I figure that it only takes one thing to learn how to play guitar (besides the guitar itself): persistence. So when the notion first came to me I put it out of my mind. Later, when my siblings were learning, I still delayed and put off buying the actual guitar. Persistence is not my strongest trait and I didn’t feel like an abandoned guitar reminding me of derelection of duty would add to my overall happiness.
I gave in to the urge and bought a guitar in late November 2008. Thus far I have continued to practice–not to say I have never missed a day or an entire week, since I have. I am at about the 20th page of a 133 page beginner’s book, to give you a sense of my accomplishment. I can play the regular notes in first position from the first to fourth string (G-F-E-D-C-B-A-G-F-E-D). I am just starting on my first chords.
I want to be able to play. Sometimes I really enjoy the little tunes I can pick out now. But practice is boring, and hard to get started on, and then hard to stick with.
Perhaps, if I note here the steps as I learn them, it will help me keep an appreciation for my progress. All you need is persistence (and a guitar).
Well, good for you for getting that far. I have no assumptions, myself, that any of us would be able to become good at any instrument, because I don’t think any of us kids have that much talent musically, unless perhaps one of the younger kids has un-discovered talent. Titi frowns upon me for saying that (that I don’t think any of us would become very good), because she thinks “how can you know before they’ve tried”, and that the reason we’re musically bad is that we’ve had no training throughout our lives. All of which is true, really, but I just don’t think we are that talented musically.
So I think each step you make is a good accomplishment. I know, great encouragement, right–“You/we suck so anything you manage to do is a great accomplishment”. But I’m just saying that since I never think of any of us as that musically proficient, whatever you or Rundy or Titi do learn to do seems that much more of a “feat” or “accomplishment” to me.