wannabe

hello i am a 51 yr. old man who has been playing and entertaining friends and small groups for 30 yrs. my problem is I never learned more than simple chords,that served me well up until now when I have gotten bored with it and want to advance my skills. the problem is like the old saying, you can't teach an old dog a new trick. can someone help me get over the hump.

Welcome Dawg!
Hey, i'm older than you and I'm learning new tricks every day with the help of these kindly members so cut yourself a break. What you'll do is expand on what you already know and after 30 years you don't have to start from scratch. Ask the right questions and you get the right answers. You could start by browsing through the "lessons" section at the top of this page.
Phip

True indeed.

Welcome to the forum dwdawg60. There are several members here that are your age or near to it, so don't feel different. Besides, a musician is a musician no matter how old or young.

I would suggest familiarizing yourself with the site, as being able to "know" the site is essential to quick, easy referencing. Also, check out my lesson on Syntax and take advantage of the site's abilities.



Here is a direct link for you: AGC Lessons Page.

All questions are welcome.

«Rock on!»

I have this friend that's been playing for years and all he knows how to do is play the songs he wants to play. He plays a Taylor acoustic and plays songs that he could sing to like Beatles, JT, Gordon Lightfoot type stuff. And he plays great and sings great! He hears a song and figures it out and plays and sings. He knows all the basic chords but he doesnt know why they are. He knows nothing about theory and doesnt care to know.

I see nothing wrong with this if that's all you want to do. He's not interested in shreading or even creating his own songs.

Where exactly do you want to improve your skills? Chords? Solos? Do you want to be able to create your own songs? It all depends.

@ dwdawg60

Welcome to the site! Don't swallow all this 'can't teach an old dog new tricks' nonsense, I'm also in my fifties and came back to the guitar after a lay off of about 35 years. I'm learning new stuff almost every day and enjoying playing more than ever. Just get stuck in and enjoy. This site has loads to offer, not least of which is a shed load of on-line buddies to help you through the sticking points.
Best
Paul

Hey dawg, you only live one time, so as long as you enjoy playing, don't worry about the other stuff!! People that post in this forum btw are incredibly helpful, so post away!