What motivated you to take up guitar?

[sparquelito]

We have had lots of discussion over the years regarding our early guitars.

 

'What brand was our first guitar?', or 'What was the first song we learned to play?' even.

 

Here's a new question;

 

What motivated you to take up the guitar in the first place?

 

Was it to emulate your rock and roll heroes?

To become famous and revered?

To attract the opposite sex?

 

Speaking strictly for myself, I picked up a guitar for the first time because it just felt right.

 

I was always a big fan of pop and rock music, and I listened to a lot of country music growing up in the 1960's, mainly because my dad had it blaring from the stereo speakers at home.

 

My first venture with an acoustic guitar wasn't very successful, mainly because I was a small kid, and the high action on that cheap Sears guitar always defeated me. But by the time I was a teenager, I really wanted to make music, and so acquiring a decent guitar was the natural avenue for me.

 

I never imagined that I would become any good at it, and many would argue that I'm STILL not very good at it, but it has always brought me a lot of pleasure.

 

Playing in a performing band with my brother and best friends is just a bonus, I guess.

 

I guess it all boils down to good times with good people.

A guitar attracts that somehow!

:)

 

 

[cody78]

Think I may have told the guys on the forum before about my first motivation to take up guitar. I was about 7 years old and was watching a TV programme called the ITV Chart Show. All of sudden Guns N Roses came on doing their version of Live & Let Die and it instantly grabbed my attention. I was mesmerised by the guitar and had never heard anything like Slash's playing. I soon took up classical guitar lessons at school, but wasn't impressed as they taught Mary Had A Little Lamb and Twinkle Twinkle. Still, I kept going for about a year, but worked on tunes myself too. My first guitar was my sisters BM Classical that most schools used at the time and recommended. When I was 11 I took up electric guitar lessons at high school and a year later got my first electric (inspired by Slash) which was a honeyburst Epiphone LP 100. Both guitars I still have as I never trade instruments! Never been many days that I haven't played since then and even studied music for a total of 7 years (school, then college, then uni).

[JayinLA]

I think it was the sound. I remember hearing Jimi and Jimmy and the sounds. It just stirred some juices in my head that I can't explain. Then I became aware of some of the current music of my generation with Guns N Roses and Metallica. This was just re-enforcement to me that guitar-music was the best. I dove deep into it. My dad had an old Fender acoustic guitar in the closet. We strung it up one day and I started goofing with it. He showed me some chords, and bought me a chord chart. Pretty soon I could strum some stuff and really started getting into guitar, and guitar music.

 

I saved enough money and made a deal with my dad that due to my grades going back up that we went 50/50 on an electric guitar. We got a T.V. Yellow Mexican Made Tele at a pawnshop. Along with a Peavey 1x12 combo and a Led Zeppelin song book. It was done. I had fully transformed.

 

When I moved out on my own, I lived in Height Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco. At the time, Steve Vai was hanging out there alot. This must have been the Summer of '98. He had a beach-cruiser bycicle that he would cruise around Golden Gate Park and up and down Height St. I finally got the balls to approach him. We played acoustic guitar in the park several times. I learned that there are other scales than the major and minor pentetonic, and the different modes, lydian and such. Jamming with "Stevie I" as I called him gave me the confidence to play and keep playing. Still am.

[Notes_Norton]

I started as a drummer, and then took up sax - which is still my main axe. Sat first in the all-state band every year I was eligible, and joined rock bands. There I was on the stage, playing music with my friends, making a few bucks, and that girl who wouldn't acknowledge my existence in English class was suddenly 'making eyes' at me.

 

But not every songwriter has the good sense to put a sax part in every song. So at first the bass player showed me some lines to play in songs while he picked up a guitar so we could have a lead/rhythm/bass/drum combo on those songs.

