Guitar Players

[KyCatFan]

Got any tips for helping a middle aged guy (50) learn to play the guitar? I have an electric guitar that was just sitting around at my mom's that my stepdad had. It's nothing fancy. Just a budget model (Epiphone Special 2) I believe.

I played alto saxophone when I was younger for 6 years. So I have a decent understanding in music. I don't have an amp with it. Just bought one of those Vox headphones amps for now. I have a few books I picked up at a Half Price Books, but not sure how well I can do just with those. Can't really do lessons at the moment. I'd love to play with/learn with others.

Any YouTube videos you all might recommend watching? There's quite a bit of content on there. My biggest issues will be trying to manipulate my fingers for all those chords and of course, these strings can be a bit uncomfortable on the fingertips. Probably will be a long while before callouses develop. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[gamecockcat]

YT has almost too much information. First, decide what kind of music you wish to play and whether you want to just play the chords of a song or if you want to learn chords, soloing techniques, songwriting, etc. Second, learn some basic open chords (chords near the end of the neck that incorporate open strings - G, A, E, C, F, D). Practice switching smoothly between those chords. Third, find 10-15 songs you want to learn that use these chords (there will be 1000s of songs that use open chords). Fourth, learn to play along with those songs.

As you get better and more comfortable with the beginning steps, you can incorporate bar chords, extended chords, etc. Plenty of tab websites that, generally, have the correct chords to a lot of songs. I always found I learned quicker if I was playing songs that I knew and wanted to play versus scales, modes, songs I didn't want to play, etc.

Maybe even learn a few lead licks to throw in. It's a process. I've been playing the better part of 40+ years and I'm not nearly as good as I want to be. I've already got a practice schedule set up for when I retire that will get me practicing about an hour a day 6 days a week. And I'll still know that I want to get better.

And, for goodness sake, don't think you're going to be shredding or EVH or Hendrix or whoever probably ever. Be you and enjoy the journey.

 

[Shadow1671]

Don't cheat on bar chords. There are alternate ways to play chords such as F and B minor, but if you learn them the right way first, it will infinitely help you with other bar chords that aren't as easy to cheat at.

 

[KyCatFan]

I'd probably like to play mostly like classic rock and like 80's and 90's rock (like hair band stuff and possibly some harder stuff like Metallica). I'd like to be able to play multiple things. Like Marty McFly in Back to the Future going from rhythm (?) in Earth Angel to lead in Johnny B Goode.

 

[blubo]

I just stick with the old tried and true air guitar.

 

[gamecockcat]

I'd probably like to play mostly like classic rock and like 80's and 90's rock (like hair band stuff and possibly some harder stuff like Metallica). I'd like to be able to play multiple things. Like Marty McFly in Back to the Future going from rhythm (?) in Earth Angel to lead in Johnny B Goode.

The music you mention can be quite tricky. Fast tempos, very quick lead lines, etc. Don't be afraid to slow things down until you're smooth and can get up to speed. YT allows you to slow the video down. I've learned plenty of lead licks by slowing a particular section down to 25% speed to figure out the notes and slowly increasing the speed as my muscle memory improves.

 

[Shadow1671]

I'd probably like to play mostly like classic rock and like 80's and 90's rock (like hair band stuff and possibly some harder stuff like Metallica). I'd like to be able to play multiple things. Like Marty McFly in Back to the Future going from rhythm (?) in Earth Angel to lead in Johnny B Goode.

Here is what I would recommend. For any given song you want to learn, after you learn the basic chords and such, look up an acoustic version of the song on YouTube. Perhaps even a tutorial. Music may seem very complicated, but it is very simple in a lot of ways. Many of the most famous songs of all times can be played with 4 or 5 chords at the most. Many times they are on a repeating pattern. Learn the song itself first. Then learn how to do all the fancy stuff.

 

[Shadow1671]

Remember how polished Def Leppard used to sound on their albums? They wrote all their stuff on acoustic guitars.

