Archive for the ‘Guitars’ Category
The Instrument of Instruments
I think at one point or another, we’ve all thought about learning to play the guitar. But no matter who you are, when you start playing the guitar you’re terrible, and it takes a lot of time, dedication, and practice to get better. When I was about 13, I told my parents I wanted to learn how to play the acoustic guitar, and of course they gave me that sort of parental sideways glance. I knew acoustic guitars weren’t cheap, nor were the lessons, and since I hadn’t played before, there was no guarantee I’d continue. My parents made a deal with me; they said they’d pay for half of the guitar if I paid for the other.
I worked for a whole summer as a part time paperboy, and earned my half of the guitar. My parents were true to their word, and covered the other half after I had thoroughly examined all of the Johnson guitars the local shop had to offer. I think that because I worked for it, the guitar was a lot more important to me. I played it all through junior high and high school, and when I was 18, a few friends of mine formed a band and played together all throughout college. While I’m not a professional musician now, it was a whole lot of fun!
When people make resolutions or set goals for themselves, a common thread is that they would like to learn how to play a musical instrument. And for many people, there is a strong desire to learn how to play the guitar. Guitar is a great starter instrument because once you learn some of the basics, you can already sound halfway decent. Of course, learning the finer points and the complicated picking patterns can take you years to master, but it really only takes a few weeks to master some of those basic chords.
This is why so many people opt for acoustic guitars. If you want to learn how to play this instrument, just pick yourself up a guitar, a tuner, and a few how-to beginner books. These will offer the basics of reading music along with a chord list. Once you feel you have a handle on these very basic elements, hop onto YouTube for step-by-step tutorials on how to play all your favorite songs.
Despite the fact that both of my parents are right-handed, I somehow acquired the rare gene that creates southpaws. It seems that left-handed people are becoming an endangered species and, personally, I think that it is a direct result of the setup of virtually all consumer products in today’s world. Nearly everything is designed to cater to the needs of right-handed people.
As a southpaw, growing up in today’s society can be difficult. The world is ever-increasing its dependence on computers, which are obviously designed for right-handed people. Another example of this trend is in musical instruments. Although Jimi Hendrix broke the mold by playing his guitar left-handed, he is the exception to the rule. Luckily I was able to find a store online that left handed acoustic guitars when I started playing.
When kids pick up a guitar for the first time, the learning curve can be rather steep. Once children learn a basic song or two on the instrument, they are generally well on their way to a lifelong love of playing. Early on, though, before they can grasp such techniques as stringing chords together in sequence, playing the guitar can feel like work. This perception is only magnified by the development of calluses.
Before the fingers grow accustomed to pressing guitar strings tight to the fretboard, they are susceptible to some minor pain. It’s important for parents to emphasize the value of developing calluses as they will make playing a classical guitar much simpler and more enjoyable. In time, a young guitarist’s fingers will begin to look and feel like that of a manual laborer. That’s how you know you’re on the right track.
While electric guitar may be at the forefront of most mainstream music today, many artists will still occasionally go back to the classic acoustic guitar. There is still a love for acoustic music in the mainstream, and there are efforts to assure that the tradition doesn’t die. Although MTV has done a lot to “kill the radio star,” their popular series Unplugged has helped revive the mainstream appreciation of acoustic music.
In the last few years there has been an increase of bands exclusively performing acoustic music. Sub Pop Records is home to some of the most notable of these bands, including Fleet Foxes and Iron & Wine. The Seattle radio station KNDD features a full three hour radio show each week devoted exclusively to acoustic mainstream music.