 

Then the lead guitarist showed me some barre chords and I ended up playing rhythm on those songs. And that's where ti ended for decades. In the meantime I learned flute, wind synthesizer, keyboards, and computer skills like making my own backing tracks and writing styles for Band-in-a-Box. I even played bass for a while when saxes were out of favor in pop music.

 

Then a few years ago I decided to pick up the guitar seriously, learn my scales, learn to read, and learn to play lead.

 

Why?

 

I've always liked guitar and enjoyed what little I could play (still could play those barre chords - M, m, Maj7, m7, 7, aug, dim, 9, and some 13s) and figured it would be a challenge and rewarding. So with no expectations of being a Jeff Beck on guitar in a year, I sat down and started practicing. The basics came easily, after all I brought music theory from decades of sax/flute/synth and I had a working knowledge of the bass fretboard.

 

Self-evaluation - I'm a decent guitarist for the limited styles of music that I play, mostly rock, blues, country. Most other serious guitarists could definitely shred me off the map, but on stage I do what I do well, and don't show the public what I don't do well. I'm still learning and improving, and I have a good sense of melody so that helps.

 

So I can't say I learned guitar because I wanted to pick up chicks (sax and vocals already can do that), work as a pro musician (I've done that for decades), or I can't say I was influenced by any particular guitarist (Jeff Beck's technique blows me away, Santana and Clapton's melodic concepts delight me, but then Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, and a host of other jazzers are cool too).

 

Each instrument expresses itself in a different way. Sax and keyboard synth are miles apart, and require very different mental states and physical challenges to play. And it's fun to express myself in those different ways. You don't play the instrument, you let it play you (what you play is dictated by the instrument's strengths and limitations). So I guess I wanted the guitar to play me, and I have fun doing things on the guitar that are either impossible or difficult on my other instruments.

 

I just love making music, and if I ever get accomplished on guitar, I'll probably pick up something else.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[charlie brown]

First Motivation? Short answer...probably "The Ventures!" Just the sound of those twangy guitars. My first attempts,

were painful, and frustrating, as my first "guitar" was a ten dollar "Truetone" (Stella) by Western Auto! Exactly like

this one, only WITH strings! LOL

 

The action was very high, no "adjustable" truss rod...I think it did have a steel rod, for reinforcement,

but wherever the neck was, it stayed! I later got a "Harmony" acoustic, which was MUCH better,

action wise, and sound wise, as well.

 

 

So, that was encouraging! Then, a friend told me of another fellow that had a "Harmony" (Bobcat)

electric guitar. When I got to play that one, I was amazed at the sound it made, and the "low action" ease of play. So, I had to get an

electric! There was NO chance, saving money from a paper route, or any of the other menial jobs most 13 year old's have, to get a good

electric guitar. But, my Mom was sufficiently impressed with my "Stick to it" attitude, and motivation, that she surprised me, by taking

me to Wichita (Ks), to buy me my first ever "electric" guitar...my old 1964 Fender Stratocaster. I still have it, as most of the long time

members here, know...it's been posted several times. But, here it is, again:

 

By this time, I was into "The Kingsmen," of "Louie Louie" fame, and some of "The Ventures" stuff, still.

We had a little band, comprised of 4 of my classmates, and our drummer was pretty decent. He could play

"Wipe Out," exactly like the record. In fact, at the time, he was the best of us, musically. But, we stuck

with it, learned a lot of songs, of the time, and had a BLAST!! The "getting chicks" factor was never a

motivation, at first, but it certainly didn't hurt, in keeping our "incentive" alive. (Grin)

 

THEN, of course, came "The Beatles!" That was it! THAT's what finally made us get a lot more serious,

about playing "Rock & Roll," and actually getting paying gigs, outside the "comfort zone" of our own

town, and school. First "out of town" gig, was at a neighboring town's school's "Prom" night. That

went very well, both financially (for the time), and recognition wise. Spent the next 3 years, of

High School, and 3 years of College, playing music!

