Clawing my way back

[swampyankee]

For 25 years or so, acoustic guitar had been my mainstay. Sure, I aspired to be a RnR star in my youth, but found a rewarding "career" in doing more of a singer-songwriter thing in and around religious circles.
About 6 or 7 years ago I had the itch to play RnR music so I joined an "old-white-guy" band and had alot of fun playing lead electric. It was also challenging to learn other people's music and I learned alot. But after playing so many dive bars and backyard parties, I was done and jaded so I quit, and stopped playing altogether for close to a year.
Last winter I sold off some of my electric gear and drug out my acoustics, and I have been trying to get my fingerstyle chops back ever since. Trouble is, at 65, my fingers are not as supple as they once were. Plus, my fingerstyle playing is mostly of my own design and leaves something to be desired compared to the true fingerstyle I see and hear. I also tend to play what comes easiest, which is limiting at times.

Can any one recommend good exercises and practice routines that will challenge my abilities and maybe get fingers flexing like they should? I've been self-taught for close to 55 years now so I have to be realistic about my expectations, but it would be nice to find some excersizes and such that would help me to stretch a bit.

[mawmow]

I took private lessons two years ago to improve my technical skills.
One thing I was instructed is to work more with my big knuckles
than my third ones, as if I was to knock the upper part of my palm
with my fingertips. It did not feel natural at first, but it works.

[rmp]

I do think formal lessons would help.

but if that's no in your plan...


I'm your age (65) well I will be in April. so close enough. But I never walked away. I play everyday and active in 2 bands, where one is actively recording and writing stuff as well as accompanist for the music director at our church

Other than playing everyday as much as you can, the only exercise that may fit your needs and your focus would be finding some songs to get you back in the grove.

Check out a few of these youtube sites.

Justin Guitar
Jerry's Guitar Bar
Marty Schwartz

All good youtube instructors with a lot of material to go thru. you are bound to find something that catches your attention

also, you probably have this covered, but for play-ability, and that you've got a good/proper setup on your guitar right?

as I'm sure you know by now, that makes a huge difference.

[rick-slo]

Regarding general posture, hand position and the like there is plenty you can browse on the internet for free.
However you could get some in person lessons for a time. Find a good teacher who can play the type of music
you are interested in. Beyond that IMO just learn to play actual pieces of music and the ones you pick learn to
play very, very well. Simpler pieces at first of course. You learn a lot simply by doing that.

[TTiimm]

I was trying to post the same hand stretch video as posed below.

[Rev Roy]

I didn’t start playing until I retired at 63. So I knew keeping my fingers limber would be an issue. Started doing these exercises twice a day pretty much from the get-go. I’m 70 now and can’t say I’m a great player (far from it)…but at least these old fingers are limber.

[Doons]

I belong to GuitarNick. Cost is $3 a month. He has a large library of fingerstyle tabs, almost all of which come with a video demo of the music, so you can easily see the fingering. In the catalog there are Fingerstyle exercises. Pieces of music to work on different skills. Currently it is up to 23 exercises/tabs. Some are challenging, some are not. You can look at much of it without being a member.

https://www.patreon.com/guitarnick

[buddyhu]

Another vote for taking lessons.

I started Zoom lessons with Richard Gilewitz a little more than a year ago (I am 68). I think he could give you what you are looking for.

[Zaam]

You will probably get a number of great recommendations here regarding exercises and routines; so, I'll respond to a different aspect of your situation. I have a somewhat similar path as you. I played both acoustic and electric in my youth, working in bands, duo and solo sets. After I had kids life got a bit more demanding and I played less and less. Eventually the guitars were packed away. That was about a 25 year span of time with my instruments in the closet.

Last summer I sold off a few guitars and decided to buy a new acoustic. Staring up again was difficult. I am now 64, and what came easy before was incredibly challenging. It was particularly frustrating because my brain knew 80% what to do but my physical capacity was more like 20%. It was sort of like recognizing an old friend and not being able to say their name. It took about 5-6 weeks for my finger tips to stop hurting. It has been a few months now, and hand strength is still nowhere near what it once was.

