[Sticky] --> Share things you've learned about guitar

lolz... i just started playing today... went online to find random free lesson sites.... ended up here somehow... and now im trying to consume everything in my path that has the word "guitar" or anything remotely related to it.... XP
buh i can only play my basic, basic chords.... if it weren't for the fact that i noe piano, violin, and viola, i woulda given up about 2 hours ago...^.^

You just started today?? cool! welcome to the club! :D

My electric always seemed "off" when playing open chords even though it was tuned correctly but I discoverd that I was hitting the strings too hard when I played less "aggresivley" (?) for a want of a better word it seemed much better...

Keith

this might seems really mean and im sorry if it does but some of your post have really inspired me in a way that peoplel who are in there 40 and 50 and just starting by that time i wanna have a lifetime worth of playing under my belt you know. That makes me not want to give up and waste all thsi time i could be playing. Im only 20 now.

this might seems really mean and im sorry if it does but some of your post have really inspired me in a way that peoplel who are in there 40 and 50 and just starting by that time i wanna have a lifetime worth of playing under my belt you know. That makes me not want to give up and waste all thsi time i could be playing. Im only 20 now.

No offense taken here.

I'm 41 and have been playing just over a year now. My first attempt at age 12 failed but my second attempt beginning at age 40 has been a success so far. I love every minute I hold my guitars in my hands.

Like you said, use all of us old timers/new players as inspiration to keep picking away.

Good luck.

this might seems really mean and im sorry if it does but some of your post have really inspired me in a way that peoplel who are in there 40 and 50 and just starting by that time i wanna have a lifetime worth of playing under my belt you know. That makes me not want to give up and waste all thsi time i could be playing. Im only 20 now.

No offense taken, Man 8)

I suspect that most of the old fogeys in the Asylum still believe they're 20 years old anyways.

I'm 42, and I still do! (been playing for about 3 years)

Guitar will keep you young, and will be a lifelong joy.

Ghost

I'm 45 (for another 4-1/2 hours) and have been playing a little less than three years. If I can be one of the old geezers who motivates a mere kid to stick with playing, then I'm not offended, but honored.

Never to late to start....Im 43 and have been playing for all of 2 1/2 months. I went to my lesson yesterday and out walks a guy who is clearly in his mid to late 60's...he said he just started last week! I was inspired by his inspiration! Of course, I look at all the 10 - 15 yearolds around the same shop taking lessons and feel that I missed the bus along time ago....or maybe I was hit by it...not sure which......

this might seems really mean and im sorry if it does but some of your post have really inspired me in a way that peoplel who are in there 40 and 50 and just starting by that time i wanna have a lifetime worth of playing under my belt you know. That makes me not want to give up and waste all thsi time i could be playing. Im only 20 now.
I'm 44 and I've been playing just long enough so that my fingers aren't killing me anymore. It's trully encouraging to read the comments from others in my age range who are beginners too. I tried when I was 19 but stopped about six months later when I got a rotating shift work job (changed shifts each week, day shift one week, graveyards...10pm to 6am, swing shift one week) and couldn't make it to lessons on a regular basis. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. About three years ago I picked it up again, but enrolled in paramedic class. If you think learning guitar is hard after 40, try going back to school, and a pretty intense school at that, after about 20+ years of brain atrophy :P I was hitting the books for hours at a time each night.

So I'm trying again and really enjoying it. But the lessons to learn from my bad example are:

1. Don't let let work and other less important matters get in the way of learning something that you can enjoy the rest of your life. Set your priorities and as they say, "work to live, don't live to work".

2. Don't have regrets that you "should've, would've, could've" but didn't! I often regret that I didn't stick with it earlier. I could have been having fun all this time. I want to play guitar for the rest of my life and I'm sorry I haven't been playing for the last 20. aroundtheclaxon and all you younger players should have a lifetime of playing under your belt by the time you hit 40, I wish I did too.

3. One of the guys I work with started playing the bagpipes at the age of 43 or so. He played at work and we tormented him about how awful it sounded and how terrible he was... :twisted: not nice, just the way we treat each other at my work... if we didn't like him, we wouldn't razz him. Now, only about five years later, he's been playing with the California Professional Firefighters Pipe and Drum Band. He got that good!!! So he definetly makes me think there's hope, even after 40.