 

Then, for some odd reason, at about the time that "Disco" hit, I lost most of my incentive, to continue.

Sold all my gear, bought Nikon and Hasselblad cameras, and made a decent living as a photographer!

 

Got the "bug," to play again (after a 30 year hiatus), sitting in a movie theater, in Glendale, California, where

I was living at the time, watching "Almost Famous!" There is a scene, inside the bus, with "The Allman Brother's"

cover of the song "One Way Out," which was like a "light switch," for me. I went out, the next day, looking for

a Les Paul (found my "Classic" about a week later). I've never looked back, since. Now, I'm amazed, and a bit

saddened, that I didn't continue to play, all those years ago. But, that's "hindsight," and you know what they

say about that!

 

Cheers,

CB

[4Hayden]

Beatles & Girls

[rocketman]

My uncle gave my brother and me a Takamine acoustic. My parents knew that a guitar teacher lived four doors down from us, so we started taking lessons from him. He's a very versatile player, who actually toured with Donny and Marie. We already had the theory down from playing piano, so we had a pretty good start. About a year later my aunt and uncle bought us each our Sonex guitars. My cousin owned a restaurant in Canada, and Neil Peart's brother-in-law would stop in every day. He gave him a copy of Moving Pictures, and my cousin then gave it to us. We were hooked!! I studied every note of that album. The rest is history.

[Rabs]

Hmmm, well at first it was my mum.. She made me learn guitar when I started secondary school (11 years old)... I didn't really want too at the time and indeed stopped learning after a year or so...

 

Then when I was about 14/15 I really started getting into music and very much into rock... And yes, wanting to be able to play like they did is what made me come back, and I was lucky cos of that early experience it was that much easier for me to get in to it. And that music involved Angus, Jimi, Jimmy and Slash.. So they made me want to play (not that after all these years I can play anything like any of them :unsure: )

 

I can still however play Greensleeves which was one of the first proper tunes I ever learned and always stayed with me :) (no I don't count twinkle twinkle little star as a proper tune )

[Retired]

I was a teen, and the Ventures were an inspiration, listened to all their albums. Loved that, as Charlie Brown says, Twangy sound. I wanted a Gibson but couldn't afford one so I bought a Silver Metalic solid body Gretch. My cousin was in a band at that time and taught me to play. I learned some of the Ventures songs. Fred couldn't read music so he showed me how to play by ear off of albums. That time the Monkees and Partridge Family aired and I watched those shows. Wasn't into the Beatles until Seargent Peppers album came out. Fred went to Vietnam and another cousin took over with my lessons. He showed me how to read music. I added around 16 - 18 guitars a banjo and a steel guitar to my collection. Then married at 26. We had a small 2 bedroom house and no room for all my guitars. Slowly, everything was sold off and I quit playing until I retired and picked it up again. Now we have a big house, two lots and I forgot how to read music, so I learned guitar tabs and signed up to Guitar Tricks. It's a very good site, that goes through the basics, how to hold a pick, chords, string bends, strumming, finger picking, on and on. And hundreds of songs. The Beatles are probably the easiest for me but I want to learn Blues. That's my next goal.Rabs, Greensleeves stuck with you, House of the Rising Sun always stuck with me, that was my first! Ha ha. Probably the one song I play very well.

[Retired]

must be the -25 degree wind chill and -4 degree temperature. The computer is extremely slow downloading and double posted.

[fromnabulax]

 

'Nuff said...

[Kenny V]

The Beatles and the whole British invasion hooked me to start playing.

[pippy]

Well, you'll just have to argue your case with Mozart, Rabs..........lol!

 

" "!Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" is a popular children's song in France which has had numerous lyrics on different themes since its composition in the 18th century.

The song was popularized in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."

Pip.

[Rabs]

Well, you'll just have to argue your case with Mozart, Rabs..........lol!

 

" "!Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" is a popular children's song in France which has had numerous lyrics on different themes since its composition in the 18th century.

