I bought a Martin OM35 close to 15 years ago and life got busy and she has sit idle forever. I have two more classes in grad school and after that I am going to actually learn to play it instead of just a few chords.

Go for it! Never to old to learn, I just turned 40.

Ah, this thread is great (as usual) - thank you all for this input and I'm emboldened on this notion of mine to "go for it" as encouraged.

Many, many thanks. I've got everything to learn and I'm looking forward to it!

You can put nylon strings on a regular acoustic guitar that has a truss rod, but you can't (shouldn't) put steel strings on a classical guitar designed for nylon strings.

If you like rock and roll at all I would get an electric guitar and a small amp. Like an Ibanez RG ($200-300) and Fender Champion 40 ($180)

I'm at that total newbie point of "I want it all!" haha...I want to play rock, classical, folk, you name it, I want to be able to play it. But I've got to start somewhere.

I'm leaning toward getting my feet wet with an acoustic and building from there.

I recommend checking out www.justinguitar.com. He's got a ton of free material including a basic course categorized along with a ton of categorized songs. It might keep you motivated if you can play a few songs that you actually like along the way.

I started playing guitar when I was 15. I played regularly and passionately for 22 years. I was even invited to become the "house band" for a guy who was starting a club (I declined). But then I broke an elbow, put down the guitar and let it lay for 30 years (!).

I've only recently picked up the instrument again. When I start feeling regret for the years I stayed away, I try to shake off those feelings ("yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone") and tackle the here and now.

The only piece of advice I can give you is this: enjoy.

No matter how clumsy or how gifted you may be, if you don't enjoy your time with the instrument, don't even bother.

Guitars come from the factory set up for right or left handed playing. You probably want the correct model.

First learn to tune the guitar. Then put on your favorite album. Pick around with single notes until you can reasonably reproduce a string of notes that fit with what is playing on the CD player. It can be a melody, counter-melody, something closer to a bass line but an octave higher, doesn't matter.

The pint is to learn to play one note at a time before trying to play six (chords).

quote:

Originally posted by OldChimney:
Is it easier for a beginner to use steel or nylon strings? Any pros or cons to starting out on one or the other?

You have to use the strings that the guitar was made for. Nylon strings wouldn't have enough tension to sound good on a steel string guitar. Steel strings could literally break a nylon string guitar.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
There is no substitute for practice and that takes time.

Play every day, 5min, 10min, 1hr, whatever, but play every single day.

After a while it'll start to come together, no matter how old you were when starting.

Before playing - wash/massage your hands under warm water for a few min to loosen up.

Agree up to washing hands (for a few minutes). You don't want to soften your skin, especially your fingertips with the callouses you are trying to build; you want them dry and hard.

As to best way to learn... everyone's different. I learned by getting a chord book and songbooks with chord diagrams and just playing along with my favorite songs. Also by listening to records and picking things out. A little later other books on music theory and scales. These days there is so much instruction in the form of books, videos, YouTube, etc., I'd suggest just digging in and seeing what you can learn on your own. A teacher only if you need the formality and/or the imposed discipline that would provide.

And, oh, yeah. Do start with a decent guitar; even a good guitar if you're willing to spend the money. First, it's easier to play. Second, it's a joy to play a good guitar. Third, you'll get more money back if you decide to sell it.

Start anytime. It's something you can always work to get better at. Don't go bottom of the barrel, but no need for top of the line either.

Yamaha makes some great beginner guitars, and this is coming from someone with that loves Martins.

I just passed 50 a few days ago and sort of on the same path but the wife bought me a mahogany Kala Ukulele and I'm learning chords and strumming. Easier and more fun than I thought.

I've had a guitar sitting in the corner for 10 years. I can see it from where I sit now. I bought it to learn when I had 6 weeks in a hotel room by myself, and I actually started to get better in that time frame.

I played all manner of trumpet for 10 years, and loved music, but trumpet isn't a "personal" or play in the house instrument; thus the guitar.

You are getting me inspired to try to learn again also!

Good luck, and I hope you have fun.

Since your starting late, I'm sure you'll want to progress as fast as possible so find a teacher. It makes an enormous difference when someone can put your fingers where they need to be and answer you're questions right then and there.

Licknriff on YouTube does some easy finger style. I need lessons from a teacher to further my abilities. But I like finger style more than strumming.
I bought a drednot ibnez solid top for 350. I'd like a more mellow & smaller body one....

Another trick that I heard a long time ago and has really worked for me:

Everybody wants a "good" guitar, but don't get into owning guitars that become "Case Queens". Keep your guitar OUT on a stand ready to grab and play at any time. Sure, it will accumulate a rash of dust, goobers, and scratches when it falls over....but you will pick it up and play a while throughout the day without having to think about setting aside specific "practice time".
Look at all the top guitarists, and their guitars are always a visual mess. They know how to setup the essential operating features, but dings, scratches, and spit-drools are all just part of owning a guitar that gets PLAYED.

I started last year at age 63 at an adult night school, teacher is great. I just finished my second class which was 2 hours one night a week for 12 weeks.
A cheap guitar is a cheap guitar no matter what. You don't need to spend a fortune around $300 to $400 will get you a decent guitar that should keep you going for a few years. Go to a guitar store with someone who knows guitars and look at used guitars. A lot of people buy wanting to add to their collection and don't play with all they own and end up selling them.
Change the strings you have on your kids guitar, after 6 months of being stretched, they should be changed anyway. I recommend D'Addario EJ16-3D as they are a light gauge and sound good. As has been said, practice every day or as often as you have the time for. Like everything else the rule of 10,000 applies. The closer you get in anything you do towards 10,000 hours, the better you will play.

I've been washing my hands before playing for 30+years with no detrimental effect on calluses, yet with the positive effects of warmed up muscles/blood flow/cleaner strings.

ymmv

I'll add something else. While online lessons are great...and some of them really great, they don't hold you accountable. If you take lessons, private or group lessons, you feel accountable and for me, that tends to make me practice more. I'd guess that's the case for most people. We don't want to show up to class and suck. And you have a competitive nature, it may make you practice even more.

I started trying to learn using my son's Yamaha guitar. Nothing expensive, but I don't think it's junk, either. Yet, I found the fretboard painful. My fingers aren't very long, but I do play piano just fine and can reach more than an octave, there.

So, is the Yamaha a bad guitar? I think we probably payed a couple hundred bucks for it at Guitar Center.