 

[Shadow1671]

Since you are just starting out, though...learn the chords. Your fingers are going to hurt if you don't play regularly. I am decent at guitar but I haven't played in a couple weeks so I have basically lost my calluses. Because I have played off and on for the last 12 years and for many years before that, I think my fingertips have become more forgiving, but the truth is, if you are just starting out, or if you haven't played in a while, it's going to hurt. Ain't no way around that. LOL

 

[Smashcat]

Got any tips for helping a middle aged guy (50) learn to play the guitar? I have an electric guitar that was just sitting around at my mom's that my stepdad had. It's nothing fancy. Just a budget model (Epiphone Special 2) I believe.

I played alto saxophone when I was younger for 6 years. So I have a decent understanding in music. I don't have an amp with it. Just bought one of those Vox headphones amps for now. I have a few books I picked up at a Half Price Books, but not sure how well I can do just with those. Can't really do lessons at the moment. I'd love to play with/learn with others.

Any YouTube videos you all might recommend watching? There's quite a bit of content on there. My biggest issues will be trying to manipulate my fingers for all those chords and of course, these strings can be a bit uncomfortable on the fingertips. Probably will be a long while before callouses develop. Any help would be appreciated.

Learn these four chords in the key of G the way Matt teaches them and you'll be playing songs pretty quickly.
There are lots of good teachers on YT, I follow a lot of them, but this guy is perfect for beginners. Promise.

 

[WTF Cat]

As a 40 year+ bar band guitarist, I'll offer a few new ideas... most of the info above is solid... no need for me to repeat it.

1. Sing EVERYTHING you play. Not only will your playing improve, but your EAR will improve... and that goes a long way to your future development.

2. STRETCH before you play. YT is loaded with vids on appropriate exercises. Don't let carpel tunnel ruin your fun.

3. Play along to your favorite tunes: keeps you enthused thru the struggle... and you, like everyone else, will struggle. Ultimate Guitar is an excellent website that has chord charts for almost any popular song- https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/

For more advanced stuff, read below....

3. I got this from my son, who was UK's jazz band guitarist during his time there (he's now at CCM getting his Master's in Jazz Guitar). If you want to play LEAD guitar, practice the SPIDERWALK (finger independence). Start SUPER SLOWLY!

4. For lead guitar... learn how to associate scales with chords. This is a little more advanced... but its a game changing moment. Start with a simple chord progression/song: D-C-G (all major chords)... yes, its Sweet Home Alabama (also, Werewolves of London, and All Summer Long).

Here's a discussion of scale/modes that work for the D-C-G chord progression that we all know and love: https://www.guitarmusictheory.com/in-what-key-is-sweet-home-alabama/

Good luck and happy pickin'!

 

[KyCatFan]

Appreciate all the input. Do you all think learning on an acoustic is better? Seems like most of the stuff I read said it was harder yet that seems like the way a lot of people start off. I can get access to an acoustic guitar if need be. I believe my stepdad had a different kind of strings on one of his that were a bit easier on the fingers.

 

[funKYcat75]

Remember how polished Def Leppard used to sound on their albums? They wrote all their stuff on acoustic guitars.

View embedded media

Joe needs some hot tea with honey and his guitar tuned.

I wish I had patience to learn guitar, but my small hands (shut up ...) and attention span seem to hinder me. Bass is more fun anyway.

 

[WTF Cat]

Acoustic vs electric?

I think you should choose whichever one makes you play more... 20 minutes per day... every day

Electric is easier imho (put some light gauge strings on it as a beginner...9s). Move up as you build strength... but there's no "best" gauge... only what feels good to you.

SRV played heavy strings, Billy Gibbons p!ayed super lights... Fwiw.

 

[Shadow1671]

Joe needs some hot tea with honey and his guitar tuned.

I wish I had patience to learn guitar, but my small hands (shut up ...) and attention span seem to hinder me. Bass is more fun anyway.

I always liked bass because I considered it stress free. Of course if you mess up, it can be very noticeable, but the fact of the matter is unless you mess up badly, most people casually listening won't even notice.

I can't remember how many times I would say to someone after playing, "I messed up at this point" or whatever and their response was usually, well it must not have been that bad. I didn't notice it.

