Whats your guitar story?

There must be a ton of people who play guitar here, acoustic or electric, doesn't matter.....whats you're story?

When did you start?
Who influenced you or what made you buy your first guitar?
Have you or do you play in bands or just for pleasure at home?
What do you play? What instrument...what genre?
What tips would you pass on to anyone wishing to play?

That'll do for now

Ok i'll kick off with mine...

Had a guitar years ago when i was 18 (few years back as i was 40 yesterday ), tried to teach myself but for some reason couldn't grasp it. This was before the days of YouTube vids and guitar forums. So i sacked it.

Roll forward 21 years and i decided to take it up again. I love all kinds of music but seeing my step-daughter performing live was a big influence, and also my own kids. I wanted to do something i could pass onto them.

So i bought a cheap Yamaha, which is still my travelling baby, and learnt on that. Have just bought a new Takamine electro acoustic and i'm loving it. Still very much a beginner mind, so i will have a lot to learn from many of you.

I can hold my own through the basic chords and many songs now, my fingertips are literaly dropping off with pain but i'm getting there.

So at the moment i play at home, but i did have my first public performance at the weekend. A local art cafe were having a buskers cafe but the musician didn't turn up. I walked in with a guitar and they asked me if i wanted to play.

I declined at first as i am painfully shy when it comes to playing music in front of people, however after a few minutes of telling myself that "if my 13 year old can do it, so can you", i played instrumental for about 2 and a half hours to the cafe. Just nice strumming and very basic fingerpicking, but it did the job and boosted my confidence sky high.

Got the bug now

My influences would have probably stemmed from old and new bluegrass/country, but i like a lot of new artists such as Ben Howard and Johnny Flynn. Mainly modern folk for me.

Tips for a newbie? Well i'm a newbie myself so what i've found helpfull is.....

Don't give up. Consistancy is the key...a little every day if you can and it will come....i promise!

Don't fret over whether you have an expensive Gibson, Taylor...whatever....just play what you can afford. I've seen people make a £5000 instrument sound awful, and others play my £99 beat up Yamaha and make it sound world class. 99% of what you hear will be YOU making it sound like that.

Listen to the oldies Who are your influences? Bob Dylan? Chet Atkins? Stevie Vai? Clapton? Now go find out who thier influences were...and so on. You'll find yourself emersed in a world of amazing talent that is unaffected by age. YouTube is a wealth or influences and also tutorials for learning.

If you get the chance, play in public. If you have the confidence, join a group or go to open mic sessions. If not, start by sitting on a bench in public and just playing to yourself. People will hear it, and they will comment on it. It doesn't feel like you are under pressure to perform but you kind of are from yourself. Thats good, and you will try harder.

Pass what you know onto others. I did to my kids, and now they are better than me lol.

Most of all, have fun. Play with others, or just on your own of you wish, but relax and have fun.

CX.

I got started because I became specifically interested in music. I grew up with two parents that listened to absolutely nothing by Contemporary Christian and Gospel. Same songs, same bands, same radio stations every single time. So I really had no interest in hearing or playing music. But It all started because my dad always went around the house singing the same song lyrics like this "don't go 'round tonight its bound to take your life, thereeeeees a bad moon on the rise!" And I never knew what the song was, or who it was by, but on time my dad got me a Call of Duty game... I loved the game and became extremely interested in war games and war movies. One day I found a video on youtube and it was a music video based on the Vietnam war scenes from the movie Forrest Gump. The music was really southern/ 60's sounding, and I did not pay to much attention to it until I heard the lyrics in that scratchy rough voice "don't go 'round tonight its bound to take your life, thereeeeees a bad moon on the rise!" My mind was blown, my dad was sing this all along since I was a little kid? I immediately searched the song on youtube and learned that it was by a band known as Creedence Clearwater Revival, and it was called Bad Moon Rising. I never heard of the band, but I loved the way they played this song, so when I finished playing it for the 10th time I naturally clicked one of the Youtube tabs to another CCR song, this one was called Fortunate Son. I was blown away because the second I heard the intro I recognized it as if it had been played in the background of a movie, or something. I later found out it was also in Forrest Gump. But I went that entire night listening to every CCR song ever recorded, it was the first time I found myself just listening to music because I wanted too. I found that I somehow recognize so many of their songs, Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou, Lookin' Out My Backdoor... This eventually led to me discovering other 60's bands and musicians. I became a huge Beatles fan, a Rolling Stones fan, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin... I fell in love with music because of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

So one day I was at my Grandfathers house and I was singing a song that I couldn't get out of my head. It was Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited. By grandfather came up to me and with a huge surprised face he asked "Are you singing Bob Dylan?" And when I said yes he was extremely surprised because he didn't understand how someone my age would hear about Bob Dylan, or even like the music. But anyway, my grandfather played guitar and for Christmas he bought me a Fender Quire mini Strat, and it came with a beginners amp and cable and everything. I took to it quickly and today I have 2 acoustic guitars and still that old electric Squire. My musical taste has ranged from going way back to Frank Sinatra to Nirvana, Skynyrd, Bob Seger.. Haha I have a totally HUGE amount of favorite bands... But thats my story, and by the way with all my experience in loving classic music the only band that comes close to being as impactful and amazing as the classics and legends is the Foo Fighters. Just saying.

