For me and others like me who are just now learning to play guitar, I think it would be helpful to hear "beginner stories" from those who've been playing a long time (or even not so long). There seems to be many of my kind (the over 50 crowd) who are new to guitar here so I'm especially interested in experiences from those who started at adult age, but even if you were a youngin' your story would be great to hear.

I think it also ties in nicely with the great "How old were you" thread.

So ...

Think back to when you were just learning guitar. How hard was it for you?

Did you pick it up easily, or did you get frustrated? If frustration got the better of you, what did you do to overcome it?

Did you "give up" at any point and if so, what brought you back?

How long did it take for you to feel "comfortable" playing?

Was there a certain point where you had an "aha" moment, or was the ride simply a long and gradual one?

Did you take lessons? How long? Or, were you self taught?

Really, anything you want to share is greatly appreciated.

I'm completely committed to learning (in fact, I'm addicted), but I fully admit it does get frustrating at times. Sometimes I think I'm progressing nicely and other times I think I'm going backwards - so many ways to screw up!

It's always fun though!

-phil

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

I'll address that first.

There will be plenty of times when you get sick of playing. It will seem like theres nothing new under the sun. Your not improving, your not getting anywhere.
After those times I noticed I'd improved on small things. bends, vibrato, cleaner fingering or picking.


I started at 14. Was always a bit of a loner, so spent all my time with my guitar. It took roughly two years for me to become proficient though I was out gigging at 15, playing rhythm guitar for a country band. Anyone can learn G,C,D and the occasional F inside a year.
Being onstage was what I'd always wanted, its why I took up guitar. Arguably I learnt more from going out gigging than I ever did from anyone else. The best lessons are the ones we teach ourselves. Unfortunately they usually cost us the most too. Whether that be money or loss of face (yes theres lots of stories).

I did take lessons from people, the only formal ones were in sight reading music. I gave up on that pretty quickly. The endless repetition of baabaa blacksheep has nothing on jamming along to a chuck berry record, to a 15 year old. I actively questioned people I got to play with and grilled them incessantly about chords and scales. Not just guitarists, keyboards and even brass players too when I went to open mike jazz nights. Thats something I never lost. I remember being 25 and interrogating the guitarist from Morbid Angel straight after he came offstage. All he wanted to do was get to the bar then the shower.

I realized I could actually hold my own when at 22 I was jamming in my flat, with the guy who showed me open and barre chords. I'd spent a fair bit of time with him as a kid. Knocking out 60's songs on his back porch. He'd been playing 30 odd years when I first met him. By way of a compliment he asked me if he could have lessons. I was absolutely made up, I'd only ever wanted to play like he did when I started out.

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No no and no

You never stop learning....well, at least I don't.

I've gone through those phases where you just feel like you're in a rut and and it does get frustrating. At one point, I got so frustrated that I bought a low end keyboard and was going to switch from playing guitar.

This turned out to be the most helpful thing, for me, that I've ever done. Being self taught, I was able to relate to how the keys and the guitar were similiar sounding. I bought one of those chord books for piano that showed the different inversions of playing chords on the keyboard and worked real hard at trying to replicate it on the guitar.

Every now and then I'd play something and think how it almost sounded like a song I had heard. It helped me train my ears for listening more to what I heard which resulted in what I played.

I began to see how you could play for example an F bass note with your left hand with a G chord and how it worked and gave a nice full sound.

Eventually I bought some theory books and that made everything make more sense than it ever had.

Good luck and stick with it. I've been playing for 46 years now and still learning new things!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

EVERYTHING is hard on guitar. It's always a struggle but no matter what it is there's such a sense of accomplishment, and to me there is no better sounding instrument than a guitar. Just such a wide range of sounds you can get from them, it's amazing.

I'm self taught, and at 2 other times in my life did I buy a guitar, try it, and give up. Once in my early teens and once in my early 20's. Both times I tried lessons and gave up after being frustrated. Maybe I was just more patient in my early 40's when I tried again. And of course I had a nice guitar to start on than too which may have helped too.

