I picked up my first guitar about two or three years ago. Like I said in my other post, my brother influenced me to start. I'm not going to lie to you, it was torturous at first.
The dynamics were far too complex for my tiny brain to grasp. My fingers were too stubby to complete a bar chord and I had yet to form calluses on my fingers therefore the nylon guitar strings left painful cuts on my fingertips.
I remember staring at my brother and wondering how on earth someone could play with such ease. My strums were choppy, my wrist cramped every few seconds and I couldn't last five minutes without wanting to rip the guitar strings. Of course now, the thought of breaking my guitar strings sends frightening chills down my spine. I've had to change them far too many times and let me tell you, it sure is a hassle.
It took me about 3 months to get the hang of the dynamics. Tony, my guitar teacher, came to my house every Tuesday afternoon and dedicated his time and patience to improve techniques. I would get frustrated at myself because, once again, my brother was approximately four months ahead of me in his guitar playing. I envied him for having such natural, raw talent. I overcame that soon after, so him and I became even bigger music freaks.
Knowing how to play has enriched my hearing senses. When I listen to music, I'm not only listening to the voice and mash up of random instruments in the background. I pay attention to the texture, which in music language means what is going on in the song as far as melody and harmony. I take notice of how many instruments and/or voices are playing different things; it has my mind racing a million miles per second but it gives me a strange sense of ease add comfort.
My brother and I have transformed our living room into our personal music studio. It consists of electric drums, bongos, five guitars (one electric, one electric acoustic, two classical), a ukulele, a harmonica, and a piano. That room has now become our favorite, most comforting spot in the entire house. It's a place for our family and friends to connect and share this raw passion that radiates from us two as we play while the rich, melodic timber coming from the combination of strums fill our ears.
I am going to add one more quote to this post. I chose this particular one because the truth that lies within these few sentences is enough to prove that two people can share the same passion even if it is told or received in a different way.
"Let me explain something about guitar playing. Everyone's got their own character, and that's the thing that's amazed me about guitar playing since the day I first picked it up. Everyone's approach to what can come out of six strings is different from another person, but it's all valid." - Jimmy Page
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