The song was popularized in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."

Pip.

Lol.. yes well of course I was just kidding.. I think that's a standard first song for kids to learn cos most are familiar with the simple melody (well very simple the way I played it anyway :))...

 

By the time I learned Greensleeves it was proper finger picking style doing the bass notes with the thumb and actually reading the music and all of that jazz :P so I always consider that the first proper tune I learned...

[the dog]

The way a good guitar part would move me.....When I first heard (you really got me) from the Kinks...and stuff like that.....I wanted to make sounds like that.....It just took me 45 years to do it.....but I'm doin it....

[merciful-evans]

Originally the Beatles, the Searchers, The Kinks, when I was pre-teen.

 

Later in my teens, it was Andres Segovia, seeing this elderly gent on black & white TV somehow sounding like a whole orchestra of guitars. Of course it was also Jimi, Mick Abrahams (Blodwyn Pig) Dave Gilmour and Rory Gallagher.

 

I still hadn't taken up guitar at this time. I was still at school. I couldnt afford a guitar. When I got my first job at 16, I spent my first months wages on a GUITAR.

[rct]

 

rct

[splake]

George Harrison / BOB Dylan

[Dennis G]

It was 1961, and on a whim, a few of us went to a Kingston Trio concert. I was 15 About 20 minutes into their show it dawned on me that "these guys aren't working, they're having fun!". Two weeks later I was taking lessons and two years later I was playing in a band, and yes, I was having fun!

 

Ny first guitar was a Gibby LG-0, which became the down payment for my first electric, which became the down payment for my next electric, which became...well, you get the drift. Wish I still had that old guitar.

[saturn]

I've answered this question several times over the years on this forum. I answer it basically the same with a few more or less details each time.

 

The very earliest thing to make me interested in guitar was KISS and Ace Frehley. A little later I heard "Sultans Of Swing" and loved the sound of guitar in that song. A little later still I got Van Halen II album and could tell that there was something different and special about the guitar playing of Eddie than anything else I had heard til then. These all planted the seeds of interest.

 

But it still wasn't until about 3 years later ( 1983ish) that I finally decided to seriously pursue getting a guitar and learning to play. A few of friends and I all started making plans to get a guitar. There was a mall within walking distance of our neighborhood and in it was a store called simply The Music House. It sold records, tapes etc. and also had instruments. Mainly drums and guitars. There was one wall lined with guitars and it had a little iron fence about 3 feet high to keep anyone from touching the guitars without asking for assistance from the staff. I never had the nerve to ask to pick anything up. But there was this natural wood blonde guitar that I was in love with and would stare at every time I was there. At the time I didn't even know what a Stratocaster was. Eventually my friends and I did end up getting guitars. I ended up with a no-name Les Paul copy, but my good friend's dad ended up buying him THAT Strat that I loved so much at The Music House. All these years later, we are still friends and I actually work for him in a machine shop that was started by his father. He still owns that Strat and I still play it some times.

I borrowed it a few years ago for a gig.

 

Well my LP copy is long gone. But from the time I had a guitar and took a few lessons, I've been playing ever since. I've never been one of those guys who practices hours a day or even every day. But I have never given it up even after adulthood, kids, jobs etc.

[saturn]

I've answered this question several times over the years on this forum. I answer it basically the same with a few more or less details each time.

 

The very earliest thing to make me interested in guitar was KISS and Ace Frehley. A little later I heard "Sultans Of Swing" and loved the sound of guitar in that song. A little later still I got Van Halen II album and could tell that there was something different and special about the guitar playing of Eddie than anything else I had heard til then. These all planted the seeds of interest.

