Tips for an old guy trying to learn guitar

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Ridire

Ridire

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That is supposed to be "tips FOR an old guy trying to learn guitar". [fixed now]


OK, so I have been trying to get my son (9 years old) into something. I wanted him to play basketball...but he seems uninterested. I've tried many other things, and was telling him, "you know what would be cool? If you learned how to play the guitar. You'll be happy you did when you get older...".

So, the little goof-ball asked a pretty logical question that got me thinking. He asked, "well, if you think that, do you know how to play the guitar?"

I do not. But he is now taking lessons and I just bought an acoustic-electric guitar and have decided I'm going to learn along with him.

I've been looking at all the "learn how to play at home" materials online (and have already learned a ton). But anyone out there have any tips for an old dude picking up a guitar for the first time at the age of 41?

Right now, I'm playing around with learning House of the Rising Sun, which I hear is fairly easy to learn, while also going through the simple exercises the boy's instructor is giving to him to help build dexterity and familiarity with the fingers of the left hand.
 
Start slowly, build up your finger strength and coordination. Fretboard exercises are crucial to this. practice pieces slowly with a metronome until you're comfortable with the material...then you can progress to normal speed. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck
 
Chordie.com is a really useful site for viewing chord charts for songs along with the fingerings for each chord. You can also quickly transpose songs into an easier key.
 
If you have big hands you could just bar chord everything. Old dog new tricks... Maybe just learn one trick and do it well. Ultimately it will take years to be proficient so you may just learn enough to keep the kid interested.
 
uncleleon said:
If you have big hands you could just bar chord everything. Old dog new tricks... Maybe just learn one trick and do it well. Ultimately it will take years to be proficient so you may just learn enough to keep the kid interested.
Click to expand...

Wait. Are saying I won't be SRV within the week? Screw this. I'm returning this thing.

Fortunately, I'm pretty damn stubborn and will put a ridiculous amount of time into learning something new. If me playing with that Rubik's Cube every night during tv hours bothered the wife, she's going to LOVE this project.
 
alane1 said:
Start slowly, build up your finger strength and coordination. Fretboard exercises are crucial to this. practice pieces slowly with a metronome until you're comfortable with the material...then you can progress to normal speed. Practice, practice, practice. Good luck
Click to expand...

I have serious issues with my fret hand ring finger moving independent from the other fingers. Any tips for exercises to fix that?
 
I used this, and it actually works really well for learning the basic chords.

https://guitarbots.com/

You can use it for free, but you're limited in how long you can play per day, or you can pay for unlimited use. Basically it uses your PC mic to listen to what you're playing and tells you how you do.
 
seigex said:
I used this, and it actually works really well for learning the basic chords.

https://guitarbots.com/

You can use it for free, but you're limited in how long you can play per day, or you can pay for unlimited use. Basically it uses your PC mic to listen to what you're playing and tells you how you do.
Click to expand...

That looks pretty cool. I might try it. It almost looks as if it is attempting to simplify the real thing down to the level of GuitarHero...with chords.
 
I also came across this and thought maybe I'd do it while at the office. A wast of time?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlHdVjPcBAM[/ame]

I was surprised by how little dexterity I have in my left hand, as I can type extremely fast, and I assumed the same skills would translate over. They do not.
 
I will add a question to this thread. I have 'inherited' an acoustic guitar and have been tinkering around with learning how to play it. I find that I have to press rather hard down on the strings to get the right sound (it may be placement rather than effort), but in turn it is causing tenderness in my fingers. I know that you have to develop the calluses to make this work, but does anyone have any tips on either speeding this along or allowing me to progress rather than repeat the same first lesson over and over and over again until the develop?

Thinner (non metallic) strings? thimbles? sacrifice a cat for its gut(i think cat guy is related to guitars somehow)?

And if it helps, I promise I will not be the hippie that breaks out a guitar and forces my lack of talent on anyone. I already know I have issues musically.
 
Ridire said:
Right now, I'm playing around with learning House of the Rising Sun, which I hear is fairly easy to learn, while also going through the simple exercises the boy's instructor is giving to him to help build dexterity and familiarity with the fingers of the left hand.
Click to expand...

Brings back memories. "Rising Sun" was the first song I learned when I got a guitar in '67. And, the first one I relearned after not touching my guitar for about 35 yrs. Now, I'm in the same boat as you, except even older guy trying to learn how to play the guitar (again). Wasn't any good the first time around, but I've got more time on my hands to practice now.

Thanks to those who posted learning links. They will be helpful to more than the OP.

Brew on :mug:
 
Those desktop finger exercises do help loosen up the fingers. As a senior citizen myself, I have struggled with flexibility too. Just arch your hand and spread your fingers out on a flat surface and move one finger at a time. With each finger, imagine a circle and touch all around the circle, including the middle. This helped me, along with strength exercises using one of these:
http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/plwavaadhaex.html
 
doug293cz said:
Brings back memories. "Rising Sun" was the first song I learned when I got a guitar in '67. And, the first one I relearned after not touching my guitar for about 35 yrs. Now, I'm in the same boat as you, except even older guy trying to learn how to play the guitar (again). Wasn't any good the first time around, but I've got more time on my hands to practice now.

