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[daveyc22]

hi, i'm new here so this is my first post, just something that's preying on my mind..

ive recently just started playing guitar again. I played when i was younger for a couple of years, but then put down the guitar for another couple of years, and picked it up again a couple of months ago.

i'm really enjoying playing and feel like a complete fool to have ever stopped, and i really want to put in alot of work to make up for the lost time, with technique especially.

however, i'm 17, 18 in 6 months, is it a bit too late to be putting in all my free hours infront of the metronome? i'll be basically starting from scratch, and it seems like everyone who's got great technique has been developing it from a very young age. what do you guys think??

sorry if this sounds totally stupid(it probably is), but it's my first post so go easy

[mrm06]

I don't think it's ever too late to start playing, working on your technique, etc. You say you really enjoy it, so go for it man! I'm a classically trained pianist who didn't start playing guitar until 20-something, so you already have a couple years on me. And I can honestly say, my technique has improved quite a bit in the last 5+ years.

EDIT - Oh, and welcome to the MXTabs Forums

[CentaurMesa]

Look at me, I haven't done any serious playing in years ( no thanks to a "friend") and being out of state. The only thing I had to work on was a old beat up Epiphone acoustic that broke its headstock then I fixed with some Gorilla glue (great shit). Cant do any Pete Townshend on it, thats for sure (well you can but don't look at me to do it).

Then finally when I was in California some years ago I bought a Epiphone Explorer (new) and a Digitech PR100 that at least had a headphone line to it, so I was getting somewhere but not for a while. Till finally I just traded some collector toys for a Carvin R1000 Head and a Randall R-412 slant cabinet and bought a Proco Rat2, if it wasn't for that acoustic, I'd be in deep heep but my playing now is NOT like what it use to be, so what you have to go back, it might be a good thing, one might be missing something that anybody should of picked up when they were suppose to and this is your chance. And thats good.

As far as the metronome thingy, I know old timers who'll sit in front of it working on the off time beats. I know one whos working on a song that requires it and need the metronome to do it.

Lastly, it doesn't hurt to watch "everybody" when their playing and you can pick and choose what you like best, either ask them how they do it or ask a guitar teacher to show you. Either way. as far as the kids........ thats not everybody, either they had great teachers or the ability to start with. One thing you have to remember, if you ever come across a guitar player at the local store who thinks he or she is hot shit with the guitar just remember there tons of others out there and even younger who blow this person completely out of the water. Seen it.

[Grunge Master]

It's never too late to start

[mrm06]

It's never too late to start

Yep, that's a perfect way to sum it up.

[semi3]

its more to do with the hours you put in
like they found that say it takes about 10,000 hours to master an instrument people who spent an hour or two a day for ages and people that just sat down and did 10 hours a day both reached the same level and age doesnt really make that much of a difference especially not at 18
music isnt something that you need to pick up at a certain age but maybe younger people tend to have more of the needed time to invest
if you have the interest then it will be fine and your rate of progress wont matter as long as you are having fun

[fuzzinuzzi]

Tom Sholz, the lead guitarist of Boston didn't start playing guitar until he was around 20 years old. It really doesn't matter how long you've played guitar, the only thing that matters is how much you practice. You never really plateau in your skill level, you always learn something new or get better at some technique.

[daveyc22]

Yeah thanks for all the replies guys, i've been making huge progress with my technique just playing without even sitting infront of a metronome or playing for hours so i dont think i've got anything to worry about