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Location: cincinnati, ohio | How did you learn to play guitar? Are you self-taught? Did you (do you still) have five lessons a week? What's your "modus operandi?"
I started out by buying songbooks of my favorite artists, listening to the LPs they matched up with, and working through song by song, learning chords as I went (for you youngsters, an LP--also called a "record" or "album"-- was like a big, black vinyl CD). As I got further into it, I got some "music-theory-for-guitarists" books, and read all the acoustic guitar magazines I could get my hands on.
I have a rudimentary understanding of theory, even though I've had no real formal training. I've always had an innate "feel" and a good ear for music. As you get into it, you realize that certain chords sound good together, and others don't. You're doing it right, even if you don't exactly know why. Sometimes I'll be playing, and my 20 year old son, who's majoring in music education at Northern Kentucky University and has forgotten more theory than I'll ever know, will ask me, "What's that you're playing?" I'll say, "I don't know-- just goofing around." He'll say, "That's a perfect example of a Neopolitan chord progression." I answer, "No kidding? I just thought it sounded cool."
Anyway, I think it'd be interesting to hear how you boys and girls have developed as pickers. How'd you get started, and what do you do now? |
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Posts: 171
Location: Oregon | Long time ago I had some lessons. My sister and I gave that up (she played violin)to snow ski more often. Three years(?) back, I started taking lessons again. I don't have the disipline to do it myself, even though I like it. Not the playing, but the book reading for me was hard to keep regular. So I did the lessons thing and learned ten times more than I would have on my own. I also took a music theory class in school.
Anyway, I think it helps learning with someone who has been playing for 30+ years with you than on your own. |
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Location: ranson,wva | my first go at it was when i was 13yrs old,i learned to play the blues from the old colored man next door back in westvirginia,he played a old beat up 1113 ovation and a 30's national duolian. never had any real payed for lessons just advice from a picker with 50+yrs playing experience. a bad head trauma in high school caused me to lose the gift. my second go at it im teaching my self this time, i can read some tab but not much,ive taught my self 5 songs in 2months just by memorizing the cords and progressions. i can play 4-5 cords by memory, as rick stated above some sound good together some dont..jason |
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Location: cincinnati, ohio | The first really authentic guitar book I got was Happy Traum's classic (and out-of-print)"Songs of James Taylor," which has every song from his first two albums-- the Apple album and his monster hit "Sweet Baby James" album. I still have that book ($4.95 in 1970). Great tabs in there; it de-mystified JT's licks and made them accessible. Purists will tell you that you should learn to read standard notation (and you probably should), but tab will get you there in 1/2 the time (maybe less), and it can show you the licks. |
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Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | I was in the choir in college (1971) and a decent guitar player and singer was playing a Bread song. It was wrong, so I went home and learned it on my brother's guitar that he had from when he gave up on lessons. I bought a Univox because somebody needed money and started messing around. I took a couple of free, community education type lessons. The last one I tried, the teacher tried to teach me Time In a Bottle and I ended up showing him how to play it. It's not that I'm any good, I'm just obsessive about playing just like the album. Then I quit for 20 years until I found this board. I'm still learning the same way, except I found out about tabs. Makes things a lot easier, except that most of them are wrong. (There's that obsessive part of me.) |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Mark, anyone ever accuse you of being legalistic? ;)
I watched and listened to my dad play, until I could play just like him (which I still can't). That was about 12 years ago, and I just dinked around with it for a long time, doing small things like camp stuff and friends' weddings. I was asked out of the blue to start up a new praise band at our old church, and I did that for three years, which was the best period of learning and growth I'd ever had in playing.
I'm basically self-taught, mostly through trial and a LOT of error. I watched videos and listened to songs from artists whose music we were doing, and then slowly figured out how to make what I was doing sound similar.
I got a lot of music theory in school, and was actually a music minor in college. All that said, it really didn't do me a bit of good in learning guitar. To this day I transpose my music from sheet form to tabs and cheat sheets - it's just so much easier for dummies like me to follow.
That, and no pages to turn! :D |
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Location: North Carolina | Originally posted by rick endres:
I started out by buying songbooks of my favorite artists, listening to the LPs they matched up with, and working through song by song, learning chords as I went (for you youngsters, an LP--also called a "record" or "album"-- was like a big, black vinyl CD). As I got further into it, I got some "music-theory-for-guitarists" books, and read all the acoustic guitar magazines I could get my hands on.
