What Made You Play Guitar🎸

[Richard G]

I’ve always been fascinated in why people wanted to play guitar and what was it that first inspired them on that learning journey.

I’d love to hear your comments to the questions below:-

* Who was it that first inspired you to play guitar
* How and when did you acquire your first guitar
* What guitar style were you most interested in
* Did you want to play solo or with others
* Who or what helped you progress your learning most.

My own story is,
I got my first guitar on my 15th Birthday, a Hofner Arch Top. I was inspired in the beginning by mainly British players Hank Marvin, Lonnie Donegon, and then Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent’s guitarist) and Scottie Moore. ( Elvis Presley’s guitarist)
I started playing in a band aged 16, we played small clubs and pubs at the time. I bought my first decent guitar (Gibson 335) aged 17 and joined several a rock n’ roll bands over the next 5 years.

During married life and raising a family I concentrated more on accompanying myself through playing fingerstyle. My inspiration then was Chet Atkins, Ralph McTell, Stefan Grossman and anyone playing blues and ragtime acoustic guitar.
I then only played with friends at impromptu and private events. I believe it’s almost impossible to match the thrill of playing guitar with like-minded musicians in a small group or band.

In 2011 I discovered and joined Active Melody, and with Brian being head and shoulders above any other online guitar tutor I’ve learned a lot more of the theory and why Melodies and chord sequences sound the way they do.

I’d now love to hear your story on ‘What Made You Play Guitar’🎸

Richard

[San Luis Rey]

Hey Richard, Thanks for starting this.
My first guitar was a gift from my uncle Frank on my 10th birthday in 1962, a Danelectro convertible. No pickups on this model so it was basically a thin acoustic. My cousin Tommy was older and played guitar in the Xavier Cugat Band for awhile. He also appeared on Ed Sullivan’s show backing up Cugat’s wife, Charo. That was a huge inspiration for me. Tommy went on to form several bands, had a brief recording contract with Mercury records, was a studio musician, and worked his whole life in the business. I started out taking lessons from an older kid in the area who taught me barre and cowboy chords and not much more. I listened to records that were my older sister’s and brother’s, some motown and early rock n roll. Then the Beatles and the rest of Briton invaded America and every kid with a guitar wanted to be in a band. A keyboard player had just moved in across the street and we started a “garage band” that with some practice became not terrible. One of the mom’s got us gigs at partys, dances, a teen night club, weddings, we even played in a few “battle of the bands”. I totally agree with you about playing with other musicians being a thrill. That all ended when my family moved 3000 miles to California. I put the guitar down until the 80’s when SRV inspired me again!

Mike

[John H]

My earliest inspiration came from my two older brothers but we also had a few Beatles albums lying around: Meet The Beatles, Rubber Soul, and A Hard Days’ Night.
My first guitar may have come around at about 5 or 6. I was playing tennis rackets a lot before my Harmony acoustic, which by the way was a hand me down.
I liked the early Beatles Rockabilly sound, and still do.
I always fantasized about being in a band.
I took guitar instruction as a young kid at the local guitar store. I also was forced to play rhythm for my brothers, so I had to learn that aspect or face the consequences. We jammed a lot. I went away to college and took a classical guitar class to fill my fine arts credits. When I was in my 20s I bought an electric, developed my lead chops, played in a few bands and the rest is history. I did manage to pass my love of guitar onto my middle son Noah, who has become quite a player in his own right.

Great Idea Richard.

[charjo]

My dad was a music lover of the big bands and singers like Sinatra, Dinah Washington, Streisand, had lots of albums and a big stereo cabinet, so I think I always enjoyed music. I came of age with the great music of the late 60’s, early 70’s. My epiphany moment came when an older teenager blasted Voodoo Child by Hendrix from the basement window next door. I was hooked immediately. I was always fascinated by the lead guitarists like Hendrix, Joe Walsh, Alvin Lee, Tony Iommi, Santana, Townshend, Richards, Terry Kath, early Allman Bro and had an affinity for the sound of the guitar. I had some early lessons around age 9 and always had a guitar around but never had a clue. I did a little classical in my late teens and then life got busy. Tried a few teachers over the years but nothing clicked. It really wasn’t until the last several years with internet content and ultimately Brian that I got deeper into understanding the guitar.
Thanks for asking, Richard.
John

[Michael L]

My early years had a lot of music in them. My dad loved classical music, and my mom was into Broadway musicals. Something was always on the stereo. I grew up playing the trumpet from about 8 year old until graduating from high school. I was really into Chuck Mangione style jazz and the classic rock of the day, but, through all this, my only guitar experience was an inexpensive folk guitar I received as a gift, and it spent a lot more time in the closet than being played. I wasn’t drawn to guitar particularly.

