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  #1  
Old 02-16-2018, 01:47 AM
Skilletlicker Skilletlicker is offline
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Default How To Learn To Play My 1st Guitar

I'm 65 years old and wanted to play guitar my whole life. A Seagull S6 will be delivered later today. I've played keyboards (badly) for many years so musically not starting from scratch, but never played guitar.
Any suggestions or recommendations on how to learn?
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Old 02-16-2018, 01:52 AM
Taylorfanguy Taylorfanguy is offline
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It'll be tough at first. Your fingers will hurt, you'll slur chords, you'll get frustrated. Don't give up. It will come eventually. If it doesn't it's because you've given up.
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Old 02-16-2018, 04:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skilletlicker View Post
I'm 65 years old and wanted to play guitar my whole life. A Seagull S6 will be delivered later today. I've played keyboards (badly) for many years so musically not starting from scratch, but never played guitar.
Any suggestions or recommendations on how to learn?
Learn the basic chords first and practice changing between them. Don't even try barre chords for a few weeks, because you will end up thinking that playing guitar is all voodoo trickery if you do <grin>. Give yourself time, your hand (left hand) and fingers need to build up strength, especially your pinky will feel useless until it gets stronger. You'll sound all wrong and your fingers will touch adjacent strings at first, so practice getting those chords to ring out cleanly.

As you get used to that work in some easy-to-play single note progressions so you can begin to learn how to finger pick songs. You'll probably just flat pick stuff at first. It will take a while to learn how to thump a bass line while picking with your other four fingers (not everyone uses all four, I'm just saying that as an example).

Youtube is your friend and so are DVD and books about learning guitar. Toby Walker has some good stuff and he's active here, as are others. You've come to a great resource and I'm sure there'll be a lot more, and better posts than mine to come.

I will get some grief for this next bit, but, don't try learning notation at first, stick with TAB. You can learn notation later if you fancy that method. But with TAB you'll be plucking right away instead of wracking your brain trying to figure out which frets and strings those little dots represent.
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Old 02-16-2018, 04:59 AM
Silurian Silurian is offline
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Take a look at justinguitar.com.
A very good beginners/Intermediate guitar course. Very highly rated, most of the content is free.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:07 AM
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Take a look at justinguitar.com.
A very good beginners/Intermediate guitar course. Very highly rated, most of the content is free.
Almost forgot. Guitarnick.com too, especially for Blues and they have a lot of beginner TABs too in other styles of music. And videos on how to play. Some great ones too for teaching fingerpicking.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:10 AM
Proclaimer888 Proclaimer888 is offline
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Purchase a guitar song book....a band/singer that you like and are familiar with. Make sure chords are pictured. Have fun! It almost sounds too easy but there are lots of great songs with only a few basic chords. One last recommendation is to ensure the guitar is set up properly. Have it looked at by someone familiar with the instrument.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:21 AM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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I've been playing for a little over a year ago with Justin Guitar online for about the first 6 months. Then I went to see Toby Walker and I fell deep down the rabbit hole into Toby's world of blues fingerpicking. Toby's lessons are awesome. They are even entertaining and they really got my hands working but they would have been just frustrating without the basics I learned from Justin Guitar.

I say that you should start making the F barre chord today, just for a few seconds, but do it every day just a few tries. You're going to need it eventually and it's better to have some experience with it beforehand.

Come here and got inspired. Get another guitar when you want. Have fun, it's all been great.

(and practice every day, even if it's just for a short time)
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:25 AM
drawshot1975 drawshot1975 is offline
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Be patient...be purposeful...and HAVE FUN with it.

I started about 2 years ago. All my 'lessons' have been online, in some form or fashion.

JustinGuitar is a good one to check out. Marty Music (on YouTube) has also been helpful, since he seems to pick lessons for songs that I'm interested in.

Pick the guitar up every day. If only for 5-10 minutes, get your hands on it. The more you noodle around, the quicker you become comfortable...and the more likely you are to lose track of time and put in an hour.

It took about 3 months before I could play the most simple of 2-chord songs. A year later, I was putting together my own stuff, for giggles.

Have a great time, and enjoy every second of it.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:02 AM
Nick S Nick S is offline
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A good setup was mentioned. For a beginner that means low action and extra light strings, in my opinion. Done by an experienced technician. It's worth the effort to find one.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:34 AM
HHP HHP is offline
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I would suggest in person lessons to get started. If you are most interested in a particular type of music, find and instructor well versed in that and willing to structure your lessons around it.