HOWEVER —
Progress is happening. Once I accepted the fact that strength and dexterity would take longer to develop than it did when I was in my 20s, it felt ok to relax and enjoy the progress, no matter how fast or slow. It's much the same story as when you were young — you struggle and persist, and then one day you pick up your guitar and it seems to come easy. You have breakthroughs like that when you are older, but they can be further between. And despite the greater level of difficulty now, I have never enjoyed the guitar as much as I now do.

So the message to you is that your story is probably shared by a lot of folks here on the Forum. Stay encouraged and enjoy the ride.

[islandguitar]

I had seen the video above and like it. I try to do some versions of this ahead of playing. Often if I'm watching tv, but plan to play later, I'll do these while finish,ing a show before heading to guitar.

Also, one exercise I sometimes do on the guitar to warm up: play chromatically up the low E string using index, middle, ring and pinky fingers to walk up in the first position. (So, E open, F, index F#middle, G,ring G#,pinky and then walk back down in reverse on the 6th string). Then the same with the 5th string and so on.

[Norsepicker]

The title of your post suggests another possibility, clawhammer guitar. Check Steve Baughman's music and website, also Al Pettaway. Pettaway has a video on the Dream Guitars website, his style is different from Baughman's, who pretty much uses banjo style. It can be easier on the fingerers and works as an alternative, I find I can play faster with clawhammer than regular Travis style. It takes some getting used to at first and you may not like it, but I do.

[swampyankee]

Originally Posted by Norsepicker

The title of your post suggests another possibility, clawhammer guitar. Check Steve Baughman's music and website, also Al Pettaway. Pettaway has a video on the Dream Guitars website, his style is different from Baughman's, who pretty much uses banjo style. It can be easier on the fingerers and works as an alternative, I find I can play faster with clawhammer than regular Travis style. It takes some getting used to at first and you may not like it, but I do.

Thanx for all the recommendations folks.

Yeah, I employed a play on words in my topic title there. My fingerstyle is self-developed and is probably a hybrid of Travis, Clawhammer and sometimes plectrum-and-finger. It works for me but it does tend to limit my repertoire. I envy the folks that play more of a classical style of picking where it seems all 5 fingers have a set role, like typewriting.

As far as dexterity, I had carpal tunnel release surgery on the fretting hand 20 years ago and on the right about 7 years ago, so I learned some stretches and dexterity excersizes while trying to stave off the surgeries. I haven't been disciplined about doing them so I'll have to add them to my routine.

I tried taking lessons years ago, after already playing for probably 20 years or so, but the teacher was school-taught and basically told me everything I knew was wrong and I had to start all over his way. It kind of jaded me towards lessons. I suppose I should just get over it and peruse the world of youtube and Zoom lessons, and see what I can glean.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by swampyankee

I tried taking lessons years ago, after already playing for probably 20 years or so, but the teacher was school-taught and basically told me everything I knew was wrong and I had to start all over his way. It kind of jaded me towards lessons. I suppose I should just get over it and peruse the world of youtube and Zoom lessons, and see what I can glean.

Any teacher is not the RIGHT teacher.

I had a similar sitch when I was getting serious about Piano.

First guy I went to wanted me to do stuff I had ZERO interest in doing. Endless hand drills and theory exercises, which after playing guitar for 50 years, and while I'm not a scholar I know my way around the subject.

The second guy way more low key, and made the lesson material based on what I was looking to get out of them

I absorbed everything he gave me, and the result was, I can actually make people think I can play that thing!!

best money I ever spent.

[swampyankee]

Yes, I did take bass lessons from a well-known local bassist. He was much more laid back and when I told him I'd been playing for many years he said, "well then let's work with what you got."
I learned alot about bass from him.