That's eaxctly the way I did it. For me it was Kingston Trio records and "vocal albums" with the chord diagrams over the lyrics. (I ignored the dots and lines) At some point I discovered bossa nova and graduated from cowboy chords. After that, I was pretty much a guitarist. |
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Location: South of most, North of few | I started way back in '63 just listening to the songs on am radio (remember that?) and trying to figure out where my fingers should go to make the chord sound right. As a result, I now play in somewhat of a non standard form, which I can't change now. But the plus side is that I can usually figure out most any song, given enough time and effort. I still consider myself just a casual player, and am humbled more and more seeing what others can do with these fine instruments. |
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Location: NJ | I always remember wanting to play the guitar. My parents took me to the local music store to get lessons when I was in first or second grade I really don't remember. took lessons on and off all through grade school with the mel bay method. (AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH) Joined my first band when I was in sixth grade. In high school I found a teacher that taught me Hendrix, grand funk railroad etc and I was in heaven. In college I took a few years of lesssons from a classical player that cleaned up my technique and gave me the only bandhanded complement he ever gave a student which was "if you continue to practice like you have for the next couple of years you will be an average player" No I did not hit him.
mostly self taught from the on. At one point I could read in 4 positions on the fingerboard but I never kept that up, too much life got in the way.
Spent way too much time doing original music while in my 20's and 30's and now spend most of my time learning tunes I should have known back then |
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Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | I probably have had the worst learning habits of anyone. All self taught. I cheat a lot. I went for long periods of not playing. Now that I'm 46 I play a little every day, and I'm starting to think that I really need lessons to break through some bad habits and sloppiness. But I really enjoy playing. |
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Posts: 2487
| Started out picking up an old Kay acoustic at a yard sale for 3 bucks and with the 5 original strings still on it going from Smoke on the Water and a hundred guitars later... right through to what I am learning today.
Never had a lesson, and although I can play pretty good I can't Jam worth a dam if I do not know the song real well. My partner in this Duo I am involved with is the real musician. He has been explaining things to me, I am facinated and I understand now, how you can name a chord a 7th or a 9th or and add 9th etc. But I will forget this very soon. Way to many things going on to keep this information where I can recall it when needed.
The thing that has helped me very greatly is one of those photo chord books. It shows the guy's fingers on the chords. Always amazes me just how many combinations of notes there are on a guitar neck with 6 strings.... Never knew I could play a C 7th so many different ways! Also one of the Tascam machines that slows the CD down but keeps the pitch. Absolutely fool proof for Bass notes!!!!! |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | Back in '68-'69 I took 3 informal lessons from my girlfriend's mother. Then I just got together with friends and we'd try to figure out songs together. Played 'till the mid 70's or so when I put it down 'cause life got very serious with raising a family and all.
Started up again in my late 30's by purchasing a used '82 Custom Legend 12 string (since lost in a fire). I must say I've learned much more this second time around...by being thrown in with seasoned musicians on the WWorship team and struggling to keep up. Being "pushed" like that has been a great way to learn for me. John <>{ |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | My mom was a big Neil Diamond fan back in the early 70s so she started taking lessons to learn some of his songs. She taught me a few chords and I started playing Cherry, Cherry, Song Sung Blue, Shiloh, Solitary Man, etc. I started taking lessons on my own, although that didn't last too long. I really started playing when I joined the folk group at church in 9th grade... got to play with other musicians for the first time and it was a great way to meet girls! :D
As a matter of fact - last night, I went to my first practice for the musical group at out church... first time in 25 years! Had to wrack my brain to remember some of the chords! It was a blast though. |
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Location: SE Michigan | I was driving along a deserted country road late one night when my car stalled out. Suddenly there was a brilliant light shining down all around me from the sky, with flashing colors and wierd vapors, accompanied by single tone notes kinda like you hear from a old chord organ. My car shook and trembled and I blacked out.
I awoke several days later, I was asleep in barka-lounger in the lobby of a hotel in New Orleans. There was a note pinned to my shirt stating "Paul is not dead, and use a lot of G to Em". Laying across my lap was a model 1111 balladeer.
