Am i too old?

4003 Views 33 Replies 26 Participants Last post by spkenn5, Dec 23, 2005

isida.d

Discussion Starter · Oct 25, 2005

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.

1 - 20 of 34 Posts

King Knall

· #2 · Oct 25, 2005

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 · Oct 25, 2005

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

brothersnowgone

· #4 · Oct 25, 2005

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 · Oct 25, 2005

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

Mr Orange

· #6 · Oct 25, 2005 (Edited)

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 · Oct 25, 2005

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......... :mrgreen:

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Davey

· #8 · Oct 25, 2005

"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 · Oct 25, 2005

damo7v said:
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 · Oct 25, 2005

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 · Oct 25, 2005

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 · Oct 25, 2005

isida.d said:
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 · Oct 25, 2005

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 8O 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 · Oct 25, 2005

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

UV_Ray

· #15 · Oct 25, 2005

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.

isida.d

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 25, 2005 (Edited)

Thankyou for the replies i guess i just needed a little reassurance.

And yes i do play for fun but i'm still having that stupid naieve imature thing of wanting to learn to shred. I guess alot of people go through that phase

Thing i'm a little disapointed in is that i live in a small town and the 1 guy who can teach me guitar... not htat i need lessons i've been doing fine without but i decided to take them becuase i wont wave off any help if ya know whati mean?

but he finger picks everything amazingly on electric hes a jazz musician and plays local festivals in the near by larger city. However he cant palm mute much at all or sweep pick. Can you be good without being able to do that? :s

shawn7v

· #17 · Oct 25, 2005

you're never too old. i don't know how many of you jemsters ever heard of the great blues guitarist Ronnie Earl but he was already a special needs teacher when he saw muddy waters play up here in Boston. he was in his early twenties when he headed to texas and hooked up with the then undiscovered jimmie and stevie ray vaughn. there is a picture of him playing with stevie inthe book "stevie ray vaughn-caught in the crossfire". ronnie"s first gig was with the blues band "Roomful of Blues" replacing another blues great Duke Robillard. its NEVER too late.

vette6600

· #18 · Oct 25, 2005

yes you are way too old. just give it up. if you are not a prodigy, its not worth it!

just kidding of course. i always think about how michael jordan never even made the high school basketball team and he turned out to be the greatest player ever. if you have drive, you can do anything

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David McCarroll

· #19 · Oct 25, 2005

isida.d said:
Thankyou for the replies i guess i just needed a little reassurance.

And yes i do play for fun but i'm still having that stupid naieve imature thing of wanting to learn to shred. I guess alot of people go through that phase

Thing i'm a little disapointed in is that i live in a small town and the 1 guy who can teach me guitar... not htat i need lessons i've been doing fine without but i decided to take them becuase i wont wave off any help if ya know whati mean?

but he finger picks everything amazingly on electric hes a jazz musician and plays local festivals in the near by larger city. However he cant palm mute much at all or sweep pick. Can you be good without being able to do that? :s

Heavens! - if he can finger pick everything amazingly, he can teach you anything! Jazz is (generally speaking) more complex in tonal, harmonic and time structure than most rock (don't shoot me down here guys - it's just IMHO) - ummm, palm muting is just learning to lean on the bridge a wee bit! - Frank Gambale (another Aussie - yay!) has done some pretty good tutorial books and DVDs/Videos concerning sweep picking and modal playing

I don't know where you are in Australia, but you could always save your pennies and spend an intensive week at say, The Australian Institute of Music (Sydney), or organise some lessons with a really good musician like Peter Northcote (a JEM player, and our No. 1 session guitarist)(http://www.peternorthcote.com/)

..... And besides, if you are too old, I am doomed, and have been for about fifteen years!

Have fun, and play yer ass off - living somewhere a bit remote might actually work to your favour, as you may well find that it lets you develop your own unique style (stumble picking? blunder picking.... no, that's my style...)

Cheers, David McCarrol
Sydney, Australia

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isida.d

Discussion Starter · #20 · Oct 26, 2005

I live in warwick qld australia, i was born in sydney tho and lived there for 5 years then i moved to queensland. Good to meet another New South Welshman

.

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