Thanks to those who posted learning links. They will be helpful to more than the OP.

Brew on :mug:
Click to expand...

So, Rising Sun is a good song to learn out of the gate?

And is it foolish to actually work on a song while also doing the very beginner lessons? I have pretty much figured out how to read the chord tabs. I understand the finger positions and the strumming patters of the chords. I just physically am not able to really do it, yet. The concept is there...the execution is going to take some practice.
 
FWIW, it always drove me nuts when I'd see people making the standard G chord with the index, middle, and ring fingers. Get in the habit of making that chord with the pinky on the high E string, middle finger on the A, and the ring finger in the low E.
 
JonM said:
FWIW, it always drove me nuts when I'd see people making the standard G chord with the index, middle, and ring fingers. Get in the habit of making that chord with the pinky on the high E string, middle finger on the A, and the ring finger in the low E.
Click to expand...

Thanks. But no G chord in my first song means I have no idea what the hand looks like in that chord. The Tab I have for this song involve Am, C, D, F and E chords.
 
Good luck with this. I'm older than you and musically challenged but would love to learn the guitar. I'd like to be able to play Dust in the Wind (Kansas) and Angie (Stones). I had an old Alvarez acoustic and bought my son a Les Paul and small amp probably 10+ years ago, all of which sat in his room for years gathering dust. I just looked in his room and they are missing so he must have taken them to his apartment. Maybe I'll be inspired enough by your attempt to try it myself!
 
Roadie said:
Good luck with this. I'm older than you and musically challenged but would love to learn the guitar. I'd like to be able to play Dust in the Wind (Kansas) and Angie (Stones). I had an old Alvarez acoustic and bought my son a Les Paul and small amp probably 10+ years ago, all of which sat in his room for years gathering dust. I just looked in his room and they are missing so he must have taken them to his apartment. Maybe I'll be inspired enough by your attempt to try it myself!
Click to expand...

Even if I never learn a song, my real goal here is to keep my kid interested long enough for him to realize that he will regret not following through with this if he stops lessons.
 
Ridire said:
So, Rising Sun is a good song to learn out of the gate?

And is it foolish to actually work on a song while also doing the very beginner lessons? I have pretty much figured out how to read the chord tabs. I understand the finger positions and the strumming patters of the chords. I just physically am not able to really do it, yet. The concept is there...the execution is going to take some practice.
Click to expand...

No, it's not foolish. The act of getting your fingers in position to play the chords, and transitioning from one chord to another, is just another dexterity exercise. And, once you start getting a little proficient, you get the feeling of accomplishment from being able to play something recognizable. I'm back to where I've got the chord transitions down for "Rising Sun", and now trying to work on finger picking, which is something I never tried before. Also working on other songs with other chord progressions.

Brew on :mug:
 
Ridire said:
Thanks. But no G chord in my first song means I have no idea what the hand looks like in that chord. The Tab I have for this song involve Am, C, D, F and E chords.
Click to expand...

Pinky on the high E string makes for a smoother transition to the others, esp. to C.
 
JonM said:
FWIW, it always drove me nuts when I'd see people making the standard G chord with the index, middle, and ring fingers. Get in the habit of making that chord with the pinky on the high E string, middle finger on the A, and the ring finger in the low E.
Click to expand...
Why? Seems like the hard way to do it.

EDIT: How'd you answer that before I finished typing the question? :)
Brew on :mug:
 
Ridire said:
Even if I never learn a song, my real goal here is to keep my kid interested long enough for him to realize that he will regret not following through with this if he stops lessons.
Click to expand...

My son played cello from 4th grade until HS graduation and played with the KC youth symphony so he has some talent/tenacity but now his cello is in the case downstairs in a corner of our dining room and that cello was like buying a nice used car! Maybe someday he'll go back to it but just because they play an instrument for years doesn't mean the kids won't push it aside later.
 
I am in the same spot. Same age, got a 9.5 year old boy. He has been taking lessons for over a year now. He started on a yard sale kids guitar that I had to tune every damn day. but he played it every day, so that was OK. Then I put an wanted ad here on HBT to trade beer equipment for any guitars. A great guy traded his squire and huge amp for my unused hot-side set up. So now we both had guitars. The kid was 'whistling dixie' with his kids guitar and I tried to keep up. I had just got Yankee Doodle 'mastered' when I realized he was well beyond me playing Bach's minuet in g.... so I got left behind. Bought him a real acoustic electric after another 6 months for his B-day.
I keep trying to get myself into playing... but just haven't and I dont like that. As a stop-gap measure, I bought my daughter a Uke and I like that a bit better... no issues with reaching the frets and only 4 strings!

With regard to learning - The Hal Leonard 'learn tab for guitar' books are pretty good if you don't want to learn to read the notes on the scale.
I also hinted to my son that girls would be interested in a guy with a guitar and it was worth learning. He doesn't know what that means yet, and thats fine.
Good luck - its all about practice and perseverance!
 
