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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)
Hello its is going to sound akward but, since I was a little kid I loved guitars but now I am 34 ,,, I dont know if it's too late to start to play
any Advice? from the heart ,, leave your sarcastic side for a moment:-)
Absolutely not!!! I teach guitar and some of my best students are in their mid 40's. There are so many fantastic resources out there to aid in one's learning quest. Chordie, of course, the finest one on the net is the right place to start. Just put that guitar in your hands and go, go, go. Play with as many different people as you can. Be persistent and be patient and most importantly, cherish and enjoy every second of it.
I bought a guitar at 16, learnt 3 chords and sold it. Bought another at 50, took a few lessons then picked the rest up by myself. There are now two 6 strings, one 12 string, a banjo, a fiddle and other bits and bobs in the house.
The good part of all this is I can hammer out a tune on all of them and believe it or not get better every day.
Never too old to rock.
SouthPaw is absolutly right.
A friend of mine who is in his late 50's has been learning for the last 9 month or so and is doing fine. Ok his fingers are not a nimble as a younsters and he has to work at it but he is having a wonderful time doing something he has wanted to for years.
Go for it.
Roger
Just 34? Are you kidding? You are just a youngster and should have no problems at all.
I am 59 and got a guitar about two years ago. One of the first things I discovered is that I just can't move my fingers like I would like to, but you know what? I can still play.
Don't get me wrong. I'll never be Roy Clark or Chet Atkins but so what? I am me and I'm having a great time doing what I can.
Advice: Play every single day. Never let a day go by without playing. And, SING when you play. It really helps and your singing will get better.
More advice: Play every single day. Oh, I said that but it is worth repeating. Play until just before your fingers bleed then start again the next day. It won't be long until he have a set of callouses to be proud of and you can slide your fingers up and down those strings with the best of 'em.
Play every day is a good bit of advice. I always have a guitar sitting around the house and I pick it up when I feel like it, even just for a few seconds. I sometimes play along to tunes on TV or think of any tune you know in your head and try to play it. It is amazing how you will find your way around the fretboard in no time at all if you do that.
Good luck,
Graham
i had an acoustic in my younger days,then at nearly 52 was having thoughts of taking it up again, i m glad i did, this time electric and i can t put the thing down, remember practice every day and most of all enjoy.
Lots of good, positive responses; I will add that playing music is a life long journey. I'm 47, started playing when I was 18, had very few lessons, dropped and picked it back up many times, and am in the big fat middle of a very productive curve right now.
I've taken years off with no instrument, a year off to learn to play the trumpet (VERY useful for learning to read and understand music and PHRASING), a year off on mandolin, a year focusing just on Atkins/Reed type fingerstyle, am currently working on bluegrass flatpicking.
I essentially have assumed that I will be "learning to play" on my deathbed. I hope that's several decades out, regardless, you're starting at no disadvantage to anyone.
Pick up a guitar, get some lessons under your belt just for the advice, and start your journey.
<font color="blue"></font><font face="Century"></font><b></b>No, it's not too late to start playing the guitar...or other instruments. I agree with Southpaw. Pick it up and enjoy...actually a guitar is one of the easiest instruments to play, and one of the most difficult to master! If you are a singer then you're really in luck...look at the body of work by people like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash...most done with 3 or 4 simple chords. If you want to play like Chet Atkins or Eddie Van Halen then that might take a while for a mere mortal... You'll find too that sitting around strumming a guitar is a great way to melt stress and relax...Just go for it!
An intiresting note is that playing an instrument uses both sides of the human brain. You feelings are on one side and your speech is on another so when you play guitar its not about what other people think, it's about expressing what you feel in better ways than words can describe. You won't be able to make yourself feel anything worth listening to for at least a few months, but don't get discouraged and give up. cheers
It's never too late, but what you get out of it depends on what effort you put into it. If you expect to be good overnight... well, quite frankly forget it... BUT if you realize that it's going to take effort and PRACTICE, then you'll do great. I started when I was 33. 10 years later I'ma COOOKIINNNNNG!!!!!
Good luck.
BBDgus
like everyone is trying to say.
it is never too late.
Look at these old retired people that have nothing to do, they go and try sky diving, driving, scuba diving, piano, they go into a second childhood some of them so there is nothing wrong wit hyou wanting to learn at 34.
I was 21 when i started on the acoutic guitar, been playing for 16 years. if you start learning just now, in 16 years time you will still be younger than a lot of guitar players.
Have fun along the way and ask as much as you want on the forum, we are all here to help each other.
