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Starting Guitar at (dare I admit it!) Middle Age

Ranked #10,082 in Music, #273,637 overall

I wish I kept up with my guitar lessons when I was a kid!

In my mid-forties I decided that life is too short to compromise.  I have always loved music, especially classic rock, and dreamed of playing guitar in a band.  Never mind that I could not read a lick of music and I didn't have the discipline to practice as a young man!  This lens will chronicle my journey to achieve my dream.  Along the way, maybe some of the things that inspired me to continue, will help you as well.

Where do I start?

Do I need to be able to read music?

This section of my lens will focus on the beginning of my guitar playing odyssey.
  • In the beginning...buy a guitar
  • I took some lessons, but if you are a self starter there is plenty of GREAT resources to get you started
  • Read -- Guitar Man: A Six-String Odyssey, Or, You Love that Guitar More Than You Love Me by Will Hodgkinson
  • Play every day. Even if it is only 15 minutes.
  • Push through the pain until you get the little "pads" on your finger tips.
  • Did I mention to play every day!

Practice, practice, practice

Honey, I don't love this guitar more than you!

I feel a little like Will in his Guitar Man writings. 24 hours...that is all we have in a day. 24 hours. NOT ENOUGH!

Between running my own medical marketing business and ALL that that entails, keeping in shape (becoming more and more urgent!), my teen/pre-teen children, Church, aging parents and in-laws that need extra help, being on the board for the American Marketing Association...and don't forget my wife...where do I find the time!?!

I may have it down. Up at 5:00am. Gym at 6:00. Start my work day at 7:30am. No breaks. Day ends 6pm (on a good day). Time with kids until 9pm. Quality time with the love of my life till midnight. OK...practice! Do I need to sleep? Hmmm...still some work to do on this schedule!

Buying a Guitar

Or...investing in a great instrument that will go up in value...to convince my wife!

Well, I have been playing for a couple of years now and I am still not where I want to be.


Although I am kind of obsessed with the instrument. I am to the point where, as most men get to with their passion -- whether it be golf, skiing, hunting, fishing -- I want to buy the good stuff (translation...EXPENSIVE stuff).


I took a trip to a great guitar store called Hollowood Music and Sound. A great friend of mine, Eddie Kowalski, who used to play lead for a heavy metal rock band in Pittsburgh, turned me on to the store and one of the owners, Donnie.


Looking for an electric, Donnie put a series of Les Paul style guitars in my hand. Starting with the Ephiphone and ending with the Gibson Les Paul Custom (price ranging from about $300 up to $3000).


Being pretty typical when it comes to "stuff", I completely fell in love with the highest end guitar he had!

But $3000, can't really justify that!


SO...I need to find a way to generate some income to buy it.


My Idea: since my profession is marketing -- specializing in web-focused marketing -- create a series of websites that relate to music equipment, specifically guitars, more specifically pittsburgh guitar stores and used guitars pittsburgh, since I live in Pittsburgh!


I will offer local internet marketing services to local muisic and guitar stores in various cities for cash or barter.


Look for more cities later.

My Guitar Links

Next Level Guitar - Great Lesson Resource
These links have given me a lot of great learning resouces. Lessons, guitar tabs and many other helpful information.

Resources for your guitar odyssey.

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Are you on a guitar odyssey?

If you are on a similar quest to play this wonderful instrument, I would love to hear about your experiences.

  • Chad Jan 5, 2010 @ 6:04 pm | delete
    On the back side of 50, after years of telling myself that one day I would play the guitar, I bought a modest Fender Starcaster and began the odyssey. Using DVD lessons and a few lessons with instructors I have managed to learn the open chords and about 20 songs. The bar chords are still elusive to my now front side of 60 mind, but the desire still burns. I now own 7 guitars including the Gibson Les Paul standard and the Fender stratocaster American Delux electrics and the Gibson Hummingbird artist edition acustic. Having much more income now then in my teens or early 20's makes owning quality a bit more realisitc. Just do it, suffuer through the finger pain, it will go away and play every day, realize your ambitions, even if they are 40 years late.
  • guitar lessons Feb 13, 2008 @ 10:36 pm | delete
    Nice lens! I too wanted to learn playing guitar and with my friends help i learned playing it. He suggested me one site where all the details of learning guitar were available and that site helped me to have fun playing guitar with guitar lessons dvd.
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jdanthony

Grew up in Pompano Beach, FL.  After college at Appalachian State University I started my career as a systems engineer with EDS.
Before settling... more »

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