper, shoot me an e-mail and Ill send you a few exercizes and some stuff that might help you out. As far as starting late, I started at 15, got married at 22, she sold all my guitars to fund our divorce at 25. New wife got me to play again at 32 and it was like I had to start all over.

Don
[email protected]

BTW: Welcome to the board [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: how many players started out late in life

Well, I guess I will have to buck the trend as usual. I have been giving guitar lessons for quite a while now and I have noticed a common trait amongst NEW players of different age groups. Some of them survive and prosper but most fail. I don't blame myself because I have many students who totally kick ass and gig and record regularly. I just did a guest spot at a gig this Friday in a band where the guitar player was taught by a guy who I taught back in the 70's!! He ripped. I was very proud. Here is the norm:


1. 8-12 willing to learn anything but usually lacking finger strength and proper hand sizing coupled with a guitar that is usually cheap and hard to play. This usually results in around 3 months of lessons and then POOF, gone.

2. 13-15 willing to learn songs they like. They usually have a decent guitar and sometimes get to the AC/DC level before bailing out.

3. 16-20+ they come in with the hopes that they will be shredding in weeks and when it doesn't happen they bail out and I buy their kick ass guitars before they hit the pawn shop.

4. Adults 30+ they come in with killer guitars. Usually $1200-$4000 guitars that they bought new at GC. PRS, Gibson, Fender or they will have the guitar that their hero played when they were in their teens or early 20's. They usually come in with a great attitude and totally willing to learn. The problem that most if not all of them have is this. They are BLOWN AWAY when they realize the committment that getting good at guitar takes. These aren't players that are happy with learning Smoke on the Water or an old Kiss or AC/DC song. They shoot for a much higher level of player like Vai, Satch, Malmsteen, Santana, Beck, Rhoads, Van Halen etc... They usually last around 1 year of lessons because they have to justify spending $2,000.00 for a guitar and their wives would kill them if they just gave it up. Most of them will go through 2 or 3 guitars within that year because they are convinced that the guitar is in some way inhibiting their progress.
Here is the bottom line. Of course the younger you start playing the better and the chances of you being able to wail on the guitar decreases as you get older but it is not impossible. You will need to put in mucho hard work and dedicate yourself to playing. As an adult you have an advantage. You probably have a nice guitar to play and can afford to take lessons. Stick with it and set small goals that are reachable for you. Nobody pickups up the guitar and shreds in the beginning. We all sucked and could barely fret a G chord or even tune in the beginning. I started when I was 13 and wasn't considered good until I was 16. My fingers bled and I cursed my $69.00 Sears Silvertone guitar for 3 years. Then it all started falling into place. Especially when I got my Guild S300D which I played for another 3 years. Then came the Kramer American Pacer with the top mount OFR... The rest is history. Keep rocking dude. Don't bail out like most people do. Join the few... the proud...
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