I like your thread idea - maybe some people who are just starting can learn some important things that will facilitate their growth. Steve Vai is an old timer now? Now I feel old.

I started piano when I was 9 and picked up guitar at 11 after getting the Beatles first album. Other influences were Focus, Yes, Queen, Rush and a plethora of Prog-rock bands.

Like you I thought I could teach myself guitar - wrong! Looking back I wish I had simply learned the scales in all positions and then learned the theory behind it.

Along the way I picked up playing drums and bass which are the instruments I feel most competent with. Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Bootsy Collins and Victor Wooten are the bass players I sought to emulate.

Musicians I most admire would have to be Frank Zappa and David Bowie.

While I had a lot of fun and spent some time with touring bands my only regret is not learning the theory behind music.
No amount of "doodling" will ever give you a foundation to build on.

Learn the basics and just have fun with it.
Use all the great lessons for free available on youtube to learn the songs you'd like to play.
Getting too serious will suck the joy of music right out of it.

ETA - a note on buying gear: Buy the best you can afford - cheap gear usually will sound cheap. Solid state guitar amps will never sound or play like a real tube amp. You're better off owing 1 real strat then having 10 squire knockoffs. If you can't afford it now - save up until you can. The resale value of good gear holds up much better as well.

cool post sir!
ive been playing for about 30 years,and it hasn't always been easy! i still remember my finger tips bleeding because i would not put my guitar down!!! even bringing it into the washroom!
i own a beautifull 1975 vantage,neck thru body electric,with les paul hardware hardware and pickups. (had a '72 les paul studio,but had to sell it for finance trouble-- but,not before i did the old switcheroo for the hardware! )
also own an early '80's fender 6 string acoustic. its more of a campfire guitar now,but with new strings it sounds pretty good.
also,a 1929 michigan 4 string banjo that still plays great! and i also own a late '70's starfire mandolin thats pretty neat. i use to have a fiddle too,but i lent it to a friend and he passed away while in his possesion.never did get it back . have a ukelele too,but its more novel than useful!
as for influences,hendrix was the first! the first time i heard voodoo chile, i was mesmerized! how can he make a guitar sound like that?!!! well i learned how withe the help of a whah pedal!
blues is my biggest influence,but i also enjoy punk,metal,thrash,folk,celtic and i really love bluegrass. man those ole boys get going and you can't move them with a bulldozer!!! flatt&scruggs are amazing.
also really enjoy mozart a lot,just for the pure mathematics of his perfect music.
as for tips : well you said you were 40,so i assume you don't wanna play solos at 1000 kph!
feel what you play,after you can do that,understand why the tech part of it works,and fits.
get a guitar tech to show you how to adjust the 'action' on your guitar. this is important. if its hard to play,you wont play well. change your strings often,depending on how often you play. PLAY OFTEN! in idle guitar is waiting for a warped neck,and you wont be able to tune it properly. don't worry if ya get a few dings in your guitar,it adds charecter! look at stevie ray's old fender strat! man,he made that baby sing!
last but not least,this is your new woman. she never talks back,she only says what you want her to,and if you 'massage' her right,she'll sing beautiful music to you! have fun friend!!!

reply to post by FenderWolf


Thanks for that great reply.

I loved CCR as a kid, my parents LP collection was pretty much what i was brought up on, CCR, John Denver, Abba, Queen, ELO and many more.

As for Stevie Vai being an oldie lol....yeah i guess he's not that old but he was one of the few electric guitar players i knew....i'm more of an acoustic fan. Saying that, i do like ACDC, can't beat a bot of Angus.

Funnily enough, Bob Dylan is someone who i never really listened to, and struggle to like now. I think it's just the voice. I am trying though, going slowly through his back catalogue.

CX.

Great thread. I got an electric guitar when I was about 13 or 14, typical teenager wanted to be in a rock band. Had a few lessons and realized it hurt my ickle fingers too much By the time I was 16, I was into dance music so got decks and played music made by other people. A cop out and no way near as satisfying as learning and mastering a musical instrument. I Guess it's never too late. I have always fancied learning the piano.

