Strings attached...

TheFourthDimension

Hey there everyone who reads the newbie posts ?

Name's Brian, I always wanted to be a rock star but I can't play and chicks wouldn't care anyway. So I got a dog and now, decades later, I bought a Yamaha classical/acoustic/finger/nylon guitar from MusicMate in Fourways and I'm taking lessons with Bruce there.

I've learned some classical finger picking, waltzes and the like, and it blows my mind that I can actually play that stuff and make it sound vaguely like a tune. Poor Bruce tried teaching me chords but I told him only w@nk3rs strum - so now I have some extra sessions with the shrink. And I'm learning chords anyway. Nobody's ever accused me of being intelligent. Go figure.

I'm also learning some blues picking and blues chords. The theory stuff defies me just like it did back in school so no surprises there but I find it amazing how mathematical music is and yet some people make it with such feeling. For example, those absolute bastids, Rodrigo y Gabriela. I want them murdered and their hands delivered to me in a box. Especially Gabriela's right hand. It breaks my heart to know I'll never play as well as either of them.

I hope to add to my collection of guitars (if you can call one inexpensive guitar a collection) over the years - and I'm flippin' desperate for an electric right now so I can play Rock Smith on my Xbox but there's no point buying a CortEpiIbanezFenderStratUSA-humdingerwhizzbang for 20 grand and someone says: "Play a tune," and I have to say: "No, I couldn't. Really, I have no idea how." Besides, that's more than my car is worth and I have no idea where to change a guitar's oil yet.

I've been at it for three and a half months so far and I love it. Hopefully something starts to sink in soon and my fingers learn they were made for more than spooning Gino Ginelli into my mouth along with kilometres worth of boerie rolls and tilting in a few beers to wash the whole lot down.

Have a nice day. ?

aja

Welcome!

Cool story, enjoyed reading that. Do not limit yourself by thinking you will never be as great as *insert legend*. Just be yourself and you could be better than anyone else.

Codex7

Welcome!!

I am also relatively new here and to guitar in general. Been playing acoustic as well and learning a few things. Still pretty useless unfortunately, but getting there slowly but surely.

I got my first electric yesterday - and an amp. I am extremely excited!!! Will give more details and pictures tomorrow hopefully in a NGD thread.

Here's to hoping I can start sounding like something soon - good luck, us newbies must support each other and NEVER GIVE UP!!! ?

Sean

You not by any chance related to Ray? ?
Welcome!

Bob-Dubery

My skills and inclinations lean more towards finger picking, but I think that if you want to play sort of punchier, up temp stuff then you need to strum or - better still - hybrid pick. So I've been strumming up a storm of late (also I have an RSI that seems to flair up with fingerstyle playing more than with plectrum playing).

Chords are great. You start to learn a lot about the way music hangs together as you learn chords and how they relate to each other.

domhatch

howdy. keep writing like that and you'll fit right in. keep at the guitar thing and pretty soon it all starts to make sense. promise.

well, most of it, anyway. g'luck!
dh|

RobbieZ

TheFourthDimension wrote: ...I find it amazing how mathematical music is and yet some people make it with such feeling...

Welcome.
Mathamatics is creativity itself. Okay, that is the engineering background talking ?.
Keep on practicing and remember keep on having fun!

Squonk

TheFourthDimension wrote: For example, those absolute bastids, Rodrigo y Gabriela. I want them murdered and their hands delivered to me in a box. Especially Gabriela's right hand. It breaks my heart to know I'll never play as well as either of them

Don't sell yourself short. If you buy RyG's first Album, there is a DVD where Gabriela gives a right hand lesson for the song 'Tamacun' and she mentions a whole bunch of times in that Mexican accent " Practice, Practice, Practice " Not out of your reach

The guitar is an amazing thing and there is no limit to what you can learn at any age!

My story is similar, except I didn't buy a dog, I bought a Yamaha classical/acoustic/finger/nylon guitar and learned all the basics( House of the Rising Sun and Locomotive Breath! ?) and then stagnated for about 20 years, I was even roped into the Church Worship Team and I learned a couple of extra chords! Some years I didn't play at all but then at about the age of 46 I stumbled upon GFSA and that initial PASSION was reignited and I went from playing along with the "TV" to attempting open mic sessions and finally realizing my teenage dream of performing live at the age of 47!

There is a whole world of Guitar waiting for you. Some parts might seem out of reach right now but it's amazing how you CAN surpass those parts without even realizing it. So keep your own right hand ?

Shibbibilybob

My story is similar in that I had a dog, and started my guitar playing with lessons from Bruce Hyland himself.
What champion!

TheFourthDimension

Thank you all for the warm welcome! And the words of encouragement. It amazes me how many people have taught themselves to play - I take my hat off to all of you. I would take more off if it wouldn't cause permanent retinal damage. ?

Without Bruce I would have a pile of splinters held together by nylon. My weekly lessons inspire me anew, especially when he twangs off something with the greatest of ease that I've laboured over all week - and his actually sounds awesome.

I'm hanging in there and with the chords I'm beginning to see the way everything works - just beginning. It's awesome. I can't wait to be able to make my own songs. That's my goal. And I don't care if they're rubbish. My dog loves me (probably because she can't choose her owner) and she's deaf so I've always got a rapt audience.

Thank you again, everyone, it's much appreciated.

TheFourthDimension

Codex7 wrote: Welcome!!

I am also relatively new here and to guitar in general. Been playing acoustic as well and learning a few things. Still pretty useless unfortunately, but getting there slowly but surely.

I got my first electric yesterday - and an amp. I am extremely excited!!! Will give more details and pictures tomorrow hopefully in a NGD thread.

Here's to hoping I can start sounding like something soon - good luck, us newbies must support each other and NEVER GIVE UP!!! ?

Nice! Congratulations on the new gear! I'd love to hear a phone-recorded upload of your test runs with the new kit. Is that even possible? Still, one of these days soon I'll have my electric and join you in the throes of ecstasy! Er, that probably reads a lot worse than I intended...dammit.