new guy - beginning at 60

Navy · #1 01-24-2020, 01:40 PM

I registered a few days ago and have been doing a lot of reading, thanks for having me. I didn’t see a door just for introductions so, I thought I should probably stick my head in this door and say hey.
I had always been interested in learning guitar but, when I got to a point where I could do something about it, I joined the Navy, discovered booze and a greater appreciation for girls.
Life carried on quickly and the next thing you know, the kids are all gone (grandkids visit frequently) and I have some time on my hands again. It's just me & the dog.
So, at the age of 60 I bought a serious guitar, a used Yamaha FG700 which is pretty nice, and am now perusing the U tube at online lessons. Shoot, I can't even read music! This should be interesting.
You shouldn't hear much from me for a while unless I come up with questions I can't find on the forum. I'll be around eventually though, as I don't know beans about music.
Anyway, hello and I'll get back to reading when I get home from work.

Ludere · #2 01-24-2020, 01:51 PM

Welcome to the AGF, Navy!

You have found one of the most welcoming, collaborative, and supportive places related to guitars, music, and the simple pursuit of melodic karma ... !

I joined a year or so ago, re-discovering guitar after many years' focus on life's other activities, and I can attest that you have landed well - enjoy!

~ Paul

...

RP · #3 01-24-2020, 01:58 PM

Navy: If you can't read music then you're in good company here. There's the old often told exchange between two guitar players that's worth repeating:

Player #1 - Can you read music?

Player #2 - Not enough to hurt my playing...

Welcome to Acoustic Guitar Forum and don't feel bashful about jumping right in with questions, answers or opinions...

Blueser100 · #4 01-24-2020, 02:01 PM

Welcome to the forum! You will find a lot of supportive and helpful guitar enthusiasts here. There are a lot of choices for online lessons, I have found out with trial and error. This is a great place to ask questions and get advice about guitars and even stuff not guitar related!

hairpuller · #5 01-24-2020, 02:02 PM

Welcome, Navy!

Very cool that you're picking up guitar now. There's a bunch on here who have started late, too. Good luck! It's a fun journey!!

That's a great first guitar you got there.
scott

Coler · #6 01-24-2020, 02:03 PM

Hey Navy. Congrats on taking the plunge. Be aware the learning curve is steep, but tremendously enjoyable. At the start the key is persistence, and play constantly every chance you get.

Mandobart · #7 01-24-2020, 02:03 PM

I played guitar a lot when I was in the USN. Even took it with me underway on the sub. I still maintain I'm the only AGFer who has played a guitar several hundred feet below the surface.

Welcome! Remember Never Again Volunteer Yourself.

s11lko · #8 01-24-2020, 02:04 PM

Welcome buddy, and good luck with you musical journey. Learning can be slow and frustrating at times, but the playing of what you’ve worked to learn is such fun and a real buzz!

reeve21 · #9 01-24-2020, 02:08 PM

Welcome Navy, glad to have you!

A lot of beginners seem to like a site called Justin guitar. I'm not too familiar with it, but my impression is that he gives away a lot of content, and he has some structured lesson plans for learning different techniques. That may be better than looking around YouTube in a hit or miss fashion.

Not be able to read music will not prevent you from playing songs, so no worries there. But finding a good, local live teacher is highly recommended. Nothing wrong with online learning, but if you don't know what questions to ask you may not find the right answers as quickly or easily

Best wishes,

RustyAxe · #10 01-24-2020, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navy

I registered a few days ago and have been doing a lot of reading, thanks for having me.

Welcome to the most informative forum on acoustic guitars. Let me help you a bit. When you see "GAS" ... Guitar (or Gear) Acquisition Syndrome ... try not to catch it.

Have fun learning, and remember that everyone started at some point, right where you are now.

Bunny64 · #11 01-24-2020, 02:14 PM

Welcome and enjoy the journey. Great fun on so many levels. Hopefully you got the guitar set up so its not too difficult for a beginner. After that regular practice and and patience.

Deliberate1 · #12 01-24-2020, 02:25 PM

Hey, Navy, got my first guitar several months ago - at 63 - and have been having a blast. You have stumbled on a great resource. Folks here are seriously friendly and helpful.
You may want to consider private lessons. I found a guy and have a half hour lesson weekly. I do a lot of on-line stuff as well. The suggestion for Justin Guitar is a good one. He presents material in a very straight forward and sensible way. But there is no substitute for having a teacher look at what you are doing and fixing it before it becomes something you have to unlearn. I used to rely on my dog for that. But eventually she tired of it and ran away whenever she saw me head for the case.
If I also may make a suggestion, beginner to beginner. Just grab the guitar and mess about with it. See what pretty sounds you can make. I do that a lot, and it has helped me to learn the instrument without the pressure or expectations of drills or songs.
Happy strumming/picking.
David

guitararmy · #13 01-24-2020, 02:26 PM

So what guitar are you going to woodshed on? And congrats on embarking on a new journey...

Peepaw · #14 01-24-2020, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reeve21

Welcome Navy, glad to have you!

A lot of beginners seem to like a site called Justin guitar. I'm not too familiar with it, but my impression is that he gives away a lot of content, and he has some structured lesson plans for learning different techniques. That may be better than looking around YouTube in a hit or miss fashion.

Not be able to read music will not prevent you from playing songs, so no worries there. But finding a good, local live teacher is highly recommended. Nothing wrong with online learning, but if you don't know what questions to ask you may not find the right answers as quickly or easily

Best wishes,

I'm a big fan of Justin Guitar on youtube.
He has free lessons targeted at absolute beginners.
He also has lessons for advanced players as well.

Not a bad place to start.

llew · #15 01-24-2020, 02:29 PM

Welcome aboard NAVY...glad to have you with us. We've all been where you are...so there are no silly questions. Well, except the ones you don't ask. You'll find we're all eager to help when we can. And when we can't we'll ask others here with more expertise to chime in. It's a good group...but I'll warn you up front...we are a bunch of enablers!

Seriously...have fun and I look forward to reading your posts.