I've been playing ever since. |
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Location: NJ | You TOO??? |
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Location: Vermont USA | Brian T posted I was driving along a deserted country road late one night when my car stalled out. Suddenly there was a brilliant light shining down all around me from the sky, with flashing colors and weird vapors, accompanied by single tone notes kinda like you here from a old chord organ. My car shook and trembled and I blacked out. Same thing happened to around 1968 I think it was my first acid trip, for years I thought there was a tattoo on my butt that said "No Hope in Dope"
Anyways around 1967 I started playing I bought a St. George piggy back amp and a Hagstrom guitar. Wish I had the Hag today
Pauly |
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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | After receiving my first guitar (used pawn shop Silvertone) for Christmas when I was 9, I spent hours learning chords from charts, listening to records, and learning by ear. That was 1960. Music came easy to me. While touring as a professional child tap dancer a few years later, I was taught a number of surf songs by members of various Southern California surf bands who would come and go on the show. Surf music was easy and I really loved it. In the latter 1960's, I was in several local surf bands doing the high school dance and party scene. I progressed into folk, country, and early rock and roll after that, and learned to read a song in one key and play it in another on the fly. I also bought many music books and memorized many of them. Learning to read music 20 years ago also helped. My greatest pleasure has been during the last five years when I began to understand how to play blues and adlib a lead blues line over any chord progression you care to play. I'm sure I have developed poor habits and bad technique that could have been corrected by taking lessons from a good teacher over the years, but I'm satisfied with where I'm at and I enjoy it immensely. That's what matters to me. |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | There was nothing mystical about my first guitar--a 3/4-sized thing that was barely better than a cheesebox strung with elastic bands. Not playable above the 6th fret. The fellow who led the more informal "Sunday night around the campfire" service was kind enough to give me a lesson here and there, I got my first "real" guitar--classical, married Jack and got to play Gertrude (our first Ovation), spent 10 years in a Christian rock band where I got my playing horizons considerably stretched (including playing bass), and finally ended up playing well enough to lead worship for our church's women's ministries and to fill in for Robbie on Sunday mornings if need be. (And to be our praise team's regular bass player--at least I hope it wasn't out of desperation on Robbie's part! ;) )
Most of what I learn now is by watching other people play and listening to cds; I realize that in the large pond of guitar players I am a very small fish, but I sure love swimming there!
--Karen |
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Location: closely held secret | 1968, a Christmas Harmony Stratotone, a motorless Ampeg reel-to-reel for an amp, and a burning desire to be a Beatle. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
1968, a Christmas Harmony Stratotone, a motorless Ampeg reel-to-reel for an amp, and a burning desire to be a Beatle. The story of many in the time - although a lot of the time trying to be a beatle would just end up bugging people... ;) |
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Location: closely held secret | I had everything it took to make it, too.
Except the gear. Well, and the voice... and the looks.
Ok, and the talent.
But I still have the Stratotone. |
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| "It was a dark and stormy night..." pphhttt....
Nothing special, just chord charts and a pitch pipe, and practising everyday. (And then there was this skinny kid from arkansas...) |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
I had everything it took to make it, too.
Except the gear. Well, and the voice... and the looks.
Ok, and the talent.
But I still have the Stratotone. Well, at the risk of being stoned for blasphemy... :eek:
The beatles were a classic, and no knocking them at all. However, there wasn't much in "looks" to be worried about, and vocally they weren't the best thing ever. They did do great songs and musically their stuff was unbeatable ( ;) ). The one I really don't get is the Beach Boys. Again, great music (heck, I grew up on the California beaches) but vocally...I've heard high school groups with better vocal blending. I guess it's all about the right songs, sound, manager, etc.
I just have got to find me some of those... :D |
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Location: closely held secret | Oh, hang on a sec, Andrew....
<Honey? You seen them rocks I left left by my desk yesterday? we got another one o them stinkin heretics around agin> |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The Beach Boys were not necessarily known for their voices, but their harmonies were outstanding at that time. Glen Campbell even recorded some of the lead licks and high falsetto lines with them in the studio. Brian Wilson continues to be considered a genius by many for his composing and studio work at the time. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | ?????? :eek: :eek: ????
Beach Boys; Pet Sounds > headphones > evening sun on your face.