I got my first guitar when I turned 10 in 64 the month after seeing the Beatles.I didn't get serious about learning to play until I was 12 when a buddy and I found an old Mel Bay book and proceded to teach ourselves.My fingers would almost bleed as the action was very high and the strings were like cables but when my parents saw how dedicated I was they bought me a "good" guitar a Harmony Archtone(which I still have)and my playing improved immensely.The following Christmas I got my first electric and that's when my playing took off.After starting out on a difficult guitar when a good one with nice action came along playing became much easier,I guess that's why so many people suggest starting out on acoustic.I never got discouraged,so deep was my love of the guitar I was determined to become a proficient player,something must have worked because over the years I was able to make decent money playing.All it takes is love of the instrument and perseverence.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

It all depended on what I was learning at the time.

"Cowboy chords" - easy

Pentatonic - easy

Mixolydian - harder

AC/DC songs - easy
RUSH songs - harder

all worth it in the long run

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I started playing kinda late (considering my peer group) at 19 years old. My best drinking buddy sold me my first two guitars (a Fender F250 acoustic and a G&L F100--I still have them both!); he then sold me a solid state Gibson G20 amp for $25 and a six pack of beer (I still have it, too-the amp, not the beer). He then taught me four chords; three of them he taught me the wrong fingering, due to his laziness as a teacher--I still play all of those chords incorrectly!

Previously I had only sang with all my musician friends, since I had no instrument (elementary school piano lessons and french horn in middle school didn't lend themselves to playing Stones and ZZ Top) and none of them could sing.

I was very self-conscious and intimidated by other guitar players (including the drinking buddy) for a long time. I was not able to take lessons (money, time, lack of good instructors locally, etc) and I wasn't as proficient as all the other guys I knew who played (most of them had been playing since their early teens, and some of them were a decade older than me). I also had the misfortune of playing with guys who were, themselves, jealous of anyone who might be able to play well...they were also very degrading of anyone who didn't play things "right" (i.e., "the way they played it") or anyone who showed any flashes of creativity or originality. On top of all that, I would ask, "How do you do that?" and they wouldn't show me or even point me in the right direction.

I don't mind if someone gives me constructive criticism, but they better show me the "better" way to do whatever I'm doing wrong!

When I finally quit trying to play other people's songs "right" is when I had my first breakthrough. I just took the riffs that I was playing incorrectly and wrote my own song based on them. Lyrics always came easily for me, for some reason. I wrote my first "good" song at 20; by "good" I mean that people thought it was some old obscure song they had never heard, not a song written by the skinny little jackass in front of them.

I started playing harmonica at age 21, and my brain just "clicked" around that instrument...I had a long commute to work every day, so I put in a cassette (yes, I'm that old!) and copied all the licks of the various players until I had a reasonable collection of riffs and licks as I drove to work...I probably caused hundreds of wrecks as I drove from Burleson, Texas to Las Colinas each day, jamming with Little Walter and James Cotton!

While I was learning to play harp, I never told anybody what I was doing--I just sprang it on them while out on a double date with the "best drinking buddy" mentioned above--I jumped up on a sidewalk with a couple of street musicians and let it fly...the girls weren't that impressed, but the drinking buddy was! I was reasonably proficient by the time I showed everybody, and I was able to carve out a niche for myself as a player...the only problem was the fact that they didn't want me to play any guitar, and guitar was the instrument that challenged and inspired me.

(Ironically, the same guys who ragged on me for playing "wrong" didn't know that I was doing many things wrong on the harp, too. I found that out after three or four years of playing, when I sat in with an old harp player; he kept giving me strange looks everytime I played. Finally, he said, "Son, I think you're holding that thing upside down!" I had learned wrong, with the bass notes on the wrong end on the harp, but it ultimately didn't matter--it sounded good! I still play harp upside down...)

Back to guitar, I kept on writing songs; every time I learned a new chord or riff I would write a new song featuring it or based on it. Eventually, when was in my late 20s, I was able to take some lessons from a guy who taught based on what the student wanted to learn and their talent level. He noted, "You're not bad--in fact you're pretty good, and I can't say that about many of my students. You aren't perfect, but you got 'something'...you just need to be a bit more confident."

