Learning to play the guitar suggestions....

[HardWorkingDem]

If you had to teach or offer suggestions for a 44 year old person to learn the acoustic guitar, what would they be? All my life I've wanted to play the guitar and want to try.

What are some suggestions?

[old mark]

1. buy this book online: The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer.

It is NOT a how-to-play-this-song book or a method, but it has a lot of good information on guitars and how to select one as well as basic to advanced information and playing techniques for all types of guitars. I'd recommend this book before you even buy a guitar.

Later, I'd learn chords and find songs and how to play stuff online at www.nextlevelguitar.com/ or one of many other sites.

You are never too old, and you will love being able to play.

FWIW, I thought I was too old at age 15...
I play several hours a day now at nearly 62. I could play another hundred years and never get tired of it.

mark

[PVnRT]

2. Get a book of CCR tablature

Fairly easy-to-play songs that a lot of people have heard.

[SacredCow]

3. I'll offer these points:

1. You're never too old to try something new!

2. If you haven't already purchased an instrument, hit a local guitar store and let them show you some good starter instruments. Ideally, you don't want to get some piece of junk that frustrates your efforts, and there are some decent guitars out there that are fairly reasonably priced. And while you're there, get a tuner as well- until you develop an ear for tuning, it will be most valuable!

3. Though it's more designed for electric guitar (or an acoustic electric), I HIGHLY recommend this software: http://www.playpro.com/tour_guitar.html I won't get into the details of how it works, but if you work your way through this software lesson package, you'll have learned all of the basics and then some.

4. If you opt to just teach yourself (no software or lessons, and it IS possible), I'd say just get two books: a tutorial on playing technique (so you can learn the proper picking and fretting hand techniques), and a thorough chord dictionary. Once you've got the basic techniques down, set out to learn all of the open major and minor chords. That alone will allow you to strum along with countless songs. Then add the 7ths, major 7ths, diminished, suspensions, etc...

5. Most of all- Have fun with it! There is really nothing that I love more than hauling one of my acoustic guitars outside on a sunny day, and just sitting on my deck strumming, singing, and drinking a few beers!

[Bertha Venation]

4. Your fingertips will get very, very sore. Just keep playing.

They will toughen up.

Have fun! :)

[Creationismsucks]

5. Advice from a guitar instrucor:

As to the previous concern (fingertip soreness), you might want to pick up a classical guitar to start with, since the nylon strings don't dig into the fingertips as hard as steel ones usually do. You can often find a decent student model classical for around 70 bucks.

Also, you're never too old. The biggest single determinant is usually how much time you put in.

There's usually a bottleneck in players' developmet while they get the first 10 or so chords under their fingers, and then get good at transitioning between them efficiently.

After that you find you can play dozens of tunes.

It's a hell of a lot of fun.

Enjoy!

I've been playing for 30 years, this fall, and it's never been time I regreted spending.

[Pharlo]

6. Put the dogs outside.

I say this from personal experience. Mine INSISTED on singing along. I couldn't hear a damn thing I was doing.

[redqueen]

7. Do you already have a guitar?

After you get one, go here. It's wonderful, IMO.

I decided to learn it for myself after tinkering with a toy guitar I bought for my daughter, and so far so good. Good luck! :)

[HardWorkingDem]

9. Kind of a funny story....

My Dad was one of the most widely talented persons I ever knew. He could play almost all musical instruments, so about 7 years ago, I asked him to pick out a decent, inexpensive guitar that he thought would be good for a beginner. Through a popular musicians catalog he did that and then later when he looked at it he remarked, "This is a piece of crap!" I had to remind him that he picked it out.


Anyway, I inherited several guitars from him and will used one of them.

Thank you for the website.

[HardWorkingDem]

8. Thank you all for your answers and suggestions...

I've made notes and will use the good information.

Thanks again.

[ZoltarSpeaks]

10. Some suggestions to avoid losing interest early on....

This approach may be contrary to more traditional methods, but it works effectively for many people (I'm assuming you are right handed, but reverse everything if not):

1) Identify a particular tune or style of guitar music (strumming or fingerpicking) that you passionately want to learn. It doesn't have to be a beginner song, but one that will seriously motivate you to work through some pain and early frustration.

2) Decide on a steel string or nylon string guitar based on your chosen type of music. Nylon is easier on the fretting hand (left, if you are right handed), but some styles of playing will not work with the wide neck that nylon string guitars generally have. If you like the sound of steel strings over nylon, learn on steel.

3) Make sure that whatever guitar you choose is set up for low-to-average action (action is the string height above the frets, generally measured at the 12th fret). It is also important that the string height is set correctly at the nut (this is the plastic or bone guide before the first fret) at the peghead end of the neck. High action makes any guitar needlessly difficult to play and makes many beginners give up.

4) Learn the basics of reading tablature (if available for your chosen song, or even if not), and start right in using the wealth of information available online and in video tutorials. The essential skills to play your chosen music will be learned as you need them. Buy beginner books or DVDs as you see fit, but be careful what you choose.

5) Most of your initial effort will probably focus on chording with the left hand while the right hand just strums. If you are drawn to the fingerpicking style of music where the right hand picks out individual notes or repetitive patterns, that adds some complexity but can effectively be practiced separately from the left hand if it needs a rest.

Students that are forced or feel the need to work through scales, chords, and endless rudimentary exercises as basic training often tend to abandon hope before those that can start right in and work toward something recognizable, polishing it as skills develop. There is a trade off here, but you can succeed just by learning what you need when you need it. I am still polishing things that I learned over 40 years ago. It never ends.

There will be some pain in your fretting hand at first as calluses form and muscles strengthen, but it gets better. It is never too late to begin, and you will be rewarded with a great deal of satisfaction if you stick with it.

Hope this helps a little, and good luck.

[SteppingRazor]

11. Find someone who knows how, and play with them.

I find learning an instrument to be a bit like learning a language -- sure, you can do it with classes or on your own even, but it's easiest when you just immerse yourself in the language. If I want to speak Spanish fluently, the best way is to move to freaking Spain. If I want to learn guitar, the best way is to jam with a guitarist.

Of course, you'll need to get some basic, rudimentary stuff down first. Know some tablature and your basic chords, for starters.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Mr GoG is a guitar teacher...

He'd suggest lessons. A good teacher will help you reach the goals you establish for yourself and keep frustration to a minimum.

It's never too late to learn. Have a blast!