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  • Guitar

  • Profound wisdom only a guitarist can understand

Hi all. I stumbled accross a post on the official Fender Stratocaster forum about a guy wanting to sell his guitars because his wife was not happy with his hobby. One of the forum members posted the following reply:

"Persons never trained in music will never understand the discipline and the passion for it. They will never appreciate the need to play a phrase over, and over, and over again until it is mastered. They will never understand the emotion that is reflected in what has been referred to as a "guitar face''....that bent note that comes from your soul, driven outward and upward, starting in your feet and ultimately smashing forth through the top of your head. They will never understand how we can exorcise our demons through it, how it saves our souls and brings us peace.

Easier to describe light to the blind, sound to the deaf, and speech to the dumb.

Those who cannot share that with you, cannot possible share your life."

I have no intention of bashing our better halves, but merely wanted to share this amaizing piece of wisdom from an unknown somebody halfway accross the globe. After all the technical discussions I have read here in the past week I thought it appropriate to maybe share something that has brought all of us together in the first place as shared by this somebody - a passion for guitars and the feelings it evoke in all of us. KEEP PLAYING.
    You are so right man, especially the summary at the end.
    My better half really loves music and therefore supports me no end. But she still cant understand that guitar face! ?
      Thats an awesome post. Was trying to explain to someone last night why john mayer pulls those 'wierd faces' while i was watching the DVD. But they didnt get it haha.
      Was really nice to read this now ?
        That is so true..*sniff*

        If only my better half could understand my GAS... :'(
          that is so true , and a problem i think that has split up many a band / marriage which ever lost the battle . on the other hand my wife does think my guitar face is hilaours cause it normally involves my tongue sticking out to the side .
            I also do the tongue thing.
            My Wife can't understand my guitar side, it's very difficult. But she does cut me some slack now and again.
            I at least passed on the passion to my brother and 2 sons.
              Very well put, the man deserves a medal, or better yet, a free strat ?

              I agree, the emotion that goes into playing music of any kind is not something you can explain to a non muso methinks, it is just to awesome for normal folks ?
                I told my wife last week that I need a new amp. So I've been looking for some cheaper amps. But I really want a valve amp (expensive). So, I got some prices and told her some of the pros and cons of valve vs non-valve, her advise was to save up another month and get the valve amp I really want... That is being blessed. ?

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                  The funny body movements always get comments (like pulling up your shoulder when do hold a bend), long hours spent in the studio trying to get that perfect take (never got past that, and cost me a relationship)

                  And when talking to fellow muso's the better half cant seem to understand when we start to speak in Acronyms.. eg. 'did you see Mikes AC30, well honestly without the DS-2 and the DD-8 he has no tone!' my studio talk is even worse.. my U87 goes into the LA2A, but my RED cant handle that much, so I have to in PT use a BF76 to even out, and might I add that the C/24 has very bad pre amps, clips at -14.' etc..
                    CDee wrote: I told my wife last week that I need a new amp. So I've been looking for some cheaper amps. But I really want a valve amp (expensive). So, I got some prices and told her some of the pros and cons of valve vs non-valve, her advise was to save up another month and get the valve amp I really want... That is being blessed. ?
                    Haha, thats awesome. Thought that story was going to end with a comment like 'why you spending so much money on equipment? An Amp is an Amp, try find a cheaper one' ?
                      awesome post-got goosebumps when i read it!when i started to play guitar,i just spoke bout it all the time-but for the love and njoyment and admiration i had for other players.the technical stuff they did,i'd b like 'holy shit' did u c that-but for the unfortunate 'normal' ppl they could never understand what i was smoking.think the worst combo is a drunk high on guitar individual trying to explain that joy to ppl who dont understand.early days...now i choose my 'victims' better hehe!i've got a wah mouth!
                        +1. That's really well put.

                        I found a number of really great (IMHO anyway) guitar related quotes on http://www.music4classicalguitar.com/. Squizz through these - some really nice ones: 8)

                        “Sometimes when I play the guitar, I feel like I am dancing with God. And although I step on her toes from time to time, she is content to let me lead.”
                        -Anonymous

                        “All the worst things happen in the best works, and the worst music appears to be all streaked through with the most luscious bits”
                        - Bernard Van Dieren

                        “(I was) my own teacher and pupil, and thanks to the efforts of both, they were not discontented with each other.”
                        - Andres Segovia

                        “The guitar is a wonderful instrument which is understood by few.”
                        - Franz Schubert

                        “The [guitar is the] instrument most complete and richest in its harmonic and polyphonic possibilities.”
                        - Manuel de Falla

                        “I love the guitar for its harmony; it is my constant companion in all my travels.”
                        - Nicolo Paganini

                        “If I don’t practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it.”
                        - Jascha Heifetz

                        “Yes, we three were so happy, my wife, my guitar and me!”
                        - Big Bill Broonzy

                        “A guitar has moonlight in it.”
                        - James M. Cain

                        “My guitar, I sing of thee
                        ‘Tis with thee that I decoy
                        And ensnare enchantingly
                        the ladies I enjoy.”
                        - Pierre de Ronsard

                        “Take but degree away, untune that string, and hark, what discord follows!”
                        - William Shakespeare

                        “It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction, entertainment, or acquisition of ‘culture’.”
                        - John Cage

                        The harmonious efforts which our guitarists produce unconsciously represent one of the marvels of natural art.”
                        - Manuel de Falla

                        “Never having thought of writing for the guitar, I asked Julian Bream for a chart which would explain what the guitar could do. I managed to write some rather pretty pieces for him, except that the first six notes of the first piece all need to be played on open strings. So when he begins to play the audience will probably think he’s tuning the bloody thing up!”
                        - William Walton

                        “Guitarists spend half their time tuning and the other half playing out of tune.”
                        - unknown

                        “The guitar… is like a lady, but one to whom the saying “look at me but do not touch me” does not apply; and its rose is quite different from a real rose, since it will not wither however much it is touched with the hands, and moreover, if it is plucked by the hands of a skilled master, it will produce in them ever- new bouquets which delight the ear with their sonorous fragrances.”
                        - Gaspar Sanz

                        AND NOW:

                        “Electric guitars are an abomination, whoever heard of an electric violin? An electric cello? Or for that matter an electric singer?”
                        - Andres Segovia

                        BUT HOW ABOUT:

                        “The turning point in the history of western civilization was reached with the invention of the electric guitar.”
                        - Lene Sinclair

                        AND FINALLY:

                        Completely off-topic, but I was just listening to some Costello and picked up this line for the first time. I seriously LOL'ed quite a bit:

                        I said I'm so happy I could die
                        She said drop dead then left with another guy                         ?

                        - Elvis Costello - The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes
                          Excellent stuff! I'm gonna re-quote that guy on my blog now! I think he managed to put into words what most of us struggle to put into thoughts, let alone explain to others.

                          However, I can't complain too much about my wifey. She does let me get away with a lot ? Just not enough, by my standard ?
                            Quinus you wally, This embarrassed me hugely in the office ?
                            Teach me to connect to sites with my speakers turned up full volume