Music Information

Why Play Guitar?


As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with people in all walks of life who, for all different kinds of reasons, believe that playing the guitar will add something to their lives. Most people that are just starting the guitar for the first time are young (pre-university) although certainly not all. One of my favorite students last year was a 65-year-old retiree who wanted to learn enough to be able to start a bar band with his friends.

There is no "one" reason to play the guitar. This instrument can bring joy to everyone regardless of their primary motivations for taking it up. There's no such thing as being too old or too musically inexperienced for the guitar either. Neither the Beatles or Jimi Hendrix could read music, and I think most would agree that they did all right without it.

Many guitarists will ask me, after their first lesson, how long it will take them to become good at the guitar. I've never been able to answer this question. No one can. Your success or failure in playing the guitar depends completely on the effort that you put into it. One of my favorite stories is about Eddie Van Halen: he would come home after school and pick up his guitar. He would sit at the edge of his bed and play until he had to go to sleep. Not once, not every once and a while: every day. Of course, most of us don't have the luxury of this much time to practice, but this story helps to illustrate that success isn't completely dependant on some inborn talent, but on hard work. There's no easy way into it. Please, whatever you do, don't take up the guitar if you are only going to practice the last hour before your lesson. You'll just annoy me and you'll never get any better.

Remember, if you go to an instructor or you take lessons online or from a book, what you learn is, for the most part, up to you. You're the one hiring the teacher and, although you're putting yourself under their direction, it's your responsibility to inform them as to where you want to go. Find a teacher who will help you succeed in the style of music that you want to go into.

So, why play the guitar? There isn't a day that I don't wake up and am glad that music is such a big part of my life. Music has brought me more happiness than almost anything else. When you accomplish something, the sense of success becomes real, whether you've recorded your first song, or finally learned to play all the chords to "Smoke on the Water". Playing music, like any other art form or skill, greatly enriches those who study it.

You can learn more about playing guitar at http://www.guitar-4u.com. You can find here lots of information for players from beginner to advanced, as well as tips about and links to online guitar lessons and other great player's resources!


MORE RESOURCES:

New Music Download Site - PositiveMusicandDownloads.com ...
MarketWatch - 3 hours ago
"Too often the industry has dictated what type of music we should be listening too. Artists who have a more positive message can't always get past music ...


Telegraph.co.uk

World's Greatest Artists Help Launch (RED)WIRE, (RED)(TM)'s New ...
MarketWatch - 14 hours ago
Every Wednesday, (RED)WIRE members receive an issue delivered to their desktop featuring exclusive music from the world's greatest artists. ...
(RED)WIRE Music Service Launches I4U
Music Stars Help Fight AIDS in Africa With New Digital Magazine ... Ecorazzi
Music service will help fight Aids The Press Association
Independent - Brand Republic
all 94 news articles


E! Online

Britney Spears: 2008 Was a "Hell of a Year"
Seattle Post Intelligencer - 32 minutes ago
Admitting that she "didn't know exactly where I stood with everyone," Spears says it was her big night at the Video Music Awards, where she picked up three ...
Britney Spears, "Circus" (Jive) [2 STARS] Chicago Sun-Times
New Spears effort is a gooey, glittery grab bag Baltimore Sun
Britney Spears Reflects On Her 'Crazy Year' TheImproper.com
Daily Cardinal - NECN
all 210 news articles


Universal Music Enterprises Partners Up With Amazon.com to Offer ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) is coming to the rescue of financially-strapped or simply unimaginative gift-givers this holiday season. ...


Monsters and Critics.com

Elvis Costello puts serious eye on music in Sundance Channel's ...
New York Daily News, NY - Nov 30, 2008
Music on TV goes only so far. You can see a short performance with no interview from the star (on late-night talk shows or “SNL”), hear a full concert that ...
Elvis Costello's new TV show 'Spectacle' offers different look at ... The Canadian Press
When TV Advances Music Hartford Courant
Is It a Talk Show if the Host Sings? New York Times
TheCelebrityCafe.com - United Press International
all 95 news articles


Download Shopper lets you compare prices on digital music
Macworld, CA - 9 minutes ago
In it, I mused: What with the recent proliferation in DRM-free music stores, I’m in the market for a good search engine that’ll scan them all and tell me ...


Music group alleges copyright violations at RI pub
Boston Herald, United States - 1 hour ago
By AP PROVIDENCE, RI - A Providence tavern is facing a federal lawsuit for allegedly not paying for songs played at the pub. ...


BBC News

Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Queen music enters Grammy Hall Of Fame
NME.com, UK - 1 hour ago
Music including Jimi Hendrix's rendition of 'The Star Spangled Banner', Queen's 1977 single 'We are the Champions/We Will Rock You' and The Police's 1983 ...
2009 GRAMMY Hall of Fame ® Inductees Announced as the GRAMMY ... Business Wire (press release)
Hendrix's Banner, Queen's anthem head for Grammy Hall of Fame CBC.ca
all 31 news articles


East Meets West With the Launch of The Melrose Collection by Fila
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
The Nina Sky sound embodies all genres of music and their edgy New York subculture. The Melrose launch is centered on a fully integrated marketing and ...


Yahoo! Reviews A Year in Search
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
In 2008, she made a comeback with a new album, three MTV Music Awards, a sitcom guest star role and documentary on her rise, fall and career comeback. ...

Music - Google News

home | site map
© 2006