I am 55 years old. I have had a guitar in my hand since I was 16. All I ever wanted to do is play along with albums/cd's. I jam on occasion, and although i don't solo, I can play through songs with others. Around 6 months ago, I started taking lessons from a great guitarist/friend of mine who is a GIT/Berklee graduate. So, if you can luck into a scenario like mine, great. If not, just keep playing because you want to. Use whatever it takes to make you enjoy playing, whether it's by ear, or tab, learning from others, but just keep playing. Best of luck.

You have to split it between practicing things that will not seem fun to develop dexterity and technique, and then you have to spend time playing whatever makes you feel good and lets you cut loose without thinking.

There are so many learning tools these days that you can really get far in a short time if you put the work in. Checkout some DVDs on www,licklibray.com.