Guitar Lessons

I had my first guitar lesson today. No, that's not me in the video (ha-ha). My instructor has been playing for thirty years. I've been around guitars for many years, even tried playing them years ago but didn't have the patience... In June of 07, I was on travel with a Rite Aid Project in Richmond VA. One of my co-workers had an electric guitar with him that he had made.

I got the idea that if I was going to be on the road for the following year, why not pick one up and play it in my room instead of wasting my time playing video games or watching TV? My next stop was Egg Harbor Township, NJ.

I jumped on the web and found the nearest Guitar Center. Two of the my co-workers wanted to tag along. I found out as we were driving that they really didn't want to go to the Guitar Center, they just wanted a free ride to go and get something to eat. We ate and then I dropped by the Guitar Center just to see where it was.

The next day, I headed there straight from work. The same two guys wanted to go along with me again but I wouldn't let them. I wanted to be able to take my time and look around. I picked up a kit that had a Strat, an amp along with a book and a learning CD.

When I got home that weekend, I picked up my little device that I had from year before that allows you to plug it into the guitar and wear headphones. You could also plug in your music and listen to that at the same time.

It started becoming a pain because I would no sooner get all wired up and there would be a knock at the door, or the phone would ring, or my Blackberry would start to chime. Being a District Manager and on the road seemed to mean I was on call 24/7.

The next time I was home, I dug out an old guitar that someone had given me year before when I was in the Navy and stationed at Wallops Island. I dusted it off, took it to the local music store and had them look it over. Then bought some steel strings, took it back home, strung it up, played for about ten minutes and thought the tips of my fingers were going to bleed.

I knew at that point that calluses needed to form but something just didn't seem right. Then I looked at the package and realized they were heavy gauge. The next day, it was time for another trip to the music store, this time for some thin gauged steel strings. You live and learn.




From then on, that old guitar and I were inseparable. After about three months or so, it was time to take it up a notch. I went back to the same music store time and time again to see what new guitars they had in stock. During my travels, every music store and pawn shop within a 50 mile radius or more would get a visit.

One day, I walked in to the same music store where the two sets of strings came from and sat in their acoustic room. Every guitar in that room was picked up and played. One in particular got played and put back, eventually played again and again. Finally the one that kept calling me was purchased. A Martin DX1R. Certainly not a top of the line Martin but a very good guitar indeed.

That was one year ago. That guitar has been played regularly and when I go on the road it goes with me. Sometimes as it was played, I had to wonder who was playing it. After awhile, I figured out that the guitar was possesed because that certainly wasn't me making it sound that good. Seriously, it sounds incredible. My freind dropped by one day. He has played for years but I never heard him play. He loved that guitar. Believe it or not, it has never been tuned by me since it was purchased one year ago. Even the instructor was amazed.

Anyhow, after our introductions to one another, and both of our goals were, he said, "Ok, let's hear something so I can evaluate your mechanics."

As for my instructor, we went over basic theory and he wants me to get back to the basics. One thing that was pointed out on my "mechanics" was the pick should be held a litte closer to the fingertips for more control. Mine was flappin' in the breeze. It was something learned from a learning DVD. Hold it closer with a litte tip exposed gives it a harder sound, a thinner pick extended give a softer sound. Either way, it's probably not intended to be out as far as it was.

Without a doubt, the person on the DVD was correct but my instructor showed me how to achieve that with less pick exposed. Hey, that's why I went to the guy... To LEARN! As he had me play, he noticed that the left thumb was not staying positions on the back of the neck but was slowly creeping up and around the top of the neck.

While this is fine in some instances, it's not fine for cleaner sound. The more the thumb rises, the more the fingers tend to flatten and you're not playing with the tips of the fingers... I knew this and it something that I've been working on.

It seems that getting an instructor was a good idea. There is a lot to learn. With time and patience, it could have all been learned thru my current method of reading books, surfing the web, watching DVD's but it can be difficult to get your questions answered.

What about the old acoustic? I turned that over to a young lady that works for me named Katie. She said to me one day, I want to be in an all girl band and I want to be a rock star. I told here that if she could play that guitar, she could play anything. It's been two months and Katie knows two chords. I think the world is going to have to wait a little while for Katie.

There are a few songs I'm working on. They are simple with only a few chords. The problem is, the guitar has to be on auto-pilot in order to be able to sing along with it. Sort of like tapping your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. It takes thought and coordination. The first time I tried to play and sing it was like a train wreck. Either the voice went with the same strumming and chord pattern or the other way around.

All three songs are from the same artist...