I picked guitar back up after a 6-year break. First thing I did was open a beginner method book — chord theory, circle of fifths, the works. Quit again in two weeks.

What actually worked the second time: I picked 3 songs I used to be able to play in my sleep and just tried to play them again.

Turns out the gap wasn't knowledge — it was three specific things: timing had drifted, chord transitions were sluggish, and my strumming hand had lost its feel. That's it. Not "I forgot music theory."

If you're coming back to guitar after years off, don't restart from zero. Pick songs you already half-know, play them badly, and figure out exactly which of those three things is slowing you down. Fix that one thing per song. You'll sound decent again way faster than grinding scales you'll never use.

Built a simple tracker around this approach (Return to Guitar) if anyone wants a structured way to do it — but honestly even just doing this with a notebook works.