As retirement draws ever closer, either voluntarily or involuntarily, one of the many endeavors for the new chapter includes music.

I'd like to learn how to play music. I have a few things in mind already:
1. Piano so I can play Fur Elize and perhaps a couple of favorites from Mozart and others.
2. Violin so I can play at least one season of the Four seasons.
3. Bass or Cello - something calming about the deep low tones.
4. Uke - just seems fun.

My concern - I've tried guitar when I was young. I could not get the hang of it. Too complex and unnatural for me. Picking and strumming. Chords. I got kicked out quickly.

Question: is a string picked instrument more difficult to learn? Or one that uses a bow? I'm very interested in the violin w/ my newfound interest in Vivaldi.

But depending on which is easier, I may choose bass (natural or modern / electric) or cello. And may forego the uke in favor of harmonica. Perhaps even cello or bass will be too daunting for me given my utter failure with the guitar?

BTW, what's the musical reasoning for 6 strings on a guitar? Why not 5 strings? Or 4? Or 7 or 8? Just curious.

If you found the guitar was hard, then forget about the violin.

I've never tried a bowed instrument. Does the bow make violin more difficult? Or still just the chording complexity (especially w/o frets)? Both?

I really have my heart set on playing some Four Seasons someday. Maybe my mind needs to speak up more.

If you want to learn bass, I’d recommend the Bass Buzz beginner to badass course. It takes you step by step. The good thing is it gets you playing right away. Theory is snuck into lessons in small bites. You don’t have to know how to read music. There is sheet music and tabs, but it teaches you both. Josh, the owner of the site has some free YouTube stuff which is good, but it has a bit more comedy in it. The lessons are much more serious.
https://www.bassbuzz.com/

You CAN learn to play guitar. It takes time of course and regular practice, but if you have the desire, you can do it. I did. It certainly isn't easy, but you will see results over time if you consistently practice.

My story: When I was 53, I was dating a gal who played guitar as a kid so I shopped for a guitar to buy her for her birthday. While researching, I asked a couple of co-workers (who were guitar players) if I decided to take up guitar, would 1/2 hour a day of practice really get me anywhere? I figured I could dedicate 1/2 hour/day. Their answer was a resounding yes!

I went kinda crazy with lessons, both private and group lessons and they really kept me honest and kept me practicing.

Here I am now at 65 and I still play, but not nearly as much. All of my guitar playing friends are in Chicago and it's hard to find motivation now being mostly alone. Living in the midwest I was in Chicago at least once a week playing open mics and jamming with those friends.

So here I'd say, find a local group who can help motivate you to keep practicing and take it as it comes. Learn easy songs first. Get the rhythm down!!! That's the most important part. Easy chord songs, play in time correctly and then learn to sing with the songs. When you can do that, you'll feel a huge accomplishment.

But also keep challenging yourself. Get into basic finger style playing. Lots of songs use the basic Travis picking style. Hold a chord and start slowly playing that pattern. You'll learn it way quicker than you think. When you get that down, you'll feel more huge accomplishment. The sound of finger style guitar is so much fuller and more complicated sounding...though it really isn't.

I'm blathering. I'd be happy to talk more about this and happy to answer any questions. There are many members here who play far better than I do, so I hope you'll hear lots of replies.

Thanks guys.

I'll look into the suggestions. And maybe my childhood guitar trauma isn't all I've made it to be. I'll give it a shot - maybe see how it goes w/ a Uke first.

Playing the violin is harder than guitar. I have played the guitar since the late 70s, and I have dabbled with the violin and cello a number of times. Two main differences- a guitar uses a fretboard making it relatively easy to find and play notes correctly, but a violin/cello uses a fingerboard with no frets, relying on ear and muscle memory to play the correct notes. It is also easier to get a good sounding note/chord on guitar than using a bow on a violin.

I see. Okay, then violin may be more challenging that anticipated but I'd still like to give Four Seasons a shot.

But will likely then avoid cello/bass and perhaps opt for bass guitar with frets.

All musical instruments take time and dedication to learn. People seem to think guitar should be easy and cheap, but it isn't. I played since age 15 but after 30 and a kid I tapered way off. It takes a lot of time and diligence to be proficient. Most guitar guys end up spending more time buying/trading gear and searching for "tone" than working on their playing.

Bowed instruments have no frets so you need to develop good ear for pitch control, and that's not that different than playing slide guitar. If you don't have the ear, it just won't work.

I'm not sure that one instrument is much harder to learn than another, except maybe a pedal steel. Far more important is being passionate about the music you want to play. Without the passion, it is difficult to motivate oneself to put in the necessary practice, and learn the relevant technique quickly enough so that one's continued efforts feel more rewarding than frustrating. It is absolutely the case that having learned to play one instrument makes learning another much much easier, even drums. One must learn the proper technique for a particular instrument, and also enough musicianship so as not to sound like you're trying too hard. The latter transfers across instruments, but technique can be far different. Having a good "ear" and musical "talent" is very important too (where I was lacking).

