Learning guitar in your 30s — where should a total beginner start

Starting in your 30s is totally fine, and the biggest early win is getting that cheap acoustic set up so it is easy to play. Ask a local tech to lower the action, adjust the truss rod, and check the nut and saddle, then put on light strings like 10s or 11s so chords do not feel like a clamp. Grab a clip-on tuner and a thin to medium pick around 0.60 to 0.73 mm. A short run of paid lessons can save you months by fixing posture, fretting pressure, muting, and rhythm early, even just four to six weekly lessons to start. If lessons are not possible, pick one structured beginner course or app and follow it in order rather than hopping random videos. Use a strap even when seated, keep your fretting hand thumb roughly behind the neck, fret just behind the metal fret, and keep your fretting hand nails short.

A realistic 30 minute routine looks like this. Spend 3 minutes tuning to E A D G B E and doing slow finger warmups on open chords. Do 10 minutes on two chord switches like G to D, C to G, and Em to G, aiming for clean changes first and slowly pushing toward 10 to 20 clean switches per minute without buzzing. Do 7 minutes of strumming with a metronome at 60 to 80 bpm, starting with all downstrokes on quarter notes, then the classic down down up up down up pattern while keeping your strumming hand moving steadily. Spend 8 to 10 minutes on a very simple two or three chord song. use a capo if it makes the shapes or singing range easier, and play quietly with a lighter touch or a thin or felt pick if needed for the household. Finish with 2 minutes of review and a one sentence practice note about what was hard and what improved.

Expect fingertip soreness for a week or two and some uneven days, but with daily 30 minute sessions most adults can switch basic open chords and play a full song in 4 to 6 weeks, and start tackling simple barre chords around the 3 month mark if the setup is good. If your wrist or forearm aches sharply, pause and adjust your posture or the guitar height rather than squeezing harder. Keep it fun by rotating in songs you actually like, and measure progress by cleaner sound and steadier rhythm, not speed.

Honestly the worst part is everyone trying to sell you a subscription. I blew a week's groceries on three lessons and learned the same stuff YouTube covers. Do a single in-person lesson to get posture and fretting checked, then use free videos plus a metronome app. With 30 minutes, go 10 on finger dexterity, 10 on clean chord switches, 10 on a slow song you like and and record yourself once a week to catch bad habits.