I'm just learning how to play (this week) and I was surfing you tube and found this guy playing a song I recognize from "The Who". Would this guy be considered "great" by his peers, or simply really good? I think he is amazing, but I'm not really qualified to render an opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVTmDZXwgA


Same with this young kid playing Sweet Home Alabama - is he great or just really good" for his age?.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gn-uO7PZQs

I'm 55 and trying to look ahead and figure out how much work this is going to take before I could play something presentable. I assume the guy from the first song has been playing forever and that the younger kid must have some natural ability as I think he is improvising. If I spend an hour a day for 5 years - how do I figure out what I might sound like? At the very least I'll hope I'll figure out how to entertain myself - just wish there was somewhere you could go and watch videos of people who had been playing for 1, 2, 5, 10, years to get a feel for end results. I know everyone learns at a different pace, but....I was just wondering.

Hi,
I have long believed that one of the major reasons that young people learn so quickly is because of their support staff: They have a cook, a driver, a maid, someone paying their bills and a lot of space in their brains. At age 55, if you have all the same things that a young person has, i.e., time and resources and low stress, you could probably advance quickly towards your musical goals. One major question: do you have any musical ability? Seek out a trained professional and get an expert opinion on what your chances are of being able to play well. An honest evaluator will save you tons of money if you are not musically inclined, and steer you on the right path as quickly as possible if you are.