Your Guitar Journey

[buddyhu]

Started in my teens. “Self taught” (which really means “untaught”). Played with others infrequently. Always enjoyed playing, whether by myself or jamming.

Got busy with my career in my 30’s and 40’s, which meant I played less often and rarely learned new stuff. Playing wasn’t very interesting, and it got to the point where I was playing just a few times a year.

In my late 50’s, at a Farmer’s Market, I heard a guy who was a fine fingerpicker, and went over to talk with him. He was likable, and I started taking lessons with him. Then I bought a really nice guitar. And things took off. Continued taking lessons for the next 5 years.

Today, I am in my late 60’s, jam at least once a week (more in the Summer), have had a handful of gigs. Started taking lessons again a year ago. I am
playing better than I have ever played, playing stuff that I have always wanted to play but had assumed I would never be able to play some Kottke, some Fahey, some ragtime, etc.).

Taking Lessons and daily practice (including some focused, repetitive practice of 2-3 bars of any part that is tricky) have been the keys for me. Playing with others fuels the had work, and gives me a chance to see things come together.

Guitars I’ve connected to? Several! . My Collings OM has been special since my wife gave it to me 10 years ago, and it has been the one I have been playing the most this month.

[Mandobart]

I know this will duplicate previous posts of my musical journey, but since you asked....

I started on violin as a 10 year old kid. I had formal private violin lessons. I dabbled with acoustic guitar a little until I was around 13 and got more serious about it. I mostly taught myself using Neil Young, Eagles, Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead songbooks. These are the kind that have the notation (bass and treble clef), lyrics and chord diagrams. I think they really helped me because I already knew how these songs were supposed to sound, and the books showed me not just which chords to play when but also how to play the chords.

Around the same time I got into bluegrass fiddle and started playing electric bass in my school jazz band and your typical junior high - high school garage rock band.

I really enjoyed playing music in orchestra, jazz band, pit orchestra, and a rock band. It's like playing sports - everyone has to practice their own skills but you also have to practice together to get ready for the performance. It was a good confidence builder for me too.

Although I was occasionally paid for gigs then I was never on a professional musician track. I grew up, joined the navy, got married, went to college, got a real job, had kids etc. Mostly just played guitar for fun in my limited free time. I always enjoyed playing with friends and neighbors. You learn from each other.

In my 40's I accidentally started playing mandolin. I started attending a weekly acoustic music jam. It was a combination of my background in violin and guitar, a fun social group of people to play with, maybe being at mid-life? I really took to the mandolin, then also got into mandola, octave mandolin and mandocello. Mandolin-family became my main instruments. And there were relatively few of us in my area, so I was getting calls to play out. Although I'd played guitar over 30 years at this point, in just a year on mandolin I was much better on it than on guitar.

An unanticipated side effect was I became better on guitar and fiddle as a result of playing music more. Now I'm almost 60, and I can say I'm better now than ever in improvisation, learning by ear, and teaching songs to others.

[AGJenkins]

Intersting topic.
I bought my first guitar aged 20 (a 1970s Antoria Jumbo - Gibson copy) and spent the next 20 years only really playing a few basic songs with basic chords - always avoiding songs that had a B chord! Like a lot of people you plateau quite quickly unless you really push yourself or play with other people who are better than you. Definitely a few stretches where I barely touched my guitar from month to month.
Fast forward to a few months before my 40th and I decided to get myself a decent guitar as a present to myself. I was determined to get better. I bought a used Guild D50 - I'd always been fascinated by Guilds as my best friend step dad had one which we messed around with when he wasn't home.
Anyway, 3 years later I play everyday - at least an hour. I really got into blues and bluegrass and fingerpicking. I'm playing more complex songs and I'm getting better and better.
I noticed only yesterday how quickly I can now learn songs compared to only a year or two ago.

Buying a good guitar really does help - it was easier and nicer to play and because I'd invested money in it I felt obligated to practice. I can't imagine not playing now. I continually seek out more complex songs to practice to challenge myself. But the main factor is - I just love playing. Once the bug gets you - it in you forever.

[Silurian]

I'm 54, I started playing 14 years ago on electric. I learned some basic songs and riffs but didn't really progress much.

For several years I spent more time messing with guitar and amp settings than actually playing. I was considering giving it up and finding a new hobby.

I had a cheap acoustic and started to try fingerstyle. That was my road to Damascus moment. That was about 5 years ago. I'm an average player at best but I get a lot of satisfaction from playing and I'm still getting better, slowly but still improving.

[tonyo]

Always dreamed of playing, never tried till about 30 years ago in my 30s. Didn't get too far, part of it was busy life, job, family, kids, the other part was losing motivation because early teaches insisted on teaching me scales and such. I stopped completely. My loose goal then was to "learn to play guitar".