4. Ten years ago, my Dad and I hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite. Several people stopped my Dad and asked "How old are you?!?" My Dad was really proud to tell everyone who asked that his 75th birthday was only three weeks away! People were really impressed that he was making that hike at his age. What's this got to do with guitar??? I hope when I'm 75 someone asks me how old I am when I'm playing guitar and when I tell them, I hope there impressed :D !!! Hey, it's a goal to shot for 8) !

This site is great inspiration, thanks to all for the great thoughts!
Dave

Ok my first post - not been playing long - just got my new callouses on my left hand. I read this thread before anything else and its fantastic - a real inspiration. Thanks to all who contributed.

Things I have learnt in my (VERY) short playing career that I hope might help a few fellow newbies keep going.

1. I'm 38 and when I first picked up a real guitar a month or so ago I realised that I had actually been playing the guitar for the last twenty odd years - yep you guessed it the "Air Guitar" lol. Seriously, don't stop playing it. It did wonders for my strumming ability and still does. Strum along to everything you like even if you dont have your real axe to hand. (just make sure no-one is watching :D) Also if you listen to your fave choons in the car (keep your hands on the wheel for pitys sake but..), strum with your strumming shoulder. Also bash out the rhythm on the wheel. Everyone has rhythm (IMHO) some of us just need to work harder at keeping it.

2. USE A BLOOMIN METRONOME - OK its been said - BUT IM SAYING IT AGAIN - I improved a squillion per cent when I started practicing to something that kept me in time.

3, Teach one hand at a time - this was the best piece of advice that I have picked up so far. I started trying to play scales and doing finger 'walking' excercises but i couldnt pick and fret at the same time. I spent three days concentrating on just alternate plucking the six open strings (or form a chord for a nicer sound), Then same again till I could hit every string cleanly up or down without looking. Amazing what a difference that made.

Once you automate one hand the other is much easier to train - I know this is a bit mechanical and may seem a little boring but its something I just do for 5-10 minutes at the start of practice - its a good warm up anyhow and gets me in the groove.

4. Dont be afraid of noodling or thrashing every so often. But keep it under control. I get together with my brother every few days and just play - even if its rubbish - well Smoke on the Water actually (arghhhhh :shock: ) - with loads of gain it sounds fab with two players and its this high-spirited release that keeps me grinning every time I look at my guitar :D.

If its fun you will keep doing it - even become an addict :D

Wysi :)

37 years of age. Back after a year lay off. Not as bad as I thought I would be.

Biggest thing I've learned so far this time ???

Turn off my tuner when I'm done with it, betteries cost money. :shock:

Lot's of new (to me at least) names on the forum, and many of the (dare I say it?) older faces still around.

Still the best forum on the web.

37 years of age. Back after a year lay off. Not as bad as I thought I would be.

Biggest thing I've learned so far this time ???

Turn off my tuner when I'm done with it, betteries cost money. :shock:

Lot's of new (to me at least) names on the forum, and many of the (dare I say it?) older faces still around.

Still the best forum on the web.

Welcome Back, Narn!

Ghost 8)

This has probably already been mentioned but the past two weeks I learned something that I wish I had done all along.

I bought a digital voice recorder that cost me about $60 and now I am using it to record every lesson I have with my teacher. Alot of times I would get home and forgot what he said through most of the lesson or I would forget how he played something. With the recorder I can play it back all through the week and it makes my study time much more productive.

Secondly, I write the time down on the sheet music that we are learning where my teacher is talking about specific parts. This way the next time I play that part, if I have trouble I know where on the recorder to find it.

Lastly, I think it was Noteboat that suggested in another thread to keep a journal of what you are practicing, and what you will practice next time. I started doing this too and it is so motivating.

Welp, thats the best things I have learned in the past year.

Geoo

20 minutes a day is better than 1 hour a week. End of story.

Hey, Mike, I was 45 when I started. I figure we might compensate by possessing greater discipline in our 40s than I know I had in my teens or 20s. It works out, I hope!
Tim

I'm 47 and starting in for the second time. The first was in my 20s and I just didn't have the discipline to stay with it back then. It's a lot different this time.

Awesome thread. Many thanks for starting this off corbind.

My pearls of wisdom?

I've only been learning for six months but these two little gems I find invaluable.

* You can do anything if you smile: if it's not enjoyable you won't achieve anything near your potential. If you are finding that new chord shape or technique frustrating put the guitar down, walk away for a while and come back to it later.

* Everyday is a school day: always try to learn at least one new thing every day. New scale, a new bit of theory it doesn't matter as long as you are actively learning.

These work not only with learning an instrument but in all aspects of life.