During college is the first time I picked up a guitar with any intent. My roommate had a 12-string, and somewhere I found tabs for Classical Gas by Mason Williams. I used to sit in the stairwell of the dormitory learning that song and enjoying the echo of the music. We worked out the chords to a couple of Beetles songs, but all pretty casually.

My interest went elsewhere for many years. Along the way, my younger brother learned to play and became the lead guitarist in a rock band in San Francisco. They played all original tunes and headlined the major clubs in the city for a couple of years, put out a couple of CDs, before breaking up. (They were called ‘Sweet Virginia’. You can find some of their stuff on YouTube if you search hard enough, though their era was well before the internet took off.) That kept me thinking about guitar, at least, but it was still a long while before I began playing again.

About 25 years ago I bought my guitar, a Taylor 314ce, and took my first-ever lessons. I found a couple of guitar heroes in Tommy Emmanuel and Peppino D’Agustino, and some others. I’ve played on and off (mostly off) over these years until the pandemic hit, and we all had more time at home. That’s when I found Brian and Active Melody, and I haven’t looked back. Someday I’d like to jam with others and enjoy the shared experience of making music. No performance desire, just the connection and creativity. Let’s see where life takes us now.

[Alan O]

I started playing guitar when I was sixteen.  Listening to music had always been important to me and I guess I started wanting to play guitar because I was drawn to the sound, because my best friend had started playing, and because girls seemed to like guys holding guitars. Influences at that time were Knopler, Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Gilmour, Walsh, EVH, Perry, SRV.  I wanted to learn electric but ended up starting out with a Suzuki acoustic guitar that I purchased new from the local music store in 1985 and where I also took lessons for about 6 months. At that time, my parents wouldn’t allow me to have my dream “electric” guitar (a Kramer EVH Striped) because they didn’t want me to become a rock star getting into the whole sex/drugs/rock-in-roll thing… Well, needless to say, I never became a rock star and never got the EVH guitar…

I did eventually get my first electric guitar (BC Rich) a few years later and occasionally jammed with friends but mostly played on my own.  Honestly, I wasn’t that good and none of it came naturally, but I kept at it throughout my teens and 20’s.  Spent most of my 30’s working hard and raising my son but kept my guitars and equipment.  Got back into playing around 39 and was amazed at the tools and technology available.  I’ve been playing regularly since then (mostly on my own) and I am 56 this year.  The things that have helped me most have been:

1. Technology and the availability of online information
2. Constantly training my ear
3. Learning some music theory and more lessons (thanks to #1)
4. Learning songs that matched my skill level and learning the whole song (this one took years to realize!)
5. Improvising as well as playing as often as possible. 

My next goal is to play more with others. This is something I haven’t done enough of. I don’t care to be in a band or gigging. I’d just like to be able to get together with others occasionally and play. So, let me know if you are ever in South Carolina and maybe we can get together and jam?

Alan

[Martin W]

I started playing guitar about thirty years ago , I was between jobs and there was a strat style guitar that belonged to my brother in the house which he hadn’t really got to grips with , so I picked it up and learned the fifteen beginner chords out of a book , this soon inspired my brother who then went and purchased a fender acoustic guitar and we started to learn together, after a little while we decided to take lessons and I remember our teacher coming around to the house and almost interviewing us to see if we would be suitable students before the course started, it was a 10 week course which consisted of a hour a week which we both enjoyed and learned loads , in fact we then did a second one a bit later on , I also bought my own electric guitar from the teacher who was selling on behalf of someone I paid £100 for it ,a 1982 hohner les Paul copy which I still have to this day , the price for those lessons back in the day worked out at £10 an hour each , so it just goes to show what value for money Active Melody is .
My influences back then were the shadows , buddy holly , chuck berry , fleetwood Mac , mark knopfler , Rolling Stones etc .
After a few years I backed off from playing regularly, but there was always a guitar to hand if I ever felt the need , probably about 12 years ago I proper got back into it with the help of YouTube and latterly Active Melody which has really helped my understanding of guitar , I haven’t really played in any bands but was involved with a local folk group until it petered out , my brother still plays so we do get together now and again for a practice .
I enjoy playing acoustic and electric in all the styles brian teaches, and the thing that really drives my playing is taking part in the monthly challenges which gives a real focus and a deadline to meet .

