Like so many young people and teenagers today, he had a burning desire to play the guitar. I was really fascinated with the instrument. I knew it from day one. My passion was guitar and music. I just had to express myself musically. However, I found out early that there was no easy way to learn guitar. I wasn’t too worried, for me it was a labor of love. I learned to play the guitar very fast.
Interestingly, there was only one string on that ramshackle old guitar. Undaunted, I played simple melodies on it. The ones he had learned in school. I would copy songs that I heard on television or on the radio. In my time (I guess I’m showing my age) there were no videos, CDs, DVDs, MP3s, I pods. Psp and Zune. Very few people even owned record players or records back in the day.
Can you believe he used to pick the tune to “Bonanza”, that old television western? Do we have a one-string guitar?
It was very difficult. We had to learn to “play by ear”. After listening to a melody on Radio. Then you tried to remember the melody line and the lyrics. Then you would have to search the entire fretboard of the guitar until you find the correct notes. This got even more difficult when I had all six strings. Especially when it comes to finding complete chords and chord progressions.
It was a tedious and frustrating experience, but I did it anyway. I was lucky to have a good ear for music and singing. He loved music with a passion.
There were a few other “downsides to deal with.” He learned to be very quick at assimilation. When a song was heard on the radio; you needed to be able to memorize most of an entire song. If you couldn’t hear the melody the first time, you had to wait a long time before the radio station played your second lesson. It was a skill that I developed because there was no other option. If there was an easy way to learn guitar, I certainly never knew it.
We had a new record player. My older sister liked listening to her cheesy love songs and she loved country music. I listened to his Marty Robbins records when he was safe out of the house, ha! I was also fortunate to have many talented people in my family. Many played and sang in bands. I had many relatives who played in the best bands. I have many options to choose from. My aunt and uncles were well aware of my great concern for the guitar. They took me to many concerts that they did. I was very young at the time.
As long as I keep quiet and don’t show myself. They allowed me to sit backstage on stage; behind the curtains. I watched the entire performance up close and personal. My uncle, who was the lead guitarist, would be halfway there playing a song. Without missing a note or a beat, he would come up to me and ask me if I was okay.
I was in guitar heaven. I watched him glide across the stage while still playing the guitar. He would sneak up to his microphone and join in singing with the other members of the band. This was as good as it appears in my book. I discovered that there was an easy way to learn to play the guitar. I lived it, breathed it and looked at my uncles, aunts; cousins and friends perform live on stage. It was the most inspiring learning environment ever for a budding lead guitarist.
Fast forward to the sixties; He had a brand new electric guitar and now he was playing quite a few Jimi Hendrix tunes, he also had a huge record collection to die for. I played successfully as lead guitarist and vocalist in many bands over the years, I lived my dreams. In the seventies I played Hendrix, Deep Purple, Steppenwolf, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Clapton, Santana, Felix Papalardi, Johnny Winter, Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, the early Fleetwood Mac, BB King, Ben E. King and all the good guitars. of blues. Player I could find.
I learned to read music and tablature along the way. I also did some teaching degrees. I became a Tutor. I taught performing arts and guitar lessons for several years. I also taught Audio – Technology. I immersed myself in the advances in music and technology. Musically, it has been a long journey for me. I still play guitar and Gig.
I know most of the advances made in music. I am up to date with the latest band equipment. I use most of the new technologies in audio and video. I am up to date with digital and computerized guitar sound effects. I like recording software and use music interfaces and programs to record guitar tracks and music on my PC.
Unlike my learning curve, today’s youth have many options in the advancement of music technology. You have an easy way to learn to play the guitar. You are blessed with every conceivable technology at your disposal. All you need to do is take action. Has DVD and video tutorials as learning aids. You have your own private Guitar Tutor online and at home.
You now have electronic tuning devices that ensure you never have trouble tuning your guitar. A perfect concert tone is guaranteed every time. You have exciting online games to teach boring music theory. You now have Digitech learn-a-lick. (or similar) This is a program that can capture a lead guitar phrasing section or some licks. You can reduce the speed of the musical phrase to the speed you want. You can learn the most difficult and complex main phrases, one note at a time.
This program also remains in the same key. An audiotape changes pitch as the music slows down. Slower audio tapes are played; the sound begins to fade and distort. Learning a lick can be slowed down to any slow speed with no change in key or quality. There are other softwares available that teach an easy way to learn to play the guitar. This program teaches each note on the guitar fret board in just 15 minutes. It’s quick, easy, and a lot of fun.
Last, and certainly not least, I have searched the internet. I have gone through almost every guitar course online to find a musician and teacher that doesn’t look like me. Who can offer you a cutting edge program in acoustic and electric guitar lessons? A good teacher well versed in easy tablature, who can show you a fast, fun, modern, new and easy way to learn to play the guitar.