Ken
Hi,
I bought my first guitar at 34, took lessons for 3 months or so, and haven't looked back. Self-taught since then. I am now almost 39 and enjoy every minute of playing. Dont get me wrong, it was tough, but anything worth while is not easy. As others have said practice every day. I even take one of my guitars on vacation with me. I now own 4 and wouldn't give it up for anything. I am not a pro and actually far from it, but I play with others at every opportunity and have a blast. You can do it with perserverance but that would still apply if you were 16.
Welcome to music world my friend.
Chuck
I've been "playing" for about 20 months, and I'm 47. Good luck, and practice,practice, practice. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool">
Hi.
Never too late to start. I am 68 years young and started about a year and a half ago. Don't regret one minute. Having the time of my life. also meeting lots of great people. Start playing and enjoy every minute.
Good Luck.
Not to repeat all the responses, but it is never to late, you just may have a few less minutes to practice because you have to work, etc, but this is an exciting time to be playing guitar and learning ... So many free resouces just on this site alone, as well as many others.. Also, I justt started doing this, but I go on you tube, and play along with songs that I ahve found the chords to at this site.. Now, not all the time the chords and tabs a re correct, but I just started playing two songs from Oasis, and happen to be very close to the Oasis you tube video's and cover tunes as well... Wonderwall ( starting with the Em chord, and Half the world away ( starting in the C chord ) both Capo at the 2nd fret.. Very close and really cool once you learn some basic chords, you will be amazed at what you can play... I am 47 , playing off and on ( mostly off ) for years..
Jerry
Lordy, I hope not; I statred when I was over 40. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_eek.gif" border=0 alt="Shocked">
Good for you, stick with it. I played a little as a teen and just started playing again two years ago, I'm 41. I wish I would have started in my 30's. The only thing I can say about playing as a teen, and playing as an adult is I am more passionate now then I ever was.
It is never too late! As I like to advise people considering college later in life: In 4 years you can be 4 years older with no degree (in this case still not playing guitar) or you can be 4 years older with a degree (or in this case playing guitar fairly well). The choice is yours. If I were you however, I'd pick up that guitar.
"Dust off those rusty strings just one more time.
Gonna make em shine."-Jerry Garcia
Go for it . I was a three chord strummer and was absolute crap till i was 30. I scored a banjer and started playing everyday. then i got a guitar then a tele then a drumkit and now I am 39 I am making a living at it and am pretty bloody impressed with myself about it. I said one day that if I had started playing banjo five years ago I'd be good by now. So I started that day in the hope that in 5 yrs time i wouldn't have that regret. I think you should buy a really good box and a friend who can play a bit and make sure you sing. singing is just practise as well and it helps the guitar sound better.you will get there if you put the hours in. But you gotta really put in the time if u wanna be any good.
Gary
Man, its NEVER to late to learn guitar! guitar is ment for anyone, of all ages, well i hope that answers your Q. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">
good luck!! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">
Im 41 and just started a month ago. Its fun as hell and I even picked up a guitar for my daughter so we can learn together. Great quality time. Keep playing and have fun. Thats what its all about.
I think it's even better to start even if you want to go professiona, to start between 30-40 years old.
I think the only problem that can occur is the fact that you heard and know MORE songs than an 19 year old, and this can affect your songs. Remember there are only 7 major chords, and 7 minor, and seven 7th= 21 frequently used chords. And "dream, dream, dream" if you have the luck to become very popular, it will be easier to act normal. I played when I was about 19 years, neglected playing, and started again at 38years. Got a very bad traffic accident, and now, I must admit, that because I can't work anymore, and I receive a lot of money, that I COLLECT and Play, and to be honest, every day, everytime when I play, it's going better. Practise a lot, know the most important chords, and if you write your own songs, it is always as they say: 10% inspiration, 90% transpiration
It's never too late to have a go at anything.I've been playing for about a year now and I'm 46, I've always loved music but never made the effort to play it, playing guitar well takes practice, I'm not great but I can play a few tunes, at the moment I'm learning to play Fingerstyle which is a new challenge for me, you can do quite a lot musically with a guitar so really you never stop learning, if you feel old at 34 I'm in trouble.
Enjoy your guitar playing and enjoy your life it's a gift.
Chris
of course not it's never too late!! it's pretty easy once you get use to it and now youre older so you have bigger hands so you and reach the strings (that's my biggest problem i envy you) lol but seriously... it's not too late
l8rz
--day
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Is it to late to start playing guitar, after 30? please serious answers:-)