 

[BigTyrone]

Use extra light strings to start - .09s or even .08s. Try to learn full songs and play along to them. You can start with easy cowboy chord songs and work your way up to more advanced stuff. If you're a beginner, it's acceptable to show off by playing Sweet Child O Mine. Wonderwall is not acceptable.

 

[WTF Cat]

Use extra light strings to start - .09s or even .08s. Try to learn full songs and play along to them. You can start with easy cowboy chord songs and work your way up to more advanced stuff. If you're a beginner, it's acceptable to show off by playing Sweet Child O Mine. Wonderwall is not acceptable.

We play Sweet Child every single gig... I'll never tire of that one.

 

[812scottj]

Find Marty Schwartz on YouTube…he’s a great teacher. He breaks down chords and rhythms separately, so it’s easy to follow.

 

[UK82]

My wife decided to take guitar lessons 10 years ago at the ripe old age of 55. Guitar Center. After 6 months of lessons she still couldn't play much. Strung her on. Pardon the pun.

 

[kyeric]

There are a bunch of YT guys and many put out YT videos to steer you towards their pay stuff.

There are some i really like...
Bernth
Ben Higgins
Music is Win
Ben Eller
Shred Master Scott
Steve Stine...just to name a few. There are so many you can get bogged down trying to find one you really like.

A few pay sites...
guitarmasterclass.net - has tons of videos part of which you can watch for free. All skill levels from literal never picked up a guitar to 😮😮😮😮😮 and many styles

worshipartistry.com - not really what you are looking for, but a really nice site for praise and worship music

Music is win super system



if i only had one piece of advice...practice, practice, practice. It's one thing i didn't do early on and am now regretting it as i get ready to turn 52.

 

[gamecockcat]

As you improve and really listen to more guitar players, you'll probably start to notice the subtleties such as volume control, playing partial chords, recognizing sometimes what you leave out is as important as what you play, etc. That's when you become a musician and not just a technician mindlessly blowing through scales and chords. As posted above, developing your ear is crucial to really improving.

One last thing: creating your own songs, even if very simple, will help you improve faster. Plus, you will by default start to understand the 'why' behind many songs and it will make figuring out songs that much easier.

It's a great journey. Enjoy!

 

[Shadow1671]

We play Sweet Child every single gig... I'll never tire of that one.

The sheer amount of soloing you get to do in that songs makes it well worth it. Plus, it's still a pretty damn good song after all these years.

 

[Shadow1671]

Use extra light strings to start - .09s or even .08s. Try to learn full songs and play along to them. You can start with easy cowboy chord songs and work your way up to more advanced stuff. If you're a beginner, it's acceptable to show off by playing Sweet Child O Mine. Wonderwall is not acceptable.

As strange as this may sound, the darn strumming pattern of Wonderwall always threw me off. I could learn it if I applied myself, but it's just very foreign to the way I typically strum.

 

[WTF Cat]

The sheer amount of soloing you get to do in that songs makes it well worth it. Plus, it's still a pretty damn good song after all these years.

Right now we have that, My Sharona, Hotel California, and Don't Tell Me You Love Me in our setlist... lots for me to do lol

 

[BigTyrone]

Cool. Where do you live / gig?

 

[WTF Cat]

Cool. Where do you live / gig?

I live in Alexandria but the band is a west side Cincy band... all our gigs are over there.

 

[grantbob]

For starting from scratch I generally recommend justinguitar.com He's a fantastic teacher and it's totally free. He has a ton of videos on YouTube but if you sign up for his website (free) it's arranged in a guided, logical order and New lessors build on what you learned earlier.

Also, find someone you know that plays (at whatever level) and play with them. One of the greatest joys, and best ways to make progress is to play with others.

 

[Shadow1671]

Also, find someone you know that plays (at whatever level) and play with them. One of the greatest joys, and best ways to make progress is to play with others.

Agreed. As much fun as it is to play with yourself, it's more fun to play with others. Sorry, couldn't resist. I often have the sense of humor of a 13 year old.

 

[ace on the river]

I just stick with the old tried and true air guitar.