Good for you for picking up the Guitar and having the confidence to play in public.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Thanks

Music theory is something i'm really trying to make an effort with right now, starting from scratch but i want to do it now before i get stuck l;ater and need to go right back again.

My kids are bith doing music for thier GSCE choices over the next couple of years so i'll learn from them too.

CX.

Originally posted by CX
reply to post by FenderWolf

 

Thanks for that great reply.

Funnily enough, Bob Dylan is someone who i never really listened to, and struggle to like now. I think it's just the voice. I am trying though, going slowly through his back catalogue.

CX.

Well I discovered Bob Dylan because I was watching the movie Walk the Line, the story of Johnny Cash and I always heard Highway 61 in the background in one scene and finally looked it up, after that I loved Bob Dylan. His voice makes alot of people hat his music but His songs are so deep and meaningful, he is such an interesting human.

reply to post by reficul


Thanks for the reply....and what a nice collection you have going on there!

I've just recently bought a Gold Tone open back 5 string banjo, really enjoying that, and also a Washburn mandolin, but i'm finding the neck very narrow for my fingers. Not much room to fret chords.

Yep i've learnt how to do the action and truss rod etc, i'm tinkering around on my old guitar so i donlt wreck my new one.

Oh yeah, one other tip i forgot, when you go to buy a guitar in the shop, if you're happy with the demo one you try, take that one. Don't do what i did and ask for a new boxed model (in the back of my mind i didn't want one that had been used), i got it home and it just didn't sound right, even after a proper set up. I recently took it back and part exchanged it for my new one,

Every guitar is different.

Thanks again for these great replies, so much experience!

CX.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Cheers



I was well into dance music back in the 80's, well more Techno and Happy Hardcore lol.....not quite sure how to convert that to acoustic guitar though.

Have you not ever thought about trying the leccy guitar again?

CX.

Originally posted by FenderWolf
His voice makes alot of people hat his music but His songs are so deep and meaningful, he is such an interesting human.

Hmmm.....maybe i need to look a little deeper and not go on first impressions.

Cheers.

CX.

reply to post by CX


I recently decided to go back to square one and take guitar lessons and learn to read music.
I wasted almost 40 years thinking I'd figure it out by myself but I'm just not that smart.
Better late than never!
Cheers,

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
reply to post by CX

 

I recently decided to go back to square one and take guitar lessons and learn to read music.
I wasted almost 40 years thinking I'd figure it out by myself but I'm just not that smart.
Better late than never!
Cheers,

I started lessons a while back after teaching myself for a year. I wanted to start from scratch and also iron out any bad habits.

Thing is, i had two lessons, great teacher and everything, but i found i had some issues with lessons. When i was asked to perform a particular technique, chord progresion or just generaly play something basic, i messed up so badly! I'm talking about stuff i could whizz through at home with my eyes closed. I'm not sure if it was a nervous thing or what?

It ended up with me wasting so much time during the hour lesson getting the basics right, i came away having learnt next to nothing. £25 and hour too so i am having a rethink. On the plus side, i liked having "homework" to get to grips with at home, i liked the structure of a lesson.

CX.

Nice thread sir.
I started in music in grade school, my parents both played. My father was a drummer and my mother a piano player. That was in about 1962 or so. Started out on baritone, then accordian, organ, drumms then bass guitar in 1963. Been at it ever since. Started playing in bars and clubs at 15, my parents had to go along so I could get in the door.

I'm a full time musician (bassist) in a blues band, Before that I was on tour with a Outlaw Country band. It's easier now, my wife can usually go along, but now I don't get the perks I did before now being more regional.

I can't even tell you how many guitars I have had, but always try for the best you can afford, I have always stuck with Fender, but have several different makes from six to four string basses. I play my Fender jazz bass 90% of the time. My amp is a R1000 Carvin (1000 watt) with a Carvin 4x10 cab and a Carvin 1x18 cab with a Boss Me-20 pedal and a Line 6 Bass Pro Modeler.

Over the years I have stolen licks from everybody, but you devolop your own style after awhile. Just have fun with it and pick the music your are most interested in.

Thinking back I would have never changed a thing, I have been able to travel, to meet and play with some great talent and to still be able to feel that special rush of making music...Thanks again.

reply to post by Grumpy in Texas


Great story, thanks for sharing.

I envy you having been able to start playing publicly at such a young age, and having such musical parents must have been a great help.

Accordian eh? I've never really taken much notice of the instrument, then recently my girlfriend and i went to an open mic evening where there was a whole range of various ages playing guitar, but at the end an elderly gentleman and his wife came on stage with a guitar and an accordian. They brought the house down with thier playing, mainly French stuff but it was amazing. I fell in love with the acordian that night.