Good enough to spur Macca on to something better... :rolleyes: |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | First guitar teacher, Dean Dixon. (He died in prison, I claim that for my blues bona fides) Showed me a bit. I was thirteen and he said I was starting too late to be great. Said I'd settle for being the second best guitar player in the world. Promptly wrote a song to that effect.
Second teacher, Johnny Johnson. Karl Hourigan (Helen Gone- google it) and I pooled our half hour lessons to share an hour together. Johnny, with his stubby cigar fingers, was an inspiration. Karl, with his focused attention to detail, was a prod. We skimmed 7 years of guitar theory in 18 months...naturally I have forgotten most of it.
But the bits of inspiration Johnny shared continues to inspire both of us over 35 years later.
And Johnny hired me to play bass in his danceband! My first paying gig at 15! |
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Posts: 171
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma | Borrowed an old Gibson guitar from my brother in law and bought a Peter, Paul and Mary book that had pictures of the chords... Figured out majors, minors, 7th's and 9th's. After Puff the Magic Dragon and others I moved on to John Denver and Jim Croce. Sat and figured out Jim Croce note for note. In college I played in an acoustic band and figured out I could transpose just about any song into just about any key. I'm lucky enough to be able to just about figure out a song before I ever grab a guitar or sit down at a piano. For some reason I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none.... |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I find that's easiest whe you accept the fact that ALL songs have only three chords...anything else is just for show! ;)
..............................................
Really, as far as I'm concerned, I haven't learned to play yet. In fact I refuse the term. I am a lifelong student, I'll never know it all.
(all evidence to the contrary should be ignored.) |
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Posts: 383
Location: Indiana | For me it was from a record......actually 2 of them. When I was 11, my brother bought a guitar.A friend of his gave him a record ("Play guitar with the Ventures, Vol 2").He never learned how to play, but I did (on his guitar). Bought Vol 1 later. It worked for me.Been doin it for 43 years now.
Bill |
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Location: Hicksville, NY | I used to sing in a school choir, and one of the songs that we sang was "Teach Your Children" by CSNY, while accompanied by two guitarists at that time. One year later, after hearing Jim Croce on the radio, I acquired a Gibson knockoff from my aunt. That was when I started teaching myself how to play.
With some help from my cousin, I managed to learn the basic major and minor chords. No barre chords, Bs and Fs at that time though... Trusting my ears, I picked up the chord pattern of D-G-D-A, and learned Teach Your Children, which I used to sing the year before. Played strumming mostly, until an acquaintance showed me the basics of fingerpicking. It was then that I got into Croce's music more... |
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| When I decided I wanted to learn, a friend of mine wanted to teach me what he had learned in lessons. He basically told me to learn an easy part from "Cant Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and showed me how to hold the guitar and a pick (I never liked the pick part."
After that I started learning songs by Coheed and Cambria, all on an acoustic because I had heard it helped build finger and arm strength. I originally planned to get an electric after I learned the basics, but I ended up getting my O instead, because I realized how awesome acoustics can be.
Once I had technique down, and got tired of the simple songs I was learning, I wanted to learn songs by the band 3 and their front man Joey Eppard. There are no tabs around for him, so I started learning his stuff by ear and tabbing some of it out (some is on paintbynumbers.mypunbb.com). Anyway, this is where I am now, trying to get some theory down, and training my ear.
I also never play with a pick. I found it way more comfortable to play with my fingers. |
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Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Originally quoted by nonis:
I also never play with a pick. I found it way more comfortable to play with my fingers.
Yeah-- I agree! I'm almost there; I fingerpick a lot, and most of the time I try to "fingerstrum" on strumming songs. The upside is you can pick the bass notes cleanly that way with your thumb or index finger.
However, there are some rhythm songs on 12-string -- most Eagles stuff and Lightfoot rhythm stuff -- that I still use a pick on. I have these Fred Kelly "speedpick" thumbpicks that I use; the band that goes on your thumb is like a standard thumbpick, but the pick part is just a thin, narrow tab that gives you a really light, fast touch. I've always had trouble hanging on to a conventional pick, and I can strum WAY faster this way. Check 'em out at http://www.fredkellypicks.com/ to get a look at them. I'm not quite clean enough yet to use just fingers for strumming on these songs (e.g., "Take It Easy;" "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald;" et.al.). |
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Location: CT | I still haven't learned. I wanted H# to be my first chord, so after that, the sky's the limit. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | There were usually instruments around the house. My Sister's Guild D50 was the best. Dad, meaning well would bring home the occasional high actioned unit. We stayed up on our Tetanous shots.
