• Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)

paul466 wrote:

im almost 42 , i just started playing last august (2007) . ive always loved music but never took the time to learn to play guitar. now i wish i wouldve started years ago. im still at that overwhelmed stage now. i am taking lessons,but honestly my instructor seems to be more interested in showing me how good he is instead of teaching basics. ive taught myself alot and i practice all the time, i wish i had someone to play with ive always heard thats how you improve rapidly. sorry for rambling on, but play!!!! never too late while youre still breathing.
paul

Paul,
First off, my admiration goes out to you for taking up guitar at 42. I'm 41 and have been playing for as long as i can remeber. I teach guitar as well. The first thing i was taught when learning how to teach (make sense?) was not to impress the student but to inform and educate. This is the job for an instructor. If I were in your shoes I'd tactfully address your issue with your instructor (careful though, musicians have some of the most fragile egos know to mankind). If he doesn't stop wasting your time with his "showing off" then find another instructor. Also check the bulletin boards at local music stores. Many times you'll find people who are wanting a jammin' buddy. Good luck.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • Registered: 2008-03-11
  • Posts: 3

Re: Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)

Never too late.  But have fun!  If you don't have fun with your music there's pretty much no point at all.
I had a pretty hard time staying motivated for a while, but that was because I didn't find a song I could actually play for a long time.  But once you do, believe me, you never quit.  So try finding a nice easy song that you like and learn to play it, and you're set.  I recommend Free Fallin, by Tom Petty.  It's three chords- E, (022100) (002200) and then one that goes 224400.  So the transition is easy as heck, and it's a great song!  It's supposed to be capoed on the first fret, but if you don't have a capo, don't "fret" about it (ah ha ha ha) it sounds great anyway.
Have fun! GB!
Mariah

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)

MAugustineP wrote:

Never too late.  But have fun!  If you don't have fun with your music there's pretty much no point at all.
I had a pretty hard time staying motivated for a while, but that was because I didn't find a song I could actually play for a long time.  But once you do, believe me, you never quit.  So try finding a nice easy song that you like and learn to play it, and you're set.  I recommend Free Fallin, by Tom Petty.  It's three chords- E, (022100) (002200) and then one that goes 224400.  So the transition is easy as heck, and it's a great song!  It's supposed to be capoed on the first fret, but if you don't have a capo, don't "fret" about it (ah ha ha ha) it sounds great anyway.
Have fun! GB!
Mariah

Or try this instead  . Capo the 3rd fret, if your voice can reach the high notes, if not play it open; D Dsus4 Dsus4 D Dsus2///// that's D(xx0232)
                                                               Dsus4(xx0233)
                                                                 Dsus2(xx0230)
If you have two guitarists available each guitarist will play the D in unison.
The 2nd guitarist will play a G chord with the Dsus4 and play an A chord with the Dsus2. It's like musical  Reeces cups; two great sounds that sound great together...........................

So to gather and conclude information here;
Play this ........... D Dsus4 pause Dsus4 D Dsus2
and/or.................D G pause G D A

Have fun!  Applied theory from applied theorist.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • Registered: 2008-01-17
  • Posts: 13

Re: Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)

Most will say that it is not too late, and I agree BUT....
It depends on you and what you want from music.  I've been playing for 18years, and after about 9 years, I was still not very good.  I'm still dissappointed with my progress, despite uncountable hours of practice. 
When I had played about a year, (practicing daily), I met a girl who had been playing 1 day, and was already grabbing 3chord songs, and singing.  She was better than I was after one day, still I perservered.
Some people pick up a guitar quickly, like some people pick up second languages quickly, while others live in foreign countries for decades, and still aren't fluent.

My point is this.  If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't play the guitar (although, it is part of me now).  I'd have played the saxophone.  It is much simpler.  A mediocre sax player sounds much better than a mediocre guitarist.  You can't walk across the street without bumping into a guitarist. 
If I had played the sax all this time, I'd be a much better sax player than guitarist.

But you might be one of those people who pick it up right away, don't let me discourage you.  I just wanted to give you something to think about.