He gave me one of the best lessons in my musical education, and it wasn't even based on teaching me a technique or a song; he taught me to play with people who appreciate and respect each other.

My harshest critic (my wife) summed it up like this, "Those guys were either one of two things--jealous or jerks. Don't waste your time trying to satisfy any of them, cuz you never will!" She NEVER gives me a free pass--she'll tell me when a performance or a song is not good--but she also tells me what was wrong and gives me constructive criticism...plus she sleeps with me!

I ended up forming a group based on that concept--
everyone respects one another;
everyone is confident--but not cocky--of their abilities;
everyone is free to bring new songs/material to the group;
and everyone is playing as a band.

There are better musicians out there, and there are definitely better bands around, but we got that "something".

So here's my advice--play with people who will make you strive to be better, but will also respect you for what you're doing--or trying to do!

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Think back to when you were just learning guitar. How hard was it for you?

-Well, I had invested a good 15 years into playing the violin, so the finger dexterity was there. Despite that I struggled A LONG TIME with chords. To this day I'm still far more deft at individual notes than chords

Did you pick it up easily, or did you get frustrated? If frustration got the better of you, what did you do to overcome it?

-Frustration is a daily occurance for me! There have been sooo many times I've wanted to go Pete Townsend on my guitars! The best thing you can do is just put it down and try again the next day.

Did you "give up" at any point and if so, what brought you back?

-Never! I am obsessed with all things guitar and am completely committed to doing whatever it takes to keep improving.

How long did it take for you to feel "comfortable" playing?

-I'll let ya know when I get there!

Was there a certain point where you had an "aha" moment, or was the ride simply a long and gradual one?

-Everyday!

Did you take lessons? How long? Or, were you self taught?

-Yes! when I first started I was taking hour long lessons 5 days a week. Did that for 3 months. After that I had a decent foundation to build on. From there I progressed to jamming with more experienced players who were more than willing to share their experience (this is where I learned the most!).

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"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

50+ myself stratshooter picked up my first guitar around 16 or 17 and like most of the other guys still learning, back then there was no youtube or any guitar learning sites ie no computer, internet, or anything so you bought yourself the learn to play the guitar books and the 101 songs for guitar with chord diagrams ans strummed relentlesly to probably everyones anoyance, let alone my own, but every now and again something would click and you just loose yourself thats the addictive element you mention.
These days are just about the best time ever for any aspiring guitarist ( musician ) to learn, there's just so many resources at your disposal via the internet, I wish I was 16 again and starting out there's so many teachers out there to learn whatever style you want, at whatever pace you want to go at, and with the ease and clarity of recording these days you can see and hear where you need to improve.
I'm never giving up, never, never, never, you hear me NEVER
I just love it so much or is it addiction ? who knows, I'm just enjoying it more than ever.

I just started practicing barre chords today. I think I'm going to cry. It's damn hard with two ever so slightly arthritic hams for hands.

It's a good thing I'm stubborn.

Learning the guitar has been hard for me since i'm pretty much teaching myself. It has been alot of fun and i wouldn't have it any other way. Now if i could just master scales.

I used to take lessons at about age 11 or 12.You know "the little brown jug" and such. I never really progressed (or practiced) til around age 16 or 17 and meet some people who showed me some things. I had a serious accident on my left hand (really the middle and ring fingers). To that intent and purpose was the end of my playing at about 20 years old.
Then last June (age 49) I was getting ready to take my wife to Nashville, Tenn. for vacation. Man they play alot of Teles in the Grand Ole Opry! I was searching the web and saw that the Gibson showcase was there. I was checking out the guitars on thier website and saw the had lessons, and said to myself (self didn't you used to enjoy guitar?) I said that would be pretty cool to play again. And that afternoon I ordered a Fender acoustic and Korg tuner. I love the fact of guitar tabulature and the sites for lessons and songs and such online. One of the best new thing are the tuners sure beats the old pitch pipe.
Anyway I now have that acoustic Fender and 2 Telecasters and can't get enough playing time. A friend of mine was in a band and he was good.I asked him if he had any advice for me and he said "practice and have fun", great advice I'll never forget.
I won't get frustrated because I'm playing for the enjoyment and challenge of it now. I really do feel I'm better now than ever and thats really not saying too much. But I have a goal and thats to learn something new every time I pick it up. Most days that's the case.