Martin

[Mark T]

Well, Richard, this presented a conundrum for me 😂. Like the Chicken and the Egg: Which came first, a Guitar or someone that inspired me 🤔

Whilst I’d always loved Blues-Rock, I never thought I’d remotely be able to play this style. Plus, just knowing or obtaining the equipment was so intimidating, let alone unaffordable!

I was also into Folk-Rock, from the likes of: John Martyn, Al Stewart, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, et al. Because these artists often used acoustic guitars, I thought this would be more affordable and accessible for me 🤓.

I made a big mistake though, purchasing my first Guitar! I was VERY innocent at 16, when I started working. The only music store I knew of was called “Boosey & Hawkes”, purely because their London Store was near where I worked. My upbringing had robbed me of any self-confidence, and the ‘big city’ wasn’t something this country-boy was prepared to investigate. So, I would wander into “Boosey & Hawkes” during lunch hour, looking at the wonderful Classical instruments – they supplied Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.

I had only been working for two weeks and, suddenly, I had money in my pocket – I popped into “Boosey & Hawkes” and bought the cheapest Guitar they had 😂 Totally inappropriate for the style of music I wanted to play, but it was a start. I’d also got songbooks: “Easy Bob Dylan Songs” and “Complete Beatles, Simple Guitar”.

I didn’t have any lessons and I remember giving up many, many times. But slowly I managed to twist my fingers into the right positions and pull out something recognisable. I practiced whenever I could and, even on this Guitar, started writing my own songs. I even toyed with recording myself onto one cassette machine, then playing that back with me overdubbing onto my sister’s cassette recorder.

When I was 17, my father threw me out of the family home. Whatever it else this did, it forced me to get out and gain some self confidence. I discovered the wealth of Music stores in the West-End of London (that we called ‘Tin-Pan alley’ in London). This area centred around Denmark Street, which is famous for where artists met, wrote, published and recorded – such as: The Rolling Stones; David Bowie; Small Faces; The Kinks; Elton John; etc. I would regularly wander around here, looking at the wonderful Electric and Acoustic Guitars in the windows. I bought an acoustic 12 string – I still have it, but it’s in a sorry state. I also got a Yamaha 4-Track, cassette based, recording studio – it really elevated my creativity!

I was quite happy playing and recording for myself, and no real desire to play in a band. However, a fellow Motorcycling instructor learnt that I ‘played guitar’. He was forming a band and needed a rhythm / lead Guitarist. I don’t know what made me do it 🤣 but I said YES, before even considering that I didn’t have an Electric Guitar or Amp 😂😂. So, off again to Denmark Street to buy a cheap Strat copy and Amp, tied to the back of the bike.

On one of my recent posts here on AM, I described purchasing my first ‘real’ guitar, and only my second Electric – an Epiphone SG. One again, during a visit to Denmark Street to buy some strings for Band practice. Waiting on my Motorbike for the store to open, this SG was in the window – I came back with it strapped to the back of the bike 😂😂.

At the start of Covid, Fiona had immersed herself into art – she suggested that I also get a hobby and, “Join that Music thingie you keep seeing on Facebook.” Joining AM presented two FIRSTS for me: I’d never had any lessons before; I’d never played with a plectrum (pick) – I’d always just used my nails.

I’ve said before, AM has shown me that I CAN play things and in a style that I never thought I’d be able to do, but had always admired and wished I could! Someone here said they rarely look or listen to stuff they’ve previously done – I, however, often play my submissions, and I admit to being proud and sometimes surprised at what I’ve achieved 🤓

Best wishes all 👍🎶😎

[sunjamr]

