Am i too old?

isida.d · #1 10-25-2005, 07:15 AM

I know that sounds odd but most people i know of start learning guitar when they are alot younger than me. I'm 19 and i originally started when i was 16 but back then i was naieve and expected too much without work. My mistake. Then i picked it up again a few months back and this time around i'm really getting somewhere. But i'm 19... did i wait too late? do you think i can learn to play just as well as anyone who started before me if i really put my mind to it?
Not like its going to help me much but i do hav emusical backround i've been playing piano since i was 5 so about 14 years now so i know my theory pretty good some of it might need polishing up tho and i have an ear for music.
Does anyone know any good guitarists who have started off a little late but have turned out good?

This may seem petty and silly or just plain rediculous to some people but i cant get it out of my head and i just need to see what people think.

King Knall · #2 10-25-2005, 07:26 AM

And I thought 13 was too old.

Seriously, I don't think someone is too old to play guitar, or any other musical instrument for that matter. As long as you know that you want to learn something, than don't let something silly like your age matter.

Algiman · #3 10-25-2005, 07:36 AM

Clapton was in his late teens when he started out ........

brothersnowgone · #4 10-25-2005, 09:03 AM

Although it is true that the earlier you start out the better, your age is a simple feat to overcome. The only advantage of learning earlier is that when your younger and your brain is still developing, playing guitar will cause your brain to make more "connections" or nerve links throughout your brain making a person's learning curve a bit different and the way thier brain processes the motor skills your using in your hands. If you stick too it you can become just as good as someone that started younger, but it may not come as easy.

damo7v · #5 10-25-2005, 09:07 AM

the downside to starting later, as i discovered, is that once you're competent you look too old to be cool.

Mr Orange · #6 10-25-2005, 09:07 AM

STFU and play, I started taking piano lessons at 26... Whattheck when I'm 36 I've been playing for ten years. But hey, most gramps have already quit ten years ago at that age for family and work sheite...

It's your life you do what you wish. You think age is important? Well, take a shot in the modeling business. Everyone gets old and dies - except those who die young. It's your life, do whatever you want with your time.

mi2tom · #7 10-25-2005, 09:23 AM

Hey there Isida , This isn't mine but I read this in Vai's forum not long ago... Hope this help.... Here it goes "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These people are being nice to you. You're way too freakin' old. You should just shop around for a cemetary plot... get a nice pine box... lie down... and wait for the worms.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks. At your age... dood... seriously... don't even think about starting anything new.

Still here? Get in that freakin' pine box already!!!

Are you freakin' high?! What the hell is wrong with you?! I'm forty-three and I find your post seriously disturbing -- glad I don't have that kinda outlook on life. Though I started playing guitar at 12, I know people that have started playing at a later age than me and are better (and vice versa). There's a guy I work with who's 56 and he's just starting -- I try and give him beginner tips when I can.

Methinks your problem is not your age, but your attitude.

Didja ever think that someone could start playing guitar at 4... and play the rest of their entire life everyday... and still just completely suck at it?

Why don'tcha just play it for playing sake and do it because it's fun... not because you wanna be joe blow virtuoso... cuz' if that's what you think... you're absolutely right and you shouldn't even bother to pick it up. "

Got it.........

Davey · #8 10-25-2005, 10:02 AM

"Why don'tcha just play it for playing sake and do it because it's fun... not because you wanna be joe blow virtuoso... cuz' if that's what you think... you're absolutely right and you shouldn't even bother to pick it up. "

lol Joe Blow Virtuoso...

Damn I wish I could change my screen name.

nickcoumbe · #9 10-25-2005, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by damo7v

the downside to starting later, as i discovered, is that once you're competent you look too old to be cool.

+1

I started and stopped several times over the years. I didn't really try and start developing my technical skills until I was 20. I probably have taken it much more seriously in the last 5 years since leaveing uni. I don't have a problem with learning new stuff. Well no more of a problem than when I was younger.

I found that I started to be more academic in my twenties than I was when I was in my teens definately. This was true in terms of my career and my guitar playing.

JJEMMER777 · #10 10-25-2005, 10:56 AM

Please! I didn't even pick up a guitar until I was 20 and I still have a lot of years left sonny

Your never too old.....so pick er up N' play already!

JoeJoe · #11 10-25-2005, 11:10 AM

You are never too old... (well if you can still move your fingers would be nice

)

Here's an example:

My mom is trying to learn to play guitar (classical guitar but still) right now, and she is way older than you...

and she's not learning it to be *the best* or something but just to have fun with it and to enjoy it... and thats what all guitar players should do! Playing the guitar because you like it, love it, and most of all to have fun with it! (hey, you can't get too old for having fun, can you

) not to show off or because you want to be cool or whatever...

Thats my $0.02

shredfreak · #12 10-25-2005, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isida.d

I know that sounds odd but most people i know of start learning guitar when they are alot younger than me. I'm 19 and i originally started when i was 16 but back then i was naieve and expected too much without work. My mistake. Then i picked it up again a few months back and this time around i'm really getting somewhere. But i'm 19... did i wait too late? do you think i can learn to play just as well as anyone who started before me if i really put my mind to it?
Not like its going to help me much but i do hav emusical backround i've been playing piano since i was 5 so about 14 years now so i know my theory pretty good some of it might need polishing up tho and i have an ear for music.
Does anyone know any good guitarists who have started off a little late but have turned out good?

This may seem petty and silly or just plain rediculous to some people but i cant get it out of my head and i just need to see what people think.

No, you are not too old.

UV_Ray · #13 10-25-2005, 01:37 PM

I wanted to start guitar at about your age, but thought I was too old and didn't bother. Then when I was 29 I decided WTF I'm going to do it just for fun. I never tried to shred because I thought I was too old. I kicked myself for not starting 11 years earlier- thinking I could have really been kicking arse by now. Over the years there were times I worked hard, and other times I got busy with other stuff and didn't really practice much, but I had fun when I played. Did mostly blues stuff, never really put enough time in to shredding.

Now I'm 47

and am practicing a lot and making very good progress. Again I'm saying to myself, why didn't I do this earlier. But it's all good, as I'm having fun and getting pretty darn good. I'm suprising myself, to be honest.

Please don't make my mistakes or some day you will be looking back at 29 realizing how young you were at 19 and should have just gone for it. You cannot go back in time- the time to act is NOW!

**jim777** · #14 10-25-2005, 04:30 PM

You're never too old to make yourself a more complete person, or to follow a dream.

UV_Ray · #15 10-25-2005, 05:35 PM

I'm not sure where it came from but there's a great saying that it's not the things that you do that you regret the most, it's the things that you don't do.