Also had my first experience of a hurdy gurdy that night too.

Back to guitar though....i can imagine you've had many as you say. I've only been playing about a year and i seem to have aquired more than expected. As they say, GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) is a common thing amongst guitarists, theres always an excuse for another.

I've not ventured into good quality amps yet, for now we are making do with a small Marshall practice amp and i'm getting Roland Street Cube for me and the kids to use, then if they want to busk with it they can.

I love hearing from people like yourself who has done it for as long as you have, it gives me something to work towards, whether it be just a better standard of playing or something bigger.

Thanks again,

CX.

There must be a ton of people who play guitar here, acoustic or electric, doesn't matter.....whats you're story?

When did you start? i was 17 now i'm 25
Who influenced you or what made you buy your first guitar? it was a dark and stormy night i was rummaging through my belongings and found my dads hendrix songbooks he got before he went to vietnam. my dad plays hes a cool guy
Have you or do you play in bands or just for pleasure at home? have band will travel need an extra guitarist or bassist
What do you play? What instrument...what genre? not only that i'm into death metal black metal, grindcore, lots of heavy, dark shid
What tips would you pass on to anyone wishing to play? listen to your innermost true self. imagine your picture of paradise. in my paradise the guitar and bass lie within the shield which my Valkyrie bears who is my muse. i suggest you play freely with no sheet music or tabs if you want to be serious about your own sound


i have a fender stratocaster dean mlx, epiphone thunderbird, 60's era fender princeton amp might be getting another bass soon

Originally posted by rockoperawriter
What tips would you pass on to anyone wishing to play? listen to your innermost true self. imagine your picture of paradise. in my paradise the guitar and bass lie within the shield which my Valkyrie bears who is my muse. i suggest you play freely with no sheet music or tabs if you want to be serious about your own sound

Now theres a tip i've not heard before! Thanks for that. I've heard of artists taking on a different imaginary persona on stage, but not in quite the detail you do.

Again, nice to see parents being an influence, i've heard a few people say that they weren't aloud to play in the house, so they had to sneak out to learn. I guess it depends on the instrument.

Great to hear that you are taking it further with a band too, thats one thing i've not done yet, jammed with other musicians. Probably because i think i'm not good enough yet.

CX.

reply to post by CX


yeah my dad played guitar since he was 7. he introduced me to some of the music of his era. he told me that he got the hendrix books right around the time he went to vietnam. and the axis bold as love songbook he got was around the time he was promoted to sergeant. so there was this kind of legacy to the songbooks. he has listened to the early 80's 90's death metal black metal i'm into. oh well. i always treated music (mainly rock/metal/ horror themed) as if it were the device in which i could alter my reality. i've always believedthat within each being there is a utopia, or even a moment of tremendous victory where the doors of reality and fantasy tear off the hinges and with such clarity creates such a crystalline image of the world surrounding you, your breath stills at the thundering Armageddon of the narrative of ones own minds eye and without doubt this is Valhalla

Santa brought me a guitar when I was about 7, a Sears acoustic that wouldn't go in tune and a neck that resembled a bannana, piece of crap it was, got frustrated and gave it up. I bought a Gibson L-6S when I was 14 and have been playing ever since(now 48). Started playing in bands at 15-16, went to Musicians Institute and played the Hollywood scene for yrs. I now play for my own enjoyment with an occasional project here and there.

I listen to about anything but some of my main influences are, Jeff Beck, Michael Shenker, Vanhalen, Rhoads, Alex Lifeson, Zappa and Tommy Bolin. Lot's of other too, long list. I play more bluesy stuff now days with an occasional freak outbreak of Maiden or Priest LOL. As far as tips, the old adage of practice, practice, practice holds true and when you get to those stages where you feel you're not getting better, burnt or in a rut, take a little break but keep working thru it and don't give up. Most of all, have fun with it!

Great story, great tips, thank you...

Originally posted by mtnshredder
I play more bluesy stuff now days with an occasional freak outbreak of Maiden or Priest LOL. As far as tips, the old adage of practice, practice, practice holds true and when you get to those stages where you feel you're not getting better, burnt or in a rut, take a little break but keep working thru it and don't give up. Most of all, have fun with it!

I've never really been into blues before, apart from the odd song from John Lee Hooker, but yesterday i played a new Gretsch resonator from the Roots collection, it was so nice. Will definately be picking one of these up as my first reso, and it has a smallish body so the kids would be comfy with it too. The guitar is at the 1:00 mark...



As i continue on my relatively new guitar journey, i find myself ficking between music genres from time to time as i discover talented artists new and old.