First Time Learning How To Play The Guitar

I can still remember vividly the first time I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I was about fourteen years old, and had just gotten into rock music. Yes, I am quite sure many guys who chose to take up the instrument, or fell in love with the guitar, also started at the same point as I did. Rock or heavy metal music encapsulated in the best possible way all the angst, joy and energy that most teenage boys represent. The power and adrenalin that such music provided, through the unbridled use of the electric or acoustic guitar, gave so many men a turn on that all the other attractions that came with it - the girls, parties, booze and whatever you can think of - were secondary to the rush that playing the guitar had.

Far from what I mostly listen to nowadays, it was rock music that pretty much sealed my love for the guitar at that age. Bon Jovi, White Lion, Skid Row, bands that were part of the hair metal and glam metal age, but had enough pop rock tunes that captured the energy of the electric guitar. And so it was the electric guitar which I first jumped on. I remember guitar purists telling me that it was not advisable nor the right move to learn how to play the guitar on the electric version first, and that I should master the fundamentals and basics on the classical guitar. But why should I? For I was not interested in the classical nor acoustic instrument - it was the energy and beautiful force that emanated from an electric instrument which had so entranced me and ensnared my soul. Learning how to play the guitar on a classical or acoustic instrument would be like having sex with your aunt - limp and a total turn off.

I saved and scrimped on every penny that I had. I would skip meals in school, take walks home instead of the bus, and all that money would go into my first electric guitar, so that I could start learning the instrument. I decided that I would not take any formal lessons, simply because I hated the time I spent learning the piano when younger. Those were taken against my will and before I developed any real love for music. Piano lessons were torturous and taking the exams were even worse as I was a shy and timid person who often wilted under inspection. But looking back, those same lessons enabled my faster learning curve on the guitar. While I did not, regrettably, finish my piano education, the musical theory and practical training smoothed my path to mastery of the guitar. I could read piano sheet music and learned to play many tunes by ear, something that I might not have been able to do as fast without the musical background.

Amazingly, I managed to save enough within 6 months, for a brand new electric guitar of my own. It was a Fender copy, not the real thing, but enough to get me started and excited. There was also enough cash to get a small guitar amplifier which unfortunately I cannot remember the brand now for the life of me. Everything cost me about $500 at that time, which included the electric guitar, amplifier, picks, strings, guitar tuner and a guitar softcase. It was pretty much the raw basics and everything was on a budget. The experience picking and choosing the guitar in the musical instruments shop was an experience in itself. I did not know for sure what to look out for, and did not even know how to play the guitar at that point in time. When asked if I wanted to test the instrument, I was honestly a little embarrassed and shyly declined. The guitar tech was actually kind enough to test the piece for me, just to make sure everything was working fine and in good order. The trip home carrying my first ever electric guitar and amplifier was one of the few highlights in my life.

My first time ever learning how to play the guitar was not a pleasant experience, truth be told. Taking the electric guitar out of its case, and setting it up on the amplifier and ensuring it was in tune, I realised I did not plan how to start learning the instrument. It slipped my mind to buy any instructional material, although I had a basic chord book which I guess every self-respecting aspiring guitarist would own. There were the few guitar magazines which I owned and had told myself would go back to when I had enough proficiency on the instrument. So it was on to learning the guitar chords first, on an electric guitar to boot. Unless you were born naturally talented with the guitar or had the appendages of Spiderman, you must agree with me that the first chord is always the hardest. I started out with the C chord, and to say it was hell trying to pin down the guitar strings would be an understatement. I had difficulty getting my fingers to form the chord in one smooth motion, and spent the whole first session just putting each finger down on the guitar frets one at a time. And it was just the C guitar chord. After four straight hours doing it, I had to take a rest and at the end of my first ever guitar practise session, I was a little demoralised and a little doubt begin to creep into my mind. Was I ever going to be able to learn how to play the guitar and how long would it take me?