Ten years ago a friend started playing and when I saw the progress he was making I decided to try again. This time my goal was more specific "Learn songs people will sing along to". I couldn't remember any chords so was basically starting again.

The first month or two was hard, then I was able to play my first song: Blowin in the wind. My wife sang it many times as I thought it was too hard to play and sing. Once, after the 50 or 60th time, I accidentally started signing along in the chorus and a light went off "This isn't so hard after all.".

Around this time a friend mentioned a local acoustic music club so I joined and started going regularly. This was a great breakthrough and I learned heaps from the encouraging and supportive others there. Ended up on the committee and even served a term as club president.

Now, I've got a repertoire of about 50 songs I play completely from memory, have performed in over 80 open mics (that's the one thing in my life I've diarised). Have formed a duo with a friend in the club and done open mics and even got a coffee shop gig and got invited back.

Playing guitar is now a lifestyle, I've retired and we are traveling around Australia in our RV. Every campground the guitar comes out and while I'm often playing on my one, the impromptu jams and sing alongs have been magic.

There have been a number of experiences that in themselves made every minute and sore finger and frustration so worth it. I've also battled and mostly overcome stage fright.

Now I'm learning theory and such and am always working on new songs and techniques.

My wife has said many times how glad she is that I picked up the guitar. The places we've been to, the experiences we've had and the friends we've made have been magic.

[studio1nz]

Wow some really inspirations and amazing journeys recorded here so far.


I got my first acoustic for my 13th birthday. Fist song song I think I learned was Pretty Woman. I quickly worked out I wanted an electric and saved up for an Epiphone LP.
I had a few lessons and played in some teenage bands. But my other guitar playing friends were much more advanced than me; one had been having Jazz lessons for some time and the other was a musical savant who could play drums, keys, guitar etc. I felt a bit hopeless and tbh never really had the motivation to properly practice and get better. I switched to bass for the band then gave up completely around 16.

Around 8 years ago (age 35ish) some friends and I did some garage practice. I bought a new bass and amp and was surprised at how well I/we could play quite quickly (fairly simple stuff though). We only lasted 6 months or so and I sold my gear. We had a megalomaniac as a band leader (still a great friend) who drove us all a bit batty.

Fast forward to 2020. As we were just about to enter a very strict lockdown here in NZ, I had the foresight to borrow a low spec Martin from the megalomaniac friend. I was hooked and had plenty of time to practice. I remembered the main chord shapes and just went for it, looking up tabs to learn some songs and discovering fingerpicking, which I seemed to pick up ok (did have to work very hard to get the thumb going for Travis kicking going).
The hallelujah moment was buying my (used) Gibson AJ around 8 weeks later. I was floored when I opened the package. I didn’t know Acoustic Guitars could look, feel and sound so incredible. I fell in love ha! It’s true that a good guitar, we’ll set up, is really really helpful. The Martin had been quite good too but the strings were ancient and action very high.

I’ve had a few lessons, struggled a lot with time with a (now) challenging 2 year old in my mid 40s. Even had a break for a few months. Pre Kid, I was known as a ‘Serial Mono-Hobbyist’ ; getting *deeply* into one hobby to the next. Golf, fishing, brewing, etc. All hugely time consuming. Playing guitar is incredibly easy to do at home, whenever I have a chance, and very relaxing and satisfying. I’m going through a massive GAS phase, hope to come out the other side soon. I actually enjoy reading the theory but don't really take the time to translate it onto the fretboard.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed on following a path to learn and hoping to find a great teacher soon (have just signed up to the Artist Works, Bryan Sutton + Blues Guitar Institute and a few other online subs). But pretty happy with my progress to date and a repertoire of a dozen songs at least. Unfortunately, not a lot of rhythm playing going on - usually just playing song intros or the main section of a song - so playing a song usually lasts around 30 seconds!. Doesn’t seem like a lot of fun playing through whole songs on your own. Should try and meet up with people as mentioned here or at least play along to records / songs.

[raysachs]

Some folks are saying the key is to never stop. I basically stopped for about 30 years when my family and career just took up too much time for me to do it any kind of Justice. I started when I was 18, played a LOT for about ten years (mostly electric, but I always had and loved acoustic as well), and then slowly it ground to a halt. I always had an acoustic and an electric around the house, but I basically picked them up every six months or so, my re-tender fingers screamed at me after about ten minutes, and I’d put it away for another six months. For some reason I started playing for real again about five years ago and I’ve been playing daily ever since - I’m more into it than I was that first ten years so long ago.