I can play the hell out of one

 

[DrH. Lecter]

I learned on electric but acoustic is better because you can play it anywhere at any time. But first, learn the open or cowboy cords. CAGED. Add in the minors, particulary Am and Em. Then F and B bar cords. Plenty of good online teachers. Learn songs you know. MEMORIZE the open cords and get to the point you can play a song with just the Notes without tabs. Many songs just use 4.

If you eventually get to wanting to play "lead" then you can spend time on penatonic scales and music theory. But if you want to play rhythm and sing around the campfire just practice open cords where you can do them without looking at the neck or your left hand.

 

[Shadow1671]

There is also one other thing I forgot to mention. Learn to count. That may seem silly at face value, but in music, counting is everything. Many songs are in 4/4. I was in band in middle and high school so I won't bore you with the details of what those 4's mean, but counting is just as important to playing music as the notes and chords are.
Most songs are in 4. That means you can tap your foot 4 times or snap your fingers 4 times or smack your own ass 4 times and it will bring you to the next group of 4. LOL. Most groups of 4 are also in groups of four. So if you tap your foot 16 times, in groups of 4, that's when you repeat.

My personal favorite time signature, though, is 6/8. Especially when I am playing drums. This is more of the "swingy" type songs. There is an emphasis on the 1 and the 4. It's almost like waltzing, if that makes any sense. ONE two three FOUR five six. But again, it repeats in patterns of four.

Some examples of songs in 6 are "Crazy" by Aerosmith, "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica, and "I can't help falling in love with you" by Elvis and damn near everyone else.

Learning to count will help you stay at a consistent tempo and will help you a lot with learning how to strum a song. Tap your foot as you play.

 

[Shadow1671]

Also, just as something fun for me to do, once you start learning how to count, listen to Pink Floyd's "Money" and tell me if you can figure it out. 🤣

 

[Ollie]

About 15 years ago, I went on a trip with some guys. Trip to Lake Cumberland, just sitting around the fire, listening to music, drinking beer. One of the guys that went I didn't know too well. He said ehe played guitar. I asked him to bring it. First song he played was "Piano Man" and he also played the harmonica with it. I was blown away. He basically can play any song you play for him. Can't read music. I thought if I bought a guitar, I could do that after a lot of practice. I can't. He's very talented.

Lots of good tips. I started out about 15 years ago on an acoustic Eppiphone. Got some flash cards and learned, G, C, D, A, E, Em, AM, D7, then finally a cheating F.
Go to a website like www.chordie.com or www.chords-and-tabs.net and look for songs that have the chords you know. Practice those until you get it down. At first I could play the chords but it didn't sound right. Now, most of them I can play after strumming around and figuring it out.
Was told at the beginning like someone mentioned, sing along while you play.
First song I learned to play was Wagon Wheel, pretty easy progression. Then you will start to notice how many songs have those same progressions.
Learn to use the transpose arrow on the websites. Get a capo.
Have fun!
If you find a song you like, learn it. Actually about 2-3. It's fun to go somewhere and someone hand you a guitar and you play a few songs, especially if they don't know you play.
Myself, I sit out back on my patio a lot and just try songs and record myself to see if it's any good. One of my favorite songs to play is Tom Petty "Dogs on the Run".
Also, find an artist you like and check out all their songs......I play a lot of John Price (I can't Travis pick like him), Josh Ritter, Todd Snider, Tom Petty....
Also remember it doesn't have to sound just like the original, just has to sound good and everyone can sing along.
If you live in Louisville, I would love to meet and practice.

 

[Shadow1671]

@Ollie It sounds like your friend just has a good ear. That has always been super helpful for me. I can "hear" a lot of songs in the first 4 or 5 seconds and know what they are. Even if I am watching a band that is doing it their own way.

Great advice, BTW. Except for the cheating on bar chords. NEVER cheat on bar chords. Learn them first, then learn when to cheat on them. LOL

 

[Creed Bratton]

I made a purchase recently for a Taylor Mini GS Koa and I have to be honest that is one sweet sounding guitar for any size and especially for a smaller guitar. It sounds good unplugged but when you plug that thing in it amazes me and it's so easy to play.