Good topic!

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08 Fender Highway One Tele-Sunburst
09 Squier Custom Tele II-Blonde
04 Squier Standard Strat Antiqueburst
07 Washburn D10SCE natural with Rosewood backing
Fender Mustang II amp


Experience is the best teacher

i started on bass at 12 then got a guitar then went back to bass then got another guitar and kind of stuck with it since then , i was self taught mostly , a mate or two would show me some chords or riffs , i spent hours hanging over a record player trying to pick out songs ,frustration , plenty of it but never really gave up on it till about 10 years ago when the band i was in imploded and some personal stuff meant i just stopped , (bad move , i know that now ) played now and then when the notion took me but not very often , a wee while ago i slipped a disc in my neck and spent a month lying on the couch and had lost all feeling in my left hand , so i decided to take the guitar back up , luckily i hadn't sold my gear and i wasn't starting from scratch but getting it all working again is coming along nicely , need to work on my soloing , so i'll need to find someone to jam with ,

Well for me it was a bit easier than some. I got my grandpa's old Silvertone acoustic and all he did was show me how to tune it. One day I was listening to the local radio station and heard an intro to Bush's Machine Head and it struck me, I can do that. Sat down with ol' blue (Silvertone) and by ear hammered out the intro. Went down to the local music store and begged my mother for a Squire affinity strat pack (Strat in baltic blue). Went to K-mart picked up sixteen stone (Bush's CD) and within a day or so had most of it down. ( by the way at this point I had learned some chords and power chords from my dad but I was aweful!!)
Yeah later on as I picked up reading TAB I found I was wrong a bit but for the most I was pritty accurate.
I have been playing by ear and Tab plus some "youtube training" for about 11 years now.
In the beggining I saw my buddys pick up guitar because I made it look easy and they did'nt pick up on it as fast as I could so alot of them gave up, I did'nt understand until I got older and stated jamming with some other guys around town that i was lucky to have an ear for music.

thats just my story!

Think back to when you were just learning guitar. How hard was it for you?

I went out and bought a guitar that I thought looked cool so that I would be more likely to want to play it. I bought a Squier Tele, it worked! I started lessons once a week for a half hour right away and kept that up for the first 6 months. Once the initial awkwardness of wrapping my fret hand around the guitar wore off in about a week I felt as if I made good progress. I felt the lessons gave me a good base and it allowed me to learn how to play and also learn some songs so that I wasn't banging away at chords and scales for 6 months. I found it difficult but in a rewarding way.

Did you pick it up easily, or did you get frustrated? If frustration got the better of you, what did you do to overcome it?

I wouldn't say that I picked up anything easily but I always felt that I was making progress. You have to realize that while you may not feel like a "player" right away the fact that you can make the open chords shapes faster or run through your scales easier is in fact progress. Some things are baby steps and it proves to you that your hard work is doing something.

Did you "give up" at any point and if so, what brought you back?

I haven't had a give up moment yet and I don't think that I will. I know what my limitations are and where I want to be so I know that if I play some weak solo because I just don't have the chops yet to complete my favorite song properly that it's my version and work in progress. I play for myself and for enjoyment so I have no one to impress but myself.

How long did it take for you to feel "comfortable" playing?

I feel pretty comfortable right now. What makes me comfortable is that everything that I try and learn comes to me eventually. Some very slowly and some fairly quick but I'm confident that my effort is creating results.

Was there a certain point where you had an "aha" moment, or was the ride simply a long and gradual one?

For me it's along gradual road but there's moments where you let loose and play something and play it well where it all seems to click. Those are the moments that keep you going.

Did you take lessons? How long? Or, were you self taught?

I did for 6 months and it gave me a great base of knowledge. After that my teacher quit and I went at it by myself. Between Youtube and other sites there's plenty of instruction available and that's working for me. I haven't jammed with anyone yet but everyone I;ve spoken to believes that is the way to go. I'm going to start that this weekend!

Best of luck!