Folksy rock was the medium being shared so CSN&Y, Cat Stephens and later John Denver easy books provided graphic instruction to chord patterns and such.
Listening to Albums or Cassettes over and over to pick out patterns.
Tried the Mel Bay stuff but couldn't sit through it. |
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Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Although I did take formal lessons for about a year, most of what I know about chord voicing and strumming/picking tecnique I learned from watching Glen Campbell on TV in the late 60s and early 70s. |
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Location: ms | I started at about 19 after finding out i had lost 40 percent hearing in my left ear and some in my right from playing drums since i was 5. It was a blessing in the long run, i always loved guitar but was way too lasy to learn. And i learned to take better care of my hearing (ear plugs). I picked up an acoustic because it was not too loud, and it gave me an outlet for music.Around 1979 i had moved to Baton Rouge La. A friend of mine who i had played drums for years started an acoustic thing after i left Ms. I started booking them places to play in La so i could set in with them.The next year i moved back to Ms and started collage and spent most nites playing 5-6 hours,all nite on weekends and learning really bad habbits. Its been downhill since.I never really learned many cover songs, most of the people i played with wrote their own stuff and i just started writing my own. I could never do cover songs well anyway. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Problems with plectra :confused: could it be,is it really so, that little humble I ,can "teach" the¨= Master of SUPAGLOOH =to use that magic blop on a plecter,my oh my ,I feel 10 feet tall, :p and that U can n`t play guitar ?next U re going to tell us that U breath like a steam engine and sing like a crow kidding aside Rick my man,I allways look forward to read a thread by You,and I wish that there was n`t a ocean between us,for I would like to do a gig together with U,and as for the music...do n`t fret about it,I can n`t play either ;)
Vic |
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Location: cincinnati, ohio | Original quote by Al Pep:
....took lessons on and off all through grade school with the mel bay method. (AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH)
Original quote by M. Woody:
Tried the Mel Bay stuff but couldn't sit through it.
I had the Mel Bay Primer. All the pictures in it were from the 1930's. Actually learned quite a few chords, though. Still, when I think back on it....AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!
Original quote by V-elite:
next U re going to tell us that U breath like a steam engine and sing like a crow.
Nahhhhh.... I just LOOK like a crow that's been run over by a steam engine. Comes from all those superglue fumes. |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by brainslag:
I still haven't learned. I wanted H# to be my first chord, so after that, the sky's the limit. My first was Am, but so was I at the time, so it's all cool. ;) |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | In 1975, some one gave me an old Guild, with signatures of everyone who previously learned to play on it (about a dozen names). My first song was Leaving on a Jet Plane. My next was House of the Rising Sun. As a Travelling Hippie, I knew the prerequisite seven chords. Still do.
Last year, for my birthday, I bought myself a Beginners Electric Combo for $97.(Lyon, by Washburn) Now, as I am approaching Fifty, I bought my Balladeer. I actually know barre chords now. Still can't quite do a Bm with my eyes closed (don't know why, I can do all the others), but I still got 40 days till I'm 50! And I have faith. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Yeah,those are real nice songs,and a nice instrument to play them on,sure U can play with closed eyes ,hard to see with long hair dangling in front of your nose ,I guess that U learned Bm after U got that haircut ;) kidding aside That GUILD was allready old when it was given to U,so how old do U think it is ? Still got it ? and what model is it,and how would U rate it compared to that Balladeer :confused: :cool:
Vic |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | V-- No, I was given that Guild, which I passed-on to another Freak who could play for spare-change with it. Time check-- That was 31 years ago. Until I got that Pseudo-Strat, I just played with other people stuff. Y'know, sitting in a circle in the park, passing things around. I have only been seriously practicing since 11/28/06. I'll be practicing for the rest of my life.
I just seem to have trouble with fifth-sting minor barre chords. Sixth strings barre chords are OK. Fifth string Majors, OK.
