george wooden Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 I welcome you too sir Health to you and your new venture Fire away with anything that might help you Thank you, blindboygrunt, I have spent a great portion of today acknowledging all of you for the warm welcome I have received. In reading your comments I have been making a list of questions I need suggestions on. Two, off the top, concern strap button (yes/no) and the end/jack button on the bottom of the guitar. I have a beautiful strap that is too thick for that button, what do you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 George Very warm welcome from UK I'm 67 now, been learning since I was 8 But the arthritis ( which is trying to tell me to stop) means my beloved 12 strings may be on their way And lighter strings may be sensible If it gets too bad then there's slide.......... Failing that I will mimic Seaside Steve on his one string You've bought a great guitar which will mellow with every year you play her ENJOY!!! Thank you, johnt. I spent the last year researching videos, recorded from your side of the pond, deciding where my guitar choice might land. Y'all seem to agree I made a wise decision.Some because they already own one themselves, and others possibly because it is a Gibson rather than a Martin. The journey has begun and we are all going to share in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Thank you, blindboygrunt, I have spent a great portion of today acknowledging all of you for the warm welcome I have received. In reading your comments I have been making a list of questions I need suggestions on. Two, off the top, concern strap button (yes/no) and the end/jack button on the bottom of the guitar. I have a beautiful strap that is too thick for that button, what do you recommend? You can pull out your best whittling knife and carefully shave the leather from the inside around the strap hole until it slips on. Little at a time though, George. Also, pick up one of these. It slips in under the strings around the headstock just above the nut at the end of the neck and allowing you to quickly attach and detach your strap. http://www.ebay.com/...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Congrats on an excellent choice of guitar and welcome to the forum! Although I started at an early age (14 years old... now 60), the guitar remained under the bed while my kids were growing up. When I finally came back to playing regularly and collecting guitars, I found I would get inspiration from re-listening to some favourite songs I always wanted to play but couldn't even get my head around how to play them and then looking them up on the internet (I began playing again in 1999). Having access to guitar tabs online was a major breakthrough. Before the internet, we old guys had to play the record over and over and just guess. Most fake books were totally wrong for guitar. So I never knew that many of the songs I thought impossible to play were just in different tunings or played with a capo. Here are some examples that brought songs into the realm of the playable for me: Norwegian Wood - Capo 3 Yesterday - De-tune one full step (DGCFAD) and play in G Question (Moody Blues) - Open C (CGCGCE) Longer (Dan Fogelberg) - Open G (DGDGBD) Now my musical tastes will, of course, be different from yours. However, do use YouTube videos and online tabs to find your way through songs that inspire you. I find a new (old) song almost every week that inspires me to learn and explore. I also listen to a Spotify channel (Classic Acoustic) that every so often plays a song I had totally forgotten about and have rejoiced in learning, playing and recording, like; "If" (Bread), "You've Got a Friend" (James Taylor), and "I'll Have to Say I Love You In a Song" (Jim Croce). The guitar will often frustrate you, but it will MORE often inspire you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted March 30, 2017 Author Share Posted March 30, 2017 Congrats on an excellent choice of guitar and welcome to the forum! Although I started at an early age (14 years old... now 60), the guitar remained under the bed while my kids were growing up. When I finally came back to playing regularly and collecting guitars, I found I would get inspiration from re-listening to some favourite songs I always wanted to play but couldn't even get my head around how to play them and then looking them up on the internet (I began playing again in 1999). Having access to guitar tabs online was a major breakthrough. Before the internet, we old guys had to play the record over and over and just guess. Most fake books were totally wrong for guitar. So I never knew that many of the songs I thought impossible to play were just in different tunings or played with a capo. Here are some examples that brought songs into the realm of the playable for me: Norwegian Wood - Capo 3 Yesterday - De-tune one full step (DGCFAD) and play in G Question (Moody Blues) - Open C (CGCGCE) Longer (Dan Fogelberg) - Open G (DGDGBD) Now my musical tastes will, of course, be different from yours. However, do use YouTube videos and online tabs to find your way through songs that inspire you. I find a new (old) song almost every week that inspires me to learn and explore. I also listen to a Spotify channel (Classic Acoustic) that every so often plays a song I had totally forgotten about and have rejoiced in learning, playing and recording, like; "If" (Bread), "You've Got a Friend" (James Taylor), and "I'll Have to Say I Love You In a Song" (Jim Croce). The guitar will often frustrate you, but it will MORE often inspire you. Thank you, drathbun, I have received a ton of great advice, both from you and several members here, that I am having to place into a journal until I get to that place where those suggestions become relevant. Some of the recommendations I can understand and act on immediately and others I think I understand, but with no background understanding of music theory I just need to save for a later day. Right now I need to learn my chords and practice that first, then learn strumming techniques. I will tell everyone that the willingness to help a total newbie speaks volumes for this group. Y'all are the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 George, Hey one is never too old to learn to play or in some cases to pick up the instrument again after a long period of inactivity. I follow Taylor Guitars on facebook and I vividly remember reading a story they shared told by the grand daughter of a gentleman who played a little GS mini ...it turned out he had Alzheimer's and even though he was starting to forget many things ...She said that every time he picked up his little GS mini he was able to make beautiful music. So the love of music and melody is something we will carry on until we pass on and as the gentleman prooves music could probably be the only thing that will not fade from our memory A famous hiatus case is that of Cat Stevens who abandoned music in 1978 and sold off all of his guitars .I think he picked up a guitar again in 2004 and started doing live shows again in 2009 .His son left a guitar on a couch and then everyone left the house ...Being alone Cat said he picked up the guitar and started to try to remember his old songs again.He cried after playing a few notes on that guitar. In my opinion there will never be a more perfect time then now for you JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 30, 2017 Share Posted March 30, 2017 Yeah, George, you've become one of us, a part of "The Conglomeration of Waste." We are of varying ages, but ultimately we are all like a bunch of old geezers (some of us actually are old geezers) who are "wasting time." Life is filled with waste and regrets. We typically have to live with our regrets, but fortunately we can flush a lot of the waste. You'll find a lot of camaraderie and knowledge in this forum, and obviously some "waste." Flush it, as it appears you have done. Learn to play your guitar, tell us about it, video it if you like, ask us questions, tell us jokes, and ignore what you consider "waste." Glad you're here. Enjoy it. And if you enjoy it, you're not wasting your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 George, Hey one is never too old to learn to play or in some cases to pick up the instrument again after a long period of inactivity. I follow Taylor Guitars on facebook and I vividly remember reading a story they shared told by the grand daughter of a gentleman who played a little GS mini ...it turned out he had Alzheimer's and even though he was starting to forget many things ...She said that every time he picked up his little GS mini he was able to make beautiful music. So the love of music and melody is something we will carry on until we pass on and as the gentleman prooves music could probably be the only thing that will not fade from our memory A famous hiatus case is that of Cat Stevens who abandoned music in 1978 and sold off all of his guitars .I think he picked up a guitar again in 2004 and started doing live shows again in 2009 .His son left a guitar on a couch and then everyone left the house ...Being alone Cat said he picked up the guitar and started to try to remember his old songs again.He cried after playing a few notes on that guitar. In my opinion there will never be a more perfect time then now for you JC Thank you, JuanCarlosVejar. Odd that you should mention the relationship between music and memory. One of my dearest friends I have made since relocating to East Texas happens to also be my Pastor, a fine Christian gentleman, Dam Manuel. He has served as our preacher for 47 years. During the past 13 years, he has also produced a Branson-style country music show called The Dogwood Jamboree www.dogwoodjamboree.com . While rehearsing the March 18th show we were discussing the ability to remember the lyrics to hit songs we had not heard in 40 or more years. Music is one of the last things Alzheimers robs us of. My efforts as the IT specialist/Photographer for each of his 5 productions each year was a driving influence that kindled my desire to learn to play. I have all the time I decide to devote to this effort, and no excuse to not get it accomplished. It is totally my responsibility, and I am not about to let this pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Thank you, JuanCarlosVejar. Odd that you should mention the relationship between music and memory. One of my dearest friends I have made since relocating to East Texas happens to also be my Pastor, a fine Christian gentleman, Dam Manuel. He has served as our preacher for 47 years. During the past 13 years, he has also produced a Branson-style country music show called The Dogwood Jamboree ( www.dogwoodjamboree.com ). While rehearsing the March 18th show we were discussing the ability to remember the lyrics to hit songs we had not heard in 40 or more years. Music is one of the last things Alzheimers robs us of. My efforts as the IT specialist/Photographer for each of his 5 productions each year was a driving influence that kindled my desire to learn to play. I have all the time I decide to devote to this effort, and no excuse to not get it accomplished. It is totally my responsibility, and I am not about to let this pass. Enjoy the journey and the beauty of learning for you will be that you can go at your own pace ...You are not competing against anyone. I am a big country fan . J.Rodgers , Roy Rogers ,Johnny Cash ,Willie ,Slim Whitman .All the good stuff Have a blast and don't let anyone get you down never. Johnny Cash was always very modest about his ablility with a guitar but boy did he write amazing songs It's not about the ability or the speed.It's just about playing 3 or 4 chords and enjoying singing your favorite song. JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Yeah, George, you've become one of us, a part of "The Conglomeration of Waste." We are of varying ages, but ultimately we are all like a bunch of old geezers (some of us actually are old geezers) who are "wasting time." Life is filled with waste and regrets. We typically have to live with our regrets, but fortunately, we can flush a lot of the waste. You'll find a lot of camaraderie and knowledge in this forum, and obviously some "waste." Flush it, as it appears you have done. Learn to play your guitar, tell us about it, video it if you like, ask us questions, tell us jokes, and ignore what you consider "waste." Glad you're here. Enjoy it. And if you enjoy it, you're not wasting your time. Thank you, MissouriPicker. I pray what appeared earlier today did not offend any of the members