 

[KyCatFan]

About 15 years ago, I went on a trip with some guys. Trip to Lake Cumberland, just sitting around the fire, listening to music, drinking beer. One of the guys that went I didn't know too well. He said ehe played guitar. I asked him to bring it. First song he played was "Piano Man" and he also played the harmonica with it. I was blown away. He basically can play any song you play for him. Can't read music. I thought if I bought a guitar, I could do that after a lot of practice. I can't. He's very talented.

Lots of good tips. I started out about 15 years ago on an acoustic Eppiphone. Got some flash cards and learned, G, C, D, A, E, Em, AM, D7, then finally a cheating F.
Go to a website like www.chordie.com or www.chords-and-tabs.net and look for songs that have the chords you know. Practice those until you get it down. At first I could play the chords but it didn't sound right. Now, most of them I can play after strumming around and figuring it out.
Was told at the beginning like someone mentioned, sing along while you play.
First song I learned to play was Wagon Wheel, pretty easy progression. Then you will start to notice how many songs have those same progressions.
Learn to use the transpose arrow on the websites. Get a capo.
Have fun!
If you find a song you like, learn it. Actually about 2-3. It's fun to go somewhere and someone hand you a guitar and you play a few songs, especially if they don't know you play.
Myself, I sit out back on my patio a lot and just try songs and record myself to see if it's any good. One of my favorite songs to play is Tom Petty "Dogs on the Run".
Also, find an artist you like and check out all their songs......I play a lot of John Price (I can't Travis pick like him), Josh Ritter, Todd Snider, Tom Petty....
Also remember it doesn't have to sound just like the original, just has to sound good and everyone can sing along.
If you live in Louisville, I would love to meet and practice.

Sounds good. I live in Bullitt County right across the Jefferson County line. I'd be up for meeting up and playing. I don't really know much yet. Was learning the notes on the strings and starting the chords now. You'd have to be a little patient with my ineptitude 😂.

 

[JIMFKFT]

Also, just as something fun for me to do, once you start learning how to count, listen to Pink Floyd's "Money" and tell me if you can figure it out. 🤣

I have't tried played "Money," but I think I get it. But I do NOT get Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." But If there is one artist whose time signatures don't make sense to me, it's John Lee Hooker. He sounds like he changes chords in the middle of a measure.

 

[KyCatFan]

Brought this home to play around with. It's an Ovation classical guitar. I believe it is fairly old. Actually has a knob for I guess volume on the body near the neck and has the plug in on the back. Strings are messed up but went into Guitar Center and got some new ones. We will see how much of a challenge it will be to change. It has a little bit of damage (cracks) just below the bridge.

 

[awf]

Got any tips for helping a middle aged guy (50) learn to play the guitar? I have an electric guitar that was just sitting around at my mom's that my stepdad had. It's nothing fancy. Just a budget model (Epiphone Special 2) I believe.

I played alto saxophone when I was younger for 6 years. So I have a decent understanding in music. I don't have an amp with it. Just bought one of those Vox headphones amps for now. I have a few books I picked up at a Half Price Books, but not sure how well I can do just with those. Can't really do lessons at the moment. I'd love to play with/learn with others.

Any YouTube videos you all might recommend watching? There's quite a bit of content on there. My biggest issues will be trying to manipulate my fingers for all those chords and of course, these strings can be a bit uncomfortable on the fingertips. Probably will be a long while before callouses develop. Any help would be appreciated.

There are two things that will improve your playing no matter what level you are at........the first is to know your fret board........scales.......I promise if you practice 1/2 hr a day on just your major scales that your play will improve.......use a metronome to play your scales.....slowly......use a light gauge string...

 

[awf]

I am late to this conversation but........I don't live too far from you KYCatFan.....while I am not a great guitar player I can definitely help you......any time you want to hook up and see what we can share hit me up.....I am retired so my schedule is.......NO SCHEDULE...... 🤣 If'n I was you I would use tableture to learn...to play.......