Online lessons are very popular but lack the back and forth and immediacy of a personal teacher.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:41 AM
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Rev Roy Rev Roy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silurian View Post
Take a look at justinguitar.com.
A very good beginners/Intermediate guitar course. Very highly rated, most of the content is free.
Yep, +1 for Justin’s site. That’s the first stuff I went through when I started playing at 63 when my wife bought me a D-28 as my retirement gift. Doing his Beginners Course will get you solidly grounded in the basics.
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Old 02-16-2018, 07:09 AM
Kip Carter Kip Carter is offline
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I would suggest in person lessons to get started. If you are most interested in a particular type of music, find and instructor well versed in that and willing to structure your lessons around it.



Online lessons are very popular but lack the back and forth and immediacy of a personal teacher.

I would counter this recommendation, only because of my personality type and how I learn best.

In my thinking, the important elements are to as quickly as possible get to that place where you are fully impassioned with playing and learning more.

In my case, I’m old and a bit stubborn. Nothing will dampen my enthusiasm quicker than someone, how be they knowledgeable, leading me down a path ‘they’ feel I should go, rather than allowing my passion to drive the agenda.

I’m not saying that a great teacher isn’t going to do exactly that, however most will have a script and their own roadmap that they will do what they can to superimpose their agenda over yours.

A run of the mill instructor is the death nell to creativity and that is exactly the play you want to be in order to thrive.

So, if you can find a great instructor that will teach to you hearts desire, have at it. Nothing better. But if you can’t, the things aren’t that difficult for you to get going without one and find the point where you are feeling it.

Ya got some good recommendations here. I’d stress a quality professional setup on that guitar.

Bottom line is it has to be fun.
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Old 02-16-2018, 07:47 AM
Taylorfanguy Taylorfanguy is offline
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Quote:

I say that you should start making the F barre chord today, just for a few seconds, but do it every day just a few tries. You're going to need it eventually and it's better to have some experience with it beforehand)
This is good advice actually. Just don't expect to he able to play it properly for a few months. That F chord was difficult. I entered a new level when I finally got it.
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Last edited by Kerbie; 02-16-2018 at 08:05 AM. Reason: Removed masked profanity
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Old 02-16-2018, 07:50 AM
BobbyMocha BobbyMocha is offline
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Skillet, I too picked up the guitar (for the first time on my 50th birthday). I've been playing/learning for about 10 months so I sympathize with you. Try to find time to play everyday. Muscle through every frustrating thing you practice. For example, I could not do a barre chord to save my life. I tried every day...failed it. Then one day, months in, it started working, out of the blue. They're not perfect but they are getting better all the time.

I would love lessons but they are expensive in my area and with every nickle going to my kid's college tuition I had to get creative. Using the internet I've compiled a ton of material that I've printed out (at work, shhh...) and organized into binders that are my lesson plans. One for music theory, one for finger style one for chord progression, scales, rhythm etc. I've also created playlist in my YouTube account where I've saved tutorials, concerts, discussions- anything that I consider instructional or inspirational. This forum is a great source for that by the way. The important thing I find is to have something organized instead of just random items you're trying. You need to be able to chart progress.

Also find songs you love and want to learn to play and then pick one learn it. Find the charts for it. Watch tutorials for it. Make it your touchstone, something you always come back to and practice a little each session. You'll be surprised how it will improve over time.

Lastly have a long-game approach to it all. Think about the big picture and not about how much you want to learn this week. Persistence!
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Old 02-16-2018, 10:58 AM
JohnDenverGirl JohnDenverGirl is offline
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i can second justinguitar.com. so much is available for free on his website and youtube. I highly recommend his beginner lesson book and his 2 beginner songbooks. Not only does he go over how to play the songs, he covers everything from strumming and shortcuts to play certain chords. I've given 5 people his books and all have learned pretty easily. Calm personality. Covers lots of classics and older stuff.

Also recommend andyguitar.uk who is kinda a copy of justin. He's been around less so has a bit less but also highly recommend his youtube videos and his ebooks/books. He covers much more modern stuff. His personality is more love/hate and some find him annoying.

There's also the guitar from scratch books. Highly recommend those too. Just depends if follow along videos or text works better for you.

Myself, i literally created myself a chord sheet 20 years ago. Found the easiest way to play chords. And just printed sheet music with chords from the internet to learn. Still dont know how to read music. But enjoy the heck out of guitar and have taught lots of people to play.

Feel free to pm me if you want my chord sheet I created that is a 1 pager. Also can send you some youtube people and various other sources I have found.
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