Roadie said:
My son played cello from 4th grade until HS graduation and played with the KC youth symphony so he has some talent/tenacity but now his cello is in the case downstairs in a corner of our dining room and that cello was like buying a nice used car! Maybe someday he'll go back to it but just because they play an instrument for years doesn't mean the kids won't push it aside later.
Click to expand...

Cello is a different animal, though. You don't know many guys who are in their 30's who like to just jam with a few buddies in the garage with a beer and a cello. You don't just decide it might be fun to pull out your cello at the campfire and play a couple of songs.

Cello is great. I just think most people will have a longer relationship with the guitar if they learn to play...unless they are going to play in a symphony or something during their adulthood. The guitar is more of a casual passtime instrument.
 
Sore fingers are VERY NORMAL! It will take a bit of time to break them in and get them toughened up. Suck it up! The amount of tang you will get from being a guitar player will be well worth it, I assure you.

Seriously, yes your fingers will be sore. I've practiced so much before that my fingers actually bled. You have to know when to take a break too. Play for a while, let your fingers heal a bit. Keep playing until you start to get blisters. once you actually get blisters you've gone too far. You don't' want your finger pad skin to peel, that just makes it take longer to heal so you can play again!

As far as just learning, there are a few philosophies. The one that I prefer to recommend for acoustic guitar is to learn chords. MANY MANY CHORDS! Here is why:

You want to play songs. Songs are made up of chord progressions in (mostly) a specific key. It's a natural transition from finding what key a song is in, to figuring out the chord progression. You've just learned the song (more or less.)

Chords also sound better when you sing along with.

Acoustic guitars are WAY better at playing chords than they are at playing solos.

Don't give up and don't get tired of it. Work on learning a song and don't quit until you know it. BUT, also take breaks from that and practice chords.

AND practice scales! Why? Because scales are good for dexterity! There are also finger exercises that aren't necessarily scales that are good.

But mostly learn chords.
 
nutty_gnome said:
With regard to learning - The Hal Leonard 'learn tab for guitar' books are pretty good if you don't want to learn to read the notes on the scale.
I also hinted to my son that girls would be interested in a guy with a guitar and it was worth learning. He doesn't know what that means yet, and thats fine.
Good luck - its all about practice and perseverance!
Click to expand...

I am leaning toward justinguitar.com, as someone here already suggested. I have a college friend who just started, as well. He has been doing justinguitar.com for about 4 weeks and can play 4-5 complete songs...and I can actually tell what he's playing. Not perfect, but I was impressed for only having played for a matter of weeks.
 
When you are starting out, it is very very helpful to have an instrument that is set up well. If there is a competent guitar repairman around I would find him an have him set the guitar up with as low an action as possible and adjust everything into place. It makes a night/day difference.

Too bad you are far from me. I would do this for you dirt cheap (free) just because your a home brewer. :)
 
Chadwick said:
When you are starting out, it is very very helpful to have an instrument that is set up well. If there is a competent guitar repairman around I would find him an have him set the guitar up with as low an action as possible and adjust everything into place. It makes a night/day difference.

Too bad you are far from me. I would do this for you dirt cheap (free) just because your a home brewer. :)
Click to expand...

+1.

There are plenty of good, cheap guitars out there today, but there are plenty of good cheap guitars that could play much better with a 1/2hour on the tech bench.
 
Chadwick said:
When you are starting out, it is very very helpful to have an instrument that is set up well. If there is a competent guitar repairman around I would find him an have him set the guitar up with as low an action as possible and adjust everything into place. It makes a night/day difference.

Too bad you are far from me. I would do this for you dirt cheap (free) just because your a home brewer. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, and I bought online. I cleared the purchase with my friend who is in a blues band and plays all the time. He said it would be perfect...but said to take it in and have a professional set it up.
 
First and foremost, building up callouses will be your initial obstacle. It hurts, and the only way to get them built up is to press through the pain and keep playing and playing and playing.

Next, goofy fingers will be tough to battle. Don't listen to any crap, or try to convince yourself, about your fingers being too fat/big/whatever. That's nonsense. They just don't have finesse, yet. Practice chord shapes and switching between them back and forth and back and forth on the fret board. No need to strum, yet.

Once you start strumming, mute the the strings on the fret board with your hand and practice your rhythm and strumming patterns with songs on the radio/cd. You'll get better with your strumming hand that way.

It's a process, but not bad once you get the basics down :)
 
Instead of House of the Rising Sun, should I start with this?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkBqTWBIkKw[/ame]
 
Honest question about that video - are Lonnie and SRV fretting with their thumb or are they muting the 7 (and maybe 6) string with their thumbs?
 
SRV was a huge fan of Hendrix, who played bass lines with his thumb while fretting odd chords with the other fingers & playing all of them at once. This is why he was called Jimi & his one-man-band guitar. Also in the video, watch the pick hand for up & down strokes, they sound different.
 

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