# Dang you guys !



## reese (Oct 9, 2005)

I have been wanting to play the guitar for around 40 years but have only picked one up once or twice in my life and quickly put it back down after quickly embarrassing myself. After reading these threads and watching the videos plus some others on YouTube I went to Guitar Center 3 weeks ago and picked up a used guitar. This is my 3rd week to the day and my wife actually said that she is impressed with my progress, it sounds more like music now, not just noise ha ha ha ( actually I am also ). I didn't think I'd be doing what I am at this point which is really not much at all and I know I still have a LONG WAY TO GO. I have a broken left wrist and finger and have been struggling with finger reach but when the wife walked into the room today to watch me, she immediately said, wait try it like this and she showed me how she had to learn how to play Guitar Hero to be able to compete with the kids, with the neck held up much higher than I was holding it ( I never even tried Guitar Hero ) it seems to work better for me. I'll be going back to get a shoulder strap tomorrow to see if it will help keep me in a good position.
I already said that I want an electric, she said only with headphones... So as far as I am concerned, that's a *GREEN LIGHT !* Hmmm, maybe I should put it off a while and not buy anything immediately 

As usual 2 Cool Rocks.

PS JQ, Gary and others, can you give any best tips and tricks or play a little easier to play / remember songs for us beginners to learn by on a separate thread ?


----------



## Gary (May 21, 2004)

reese said:


> I have been wanting to play the guitar for around 40 years but have only picked one up once or twice in my life and quickly put it back down after quickly embarrassing myself. After reading these threads and watching the videos plus some others on YouTube I went to Guitar Center 3 weeks ago and picked up a used guitar. This is my 3rd week to the day and my wife actually said that she is impressed with my progress, it sounds more like music now, not just noise ha ha ha ( actually I am also ). I didn't think I'd be doing what I am at this point which is really not much at all and I know I still have a LONG WAY TO GO. I have a broken left wrist and finger and have been struggling with finger reach but when the wife walked into the room today to watch me, she immediately said, wait try it like this and she showed me how she had to learn how to play Guitar Hero to be able to compete with the kids, with the neck held up much higher than I was holding it ( I never even tried Guitar Hero ) it seems to work better for me. I'll be going back to get a shoulder strap tomorrow to see if it will help keep me in a good position.
> I already said that I want an electric, she said only with headphones... So as far as I am concerned, that's a *GREEN LIGHT !* Hmmm, maybe I should put it off a while and not buy anything immediately
> 
> As usual 2 Cool Rocks.
> ...


Welcome to the addiction bro. Yea, we could do that.


----------



## reese (Oct 9, 2005)

*11 weeks in now*

OK, 11 weeks into this now and surprisingly I haven't given up yet... Still can't play anything that really sounds right. Note change speed is still too slow but I am now concentrating on getting them up to a faster pace by just jumping around from note to note over and over and over and over etc. with a strum or two in between. What used to be maybe an average of 2-4 seconds for a note change is now approx 1-2 seconds but I still need to get better and nail the notes more accurately. My fingers are still a little sore but nowhere like they used to be. I normally grab the acoustic first then switch to the electric, seems to be a better transition and lets me practice longer.


----------



## JOHNNY QUEST (Mar 6, 2006)

Hang in there bro... It just takes time to get the changes down.... Post up a vid bud... Lets see where ya are so far....


----------



## FLATSDADDY (Mar 25, 2008)

@reese
Sounds great that you are spending time practicing and improving.
I don't know what style of music you play. But I would suggest you to try classical guitar.
The wider neck really helps you build a strong grip and strength in your left hand and fingers, the finger style of playing seem to really help at building muscle memory of the location of the strings.
Making a transition from a playing a Spanish guitar back to a playing a country or steel strung guitar seem very effortless. Everybody is different, but for me, the Spanish guitar seems more bulky and difficult to play than a steel string guitar. So transitioning back to the narrower neck seemed easier to me. I was able to make chord changes a lot faster and my right hand accuracy was also improved.
Good luck and best of all, have fun and enjoy playing your instrument.


----------



## bearwhiz (Jan 30, 2011)

At 58 years old I have always had the desire to learn the guitar but have never done it. Some day.


----------



## FLATSDADDY (Mar 25, 2008)

bearwhiz said:


> At 58 years old I have always had the desire to learn the guitar but have never done it. Some day.


Never too late to learn. Music can become a life long skill and hobby.
Look at these old cats for inspiration.


----------



## 1fishinfool (Jun 24, 2011)

*do u have an x box?*

My brother inlaw is a big gamer. He told me about a game for x box that is a lot like guitar hero but you plug a real guitar to the game console. He actually got it for me on my birthday. Real fun way to learn and it will have you playing some tunes in notime. Its called rocksmith


----------

