New to the Guitar at age 69 next month

[Deoblo]

New to music also and hoping I can learn something new. Plan on giving it a year or so, intend to learn something daily toward achieving this new goal

[Claudi]

Originally Posted by Deoblo

Plan on giving it a year or so,

Welcome to the forum
...I think you'll have to learn a lot every day. Cheer up!

[Deoblo]

I know, but where to start. Got a used guitar, bought a course and looking on different sites for information. There seems to be so much out there, so where to start. just learning the language for now.
Keeping in touch. Later

[Claudi]

Here you'll find great cats always willing to share their knowledge. Take a look at the guitar lessons too.
Good luck and enjoy the learning.

[trader]

Hi Deoblo, I retired in 2008 and decided to try to learn the guitar properly, I used to do some three and four chord pop in the sixties in a band. I bought a very well advertised course and started off ok, but when you keep being presented with a couple of pages of the same barre chord in every position on the neck for each different barre chord, well I got bored. I bought a few other Jazz and blues tutor books, and struggled. A few months ago I found a secondhand copy of Mel Bay's Complete Jazz Guitar Method by Mike Christiansen, a totally different approach, and I love it, it's a bit demanding for my old grey cells but boring it aint. Straight in learning many chords in all positions, I've not got all that far yet, page 30 of 255, but the book is taking me on a journey and I'm going to take it as it comes. I do a bit, leave it, and do a bit more, and leave it, I seem to remember more that way than having long sessions.
I wish you every success,

[cutnstuf]

Welcome to the Grey Panthers Club of JazzGuitar! Mel Bay puts out a lot of great material. Between that and the help you'll get here, you should do fine. Just take it a day at a time.

Cut

[brad4d8]

You might check out Pensacola State College. They have a music program with an applied guitar section, and Florida has a tuition free program for those 60 and over. I don't know how it applies to music lessons, as they often have an additional fee above regular tuition.
Brad

[markylove]

you can still learn at that age if you are willing to learn. just keep in playing. God Bless you.

[fastFingers]

Hi friend,

I'd spend the first 3-6 months or as long as it takes on practicing a lot of chords and scales to put my fingers in shape so they can learn the fretboard, learn the notes (chords, strings/frets,...). After your hands/fingers and mind are more familiar with the guitar, you can move around more freely, and learn things much faster without much struggles. And you can improvise better.

Always do the easier/fun things first...it will make the hard things easier and much more approachable as fast as the next day. Yes tomorrow it will be easier when you come back on something you're stuck on...that's how it always it for me; forget strumming/picking(that will come automatically), just grab the guitar neck and practice fingering chords/scales madly up and down the fretboard....you will be super fast for sure after a month for two if you just focus on doing that, and not waste time trying to learn something while your fingers are not at all ready for.

After you have your foundations down...other things just open up and you'll learn faster with more confidence/fun...have fun!

[rvf263]

Welcome to the forum.
I'm new also and looking for places to start.
Have you checked this thread out?
http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/getti...institute.html

It may be a good option for you.

That's where I think I'll start. Seems like a great value for the money.


Good luck to you.

[trader]

There's some good ideas there, I think I'll try fastFingers' chords and scales for a while because that's where I'm having most problems at the moment, but I'll also look into the online course although I don't think I'm far enough ahead for it yet.
Thankyou all for the encouragement to us beginners.

[Gramps]

Congrats, on starting music.

Rule #1-Don't forget this is supposed to be fun. (but everyone gets frustrated at times. Everyone!)

[fastFingers]

Originally Posted by trader

There's some good ideas there, I think I'll try fastFingers' chords and scales for a while because that's where I'm having most problems at the moment, but I'll also look into the online course although I don't think I'm far enough ahead for it yet.
Thankyou all for the encouragement to us beginners.

It's the "super most" time efficient training thing for me. Instead of wasting 8hrs a day noodling around...I get way more out of training by just grabbing the neck and "shift" through chords and the "chromatic scale" in 1hr. My fingers and chords change are so much faster because that's all I'm focused on. Additionally once my fingers warm up, I'm moving even more faster. I then try to do the same chord shapes all over the fret board just to get used to moving around and be faster. After I've warmed up even more my finger can literally move one by one..say while the others are still holding down the strings in some awkward position. I can also try different strumming/picking patterns, but just do the shifting/fingering if you're slow at first.

I literally have access to every book/video out there which is more than I can study in 100 life times. I just decided not to waste time looking around anymore. I just train my fingers first and during the months that I was going through my fingers training, I had time to realize what kind of music I like the most, what my strong points are and that fires me up inside to go to the books/videos that I now really want to study...that's why it's always easy and fun...keeping me wanting to learn. It builds up my interest/enthusiasm that much more.

I'd just do the training for the first basic chord forms: ABCDEFG (in: m, mj, , 7th, m7th, mj7th, 9th)....just to get your fingers familiar with making chord shapes. You don't need to learn the names of the chords for now, just memorized the shapes and move them up/down the whole neck...by the time your "finger training" is over you'll know all the chord names, and the strings names automatically.

Only practice the chromatic scales up and down the neck! Each finger 1 fret...like: 1st string-fret 1 2 3 4...2nd string-fret 1 2 3 4...3rd string..4th etc...all up/down the neck. when you're better, just pluck the string one time and with your left hammer down on finger 2 3 4, or pull up on 4 3 2.

Why do all this...to lay the foundation, so say...like when you want to learn a song...you're not wasting time and getting frustrated in trying to put one finger here and one finger there when your fingers are not comfortable make that shape/move. Your fingers after the training will be much faster, and they'll just hold down on the right string/fret while you're eyes are reading the tab/notes. That's why I'd recommend doing the training first. You'll learn a lot of about guitar, theories, notes, rhythm, and what you really like most through that process.

Remember to always keep it fun though..let yourself loose sometimes and strum the crap out of your guitar if it helps make you feel good, and let your fingers and your mind catch up or take a break once in awhile. You can choose to study theories or watch "fun" youtube videos on "days off". If you don't rest you will burn out. Your mind needs time off to take time to soak up things...usually I find that I play much better when I come back on things in 30mins, 3hrs, a day, or a week.

Have fun and remember to post on here...that's how you learn faster too by writing out things you know, and by teaching others. All this will get you up to speed much faster...don't waste anymore time trying to learn something when you can't even do basic fingers...you'll just waste time. Lay the foundation first, then you can build a house, a building, or a skyscraper after....Cheers!

[trader]

Thanks Gramps, and fastFingers I started this morning, got the book with all the scales out and some sheets I made with all of the M,mi,7th,9th etc shapes on. Just had a break and decided to check my e-mail, it is very encouraging to hear from other people, although these forum things are new to me and I'm not very sure of the procedure

[sweetpic]

It's good to see so many guys in my age group out there plugging away. Be encouraged! I have been playing since my dance band days in college during the early 60's but I have learned more since retiring in '05, than I did all the other years.

[Dad3353]

New to the Guitar at age 69 next month

Good evening, Deoblo...
Just a tad late in wishing you a happy birthday..?

[markf]

learn to strum the chords to a few tunes that you like and know well. Beatles or something like that.

pretty sure a lot of people started with that.