Starting to Pick

[xtremlee]

no not my nose. I am ready to go back to work but my body wont let me. So I went and bought a guitar today. Always wanted to learn but never had the time. It also is giving me a arm workout.

 

[elphie]

Good for you Lee~
That's exactly what I did when I was in recovery. I kept a small pillow between the guitar and my chest. My fingers started hurting so bad that I forgot about all the other pain. lol... I've been trying to play for a while, but never had time to practice. Now that I'm back to work, I'm back where I started from. Oh well... Enjoy it while you can...

 

[MarkU]

I bought a used Martin guitar on Ebay a few months ago and picked up a teach-yourself book and demo CD. Good stress reliever in the evenings to practice my chords while watching TV. Biggest challenge was learning how to tune the darn thing. It took about a month or so to build up the callouses on my left hand.
I actually have learned a couple of easy songs - "Closer to Fine" and "Galileo" by the Indigo Girls. Trying to work on some Paul Simon stuff now.

MarkU

 

[hensylee]

when my son was 7 we said - music, choose piano or voice. He said guitar. We found a teacher (only one in town) and he took lessons for about a year or so every week. He grumbled about his fingers and the practice time but we wouldn't let him give it up. Til the teacher moved out of town. He kept his guitar and a few years later when he was in high school, he dragged it out, bought an adult size one, some speakers, drowned out the neighborhood. Thank goodness we lived in the country. He bought his own lessons later, also took classes in college, and played occasionally in a band. He's 37 now, has the extra bedroom in his home filled with his music stuff and plays every chance he gets, especially when he is stressed and wants down time. Guess it grows on you. Enjoy.

 

[Harpoon]

Playing an instrument can be VERY good for the soul, and for other souls around you as well (provided you don't sound like a dying cat!)


I play 'cello and electric bass. I wan't an upright (double) bass but they're kinda pricey and if I had the money I'd put it towards photography gear first.

I started 'cello before I started grade school. Stuck with it all my life. I picked up the bass in my senior year of high school. Started out playing other people's basses and bought one of my own in '92. Later that year (Halloween actually) I found myself playing in a classic rock band...

I wish I had more opportunity to play both outside of the house. I tinker once in a while with eithe instrument, but I love playing with other people. Been about 12 years since I've played with an orchestra.


I also have a digeridoo... You thought blowing on the spirometer was a workout.....



Oh yeah, I know enough to play a few basic tunes on a violin, a viola, a piano, and a few chords on a guitar, plus trumpet, clarinet, flute, drum set, jimbae... My music theory is CRAP though, I can only read bass (and a little) tenor clef and I can ONLY sight read on 'cello (and then, not very well.)

My mom was VERY musical and she pushed me hard. My brother too until he gave up on it. I think I had more talent (or at least an ear for it) than he did...

 

[Ross]

My son, Eddie Van Halen, started when he was............oopss. Wrong child. That's one instrument I've never learned to play.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Not excatly sure how old you are, Ross - Eddie's 47.

One of my regrets is that I didn't *really* learn an instrument in my younger days. I've tried to get momentum a couple of times in adult life, but eventually my dedication wanes..I tried to work on the guitar when I was in recovery, but I couldn't focus. I hope it really brings you some relaxation!

My wife is a seriously good pianist, and we have a little upright. Her playing really can set the mood of the whole house!

 

[Les]

Several months ago, Chris Crawford inquired how many of us played a musical instrument. I actively played drums for about 30 years. Played clarinet all through school. ( I loved Marching Band...) Logistics would be impossible, but I think it would be great if there could be a "VR" band. Could record a CD of all heart related tunes... There's a million of 'em.

 

[xtremlee]

we could use our valves to set the rythmn (tick tick tick)

 

[hensylee]

Billy plays piano, Rob was in a band. They were jammin in Tennessee at reunion a couple yrs ago. There are pix somewhere.

 

[Harpoon]

Oh yeah, we could all use our valves to keep time, only everyone would be out of sync with everyone else because our hearts are at different rates.

And then some numbskull would forget to take an anti-arrhythmic that morning before rehearsal and they'd be missing their cues all the time because their heart's skipping beats.


Yeah, real mess there....



I'm kind of amazed my brain doesn't try to keep time with the clicking of my valve when I play... Get some pretty interesting things going on in my head between keeping time for what I'm playing and following what my heart's doing, plus breathing (very important when you play an instrument, you'd die with out it.)



Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tock-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tock...

 

[Sherry]

Lee, good luck to you. When you're able to get out and about more easily, try to find some bluegrass festivals (if that style of music suits you). They're always willing to accept beginners. My step-dad's been doing this for a few years and developing his own confidence. We're now getting him to the point where he'll accompany my son (contest fiddler) on stage, as long as there's another guitarist up there with him. He also buys bluegrass cds and just strums along with them at night on his back porch. He says that's really helped him. I started banjo myself last September, had to drop in Feb when my class schedule got to be too much, and am starting back in two weeks. I was actually coming along pretty nicely which really surprised me.

 

[Karlynn]

Lee, way to go. In my music director position at church, I have the priviledge of playing and singing along side some incredible guitarists. I'm jealous because I can't play and I can't take my piano where ever I want and they can. You've given me food for thought that maybe, in secret , I could teach myself enough to do some song writing. Right now, I write at the piano, but don't do it often because it's not like sitting and fiddling with a guitar while relaxing on the couch.

There's a great tuner that my friends use, and I picked 3 up for my son and 2 nephews for Christmas. It runs about $50. It's the Onboard Tuner. You clamp it to the head of the guitar and both hands are free. It can be used in noisy rooms. My guitar experts swear by it.