Hey all! I'm new on the forum but have been getting lessons from guitarnoise for about 7 months now. I don't know if my situation is that unique, but I do feel like there are'nt that many of us.
I'm a 27 yr old engineer (yep!) and have always loved all kinds of music. However I grew up in an environment without any real close musial influences or really anyone who could play an instrument. I think I was kinda taught not to dwell on music cos it didn't bring home the bacon. So I grew up an avid listener and music lover, but never really saw myself participating.
So here I am now, with a different outlook based on my experiences, moving to the States etc, and I've finally dared to explore this musical world i've always admired from afar. I always loved the sound of the guitar, from mellow Tracy Chapman folk songs to Jimmy Hendrix, Pink Floyd (love the way Gilmour makes every note work hard and sound great), Clapton, BB king, reggae/skat sounds, Dylan and on and on and on - so the guitar was pretty much a no brainer.
Last August I picked up a used 1979 Aria 9502 acoustic guitar (pretty cheap), found guitarnoise (and a few other good sites) and have been learning how to play using the online lessons. David Hodge did a great job of teaching "wish you were here" (one of my favorites) and I've been hooked since I learned how to play it (well - i still stumble over the intro-solo).
I've since made some progress by myself and I've been having a blast! Now I'm pretty sure I want to stick with it. Just bought a new Takamine EG531SC Acoustic/Electric and I'm looking for a good teacher. Unfortunately all my friends have as much musical experience as i did before starting - NONE, and so I don't have any peers to play with or practice with or to draw inspiration and energy from. I'm kind of at a crossroads, I've learned the basics (some) and built enough courage and I'm ready to dive in (not ready to quit my day job though!). Problem is I'm really not in the right setting or have the best social environment to help my growth - so thats my dilenma, thats where i am now, and i guess thats why i'm here.
Any suggestions on which way to go from here would be great. Maybe even just share your story - lemme know if i'm really alone.
Peace.......
Go to your local guitar shop and post a flyer stating you'd like to play, also teach somebody what you know. Ask around at work or better yet bring your guitar to work someone is bound to be a player hook up with them.
Chuck Norris invented Kentucky Fried Chicken's famous secret recipe, with eleven herbs and spices. But nobody ever mentions the twelfth ingredient: Fear!
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Hi kachman-
Yeah, my story has a lot of similarities to yours. I too am an engineer, and growing up I didn't kow a lot of musicians; it wasn't until college that I got to know people who played. I picked up and put the guitar down a few times over the years. I'm now 47 and just a year ago began playing in earnest.
And I am originally from the Baltimore area- my family lives in and aroud Perry Hall. Used to go to a lot of shows over there in Towson at the Recher. Moved to Louisiana about 2 years ago. Sorry, I can't think of anyone I know back there right now who plays music regularly, except my tenage nephew.
But I am starting to find lots of people to play with right now, after about a year. What I did was just tell people a lot of I knew that I was taking up guitar. I'd explain I was just a beginner. Well, it so happened that my talking inspired one friend to pick up his guitar again after ten yars, and we are starting to play together. And then I found that the president of our Parrotheads chapter plays, too, and we are going to get together with another guy in an island band and play together at parties- we have one this weekend.
Heck, I even played three tunes with the band at the first guitar-playing buddy's wedding last Saturday! And the band has invited us to come and sit in on any of thier gigs.
So I guess the moral is- talk it up, advertise that you play, even if you haven't been playing long, and opportunities will present themselves.
Too bad I won't be back in the Baltimore area anytime soon- the next time probably won't be until Christmas.
Enjoy!
Regards,
Mike
"Growing Older But Not UP!"
Another Engineer here.
I too know very few people who play. My father in-law plays and plays well although his taste in music and mine are very different, I still learn something everytime we play together, so play with anyone you can even if thier skill level or taste in music is different from yours. Dont be intimidated most good guitar players enjoy showing off there skills and don't mind helping you out, everyone was a beginner at one point.
I would also suggest finding a teacher, this has really helped me, it gives me some one to play with on a weekly basis, and keeps me working on new things. Before I found my teacher I found I would play the same things over and over, the things I was comfortable with, but my teacher keeps me working and thats where I'll make progress.
Best of luck and stick with it....
Similar situation, although I am no engineer. I am an ANALYST.. hehe Anyways.. Grew up with a father that successfully put it in my head that there is no way I could do something like play guitar because you have to be born with the talent to do ANYTHING creative. But got lucky enough to sing in a working band once I hit about 18 and did that for a couple years.
I got just enough taste of performing to know that I want MORE!! But now at 35yo I dont know a soul that plays.
Still I play everynight. I am always trying to learn a new song. I have my weekly guitar lesson which is great cause it give me a chance to play with someone else that is soloing over whatever I am playing. He gives me feedback and keeps me working. He also is great at having me learn songs that I would have NEVER done on my own. He picks things that are a different style than what I listen to and its great cause I am pretty open minded musically and love hearing different things.