Anyway, I still have long-hair. But it has gotten thin enough on top that it don't hang in my eyes anymore. |
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Location: Tucson, AZ | ...a buddy showed me the E-shape chord (and nothing else)...played EVERY chord that way up & down the neck for about 4 years before I was shown the "error of my ways" while trying to replicate the descending chord line in ONE NOTE SAMBA (ha,ha)
...then a guy handed me a 1943-copy of MEL BAY's "Orchestra Chords" book (red/white/black cover) and I taught myself everything since then...including sight reading notation and music theory (lots of reading).
...so, I'm 100% self-taught, so I can't blame ANY of my mistakes on OTHERS! (ha,ha). |
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Location: cincinnati, ohio | Originally quoted by cruster:
My first was Am, but so was I at the time, so it's all cool.
Huh? Oh, I get it. (groan!) I'm not as quick on the uptake as I used to be.
Originally quoted by Old Tele Man: |
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Location: cincinnati, ohio | Oops!
Originally quoted by Old Tele man:
...then a guy handed me a 1943-copy of MEL BAY's "Orchestra Chords" book (red/white/black cover) and I taught myself everything since then...including sight reading notation and music theory (lots of reading).
Finally, a vote for Mel Bay. Mel just passed away about a year(?) or so ago. I think he was around 120 years old. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | I`m not gonna make a remark about soopagooh,after all,a couple o`Am`s can be a sticky business ass is :eek: at least TeleMan can be cheerfull about his mistakes,He must be takin`a distant approach to it all ;) :)
Vic |
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Location: Tucson, AZ | ...what was it that Lurch of the Addams Family on "The Munsters?" used to say: "...I used to be BAD, but I'm MUCH better now?"
...when I play my wife comments: "Hey, you're not half bad...but, that also means you're only HALF good too!"
...nothing like "knowing" you place! |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | TELE my Friend, at least your "place" is not a lonely one,whenever I pick up my guitar,everyone else put down theirs :( seems as if they`re jealous.. :rolleyes: but then again,I can play that G pefedtly back to fro ;) |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Old Tele man:
...what was it that Lurch of the Addams Family on "The Munsters?" used to say: "...I used to be BAD, but I'm MUCH better now?" It was John Astin (Gomez Addams) but it was on "Night Court". ;) |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | Coming in pretty late here, but...
I was in second or third grade when my best friend's older brother bought a new guitar, making his starter available. I scratched together something like $5 and bought it from him, along with volumes one through four of "Alberts Basic Guitar Method".
I would plink away for hours in my room...working out little single note runs. My first taste of recognition came when my parents invited my teacher and her husband over for dinner (they used to do that stuff all the time...I hated it). Anyway, the husband was talking about how he played guitar and banjo in bluegrass bands. Well, that got mom going so she had to tell all about my playing and insist that I go get my guitar. So, the guy takes it and tears off what was to me at least a few devistating runs. Good grief, but he was amazing.
Of course, now everyone wants me to play something. I was terrified, but I plinked out my little song (played on the 'e' string: e - e - f - g - f - f - e - e, and so on). Just as I am thinking that I am the lamest thing of all time, my teachers husband says something like "wow! Now that boy is going to play! Keep it up young man."
Talk about having a fully inflated ego. I couldn't believe it. Someone that I didn't even know was saying something good about my playing!
Fast forward into high school...I started playing in small groups, learning chord changes and stuff. I was also a pretty serious bandy my whole school career through highschool, so I learned a lot about music and theory from that. I was lucky, in that my high school tought music theory, which I took for a couple of years.
I took lessons for a few months in high school. I took the bus down to Hospe's Music every week. I felt pretty cool, carrying my guitar case on the bus. I imagined how the other passengers were thinking how I was headed off to some exotic gig some where. Yeah, right.
Other than that, I'm self tought. I do reasonably well, but I still feel like there are big holes in my playing. |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | I learned Clarinet in Jr. High Band, then decided I could learn better by myself. I would find instruments that were abandonded in the shelves of the "band room", refurb them with the help of my teacher, then get a fingering chart and a piece of music I liked and set to it. Taught myself the sax (all of them), Trombone, Trombone Imp (kind of a treble baritone), baritone, Sousaphone, and Tympany that way. Along the way, still in Jr. High, I learned bass by cutting the B,E strings off of a old ratty guitar and dumping the treble on the amp. Finally bought a real bass in High School.
Went into the Navy and since I didn't own any of the above instruments (learned something like 9 in all and was first chair in each one) I thought guitar was the way to go. Bought an old Sears guitar...Kay maybe...for $35. Played until my fingers bled and almost quit until a shipmate loaned me his Korean Fender.
