I am a 68 year old man who has spent the better part of his adult life trying desperately to learn how to play the Guitar with no success. Should I give up the quest or does someone out their have a formula for success?

Could always try Guitar Hero

Practice, Practice, Practice!
;D
Nothing more for it.

I am 63 , started when I was 17 . You get out what you put in . If you spend 15 minutes a day in don't expect a lot . At 68 however you may have physical limits , I don't know . What I do know is that it takes years of daily practice to become a great guitar player . I know a lot of medioker players who have lots of fun so never throw in the towel . The point at 68 is to have fun with it at what ever level you're at . At 63 I am still learning and having a ball with it , don't give up and don't set a time limit on your ability . Have Fun !

No suggestions, just an 'atta boy' for your great persistance. It's never too late to do anything. I'm 62 and my best friend just had her 62nd also. She just started tai chi and loves it.

the guitar is an amazing instrument and if you would like to learn how to play it i would suggest you dont give up on it. you may need to take 1 or 2 lessons to get you started, or try going on youtube.com and type in guitar lessons and try to learn from those. if you have a particular song you would like to learn type in "song name guitar lesson" on youtube and see what pops up. some people are really good teachers there and will answer questions and are out to help you. ive been playing guitar for 5 months and im pretty good, this is how i learn i dont even use tabs or take lessons from teachers at schools or even know anyone in real life who plays and could help me learn, and i think i am coming along nicely. good luck ;)

I'm a new player, I vascilate between awe and wanting to take the guitar and smash it into a million pieces. Ever wonder why the musicians of the 60's and 70's did that? They did it for the painstaking hours it took to master the damn instrument its a love/hate realtionship.

dont give up what you started. you tried so long and hard. its a waste to just stop trying. go out and find someone to teach you how. if i were you, i would play the acoustic guitar. your getting old and its kinda weird seeing a 70 year old man rockin out with an electic guitar. no offence!

If you have noone to get you started with Basic chords or a few easy songs, try using Ultimate Guitar Tabs website for some easy Songs. Choose a song that's not too complicated, some suggestions would be Jack Johnson, Iron & Wine, Some of the Beatles songs. Start by learning songs and learn as many as you can. I found increasing your repertoire with other musicians songs will teach you more than any explanation of technique. Once you do this, you'll understand what I mean, it's like reading books about the fret board, each book(song) will show you a new way to approach the strings. Most importantly, just enjoy your self and take care of your fingers.

It really depends what style of guitar you're trying to play. If you're trying to play fingerstyle at 68 you'd have to practice about 4 to 5 hours a day in order to get pretty good before your fingers totally lock up. I started fingerstyle at 48 and they're locking up on me already. Just plain rock or jazz shouldn't be that difficult if you learn to read tabs (easy) and practice 2 hours a day. There are a lot of websites that offer free guitar lessons and youtube has some good videos that will help.

Buy a better guitar. I was held back for years trying to play inferior equipment. Now I have a couple of decent axes the stuff I struggled with before is easy. I've been playing for 35+ years.

I am a new guitar player ( 4 months) and i started taking lessons at any music store and from friends. i Can already play Through the fire and flames which is moderately hard and the lessons are cheap mine are only around 30$ they help alot and i promise you will be able to learn very fast. They teach all types of guitar that you might have.

I would suggest buying a new generation games console (PS3, xbox360 or Wii) and Guitar Hero.

You will be able to play the guitar like a god in no time :)

Try the piano or keyboards. Your fingers are probably limber....

Never give up!
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You don't say if you have been trying to pick it up yourself or taking lessons or what you seem to have a problem with.
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I am self taught, but if I had to do it all over again, would definatley opt for lessons.
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A good teacher can see what you are doing wrong, provide encouragement and yoou learn all you need.
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As a result of teaching myself, there is still an awful lot I don't know how to do or am still learning, iether because I haven't needed it up till now or because I haven't been able to figure it out.

I hope this is helpful, your 68!!! Enough said...

try open G tuning. You can play notes by holding down the whole fret. then, when you get used to this, try to move on to normal tuning.
from the lowest string, the tuning is D, G, D, G, B, D
I taught myself this way, and It worked!
Hope this helps!

Have you invested in lessons or learned only on your own?

I think anything really is how serious a person is about learning a new hobby. I tried learning guitar back in 1996, stuck with it about 1 year, then said screw it. 2 years ago I finally picked it up again, I also bought an electric guitar, and played for a few months. Playing guitar is just not in my blood.

Some people just have a gift for certain hobbies. If you don't find yourself really into it, then it might not be right for you.

