I see this question in different forms - “Is 50?”, “Is 60?”, “Is 70?” - on the internet every now and then, and am really surprised by some of the comments. A lot of people seem to think that you have to be a teenager or at most, in your 20s, to take up the guitar.
Well, that’s absolute rubbish, let’s find out why…
Life Expectancy and Hobbies
There have been numerous studies into how hobbies affect life expectancy over the years. And the results are always incredibly positive.
I remember reading one many years ago that analyzed how long people lived when they decided to move to America's most popular retirement destination, Florida.
The study looked at the average number of years someone lived if they took up a hobby, such as learning a language, dancing, painting, learning to play a musical instrument, etc. It found (from memory) that those who took up a hobby lived on average 15 more years after moving. Those who didn’t, lived six more years.
Taking up an enthralling hobby, such as learning the guitar, keeps the mind active and gives people goals and something to do during the long hours of retirement. Even though it can be frustrating at times, it is fantastic for mental health, promoting a positive attitude, and reducing feelings of aimlessness or loneliness.
Therefore, from a longevity point of view, as well as all the other physical and mental benefits, taking up the guitar at age 50 is a fantastic idea.
But did you know that it can also massively improve your social life, which we’ll take a look at next…
One of my Strangest Guitar Lessons Ever!
I know that this goes against the grain of learning to play guitar in your 50s, but I started playing at the age of 9. I really enjoyed it and worked hard at improving.
At the age of 15, I saw a sign on a message board in school asking for guitar lessons, so I thought, why not? I’ve been playing for six years, I know most techniques, and a bucketful of songs, let's give it a go.
My first pupil was a few years younger than me and a complete beginner, so I had plenty to teach him. This grew from one pupil to lots over the next few years. But by this time, some were older than me, not usually by much, but they were in their 20s and 30s.
By this time, I had been playing for around 10 years and teaching for four, had played in some pretty big bands, recorded albums, done sessions, so I didn’t really have much to worry about.
However…
…one day, I got a phone call. The voice on the line said that they were very interested in lessons, I replied, “No problem, are you a beginner?”. The answer floored me, they’d been playing for 40-plus years and been taught by six different guitar teachers.
I sat there thinking, what on earth can I teach someone who’s been playing for twice as many years as I’ve been breathing, and four times as long as I’ve been playing!
Anyway, being young and foolish, I decided to give him a lesson to see how it goes.
It all goes very dark
I turn up at his house and ring the doorbell. The door had a wooden frame with a large frosted glass pane in the upper half to let light into the hall. As he approached, the light from windows on the other side of the house got less and less, it all went very dark.
He opened the door, and what I saw in front of me can only be described as a man mountain. He wasn’t fat; on the contrary, he was in great shape for his age, which must have been his mid-60s. But he was huge, absolutely massive.
It turns out that he was an ex-professional heavyweight boxer who absolutely loved the blues and wanted to be a great guitarist.
Despite his size and former career, he was incredibly affable, so in I go to see how good his guitar playing is. We sit down, with me half expecting him to show me how to play things, considering how long he’s been playing, and I ask him to play me something.
He starts with a few simple songs using cowboy chords. No problems there, rhythm is good, all sounds fine. I then ask him to play me something a bit more complex. He apologizes and says that he can’t, his hands are too big to play barre chords.
“What about lead?” “Don’t do much of that either, my fingertips are too big,” he said. To be honest, his hands were the size of shovels, some of the biggest hands I have ever seen.
“So, you’ve been playing simple songs using basic chords for 40-odd years?” - “yep” - “What about all the teachers?” - “They all gave up because my hands are too big.” - Wow!
The Solution
We started by getting incredibly precise with finger placement, and within a few weeks, all his chords were far cleaner. We then moved on to barre chords using the same techniques, and a few weeks later, he could finally, after all those years, play them.
We then started on lead playing, getting his fingertips in precisely the right place so that he wasn’t muffling anything. He was into blues, so a few scales later and a bagful of licks, and he can improvise.
The Lifelong Dream
He then told me that he had always dreamt of playing a live concert. I said, “Great, go for it!”, so he started looking for bandmates, and they decided on a setlist. We then went through every song in detail to make sure he could play all the parts perfectly, even with his shovel hands!
But the plot thickens…
He then tells me that his friend wants to be in the band and asks if I can teach him the banjo. Wow, wasn’t expecting that. He then says that his friend is 72 and has never played a musical instrument.
I’m not an exceptional banjo player, but I was good enough to teach a complete beginner, so off we go.
The Phone Call
It was New Year's Eve, and my mobile went. On the line was my retired boxer pupil, and he was almost crying. He had called to thank me for fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams, to play live with his band. They had just played a New Year’s party at a social club and gone down a storm.
He loved every minute of it, as did his friend, the banjo player, who had joined them for a few songs, even though it hadn’t even been playing for a year at that point.
They went on to perform regularly at various venues in the area and became very popular. As long as the stage was well-reinforced - he was a man mountain after all - a night of quality blues rock was enjoyed by all.
The Moral of the Story
Well, there are two. Firstly, even though my pupil had been playing for 40-odd years, when I first sat down with him, he was still a beginner playing basic chords. Most of what he performed in his first concert had been taught by me.
So, since he was in his mid-60s, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from starting to play the guitar in your 50s or even later.
As for his banjo-playing friend, he started in his 70s and played his first gig within a year! But I will admit that he was playing a relatively simple banjo technique at the time, although he did get a lot more technical over the years. So, even starting to play in your 70s is well worth the effort.
The second takeaway is that even if you have, or think you have, a reason why you shouldn’t learn to play the guitar, or anything else for that matter, work hard and overcome it. Mountain Man thought his hands were too big, so he just accepted that he’d never play well. But with time and a lot of effort, he overcame the hurdle and turned into a fine guitar player.
What You’ll Need
Very little, to be honest, the most important thing is conviction and the time to practice.
If you’ve got that, get yourself a guitar, either an acoustic if that’s the type of music you want to play, or an electric guitar and a small amp if you want to rock it up.
I’d recommend a second-hand Yamaha acoustic, or if going electric, get yourself a second-hand Squier or Ephiphone in whatever style you like. There is no need to buy new; second-hand guitars rarely have problems, especially if they are only a few years old, plus they hold their resale value far better if you decide to upgrade.
But maybe you’ll fall in love with your first guitar, as so many of us do. If so, upgrade it to make it your perfect guitar. Over time, you can take a beginner's guitar and turn it into something that is played on worldwide hits, like Steve Rothery’s Squier Strat.
All the parts you could ever need are available from high-quality aftermarket brands such as Guyker.
You’ll also need to get yourself a good teacher, but there are so many options, both in-person and online these days, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
Wrapping it Up!
There has never been a better time to learn to play the guitar, regardless of your age. 50s, 60s, 70s, or even older, no problem, there is so much fun and pleasure to be had from learning to play a musical instrument in your senior years, that it’s well with the time and effort needed.
Plus, how much would you pay for a few extra years on earth? That’s priceless! And learning to play the guitar could give you that for free!!!
