At your age, how is your playing?

[Chickee]

I’ve been reading every entry on this thread and have been enjoying the varied responses tremendously. Aside from physical maladies, it seems we are doing pretty well at advancing, or at the very least, keeping our skills in good shape no matter what our age.

How lucky are we.

frank d.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Chickee

I’ve been reading every entry on this thread and have been enjoying the varied responses tremendously. Aside from physical maladies, it seems we are doing pretty well at advancing, or at the very least, keeping our skills in good shape no matter what our age.

How lucky are we.

frank d.

Yes, Frank!

As a group we are very fortunate! I certainly feel that way!

I'm heading up to my studio where I can do some guitar playing right now!

I hope all is well for you, Frank!

- Glenn

[Dave Hicks]

I feel like I'm getting better and worse.

Since I retired I have lots more time to play (and no wretched papers to grade). I'm in better practice than I've ever been, and don't have any significant hand problems.

Since the start of The Plague, I've actually written and recorded a few songs and several instrumentals, something I'd never done before. I also pulled out my old harmonicas and can do some simple things with them.

The project band I was in at school before retiring is rehearsing for one more show, and I'm really enjoying playing strange and new material with those guys every week. My wife has been learning to play and we've also been doing open mics and the local uke group.

But I am 70, and all kinds of things are going downhill. I never was very fast and now I'm even slower. I hope it all holds up well enough to do a few more of the things I want to do. Brave Little Smile:

D.H.

[Puddleglum]

I’m 48 and a better guitarist than I’ve ever been, mostly thanks to YouTube. I’m FINALLY learning how to play the stuff (on electric, mostly) that I’ve wanted to play my whole life. All I needed was someone to literally show me.

[Mbroady]

Been playing since the mid 70s. Not much has changed with my style of playing in the last decade and I don't necessarily have a practice routine. But after a lifetime of doodling, I can finally keep a nice pocket when recording with a click track.

[Golffishny]

I guess my playing is appropriate for my age, experience and physical condition. I would always like to be better at several things, but I enjoy doing what I can.

[abn556]

I’m 62 and have been playing since the early 70s. I am better now than I have ever been. I retired at the beginning of the year. Playing guitar is one of my main retirement hobbies. I am hoping to play more and more now that I have time.

+

[Rolph]

I've been playing for 60 years! I started playing after seeing Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac, two nights in a row, circa 1968. He inspired me to not strive to play fast, but express some emotion. I think even with the ravages of Covid two years ago, that seemingly left my right side with a herniated cervical disc w/o trauma, I'm playing better than ever. I've learned to relax and possibly have established my own style, as mediocre as it might be at times. I definitely enjoy playing more than ever before, and don't miss the late night gigs and schlepping 80 lb. amps anymore.

[abn556]

Forgot to mention earlier that while my playing is better, my memory is way worse. I have forgotten how to play more songs than I remember how to play. Sometimes I hear a song I previously knew how to play and I have to sit down and noodle with it for 30 minutes to get it back.

+

[BillyH]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

My lovely wife, who met me when I was in my fiery twenties, says that now in my mid-sixties I am the best I've ever been. The studio calls haven't eased.

Country veterinarian James Herriot told a tale of a border collie, Jock, who was a passionate car chaser. He would chase the departing cars, including Herriot's, down the length of his farm's country lane dodging, vaulting, and weaving around obstacles, and reach the end with a canine smile and pure joy in his eyes at a job well done. At one point in his life he sired a litter of puppies who stayed on the farm for a full year. As soon as the puppies could run, Jock taught them to chase along with him. From that time on during the year, each time Herriot visited the farm, as the chase happened, he noticed as certain frantic look creeping into Jock's eyes as he tried to stay at the front of the pack during the chase. At the end, though he would have won the race, his tongue hung out off his lolling head and his eye's asked, "Am I going to be able to keep this up?"

Eventually the farmer sold off the pups to other farmers. The next time Herriot visited the farm, as he left, Jock chased him down the lane with gusto, vaulting the obstacles and dodging. At the end, the smile and look of pure joy had returned to his eyes once again.

I've felt like this story is a good analogy to my lead playing. I went through my period of competition and came out the other side. If need be I can still play as quickly as I could at my fieriest but I find my joy in other forms of expression.

Bob

Nice post and story!

Billy

[AX17609]

............

[Snoopysvet]

Started playing two years ago at age 63.

I did have finger pain (not callouses)
I did come down with trigger finger

When that happened I would lay off playing for a couple days, it seemed to get worse. A couple times I stopped playing for several weeks.
At one point it was real bad and took off 2 months

At this point I have had no pain in six months!

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by abn556

Forgot to mention earlier that while my playing is better, my memory is way worse. I have forgotten how to play more songs than I remember how to play. Sometimes I hear a song I previously knew how to play and I have to sit down and noodle with it for 30 minutes to get it back.

+

I’ve always had a limited memory. “Use it or lose it” pretty much describes my memory for songs. And books I’ve read.

[Chickee]

I normally don’t pick up a guitar when I am not feeling well, but this week has been very different.

I was diagnosed with a severe infection of the salivary glands surrounding my left ear. An issue that affects less than three percent of the population I was told.

Aside from headache, earache and facial swelling matching the profile of John Merrick(the elephant man)it’s relatively tolerable compared to things other folks have to deal with when they aren’t well. You just feel beat up.

The real story here is this- aside from heavy doses of antibiotics, the ENT put me on a six day course of what he referred to as heavy duty steroids. I’ve never had the need for steroids before and when I told the doc this he said “well don’t overdo anything because you are going to feel like Superman for a few days!”
I laughed and went on my way.

Two days into the drug therapy I was feeling pretty good, giant face and all, and picked up a guitar to noodle a little bit.

With God as my witness, my hands haven’t felt this good in decades! I was like that sixteen year old kid running home from high school just so I could play guitar for the next six hours. All my aches and pains of life disappeared.
Only very temporary I know, but just thrilling for that moment of youth and ability of yesterdays gone by.

frank d.

[Nymuso]

Way better than my twenty year old self thought it would be when/if I got here. I do have some old guy stuff going on, but no arthritis or anything that interferes with my playing and I must say I am playing way better than I did at twenty. Plus my voice is as strong and my range is as good if not better than it ever was.

So take that, twenty year old me!