Hey Tom,

Always great to see another AARP cardholder (like me) dive right in.

You mentioned your fingers which I assume are now quite tender. Compared to someone in their 20's, it takes a lot longer for someone our age to develop and maintain decent calluses on the tips (we're talking months). Thinner skin, slower healing time, less flexible connective tissue, etc. At this age it's definitely not a good idea to "play through the pain". If they hurt, just stop and rest them for a day or two. In the meantime you can work on stuff that doesn't require the fretting hand - strumming, picking, doing some music theory based tutorials, whatever.

Sascha