If you could start your guitar journey over from scratch what would you do?

[Wrighty]

One thing I would do differently is to keep playing more consistently - even for 30 mins or so a day. Having seen the benefit of consistency over the last few years, I would be such a different player today...

[rllink]

Not taken the guitar or myself so seriously. Over the course of fifty years I would pick up the guitar and start playing it. Then instead of just enjoying myself I would get so absorbed and so serious that I sucked all the fun out of it. Then I would quit for a while. It has been a cycle. I'm making an effort to not let that happen this time.

[RalphH]

Learn to sing straight away. And buy a second-hand Gibson dread as soon as I could, rather than dozens of new, mid-range guitars

[Photojeep]

Great reading everyone's "regrets"

For me, I'm not sure I would change anything, well not very much anyway. I'm the player I am because of what I've gone through for the past 50-odd years.

I didn't know about the "good" guitars when I was younger (started at 12 years old), I just knew what acoustic guitars looked like from TV. And I noticed my first didn't look like any of those.

I'm glad I didn't get a "good" guitar back then because I was too young and stupid to take proper care of it. I mean, what 15 year old will take proper care of a Gibson or Martin? Maybe some of you, but certainly not me!

Do I wish I was better than I am now? Yep.
Would I change anything? I don't think so.

Best regards,
PJ

[rmp]

Originally Posted by zmf

Take guitar lessons. From a jazz guitarist with a sense of humor.

!LOL! A rarity for sure!

[rstaight]

I guess the only thing's I would change is to keep playing during the years I stepped aside because of life. The other is to take my guitar teacher up on her offer to get me an audition with a well know country star when I was a teenager.

The old story, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

[Golffishny]

I wish I had learned how to evaluate and setup a guitar properly.
I wish I had developed a Jazz background.
I wish I hadn't ignored playing for 35 years.

[Mark Stone]

My main regret is not learning Travis picking. I have my own very useful fingerpicking method, which is pretty good, but I've done it so long it would be very difficult learning Travis. Travis would have been much more useful, especially when playing professionally as I did in the bars and clubs.

Another regret is quitting AGF and deleting my account a few years ago. I had been a member since 2009. The Moderators graciously allowed me to re-join the community about 3 years ago. AGF is not just an "internet forum", it's a gathering of friends.

[surfcowboy]

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread and taking notes. I'm likely one of the younger people on this forum at 33, however, I feel fortunate that I started playing 20 years ago.

If I were to start my journey over again I would make two changes:

1. Spend less time fearing not being "good enough" and play music with more people and make more friends along the way.
2. Practice consistently, with intention, everyday.

Also, my Dad passed away this year unexpectedly and the guitar was one of our main bonds. If I could I'd go back and spend more time playing with him while I had the chance. The same goes for anyone that I enjoyed playing music with over the years. I'd appreciate those times more in the moment.

Other than that I wouldn't change much because so far my guitar journey has brought mostly joy into my life.

[computo99]

Top 5 best things I have done with my life includes learning to play guitar. But like a lot of responses here, I regret putting down the guitar for so long while working and raising a family. However, I started back playing out more than 15 years ago with some of my grade school buddies and I have since had two more bands I continue to play out with. So, I am grateful to have been able to resume music which has been even more fun in retirement. Mission still being accomplished!

[ALBD]

Focus on rhythm and timing waaaaay sooner

[RalphH]

My biggest regret is giving up playing regularly when I went to college - my high school band split up and I lost any and all focus to my playing. I played on and off (very occationally) for the next 20 odd years, picking up the guitar once every few months, playing the same old riffs for 1/2 hour then putting it down again, until I bought my GS mini and suddenly started playing regularly again; I basically 'lost' all of my 20s and 30's. If I'd have kept at it -- maybe with guitar lessons, maybe as a solo player/singer I'd be a lot better than I am today.

Sometimes people ask me how long I've been playing. I'm embarrassed to say 'nearly 30 years', because I play like someone that's been playing maybe 5 years, because I stopped for most of it, but that's a longer and more complicated answer than they wanted because they were just being polite and they didn't want my life story.

[rickcrna]

I wish I had known enough to have purchased a Martin D-18 as my first guitar.

[personatech]

Originally Posted by Deliberate1

I would have started at 12, rather than 50 years later.
Going to be tough to make up that time.
That said, I am discovering it is truly better late than not at all.
David

Yep, this ^^^

[Glennwillow]

I wouldn't do anything different.

- Glenn