Learning How to Play the Guitar as an Adult

I bought a guitar as a pre-midlife crisis gift for myself. The project I was working on was winding down and I was about to receive the last tranche of payment. I asked my girlfriend if we can afford to buy a guitar (and amp) and she said we can. She handles our finances and every time I want to buy something, a book, a toy, a guitar, anything, I usually ask permission from The Boss.

I reasoned that it would be great to pick up a new skill as an adult. Not that the guitar was totally alien to me. It’s not like I’m picking up a didgeridoo or any obscure musical instrument. I dabbled with the guitar way back in college, roughly two decades ago.

I thought that it won’t be difficult to pick up a guitar after all these years. You’ve got plenty of resources online, from tab sites to YouTube. Surely, I can get pretty decent with the axe.

I did not want to spend my money on a brand-new Gibson or Fender as I was trying to spend as little money as I possibly could. At first, I was eyeing those guitar and amp combos from Epiphone and Squier. I mean, I’ve given up all hopes on becoming a guitar god. All I was looking for was a decent electric guitar and an amp.

I settled for a secondhand guitar and amp which was being sold on a Facebook group for musicians in my area which I joined. I thought that buying secondhand gear was better for two main reasons. First, it was cheap; cheaper than more decent brand-new guitars. Second, it would sort of cushion the blow if I discovered that I suck at playing the guitar or if I didn’t have the patience for learning by myself.

The guitar was in good condition. Before buying it, I spent hours and hours researching how to buy a guitar. The seller said that he wasn’t using it anymore because he was busy with his new hobby, photography, and he was finishing his master’s degree at that time. He essentially threw in the amp as a freebie because it wasn’t in the best condition. But hey, it’s free. Overall, I think a scored a good deal, with a few extra dollars to spare.

Today, the guitar and amp are quietly stashed in our home’s spare room. I spent roughly two months learning how to play. The bookmark on my browser was brimming with links to tabs and videos for songs that I wanted to play. I managed to learn a few songs but when the guitar strings gut busted, I never got around to bringing it to a luthier. Maybe one of these days I’ll get it fixed and try learning how to play again.