Last night, I got up the nerve to play for my girlfriend and suddenly she is singing along to the songs I am playing. Sure I mess up now and then, she and I laugh, and pick it back up. We probly did this for over an hour and it was the best time. Also, it was almost great as playing with my instructor cause I had to think about things like timing and listening to her so that we could stay together. It was great practice. Shes not going on American Idol or signing any contracts but she sings good enough that I could tell where she was in the song. hehe To be honest her singing is probly better than my guitar playing.
Anyways, just hang in there. GN is great for helping to not feel quite so lonely as a guitarist I think. I know from a beginners perspective it is anyways.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
kachman,
Same thing here I'm a chemist (not sure that it's relevant) in my 40's (still don't like saying that) and have been playing for a little over 2 years.
I moved from CT to Charlotte a couple years ago so I don't have anyone to really jam with either. I do take lessons every other week which is good, but mostly play along to CD's by myself. Although it's kinda fun it's nothing like playing with other people.
I was playing with a guy from Charlotte but he lives so far away it doen't work out well.
You just have to start letting people know you play or like someone else said just put a note up at your local music shop.
Chris
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
kachman
I played for the first 2 years with little or no encouragement / feedback.
One thing that helped me, was recording myself - it gives you a clear focus. Pick a song, get some cheap gear, record yourself. See how good you can get that song to sound!
Its a good thing to do, and you'll notice an improvement
Matt
As you can tell from the responses you're definitely not alone. I also work with chemists and engineers for almost twenty years and I'm sorry if this is an unfair stereotype, but they're not the most musically inclined. But...just recently I was in some lame work meeting where you had to go around and introduce yourself and found out that this fellow I've known for a couple of years plays guitar and has some recording equipment that he just plays around with by himself. I never knew this and was surprised, so maybe I'll try to get together with him to play this summer. Anyway my point is try to let others know you play and would like get together, meybe you'll find more people around you in the same situation that you never suspected.
Wow! Amazing feedback. Thanks guys for the suggestions and for sharing - very inspiring indeed! Too bad you're no longer in the area Slipperman - I'm pretty close to the Recher theater.
There's a guitar center here that i go to sometimes - just to try out some guitars beyond my price range and hopefully meet some people to play with. I kinda fold up a little though cos most people that hang out there seem to be so much better and everyone's busy playing some great sounding stuff. Maybe I'll talk to a few people that work there and see if I can put up a sign. Matter of fact, maybe I'll go tonight!
Not sure about taking my guitar to work though, its all corporate setting and stuff. Maybe i'll just leave it in my car and someone'll see it and come up to me :lol: . But yeah, I'll generally try to advertise a little more. And oh, I just got a teacher too and should be starting lessons the next couple of weeks - making good progress already....
I thought it was a rare combination - having a technical day job like science & engineering and playing music, guess I was wrong - and i guess this is a testament to what you can learn if you just holler. Thanks again folks!
I'm an aero engineer and I started about a year ago. Just from talking with my co-workers I found five others that played and now we all get together for jam sessions during lunch once a week. It's really cool.
Talk with people and you'll find secret musicians are everywhere.
Logan5
There are 10 types of people in the world ... those who know binary ... and those who don't.
Ability in music has been shown to have high correlations with ability in math and ability in languages. It makes sense that there are a lot of closet engineer musicians out there - there's a math geek side to music.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
An Auditor here, and I can relate to this situation. After posting a response to one of the threads Korbind wrote he noticed we lived relatively close to one another (within 1 hour) and contacted me. We got together this past weekend and jammed for about 6 hours (wife was away). This site is a great resource for contacts, if someone is near you they may contact you with a p/m.
Good luck with the lessons, I've been taking lessons for about 2 years now. Here's one idea, I recently asked my teacher if he knew of any students that he teaches would be interested in jamming together. He said he used to invite students that wanted to play to meet at his band's rehearsal space. His band would show up and you could play along. Now he is with another band (not his) so that is not really possible now.
I'm currently actively looking to play with others in my area, so if anyone reading this is interested in jamming please send me a p/m.
Also check out this article that was posted a couple of weeks ago, it relates to this subject.
Ambition is the path to success...persistence is the vehicle you arrive in!!!
I kinda fold up a little though cos most people that hang out there seem to be so much better and everyone's busy playing some great sounding stuff.
Engineering Technician here (that means I do all the Engineers work while they drink coffee lol.). I wouldn't let what someone at Guitar Center does intimidate you. I've run across folks there that play a great riff or two but that's all they can do. Everyone that plays was a beginner at some time. Everyone goes through the sore fingers and the not being able to form chords. One of the best ways to meet others that play is hang out where they do. Open mike venues, guitar stores (especially those that give lessons) and believe it or not Church. I joined a Church group and that has put me in contact with a lot of folks to jam with.
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
Same here. I resemble Tim's remark as I am a Mechanical Engineer. I played 30+ years ago in HS and was not the best. I just picked this back up again in January and I am having fun. I play by myself along with CD's and do some hit and miss here and there. I started lessons 3 weeks ago and making more progress. GN here has been a help and insperation. I have started taliking to folks here at work and mentioning guitar.
John M
