Loud and clear

Music has always been a large part of my life. I have been an avid listener since the age of 12. Over time my listening preferences have varied some, but overall I have been a rock fan.

I remember when I was younger sitting in the front seat of our red 4wd Subaru station wagon listening to my mom’s station of choice, Z93 a classic rock station out of Atlanta, reveling in the musical talent consisting mostly of old Clapton, Zeppelin and the occasional Who selection.

When I think about it now, I have a pretty cool mom. Her musical tastes rubbed off on me, and I’m glad they did. What if I had been brought up on Kenny G and Yanni? The thought makes me shudder. Nothing against Kenny G and Yanni fans, although they are talented, I find them incredibly dry and boring.

When I turned 15, I decided that I wanted to learn how to play some of the songs that I had become so familiar with. A few of my friends had already started their own bands, and I thought that I might be able to do the same at some point.

I saved my money for a whole summer while working odd jobs to buy a Fender Squire Stratocaster for myself. It was one of the best purchases, I have ever made.

When I brought the guitar home, I was immediately frustrated that playing it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

I had a friend who had been playing for a while and took lessons from a music shop down the street, so I got the number for the store and made a call. Two weeks later I started learning how to play the guitar.

After a few lessons I was pretty happy with my progress. At the time I had only learned a few simple songs, some Green Day selections and of course the infamous Stairway to Heaven that almost everyone learns in
their early stages of playing.

When it comes to guitar selection, the first one that you get really isn’t that important. I was lucky to have gotten such a great deal on my original Fender, but it was really much more that I needed. My playing ability was no where near the level that the guitar was designed for.

When you are out hunting for the perfect guitar make sure that you get one that suits your needs, and as a novice there aren’t too many. Many beginner guitars can be found at pawnshops for less than $150.00. Mine was a little bit more than that, but as I already said it was much more than I needed.

Playing the guitar can provide hours upon hours of soothing tension relief after you learn the basics. I know that when I am frustrated, I pick up my guitar and play.

For anyone out there who has thought about playing the guitar, but was scared off by the sometimes confusing method, just remember to start small and not to tackle too many things at once. It will all come with time.

The purpose of me writing this is not to simply share my experiences, but to also encourage others to give the guitar a try. Even though you will be frustrated at first (I can guarantee that), you dedicate yourself to playing a few times a day you will improve over time. Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 27 2002. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry