IKnowALittle
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2014
- Messages
- 783
Gigged tonite as usual. Some woman liked me and kept buying me beer. Normally I don't indulge, just felt like it tonite. No "lucky", home alone, a little bit drunk.
Seems to be a lot of different skill levels on the forum. This may be totally pointless, but I thought it might be useful for the "vets" to recount instances in their learning curve that were transcendental, might help other guys.
This is going to be a bit of a story so bear with me (or not). I started playing guitar at 13. I have very few memories that are etched in my mind, but this is one. The first time I held a guitar, it just felt so right. IDK, it's never dissipated.I knew then that I was going to play and be the best that I could be. I also took piano lessons from age 8 to 16 to appease my mom. Never really liked it, but did ok. The first band I played in at 15, I mostly played keyboards and some guitar. I've been playin' for 30 years, thousands of hours and thousands of gigs. Even after all these years, every time I pick up the guitar I get that little rush, kinda "tingly."
Anyway, on to the revelation. Until I was 17 or so I played stuff. Was ok, but it was by rote, had no idea of the theory or the reason it worked. I knew barre chords and power chords but never really understood . My dad, who was a very accomplished guitarist tried to explain, but I just never clued in. Then one day in November 1987, close to my birthday, I suddenly "got it", a "lightbulb moment" and it became crystal clear. The revelation is very rudimentary but it changed everything for me.
I realized that barre chords were just moving up the neck and using your first finger as the nut. Suddenly, the fretboard made perfect sense and I understood the movement of chords, scales and the "blues box." Not to say there isn't anything else to learn ... always learning.
Very valuable.
Seems to be a lot of different skill levels on the forum. This may be totally pointless, but I thought it might be useful for the "vets" to recount instances in their learning curve that were transcendental, might help other guys.
This is going to be a bit of a story so bear with me (or not). I started playing guitar at 13. I have very few memories that are etched in my mind, but this is one. The first time I held a guitar, it just felt so right. IDK, it's never dissipated.I knew then that I was going to play and be the best that I could be. I also took piano lessons from age 8 to 16 to appease my mom. Never really liked it, but did ok. The first band I played in at 15, I mostly played keyboards and some guitar. I've been playin' for 30 years, thousands of hours and thousands of gigs. Even after all these years, every time I pick up the guitar I get that little rush, kinda "tingly."
Anyway, on to the revelation. Until I was 17 or so I played stuff. Was ok, but it was by rote, had no idea of the theory or the reason it worked. I knew barre chords and power chords but never really understood . My dad, who was a very accomplished guitarist tried to explain, but I just never clued in. Then one day in November 1987, close to my birthday, I suddenly "got it", a "lightbulb moment" and it became crystal clear. The revelation is very rudimentary but it changed everything for me.
I realized that barre chords were just moving up the neck and using your first finger as the nut. Suddenly, the fretboard made perfect sense and I understood the movement of chords, scales and the "blues box." Not to say there isn't anything else to learn ... always learning.
Very valuable.
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