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I guess I began my life long love affair with the guitar in much the same way as many others; as a child at the age of five I could always be found lying as close as I could to the speaker of our radiogram.
Music always had a hypnotic effect on me, I'd be laying in the floor with my head on a pillow rocking my head from side to side in time with the music, I could feel the vibrations the music made through the floor.
Whenever I heard live music I was drawn to the sound; a group of bagpipe players playing at a local festival had me in their spell... the rhythm of the drums and the melodies the pipers played intrigued me; totally unaware of my surroundings I remember following this group through the streets and it was only when they stopped playing did I realize my situation... I as lost!
My parents who were busy watching the procession hadn't noticed me drifting off with the pipers... of course they knew if they followed the music they would eventually find me, luckily they did... it's pretty scary to be four years old, lost, wearing your PJ's with only a teddy bear under your arm to help you with
directions for home.
At the age of seven I started making my own guitars, the designs were copied from pictures I had seen in magazines to be honest I had know idea what the big deal was about guitars they just seemed cool to make. A great deal of love and care was showered on my two creations however they were frustrating to play mostly because the strings (made out of fishing line) kept breaking.
Six years passed before the music bug finally hit me full force; it was the day before my thirteenth birthday, we were on my way to school and my mum asked me what I wanted for my birthday at the exact moment she asked me we drove past a block of flats where a guy was sitting on the front stairs playing a guitar.
It was like rediscovering an old love... " a guitar" I blurted out and that was it! My mum agreed on one condition, that I take guitar lessons, I wasn't at all keen on taking lessons but I figured she would soon forget about the lessons and by that time I'd have the guitar.
The very next day (a Saturday) I was busy sleeping in when I was awoken by the familiar strains of Happy Birthday and the rustling of a cardboard box shaped like a strange type of triangle, my instincts told me this was probably my guitar. Slowly and carefully I opened the box as if it contained rare and precious jewels... indeed it contained a treasure more precious than gold for me.
My first real guitar, it just totally blew me away... strumming across the open strings with the guitar still in the cardboard box I was mesmerized listening to the beautiful sound of the guitar.
As if that wasn't enough mum then preceded to let me in on the next big surprise, she had organized lessons starting that day a 1.00pm, I heart sank... gee I didn't think things would have moved so quickly... that day I started lessons with a wonderful inspiring teacher, I simply could not have got off to a better
start.
Looking back over forty years of guitar playing and the series of events that have taken place in my life since I began my musical journey I'd like to share with you some of my discoveries.
* Discovery #1: I though there was something magical inside the guitar, like as if there was a secret code that would unlock the music... the secret is... there isn't; the music is inside of YOU all you have to do is work out a way to get the music out.
* Discovery #2: Initially I was infatuated with the guitar, later I discovered my true love was the MUSIC... like everyone else when I started I didn't have any technique, consequently anyone who could play intrigued me, as my technique developed my interest turned to "what was being played" rather than how it was being played.
* Discovery #3: I discovered that the REAL musicians played music because they loved the music, they played and treated the music with respect and that in turn brought them the respect of other musicians and discerning listeners.
* Discovery #4: That it's possible to play the guitar and never play music, that a large number of people take up the instrument because it's popular, it's cool, it's a way of getting noticed... an ego thing, at the first sign of hard work, discipline or commitment and they drop the guitar and move on to the next "latest" thing.
* Discovery #5: Everything thing you need is already in the song, each song has a 'soul' the composers of the song have given you a gift, treat the music with care don't trample over it with a pile of modes and sweep picking... that's not music and it doesn't have anything to do with the song; it's just showing off!
* bonus discovery #6: I've noticed that guitar players fit into three categories:
(1) Guitar owners - only need enough funds to qualify
(2) Guitar players - intoxicated with the instrument and addicted to equipment; usually don know what they are playing but can often play very well - they need the instrument in their hands to communicate because the don't understand or speak the language of music.
(3) Musicians who play guitar as their chosen instrument - they understand the language of music, they can read and write and can discuss music of all styles, classical, jazz, rock without the instrument in their hands.
I have indeed been very fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to play music and I never take that for granted I hope you have as much fun and enjoyment playing your guitar.
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