He was a professional grade guitar player that would often bring Martins on a cruise...would get a dear John from home, and promptly smash the quitar pledging never to play again. Several guys told me this and that they finally persuaded him to buy cheaper guitars (thus the Fender). Well one night we were playing cards and the mail came. One of his buds saw the look on his face and nudged me to get ready. Sure enough, he picks up the Fender, and I caught him on the wind up and begged him to sell me the guitar rather than destroy it. He did, plus showed me a few finger picking songs (some I remember, others long since forgotten, I was never that good).
I played that Fender for the following 20 years or so, I was am still a rythym playing rank amateur, but wanted an Ovation after several talented friends in Worship teams I had played in (Bass was still my main gig) had them. Loved the way they played and sounded. ALL were round hole models.
I finally found an ad in a Giant Nickel for an Ovation locally, but ignored it. At $500 in 1997...it was a bit pricey for me. After a few weeks it reappeared for $400, by this time I was chomping at the bit. So I went and looked. This was the most exotic looking instrument I had ever seen. It had the epulets, and the wood was incredible. The fellow was a Hispanic Pastor. I never did ask why he was selling it. Anyway, very bashful about my own skills, I asked him to play it. I kept looking around for the trick that was being played as this thing sounded like heaven from 10 feet away....I couldn't believe it, so $400 cash parted company and I walked away with my mint........1537 that has been the only Acoustic I have owned up until about a year ago.
I will never forget when I showed my wife. She said, "...YOU PAID HOW MUCH FOR A DEFECTIVE GUITAR?" I had to assure he that, no...really honey, it was designed with all those little holes.
When I went to buy my first Adamas, I looked at a 2005 collectors and a couple of other "O's" and she firmly put her foot down and said, I don't want you to get one of those with the hole in the middle. Guess it grew on her.
Now I have the 1537 and the 2080 (she likes the 2080).
I am still a mediocre guitar player, but still love to play, so I guess that is all that matters. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Originally quoted by Jeffrey D.:
I am still a mediocre guitar player, but still love to play, so I guess that is all that matters.
That's the ONLY thing that matters. It doesn't matter if you're playing by yourself in the living room or in front of 80,000 people, or if you're a virtuoso or a hacker: if you're having fun, that's what it's all about. |
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Joined:
October 2004
Posts: 256
Location: chicago | When I first started it took me three geeetars before i acually started to make the attempt my older brther had a dozen years of playing since the mid sixties. Whenever we went to a concert he would say what song do you want to learn from that particular artist or band and he would figure out both guitar parts and teach me one early song I remember ,elp yes genesis songs Al dimeola,king crimson,it always took me a long time but in the it was worth it I really only played chords for the first six years of playing.probably learned a million or so, cosiquently i now have pretty good supportive rythem playing,witch is an art form all by its self
www.guitarsoffire.com |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | JeffreyD,
I also started music by playing clarinet. I wanted to play sax, but they showed us all the different instruments and I got the 2 mixed up. I went home and told my dad I wanted to play clarinet and he said he'd sign me up if I learned to play the Clarinet Polka like Benny Goodman. (This was Milwaukee in the early 60's). When I got my first rented clarinet, I was too embarassed to admit my mistake and stayed with it long enough I didn't want to change. It was a few years before I learned the Clarinet Polka, but I made it to first chair and then switched to contra-alto clarinet, but gave it up when we moved and the band didn't have one of those. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | I, too, have tootled the "Clarinet Polka;" I ended up majoring in clarinet in college--my goal was to replace Stanley Drucker of the New York Philharmonic when he retired. (Since I haven't, that will give you an idea of my skills level there.) I would rather play guitar now, anyway, since I have finally graduated to 4 chords. :D
--Karen |
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Joined:
September 2004
Posts: 777
Location: East Wenatchee, WA | Clarinet Polka...funny I never heard of that one.
I was stuck in a book of the various Piano & Clarinet Concerto's that had the 64th note runs and such. Funny, I could do them then. Now I can't even tell you what the notes are in 30 seconds or less (per note). |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Gotta pass on that one...have n`t learned yet :rolleyes: sniff..
Vic |
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How Did You Learn To Play Guitar?