At your age, how is your playing?

[Chickee]

This could have been put on the acoustic main forum, but because I play electric more often I listed it here.

Glennwillow had said in a different thread, and I am paraphrasing here,
“my playing was at its best fifteen or twenty years ago.”

That got me to thinking about my own playing. I’m 66 years old now, my fingers are thick with weight, arthritis and a life of hand damage from laborus jobs. No longer the hands of a young man, to be sure.

But the thing is, my playing is better now than any other time in my life, not because I am able to perform fretboard acrobatics and feats of derring-do, but because I have reached a point in my playing that my own “style” of strumming, picking and just plain attacking the fretboard is now front and center. The way I play is mine and mine alone.

Is that the holy grail? To come to a point when your playing reflects you, after a lifetime of wishing you could play and be comparable to all your guitar heroes?

This gives me great hope I will be content with my playing the remainder of my days.

How is your playing at your current age?

frank d.

[rmp]

good post Frank!

For me.. Speed wise, I've not lost much yet, I'm lucky in that regard, my hands are in pretty good shape aside from some Carpal issues that creep up now and then. most of that is present when I first wake up in morning

Which has been the case since I was a much younger man

So in that area I don't feel like that's changed much either. I know it will probably catch up with me some day.

I for sure use less gain/distortion than I did back 25/30 years ago, and I would like to think my playing (during improvisation) is a little more ?poised? as I've matured. Maybe it's a "say" more, with less notes" thing.

If that makes any sense. I can still burn it when I want, but it's kind of more about finding the right place for it now. When I listen to some old recordings from the band days and I ask myself, "dood.. what were ya thinking?"

Overall I feel more in command of the entire shabang, Chord voicings, applying theory without letting it run my life.. all that kinda stuff.

Most of all, I'm just happy I'm still able to play as much as I do. Which is everyday 99% of the time. And I still have bands I'm involved in and people to play with.

I'll be 66 in like a week and a half

[The Watchman]

mid-sixties here, and I am much smarter musically than I was, but my hearing, arthritis, and lack of motivation, are limiting improvement of my skills.

[rockabilly69]

To be honest Frank, I am at my best now. Since I gig typically 5 times a week, my hands are in good shape. But more importantly I've learned good technique which can help keep them that way. And because I know the fretboard better, I think I can phrase better and come up with more inventive stuff. Since I love to write songs I'm always looking to come up with new ideas and tones.

I've never been a particularly fast player, I don't need the dexterity some need, so that may come in to play.

[T.Lime]

I am in my mid-sixties. I gig minimum 3 times a week with the band and we have three rehearsals a week. I am playing the best stuff now than I ever have before.. I have more understanding of soundscapes, I am faster on the fretboard, I am more critical of my own stuff. We play generally one hour 20 minute sets of country rock. We jam and improvise live better as a band. The vocals get a bit of a stretch sometimes and I still sometimes try and hit notes I know I cannot reach. I find the long distance travel into europe a bit of a hassle and sleep more, drink slightly less Other than that I see gigging for at least 10 more years in a band and perhaps longer solo acoustic.. As a band we have just this winter moved to an ampless set up... that helps us oldies a lot

[Mandobart]

I don't play electric; just acoustic guitar, mandolin, fiddle, ukulele, double bass.

I'll be 60 this year and do have some mild joint pain in my hands. So far it hasn't affected my playing. I started nearly 50 years ago. I'm still learning new things and so far am playing better than ever. At some point I expect that will change.

[CASD57]

It still sucks...almost 66 but I didn't start playing till I was 36.....But I still suck lol....But hey, at least I rhym

I turned 51 today so that means this is my 38th year of playing, pretty much continuously in a serious way (though I spent many years before curiously plonking away on my brother's guitar). I was never a "stunt guitarist" so losing speed is not an issue. My dexterity is still intact and my mind is sharp enough. I'd say I have developed my own style for sure and I'm definitely playing the best guitar of my life right now. One thing that is actually better is that I play a much broader range of styles and techniques.

[Steve DeRosa]

Haven't been playing as regularly as I once did, due to a variety of circumstances over the last three years that I'd rather not get into here; good news is that there's a couple exciting new projects on the fire for me and mine and, like riding a bicycle, the muscle memory seems to be coming back - albeit a bit more slowly than with any (less-extended) hiatus I had taken in younger days, at least in the acoustic department, but thankfully the plugged-in chops are recovering nicely...

[Yamaha Man]

terrible-- i'm 69 going on 70, and have lost the use of my ring finger and pinky in my left hand. It's so bad i can't even play a G chord anymore. I'm going in for hand therapy next week. Apparently i have a pinched nerve in my arm that controls those two fingers, it's like carpal tunnel, but a different nerve.

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by Yamaha Man

terrible-- i'm 69 going on 70, and have lost the use of my ring finger and pinky in my left hand. It's so bad i can't even play a G chord anymore. I'm going in for hand therapy next week. Apparently i have a pinched nerve in my arm that controls those two fingers, it's like carpal tunnel, but a different nerve.

There is always alternative positions, Keep up the progress!!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Yamaha Man

...lost the use of my ring finger and pinky in my left hand. It's so bad I can't even play a G chord anymore...

As long as the desire is there, sometimes all that's needed is an adjustment in technique and a bit of creativity:

[6L6]

At 77 I'm happy with my guitar skills, but there's no question that I hit more clams now than I did as a younger man.

[Joe Beamish]

I started at 14, have stopped more than once for years on end (mainly in my 30s), gigged for money through my 40s, and I’m now in my late 50s and better than ever. With a long way still to go.

[Gordon Currie]

Just hit 65 last fall.

I'm actually playing better in the last 8 years on both electric and acoustic than I have all my life (started playing at 9).

I'm much more consistent about warming up properly these days.

I find that my lines are much more appropriate and inventive now that I no longer such a show off (or insecure, which is probably a root cause for showing off).

I'm sure I've lost some raw speed, but I've more than made up for it by having a better understanding of music in general.