|
|
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. |
|
| |
|
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. |
|
| |
|
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. |
|
| |
|
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 |
|
| |
|
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. |
|
| |
|
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 |
|
| |
|
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). |
|
| |
|
Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Gotta pass on that one...have n`t learned yet :rolleyes: sniff..
Vic |
|
| |
How Did You Learn To Play Guitar?
