I Play the Guitar
Since The Age Of 12 I have loved playing guitar. There have been times when I haven’t played at all for a while but guitar has been something I have returned to every time. I bought my first guitar second hand from a neighbourhood friend who had already been playing for a while and had been bought a new guitar for her birthday. I believe the price I paid was a measly £7 which seems a ridiculously low price by today’s standards.
I learned to play mostly by using songbooks to master new chords and songs. I also played a little at school and had a few lessons. I didn’t take guitar playing seriously at that time and didn’t progress as much as I could have. During my later years at school I fell in love with rock music and tried to learn what I could even though I had only a classical style guitar. By the age of 18 I had an electric guitar and was jamming as much as possible with friends. That led to meeting new people and playing in a more focused way with bands performing mostly 60's and rock music, and also some busking in the street. At that stage in my life my guitar came with me pretty much everywhere I went.
Just lately I have returned to playing mostly electric guitar although, for the past few years prior, I have mostly played acoustic guitar and sung songs at home for my own amusement. I have also been known to perform a few songs for people I have spoken to online.
The guitar is a wonderful instrument to play. It offers a huge range of expression, can be played solo or with a band just as easily, doesn’t necessarily require amplification (acoustic guitar), and is an easy instrument to transport. Few instruments can offer such versatility. And the drawbacks of playing guitar? There are so many guitars, amplifiers, and effects units all promising to be better than the previous generations, that it is easy to spend huge amounts of money on this interest over the years. I have certainly thrown plenty of money at it and I suspect many other guitarists have done exactly the same thing. Somehow it is all worth it, though, for the enjoyment it brings. One thing to remember is that all the gadgets and gizmos, however good they are, won’t make so much difference to your overall sound as working hard to become a more accomplished guitarist will. That is something many people, like me, only figure out after spending lots of money. However, it’s nice to have all the extras as well!
I learned to play mostly by using songbooks to master new chords and songs. I also played a little at school and had a few lessons. I didn’t take guitar playing seriously at that time and didn’t progress as much as I could have. During my later years at school I fell in love with rock music and tried to learn what I could even though I had only a classical style guitar. By the age of 18 I had an electric guitar and was jamming as much as possible with friends. That led to meeting new people and playing in a more focused way with bands performing mostly 60's and rock music, and also some busking in the street. At that stage in my life my guitar came with me pretty much everywhere I went.
Just lately I have returned to playing mostly electric guitar although, for the past few years prior, I have mostly played acoustic guitar and sung songs at home for my own amusement. I have also been known to perform a few songs for people I have spoken to online.
The guitar is a wonderful instrument to play. It offers a huge range of expression, can be played solo or with a band just as easily, doesn’t necessarily require amplification (acoustic guitar), and is an easy instrument to transport. Few instruments can offer such versatility. And the drawbacks of playing guitar? There are so many guitars, amplifiers, and effects units all promising to be better than the previous generations, that it is easy to spend huge amounts of money on this interest over the years. I have certainly thrown plenty of money at it and I suspect many other guitarists have done exactly the same thing. Somehow it is all worth it, though, for the enjoyment it brings. One thing to remember is that all the gadgets and gizmos, however good they are, won’t make so much difference to your overall sound as working hard to become a more accomplished guitarist will. That is something many people, like me, only figure out after spending lots of money. However, it’s nice to have all the extras as well!