Start playing the violin lol

Some good advice out there! You could also go to www.guitarmasterclass.net its a great site,Ian Bushell is a good instructor...do not give up your quest! Keep shredding;)

Don't give up. You get what you put into it and if your enjoying learning and playing then by all means keep at it!

GOTO guitar secrets.com or just google Mike Herberts Mike shows you how step by step trust me he will help. Dan Denley will give you the lessons of why you play this note and that one. These two put together will help you. Another real good one is Justin guitar.com if you know a few chords this guy will help as well. When surfing the net do NOT get on with the bigger sites. They try to give too much info to overwhelm you so they get you to buy the product for explanation. If any Herberts, and Denley are the best choices, check them out you will see.

You have to find your passion for the instrument. Ask yourself why you want to learn guitar. Hopefully the answer is too play some specific type of music or maybe to write your own songs or maybe just to play for your grandkids. Whatever it is, just figure out what is going to keep you motivated and keep at it. it really helps if their is some song that you're just dying to learn how to play, just look up the tab for it online and practice, practice, practice. Don't buy Guitar Hero, this may help limber up your fingers but it is not the same as playing a guitar.

Success is equal to effort.

l. Start with a quality instrument
2. Add a professional instructor
3. Mix with regular lessons
4. The final step is to practice at least an hour every day, and more is better.

I'm in a somewhat similar position so perhaps I can give good advice. I would like to play the fiddle, but when I picked up my wife's violin I found that the bones in my wrist won't allow my hand to bend far enough. (Another way of saying it is that my fingers are two inches too short.) Violin, obviously, makes physical demands that I can't meet.

Fortunately I already played the piano, rather well, and went on to play the organ very well--Widor's Tocatta from Symphony #5 for Organ, if you know the literature. I'd suggest you get yourself an electronic keyboard or a piano. If you can type you can learn to play the piano.

Some people just don't have the physical skills for particular instruments. Heck, Dennis Prager conducts symphony orchestras and he can't, and I mean CAN'T, play anything beyond the piano.

And if what turns you on is the sound of plucked strings, go to a harpsichord or clavichord.

Never give up...your never too old to learn something you want to learn. There are lots of people who are willing to share their time with you to learn guitar. Just ask around. Have fun doing it and you will learn.

Who are you playing for? If you are playing for your own enjoyment, just enjoy. Who cares if it's not perfect. Just let it be YOUR music. You might try open tuning. That's where you tune the strings so that when you strum it without having to fret you already have a chord. Then, whenever you fret a string it is a variation on that chord and if you bar it you have another chord. Have fun.

My spouse and I bought guitars a year ago. We started with a beginner book. He has progressed farther than me. I play individual notes better, he plays chords better. Just keep at it. Practice, practice, practice.

Hmmmmm....I'd say give up and try another instrument.

I've been playing guitar for over 23 years now. Been in a few bands, still write music on my own, play and practice every day. I've had the opportunity to jam with a lot of people over the years and even teach some others and all I can say is some people just naturally take to it and others don't. I've seen some people play in a few months better than some did practicing for years...that doesn't mean one cannot become good with practice and devotion but it's a skill like anything else and requires time each day practicing and learning. All I can say is, don't let it discourage you, it's good to have goals as far as how good you would like to be, but it's not a contest unless you make it one, enjoy it for the sake of enjoying it and keep playing, keep practicing and you will get better.
I don't think there is any one formula for success in anything, each person has to find their own style and way of relating to the instrument and learning it....again practice practice practice is key.

Depends what your problems are. Shoot me back a comment.

I've taught guitar off and on for the last 13 years.

The joy is often in the endeavor, Dick. I have been struggling with the bagpipes for several years. And I have to go far away from home to practice...(lol) It also gives me a good excuse to get away to the woods....alone. I actually think I do pretty well. There just is not a lot of demand for my talent, except on Bobbie Burns Day and the local Scottish Festival. Keep after it.

If I learned, you can learn. Just need to find the right type of teacher that can connect with you.

I don't play guitar myself, so my advice may well be redundant, but I've read that games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, although they don't teach you how to play guitar, they are apparently helpful when it comes to timing, according to guitar players.

As I say, it won't teach you guitar, but timing and finger practice may be improved, plus you're not learning so it's enjoyable.

I would love to do a Van Halen on the guitar, but I just know I couldn't commit myself to it, although patient, I don't think I could master a guitar.

Anyway, these programs may help;
Video of new Disney game that uses an actual guitar: http://www.wired.com/video/gadgets/gadget-lab--archived-through-102609/1745181318/finally-guitar-hero-for-actual-guitar/6738580001

Littlebigplanet, a free PC game that teaches guitar: http://littlebigstar.net/main/

But the one that seems the best is Guitar Rising, you can use any guitar to play this game: http://www.guitarrising.com/