 

But it still wasn't until about 3 years later ( 1983ish) that I finally decided to seriously pursue getting a guitar and learning to play. A few of friends and I all started making plans to get a guitar. There was a mall within walking distance of our neighborhood and in it was a store called simply The Music House. It sold records, tapes etc. and also had instruments. Mainly drums and guitars. There was one wall lined with guitars and it had a little iron fence about 3 feet high to keep anyone from touching the guitars without asking for assistance from the staff. I never had the nerve to ask to pick anything up. But there was this natural wood blonde guitar that I was in love with and would stare at every time I was there. At the time I didn't even know what a Stratocaster was. Eventually my friends and I did end up getting guitars. I ended up with a no-name Les Paul copy, but my good friend's dad ended up buying him THAT Strat that I loved so much at The Music House. All these years later, we are still friends and I actually work for him in a machine shop that was started by his father. He still owns that Strat and I still play it some times.

I borrowed it a few years ago for a gig.

 

Well my LP copy is long gone. But from the time I had a guitar and took a few lessons, I've been playing ever since. I've never been one of those guys who practices hours a day or even every day. But I have never given it up even after adulthood, kids, jobs etc.

[cody78]

When I moved out on my own, I lived in Height Ashbury neighborhood in San Francisco. At the time, Steve Vai was hanging out there alot. This must have been the Summer of '98. He had a beach-cruiser bycicle that he would cruise around Golden Gate Park and up and down Height St. I finally got the balls to approach him. We played acoustic guitar in the park several times. I learned that there are other scales than the major and minor pentetonic, and the different modes, lydian and such. Jamming with "Stevie I" as I called him gave me the confidence to play and keep playing. Still am.

 

Now that is a fantastic story Hanging out jamming with Vai in one of the coolest cities in the world. I bet that was a lot of fun and an excellent memory to have.

[JayinLA]

Now that is a fantastic story Hanging out jamming with Vai in one of the coolest cities in the world. I bet that was a lot of fun and an excellent memory to have.

 

No doubt man. I'm not really a name dropper, but as to this topic it's soooo important, because Steve's practice routine is so fircken intense, nobody ever really tought me how to practice before, and Steve would see how I was coming along, and really gave me the drive to continue.

 

I actually quit my job and played guitar on the corner of Height and Ashbury with an open guitar case for about a year and a half. I would make $250+ on a good day. I met so many musicians and got involved with a bunch of cool projects right from the get-go, basically being a street kid in San Francisco. At that time, when the Bay Area Music Scene in the 90's was crazy. From Berekely and Gilmore St (West Coast CBGB) to right there in SF, there was always a show, or gig or something that kept me movin ahead.

[Vinlander]

Have been surrounded by music since my birth; my dad was a semi-pro guitar player and my mom singing in a pop band playing weddings, dance clubs and other social meeting places to make both ends meet.

My dad played and praised Gibson instruments, it might have had a huge influence on me...

[kidblast]

Oddly enough, even though it was this was around 1965ish when got my first guitar at the age of 8 it wasn't the Beatles.

 

I started playing sax in I guess it was 3rd or 4th grade. the music teacher was a miserable old bastid that shouldn't have even been around kids, never mind teaching them. I would practice for hours, and I'd get up to play what I'd practiced, get nervous, and muff a note, and he'd yell at me to "sit down and don't waste my time till you practice..."

"well,, Maybe this music thing isn't for me.."

 

My dad was a big Glenn Campbell fan, it was probably watching the Glenn Campbell show on TV that was 1st the spark. That guy could burn, and so didn't everyone he had show up as a guest. Glenn, Jerry Reid, Roy Clark, watching those guys, was amazing.

 

So I asked for a guitar, started taking lessons, my interest went on and off. A few years later, I learned about this dude called Jimi Hendrix, and found a new teacher that wasn't born in the late 1800s. Soon after, got my first "real" guitar, a 69 or 70 blonde telecaster that I got new from the music store in town where I took lessons, (maybe paid about $150 bucks for, took forever to get the money.)

 

At that point, there was no looking back. How my parents put up with the noise that was about to be part of every day for them, I'll never know.