here. That is the last thing I would ever wish associated with me or my posts. Learning to play and establishing long-term friendships is why I joined this forum. I could try on my own through YouTube and on-line training courses but that doesn't lead to a network of new friends, my desire is that this forum will do just that. I notice that a lot of y'all have been here since the 2008=2010 time frame. That say a lot to me. I enjoyed becoming one of "Conglomeration of Waste", and seeing as I turn 74 in a few weeks I also fit well "old geezer" group, therefore I feel comfortable in my new home. Happy to be considered part of the family. Last election time I was a "Deplorable", I have now been promoted. Life is Good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 George, Here's the legendary D!ck Dale playing a tune called Esperanza which means Hope in spanish. D!ck Dale is a living legend 79 years old and still touring .In hope that you suceed here you go: JC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted March 31, 2017 Author Share Posted March 31, 2017 Enjoy the journey and the beauty of learning for you will be that you can go at your own pace ...You are not competing against anyone.[/color] I am a big country fan . J.Rodgers , Roy Rogers ,Johnny Cash ,Willie ,Slim Whitman .All the good stuff Have a blast and don't let anyone get you down never. Johnny Cash was always very modest about his ablility with a guitar but boy did he write amazing songs It's not about the ability or the speed.It's just about playing 3 or 4 chords and enjoying singing your favorite song. JC Enjoy the journey and the beauty of learning for you will be that you can go at your own pace ...You are not competing against anyone. Thank you, Juan, you nailed it right there. I am not in competition with anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 No racetrack but the night And no competition but the dawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 I don't believe anyone is really ever too old to learn....as long as they realize that the longer most have been at it, the better they are. As far as how advanced you become, I guess is really up to you, it is worth mentioning here that there have been more than a few entertainers that really have figured out that three cords and a song can be very satisfying when done well. But sky is the limit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 GW, to help speed you along then - since there has been mention of Three Chords - so you don't go out and buy one of those "One Thousand Jazz Chords For Dummies" books... the 3 magic chords are: G, C & D7. But, unless you are singing - it doesn't matter which song you pick! G'Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 the 3 magic chords are: G, C & D7. But if you prefer the blues, they might be E, B and A7. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 No racetrack but the night And no competition but the dawn. Love your new avatar there. We watched Young Frankenstein a couple of nights ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 JC... that's some damn fine posts. Cheers man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Old dude wanting to play guitar-----I'd like to learn to play guitar, but I'll be 60 in a couple years. Me-----Well, how old will you be in a couple years if you don't learn to play guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Old dude wanting to play guitar-----I'd like to learn to play guitar, but I'll be 60 in a couple years. Me-----Well, how old will you be in a couple years if you don't learn to play guitar? That's a good wisdom one. I think I will tell it to others... QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotomsdos Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Oh,, Never,,Never In Chinese Kungfu(martial art) movies, the oldest is the most powerful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 No racetrack but the night And no competition but the dawn. Not sure I get, , , but like it a lot Old dude wanting to play guitar-----I'd like to learn to play guitar, but I'll be 60 in a couple years. Me-----Well, how old will you be in a couple years if you don't learn to play guitar? Yea, , , 'xactly, the guitar will take you above banalities like time'n'age When I play tunes from my teenage years, which actually happens quite often, I get the fantastic double feeling that 1 - brings me right back to the frame of being then and 2 - with accuracy shows where and how I've grown I realize this doesn't comment the original poster, , , but that's already done earlier in the thread And then again it might - because George W. will probably experience some time-travelling after the first chords are established anyway (for some reason no full-stops in this post) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances50 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Welcome to the Gibson family. My first acoustic was a my J-45 and I bought it strictly because of Gibson's reputation. Half of my instruments are Gibsons (acoustic and electric). I started learning guitar at 58 and have been at it for four years now. Don't get discouraged, it's great to take your time and enjoy learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Oh,, Never,,Never In Chinese Kungfu(martial art) movies, the oldest is the most powerful. We used to have that in the West too, Goto, , , but after The Beatles, we found out that the oldies' teeth and brain-force fall out and their limps stiffen. Besides they kept beating young people with canes, sticks and straps and could not see nor pronounce the colour/word purple. Respect for all (or most) vintage geezers - they carry gold - but are you familiar with the ronkedor-phenomenon. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george wooden Posted April 9, 2017 Author Share Posted April 9, 2017 Old dude wanting to play guitar-----I'd like to learn to play guitar, but I'll be 60 in a couple years. Me-----Well, how old will you be in a couple years if you don't learn to play guitar? Thank you all for the warm welcome and great advice, MissouriPicker, you have it spot on here. Two years from now you can be playing, or still wishing, either way, you are still going to be two years older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.