I wrote a piece a while back on how it's never too late to play guitar. I talked about the misconception of talent, our inability to appreciate delayed gratification, deconstructed the "fear of failure" ("How do you fail at making music? It's music. There is no right or wrong way if it sounds and feels good. All the legends broke the rules."), highlighted how modern neuroscience dispelled the "too old" myth of learning, and ended with saying that we are living in the best time in history to play guitar and make music. If I could do it over again I'd throw that post in the trash and leave you with this monologue from T-Model Ford:
"I was 58 years old before I picked up a guitar, now I'm 76 years old... can't read, can't write, can't spell nothin' but I can play this guitar when I have to." – T-Model Ford
T-Model Ford played stripped down and raw delta blues. It made such an impact on Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) he took a trip to Mississippi to find and play with him. "He knew exactly what he was doing. Old guys don't play those unnecessary licks any more, they've figured out you don't need anything fancy, you just do the right shit over and over again. It's almost like outsider art. All he has to do is be himself, and that will always be pure."
To all you old dogs out there – it's never too late to learn guitar.
