WHY play guitar? Really..

but I'm up to the task if medical science can hold up their end of the bargain

haha, made me smile, never give up hope haha :D

yeah, in the end, at all comes down to: Its FUN!

And fun is important.

Plus I want to clarify the Jeff Beck concept. I started playing the sax and in my career I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the best guitarists in the business - many of them even famous as I warmed up or backed up many major recording artists at the peak of their career and almost got there myself (but lawyers and money squashed our golden opportunity). I don't do hero worship by any stretch of the imagination, they are simply peers and fun to play with - some are better than me, some are not as good, but that doesn't really even matter.

Jeff isn't even my favorite guitarist to listen to, although I do enjoy his music. But after seeing the "Live At Ronnie Scott's" video, I realized that he is probably the most technically competent guitarist I've ever seen. He simply does things on the guitar that most other guitarists either can not or do not do.

My earliest toy memories were musical ones. And I started playing professionally when I was in junior high school (although definitely part time then) and went on the road at 18 years old. I'm in my 60s and have made my living doing music and nothing but music for most of my life now.

A wise person once said, "If you do for a living what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life." I put a lot of time into my music, but none of it is work, not even the endless practicing of the fundamentals.

So why do I do it? FUN - and why is it fun? I love it.

What other reason is there...girls!!!!

I started playing drums then sax in junior high school. I got into a rock and roll band - we were terrible - but so was everybody else back then. They hired us to play for a few jr. high school dances.

So there I was on the stage, happily making music with my friends, and all of a sudden that cute girl who didn't know I even existed in English class was suddenly making eyes at me -- and at the end of the night they actually paid me money!!! Had they known, I would have paid them for that experience ;)

I've had the opportunity to be close to a lot of girls in my lucky lifetime, and without the sax, I wouldn't have met the best one of all, my wife and duo partner (see avatar). When I met her we were in different bands that were breaking up and we both joined a new 5 piece band that was starting up. The rest has been bliss.

I know, I"m a lucky guy!

What a great question!!

I started for a boring reason. I just wanted to be able to strum along to some songs on the radio. But then goals change, and years later my reasons for playing still change :D

What a great question!!

I started for a boring reason. I just wanted to be able to strum along to some songs on the radio. But then goals change, and years later my reasons for playing still change :D

yeah, true, my reason changes as well, and I think thats the case for most people, but my biggest reason is still
to be able to stand and play on big stages! its those time I feel the most "alive"!

Me too. When I first started I couldnt imagine playing to anybody but myself. Tomorrow, I'll be playing to a nightclub of about 300 people. That is a big gig for us, but not too uncommon.

Funnily enough, and honestly, I would rather do that, than play to my family members at my house (they have never come to see me play). The thought of that still intimidates me.

Me too. When I first started I couldnt imagine playing to anybody but myself. Tomorrow, I'll be playing to a nightclub of about 300 people. That is a big gig for us, but not too uncommon.

Funnily enough, and honestly, I would rather do that, than play to my family members at my house (they have never come to see me play). The thought of that still intimidates me.

I totally agree man. I love to play for people, BUT I hate to play for family and friends haha,
I really do, and for to small crowds as well, I don't know why we feel this way, but just the though
of sitting down and play for, lets say 15 people, nah, me don't like :)

I'll play for anyone, family or not, as long as they seem to be enjoying it.

I just get a high when I'm making music - it's that space where there is no space, no time, not even myself, just the music and the energy I feel from an audience just enhances it.

OK, it's like a drug addiction. I gave up a promising career as an electronics engineer to be a lifelong pro musician. I gave up money, security, sick leave, vacation pay, and employer contributions to my social security and pension plan. I gave that up to be in that wonderful, blissful state of standing on stage in that drug-like state of making music. And I don't have a regretful bone in my body.

Life is short, the older I get, the more I realize that.

And to recap: If you follow your bliss and make your living doing what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life. And other than a couple of 'day jobs' I had while testing the 'real work-a-day world', I've never worked a day in my life. I've put in my time, I've put in my effort, but it hasn't seemed at all like work.

Notes

I play a bunch of other instruments, but for me the guitar is about freedom. It's about not taking lessons, not playing what other people tell you to play & not caring what they think about it.

When I pick up a guitar, I feel free.

And to recap: If you follow your bliss and make your living doing what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life. And other than a couple of 'day jobs' I had while testing the 'real work-a-day world', I've never worked a day in my life. I've put in my time, I've put in my effort, but it hasn't seemed at all like work.

This is WISDOM Talking!!!!! This is it you know, this is all you need to live by! just do it!

When I pick up a guitar, I feel free.

we are alike! love it!

next week, I will record a music video to a song I wrote and recorded a month ago or so!
The song is awesome and the video will be a funny video I think! I'll let you know when you can see it online!

doing things like that is my bliss!

peace

I am a guitarist and a guitar teacher, I always ask students:

"Why do you want to play the guitar? What's the reason for you? What is your 'guitar dream'?"

And by asking those questions I know more about how and what to teach, but the
most important thing here is that those questions makes the person think about WHY even play the guitar?
and always it triggers them coz they have damn good reasons! :)

Now I want to ask you:
Why did you start play the guitar?
What motivates you to keep on playing?
What would be your vision/ "guitar dream"?

Share your reasons and dreams, don't be shy, for example;
MANY boys start to play to get more girls, right? haha
and thats not a bad reason, whatever it is, its good you started,
and it will be fun if you want to share Your reasons!

Short Answer to why I started Playing:
I found a chordex, had a guitar and nothing else to do with my summer holiday

Longer answer:
I hoped that I would one day to be able to play Jimi Hendrix stuff on my guitar but I knew as a beginner that wouldn't be feasible (I didnt think it ever would be at that point) but now I can do a lot of the stuff that blew me away so much as a listener. Once I had started I found I really loved playing, even simple stuff and I still do now! Of course when I was a teen I had visions of being a big rock star :P And thats not really what I want now, I just want to be a better musician and to fully answer now I suppose that is what drives me now, to be able to record stuff and hope with time and practice to become better at composing my ideas particularly on the spot through improvisation. Looking back I can see myself (I even have pictures) as that 16 y/o kid with his first guitar who could only really hammer out a few basic chords, power chords and get through to where I am now where I can play some pretty advanced stuff and work out the majority of things by ear, very quickly. It started as just something that I was curious - I'd wanted to do it for some time but the main thing was my question in my head of "I wonder if I can play guitar?" I was already playing bass a year before that but even that was a bit of a sidetrack because I'd always wanted to play guitar not bass. So thats my answer :P sorry if I waffled. I had shown interest in playing an instrument before when I was about 10 I wanted to drums but I gave up pretty fast. Then in 97 I was about 12 I heard Metallica Reload, NIrvana Nevermind, Hendrix - anthology called Experience Hendrix and Smashing pumpkins MCIS - well from those records coming into my house I had the idea in the back of my head saying that Id really love to be able to play guitar! :lol:

great fleaaaa, do you record your own stuff now?

Yeah heres a link to my newest recorded song - but its not mixed yet so the levels are a bit messy and some stuff needs to be removed.

http://www.mediafire.com/?x1wwzc6v3eaho55

Hey, yes it was a really raw and dirty mix, but in fact, I often like this thing,
its the feeling of "trueness" :)

nice job, when will you be mixing it?

Is it you singing as well?