| Many people think about being able to play the guitar | | | | a gadget that helps you strengthen your fingers and |
| but need reassurance concerning what to expect | | | | develop callouses on the fingertips. Also light gauge |
| when they try to learn guitar at a late age in life. By | | | | strings are a little easier for an older guitar student to |
| late I mean forties or fifties but really the term can | | | | practice on. |
| apply to any age past the teen years. A bonus for | | | | Something that is possibly a little more important for an |
| mature age guitar students is that if you learn guitar it | | | | older newbie guitar player is the need for daily practice. |
| can actually help keep your hands and mind alive and | | | | Make yourself a schedule and stick to it religiously. It |
| healthy. There's an additional benefit in that your friends | | | | might do some good to occasionally get a lesson from |
| and family will think you are a hero before you are | | | | someone who is not your regular guitar teacher. |
| even able to play. | | | | Even from a friend who does not play in your style. |
| Learning guitar late in life is open to anybody but the | | | | The change can help keep you out of a rut. |
| question is if it is easier to learn guitar as a young | | | | Keep your guitar handy all the time. Sometimes if you |
| person, does that mean it is harder when you are | | | | have a bunch of family and professional commitments |
| older? | | | | that keep you busy, you can do more playing by |
| Older guitar students do tend to have some hassles | | | | grabbing the guitar for a couple of minutes when you |
| learning music theory and note reading but it is worth | | | | can, instead of trying to find a regular half hour a day. If |
| the struggle and many guitar players use tab to learn | | | | this is the way you have to go to get your quota of |
| material and tabs are available freely on the internet | | | | practice, then so be it. |
| for any song or instrumental that a beginner could | | | | You will probably benefit from getting a decent guitar |
| want to learn. | | | | to learn on, whether electric or acoustic, and the |
| If you find yourself struggling with the more theoretical | | | | general rule about acoustic guitars being kinder to the |
| side of music, then you could make up for it by | | | | hands in the first couple of months of playing still |
| concentrating more on technique. You can learn a lot | | | | applies. |
| about the guitar just using your ear and a diagram of | | | | Finally, you will possibly need to keep reminding |
| the notes on the fretboard, and remember that many | | | | yourself that the reason you started to learn guitar |
| guitarists who played all their lives never learnt to read | | | | was basically to do with having fun. Don't get too |
| music. | | | | bogged down in the idea of guitar practice being what |
| Changing chords is the first big hurdle for guitar players | | | | you "have to" do. Not having your parents to cook and |
| of any age, and can lead to a mental block for older | | | | clean for you, will put you at a disadvantage compared |
| students. So, just start with getting the chord shapes | | | | to most young people so don't be surprised if younger |
| right and work on changing from one chord to the | | | | students progress faster than you. The point is if you |
| other slowly and carefully. If you are troubled by | | | | keep at it you will be playing any song you want within |
| training your hands to do the chord shapes you might | | | | a couple of years. |
| want to consider buying yourself a Gripmaster. This is | | | | |