I'm 34 and I finally want to buy an acoustic guitar, but I have zero experience. How long realistically would I need to practice before I can play even simple songs? I've got maybe half an hour a day to train.
With half an hour of practice daily, you'll probably need two to three months before you can play your first simple songs - though it really depends on what you mean by "simple." If we're talking about songs that only need two or three chords and a basic strumming pattern, that's realistic. You'll notice the first two to three weeks are the toughest because your fingers hurt and everything feels unfamiliar. But that's exactly when you shouldn't give up - it goes away.
The key is that you shouldn't just practice randomly. Pick two or three songs you like that are actually beginner-friendly. There's no point in sitting down and playing scales - that's mind-numbingly boring and you'll get sick of it fast. Focus on the chords you need for your favorite songs and practice the transitions between them. That's what matters most: getting smoothly from one chord to the next without it sounding clunky.
After three to four months of regular practice, you'll start to notice that songs feel much quicker to learn. From there it gets really fun, because you also start to see that you're actually making progress. Get yourself a guitar that isn't too cheap - doesn't have to be expensive, but I wouldn't go below a hundred euros. A decent affordable acoustic guitar makes practicing more pleasant because the strings don't dig into your fingers so uncomfortably.
Realistic expectations: With half an hour daily, it'll take you about four to six months before you can really relax and play a couple of songs all the way through. The first two to three months are brutal - your fingers hurt, the strings cut into them, and you wonder why you're doing this. That's normal and it passes. After three months of regular practice, you've got the basics down and you can probably already play one or two simple songs, but only with concentration and slowly.
The thing is, "simple" is pretty relative. Switching between a few open chords like Em, Am, G - that comes relatively quickly. But playing it smoothly, without having to think long between chords, takes time. Plus: the older you are when you start, the more frustrating those first weeks can be, because you know through your impatience what music should sound like, but your hands aren't cooperating.
The best trick is to get some early wins. Learn a song right away that you really like - even if it's difficult. Sounds weird, but the motivation carries you through the exhausting phases. And don't be too hard on yourself - if you practice regularly, you make progress, even if you don't see it day to day.
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