wrote:

There are some roses that came with the house which have grown really
tall. I believe they've not been pruned for a while, and now the
lower parts of the main stems, to the height of 2 to 3 feet, are hard
woody and totally without buds. I've done some inexpert pruning and
made them look worse. How can I make them look better?

Depends on when the optimal pruning season is for your zone.
Rejuvenating an old plant is a project over two or three years. Depends
on what kind of rose and how old, tho. If it's less than five or six
years old, you can cut back some roses, like floribundas, to 12 inches
all in one fell swoop. You don't want to necessarily do that every year
or with every rose.

I look for the oldest cane. You want 4 or more from the base. If you
have lots of basals, then choose one with the weakest top growth,in the
most inconvenient, crowded location and with the most ugly, 90 degree
growth off of it and mark it for removal. I've removed single basals in
the middle of the season, after pruning time, with no ill effects.