If I’d kept playing a lot for all those 30 years, I’d no doubt be better than I am, but after a few weeks in the early days, I was good enough to enjoy it immensely and I’m better than that now and still enjoying it immensely. I played with a lot of people as a kid, now I play mostly on my own. I played a lot more electric as a kid, I play more acoustic now (but I’ll always love both). I did a lot of jamming as a kid, now I mostly play songs. I never sang as a kid and I’ll never be a good singer, but I’m better enough to enjoy singing now too - kind of key to the whole “playing songs” thing…

But stopping for many years just delayed my “guitar journey” - it didn’t stop it. I had other priorities in those years - I don’t regret that I didn’t play then. If anything, I probably love it and appreciate it more today because of all the time away. It’s like a new gift that I never take for granted - if I’d been playing all that time, I might take it more for granted. Or not, but in any case I couldn’t enjoy it MORE than I do, so I can’t regret those years away…

-Ray

[zombywoof]

I also have been playing 55+ years. Not having doting parents, I started off with Harmony Stellas and such. Making matters worse nobody bothered to tell me I could actually have a guitar set up. It did not matter though. All that mattered was it was a guitar. From there I went to a Guild D25 and then to a Martin D18. My "downfall" though occurred in the 1970s when I stumbled upon a late-1950s Gibson LG1 and a NYC-made Epiphone flattop (I do not recall what the model was) at a small local music shop. This was the start of what turned into a long, strange trip filled with both more than a few wrong turns balanced out by you chose wisely moments.

[Deliberate1]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

I didn’t start playing until I retired at 63. I’m 70 now and to say I’ve had my “ups and downs” is an understatement. At my age the key is to have realistic expectations and always keep it fun. After all, for me it’s a hobby not a meal ticket…so I can afford to relax and enjoy the journey. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Me too. I picked up my first guitar almost three years ago, at 62, after a lifetime of classical and jazz winds (clarinet/sax). I retired last year and playing guitar has been at the center of my day. I always assumed I'd learn piano in my retirement because I always wanted to play Gershwin. "Man plans. God laughs." Yet again. My timing was perfect since all my ensemble playing evaporated in the pandemic.

I played on my own and then, about 6 months into it started lessons. But the teacher was taking me in the direction of jazz guitar, and I have that genre covered. So about four months ago I started weekly lessons with a fingerstyle teacher who is leading me down the path of roots/blues. I absolutely love it and look forward to playing every day, and spend at least two hours at it. I think I now have to describe myself as a guitar player who also plays jazz winds.

Enjoying the journey is right on, RevR. I confess, that is sometimes hard when the going gets rough. But as my teacher told me yesterday, if getting if it were all easy, then something would be wrong. Ain't nothin wrong. For sure.
Happy musical trails.
David

[Jim Comeaux]

I hav told this story before, but here goes anyway. Way, way back when in the late 70’s or early 80’s I fond myself in Cantwell, Alaska. In that thriving metropolis, population about 40, there was an enclave of very talented bluegrass musicians. I was instantly grabbed by “the bug” and I took up the banjo (three finger Scruggs style) and a couple of years later the mandolin. I had some success with both and then I got serious about it. That was my mistake! I got too serious about it and before long what I had loved to do became work, and then I just lost interest and quit for more than 20 years. Part of it was my job. I was working internationally and it got to be a real pain when my instruments didn’t arrive in the same country, much less city as I did. Well the pandemic came along and it was pretty clear that I was going to have a lot of time on my hands. So I started looking for a mandolin. In the process I ran across an “open box” Yamaha FG-830 for pretty cheap. Well O.K., I like guitar too, and I know a few chords and such, so give it’s go. That was nearly two years ago, and I feel like a blind squirrel that has just found an acorn. I am now on my fourth guitar (see list below in reverse order to whichI got them) and I couldn’t be happier. I have a lifetime supply of guitars. I figure that at age 75, I just don’t have enough time to get good enough on any of my guitars to justify a “better” one. I have come to terms with my demon, I am content. I have finally met and vanquished my enemy, and he is ME.

[islandguitar]

Some familiar themes emerging here! For me:
-Played trombone for 9 years in all sorts of symphonies, bands and ensembles and I think this laid a good framework for guitar

-"Found" guitar in college after I listened to music being played in a darkened lounge and thought it was a "record".....turns out it was somebody live right there in the room! BAM....I was hooked.

-Played in a successful folk group in college for 3 years........had to "catch up" to my bandmates.....practiced up to 6 hours a day. Eventually produced a demo album, and had many concerts both large and small and began to compose and arrange our own material, which I think had a huge influence on me with what I do today

-With a young family/very busy job......guitar work slowed for many years.

-About 15-20 (I'm coming up on 75 in a few weeks) years ago started back to more serious work.......and found my pathway to original instrumentals and finding my own style. Produced 5 CD's of my material. AGF has helped in this journey, for sure! This is especially true with knowledge of guitars and also realizing how my "ear" had been trained so many years ago as I developed cover songs from repeated long practice from records/albums. I had no idea what this kind of training would give me at the time!

