How I Learned How To Play The Guitar After Giving Up In Disgust

I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and it was considered cool to play the guitar. I had a little training in music in elementary school where I had learned how to play the trumpet. I remember that the only reason I started the trumpet was because my daddy had run across an old beat up horn that a woman was selling for $10.

So, in my junior year of high school I set about to teach myself how to play a few chords so I could strum along with "Love, Love Me Do" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand". However, it never occurred to me that learning how to play the guitar might just be a little different than learning the trumpet.

Actually, what happened was that I gave up after about 2 weeks and threw the old guitar that my daddy had given me in the corner and in frustration declared "I don't see how anyone can play a guitar".

It's funny how I remember thinking those very words. I didn't know it then but my difficulty with learning how to play was because my guitar strings were about a half inch off the fret board and it was extremely difficult to mash the strings down. After about 1 week I was developing thick calluses on the tips of my fingers on my left hand.

My desire to play eventually overcame my initial frustration and I did go on to conquer the instrument to become quite proficient. Eventually I ended up attending the Berklee College of Music studying guitar.

If you have a desire to play the guitar my advice is to not give up, Eventually you'll succeed if you don't quit.

Steve McArthur

Suggested Guitar Instruction

---

Dance Musics Most Popular and Enduring Theme: The Declaration of Independence

It all started with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" in... Read More

Composing for Dummies

When most people hear the word composer, they automatically think... Read More

Why Do Music Lovers Still Prefer to Buy Records?

In the late 1940's, the 45-RPM record replaced the 78-RPM... Read More

Avoid These 3 Common Mistakes - When Improvising

Mistake #1 - Thinking about what you're going to playA... Read More

Piano Lessons - Group or Private?

Piano lessons are a great activity for children. They encourage... Read More

Guitar Tuning Tips

Most new guitar players and even some experienced ones have... Read More

Jazz Yatra

Jazz is arguably the most argumentative form of music (even... Read More

Reaching For The Soul Zone

Every searching artist wants to get there. It's that magical... Read More

Dierks Bentley Brings The Heat From Nashville To The North!

Dierks Bentley is more than meets the eye, but what... Read More

Creating Stark Atmospheres

One of the things New Age pianist George Winston is... Read More

Learning How To Improvise

Those of you who have been reading my articles for... Read More

Growing and Keeping Loyal Fan Support

Fan support for musicians is a two way street. You... Read More

Why You Cant Play Piano

It's really not your fault. You see, you've been taught... Read More

Copyright Basics for Songwriters

Should you copyright your song? If you're a songwriter, sooner... Read More

Establishing Your Mix

Now that you've spent hours and days and weeks and... Read More

Music Mini Course: Learn The Basics Of Reading Music On A Keyboard Instrument

Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More

Be Your Own DJ - Digital Audio Processing Tools Overview

SoundEdit Pro is a digital audio editor for a user-friendly... Read More

Rhapsody Music Downloads Part II - A pleasant experience?

Welcome back to Part II of Rhapsody Music Downloads! I... Read More

Jealous Again - Jealousy Among Musicians

Jealousy ? do you feel it? Do you sense it... Read More

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME - Eliminate Throat Tension

As a vocal coach, I hear it all the time.... Read More

How To Play Piano Using Chord Symbols

Chord symbols (for example, Fm7, Cmaj7 or G6) are a... Read More

When Does Practice Make Perfect? Not Much Of The Time Unless All The Pieces Fit First

Often people receive a banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar or some... Read More

Shopping For Your First Drum Set

Your first drum set purchase is very exciting! You have... Read More

Be An Organized Church Pianist

Playing in front of a congregation each Sunday is no... Read More

Five Steps to Protecting Your Music and Your Money

There are a lot of independent labels out there waiting... Read More

The Future for Independent Record Labels

Small independent record labels are facing a different fight today... Read More

How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click?

Interested in making money while you're asleep, or making money... Read More

How To Overcome The Lyric Writing Hurdles That Are Keeping You Behind

The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create... Read More

10 Top Reasons You Should Learn to Play Chord Piano

There are roughly umpteen zillion reasons why you should learn... Read More

Rabbitt Productions - Up & Coming Atlanta Producer

When you think of music in Atlanta you generally think... Read More

Form - Giving Shape to Your Music

Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More

Music Making as Spiritual Experience

If you've been playing piano for some time, you may... Read More

Bang on Your Drum All Day Long - Without Annoying Your Neighbors!

Bang! Bam! Bang! Have you always wanted to play the... Read More