That said, I think a fretted instrument might be slightly easier to understand and more forgiving of less than sound technique, keyboards even more so. The number of strings (fewer) and tunings (simpler, more "natural") on certain stringed instruments simplifies the learning process. On a ukelele, for example, with the standard tuning, you simply lay a finger straight across the neck to have a major chord. No complicated fingerings like on a guitar.

Learning the guitar one is faced with learning fingerings for chords, right-left handedness independence, and developing the finger muscles to adequately depress the strings, not to mention developing sufficient callouses on one's fingertips. Half an hour daily practice is just a start, when I was learning guitar oh so long ago, there were many days that I'd practice for 4 hours, this was just getting ready for band practice, usually another two to four hours. I never did get to where I thought my playing was any good.

Yea, I guess I should clarify that I really don't have much aptitude. At least none proven; and prior experiences indicate otherwise.

I have no illusions of actually being proficient and competent. This is more about self enjoyment and the journey. The end result may be I can play Four Seasons to an extent that satisfies me but may be horrific noise to others.

Check the YouTube’s. My nephew taught himself to play solely from YouTube vids starting about 15-16. Now at 19 he’s playing some open mics and and a 15 minute set on Saturdays between sets where my brother’s friends band plays at a beer pub.

Ah. To be young and talented.

I'm old with no particular skills.

Trying to find some pleasure in my last chapter.

I'm learning some good tips for harmonica. I wish rumble could serve here. I just despise YT at heart. And they messed up the controls it seems. FF, RW, etc.

1) Buy or rent good quality instruments. Used guitars can be found for very good prices. Violins perhaps renting makes more sense given the price point. A good bow is very important, so put money there and less into the violin. People tend to ignore the bow when violin shopping, then have less $$ to get a decent bow.

2) Take in-person lessons from a good teacher. If you don't click with them, find a different teacher.

3) A good teacher will indulge your interests while also following a syllabus. You'll need some boring theory and technique lessons, but you should be able to ask questions or go off on tangents too.

4) It should be fun. We don't work music, we play music!

Yup - that's the plan. At least in concept. I've got a music school in mind already - good reviews. By nature, I like to start w/ fundamentals, including theory and technique. Scales on piano and such. I'm looking forward to it. I'd also like to take some classes on music, music appreciation, music history. I have an old textbook from univ on Music Appreciation. Time to dig it up and dust off the covers.

I have no idea on what is a good, quality instrument. Especially how to discern used condition. I guess I can start with brand and model. And figure out used condition along the way. Or perhaps the music school can help. Thanks on the bow - I had no idea it was so critical. I know strings make a difference. Perhaps the bow strings as well. But not about the bow. More to learn I guess.

quote:

BTW, what's the musical reasoning for 6 strings on a guitar? Why not 5 strings? Or 4? Or 7 or 8? Just curious.

No-one knows completely how the guitar came to be, but it's believed early forerunners started with 4 strings, similar to most modern bass or ukelele. Eventually a 5th string was added simply to increase the number of notes that could be played, and finally a 6th string. However, other versions do exist, for example there is a 10-string classical guitar (I am not counting 12-string guitars, as they are really constructed with 6 pairs of identically-tuned strings, aka "courses".)

My wife learned to play the sax in college but didn't play afterwards. Fast forward 45 years and she built a mountain dulcimer from a kit, took some lessons and started playing with a local club. 14 years later (earlier this year) she joined the local ukulele club. She now owns four dulcimers, two ukuleles, and plays in jams four times a week.

My sister, who had never played any instrument, saw her practicing the dulcimer and thought she'd like to try one. So, she bought two on the spur of the moment, took lessons, plays in the same club as my wife, and now teaches club beginners.

Although my wife used to read music (sister never), it's not a necessary skill for the mountain dulcimer since the songs they play are 'tabbed'. And please don't ask me what that is. The only thing I play is a Chicago trombone (12 ga. pump)

quote:

Chicago trombone (12 ga. pump)

And you play it loud!

I played violin. It takes quite a few years to even get to “a little” proficient. i started at nine with exceptionally good teachers and by fifteen I was playing a few things you want to play. Can you read music?

Have you ever learned a foreign language?

A tonal language, when folks learn languages, if they aren't musically inclined they dont put them in Mandarin for example. It's the same part of the brain.

I don't mean to rain on your parade in any way, but if one instrument was tough, maybe you're not very musically inclined.

Start learning to cook different dishes, lot of the same disciplines but way better rewards I already know you like food!

Realized my post didn’t carry a very good tone, it was meant to be light hearted for sure.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OttoSig,