-Part of any success..., I feel has been playing with others at various times over the decades, time in life now to absorb and assess what I'm creating, support from my wife, and pushing myself to move on recording projects that then hopefully improves my playing and composing....and loving nice guitars!!LOL!

[TBman]

I started when I was 9 years old, back in 1964. We were Beatle nuts so we played their songs for years. I moved onto Neil Young, Led Zepplen, Jethro Tull and Yes (Steve Howe) tunes in my late teens/early twenties. I then played on and off, mostly off, until about 2001 when I started to teach myself finger style (using a Beatles finger style book).

I primarily learned from my friends and exploring things on my own. For 6 months in my early twenties I took lessons from a pro who taught me proper use of a flat pick and moveable chords.

Over the years I have learned tunes by Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, more Beatles, blues pieces, Al Petteway, Stephen Wake, El McMeen, William Coulter, Doug Young, Ed Gerhard and other Celtic/Folk style artists.

I play mostly in alternate tunings which are easier on my now older fingers and stick to slow ballads and airs. Once in a while I'll try my hand at writing short compositions of my own and inflict them on the forum members,

[studio1nz]

definitely some recurring themes here, all the stories are inspirational; thanks for sharing them.

Amazing that some have gone ‘all the way’ to touring musicians. I understand how this is can be a passion killer though - happened to me with Photography / working in a commercial setting which was my first job out of University.

[rllink]

When I was in middle school my mom bought me a second hand guitar because my brother and sister were playing piano and for some reason she decided I should have a guitar. She hired a high school girl to teach me to play it. I don't know if it was the guitar, if it was just me or if she didn't know what she was doing either, but we couldn't ever to get it in tune. It fell by the wayside. Five or six years later I was in the Navy aboard the USS Independence and I bought a guitar in Spain. I got together with some other guitar players on board the ship, learned some chords and played it for a couple years. I got temporarily transferred and left the guitar in the care of a shipmate who in turn got transferred and took the guitar with him. We never got back together. After several months I bought another guitar at the PX in Jacksonville but didn't play it much. After I got discharged I had a rough patch trying to get through college and sold it to pay rent.

So that takes us to about ten or eleven years ago. I retired and a good friend was into classical guitar. My wife had a guitar in storage that she didn't play so I got it out. It was an old cheap one that her parents bought her in high school. It was not a classical guitar. So I went looking for a guitar and saw some ukuleles. They looked much more fun than classical guitar. I wasn't sold on classical guitar and I kind of wanted something I could play at our neighborhood Friday night bon fires. Also, my wife and I were travelling a lot and I could stuff a ukulele in my suitcase. It seemed to fit our lifestyle at that time. I really took to the ukulele and after a year or two I was doing open mics, coffee shop gigs with another guy and busking local street festivals.

Even though I was having a pretty good time playing the ukulele, guitars were still on my mind. The summer of 2019 I got my wife's old guitar out again and started messing with it. I was still doing gigs with my friend on the ukulele so I didn't get real serious about the guitar. Then when the pandemic hit we quit doing gigs. My friend moved out of state for health reasons and to be closer to his kids. I bought a better guitar and got more into it. I started taking one on one lessons over skype.

I did one more gig with the ukulele for a bookstore grand opening in April of last year and since then it has been all guitar. I'm hoping to pick up this spring with the guitar where I left off with the uke.

That is my journey, spanning probably close to sixty years. Most of those not playing the guitar. This last year I've gotten into Old Time Music and a little into Bluegrass. I'm big into flatpicking right now. It seems that I have direction, which is something I never had with guitar in the past forays.

[dadio917]

my little story

Always picked a little but couldn't/didn't really play

2002 at age 50 helped a guy sail a boat from NZ to Hawaii. About 5 months of sailing and hanging on cool islands. Had a crummy martin backpacker. Bought a chord book and downloaded tab for 10 songs before leaving NZ. could play and sing all 10 for my wife when i returned. She loved it!

Bought a strat and a martin dread and learned a few more tunes.

Took lessons for a year of two, then migrated to online lessons.

Started playing with a neighbor, also a beginner. Learned lots more tunes and techniques in the process.

Started a weekly play night with a group of friends. Lasted a couple years. Great excuse to hoist a few.

Started recording myself and which is fun and great feedback. Love playing with headphones on, as it's like "listening to someone else".

Now just play/sing by myself for myself. Big goal is to memorize more and more tunes that i like so i can play freely on the beach or sailing.

In general, since i find it fun i don't need discipline. Oh one more thing, find great satisfaction in a wonderful sounding/playing instrument.