My parents were just middle class Americans, but they always wished they were upper class Brits. Loved all the British snobbery, admired the Royal Family, ate Yorkshire pudding for Sunday dinners. So they only ever listened to classical music, since all that “other” music was just rubbish listened to by the brain damaged hoi polloi. But every kid wants to do the opposite of what their parents do, so I secretly listened to rock music outside of my home environment. They would never condescend to buy me a guitar, and tried to force me to learn several other “acceptable” instruments, like trumpet, piano, flute, whatever…as long as it wasn’t a guitar. I quickly gave up all those other instruments, and resolved to buy a guitar as soon as I could afford one. After taking time out to get married, get a PhD, immigrate to New Zealand, it dawned on me one day that I now had the time and money to get a guitar. Knowing nothing about guitars, I went into my local guitar shop and bought the cheapest electric guitar that seemed like it was well-built. It was an ESP, designed for heavy metal enthusiasts. I didn’t like it, so I gave it to my grandson after a few months, and bought an MIA Fender Strat. At the same time, I signed up with Active Melody. That was around the time the “EP” lessons started appearing. Now – 584 lessons later – I can play guitar. Many thanks to Brian.

Sunjamr Steve

[JoeD1]

As a very young kid I was a Monkees fan. A friend and I would hide a turntable under an upside down empty 55 gallon drum, put on a 45, and play the heck out of our air guitar and air drums.

At that point I talked my mother into buying me a guitar and sending me for lessons. After about a year of lessons which were absolutely un-inspiring I decided to quit.

Fast forward about 55 years when I retired I decided I needed something to keep my mind sharp and keep me out of trouble. So I bought a MIM Strat and floundered around the Youtube and learned a few chords and strummed a few songs.

I was getting frustrated with not getting any further so I signed up for a 12 week online live course with POW Music. I learned a lot of theory and decided to take some lessons at a local music shop to learn how to apply what I learned.

Unfortunately it again was uninspiring so I quit and found Active Melody. It was the best decision I made and I’m beginning to learn how to play what I actually enjoy playing…thanks to Brian and everyone here who keeps me inspired to keep picking.

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[Alan L]

I played trumpet in grade school, through college. My first stringed instrument was bass, which I took up in college. I was into punk, ska and hard rock, with a little Jazz and funk for good measure. Some heros were flea and duck Dunn. First bass was an Ibanez SR.

Later in adulthood (around 2007) I was working with kids, and generally interested in using acoustic for singalongs. Learned lots of pop, rock and folk, including lots of Beatles, Paul Simon and Dylan. First acoustic was a pretty decent no-name, thin body.

Took up electric in 2020 with the pandemic frustration and boredom. Heroes were SRV, buddy guy, Clapton, Hendrix, along with country greats like Bonnie Raitt and Albert Lee. First electric was a Squier Tele.

Now I play mostly electric guitar, and a healthy dose of bass too.

[Tom D]

Thanks Richard for sharing your guitar story and prompting others to do the same. It’s a fun topic!

From my earliest days I was inspired by the albums my mom would play as she sang harmonies, e.g., Cole, Sinatra, Garland, Peter Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio.  By age seven I took my first guitar lessons but quickly quit as it interfered with sports (my dad’s influence:-) and I couldn’t stand sitting there waiting while my brothers took lessons in sequence!  

But I was very much hooked on music and grew up discovering music across genres of rock, Motown, singer-songwriters, R&B, pop, blues, jazz, and classical.  By the time I was 18 I asked a brother to get me started on guitar.  He showed me three amazing things:  (1) chords to Blowin’ in the Wind, (2) a proper Travis picking pattern over a C chord, & (3) a proper arrangement of Blackbird (I protested “I’m not worthy” but he dosed me measure by measure).  

Inspired by this progress, I decided to commit by buying a Martin D35 after my 19th birthday.  From there I invested in songbooks with chord charts as an inefficient but great way to learn chords and songs.  

Over time the quality of written music improved and I became fluent in reading tabs, and could also read music notation to learn rhythms.  It was a great hobby while focusing on life pursuits of college, graduate school, career, marriage and 3 kids, family & friends, and taking care of elderly parents.  Throughout, it’s fun to be playing on your couch and also fun to be connecting with other players socially and to see if we could get something going.  

Finally, in my 30’s, I played live for the first time at a few work parties and events to help bring people together.  These were with better and more experienced players, so I played the bass (and some guitar).  It was a game changer.  I was addicted and wanted to learn how to get better even though I had no time.  I took two big steps.  

The first was to start a “taking lessons” and “get up every morning at 5am to play” period. The early start influenced by a Segovia comment ~~”there would be more good guitar players but they’re all sleeping”;  he reportedly played from 6-8am everyday).  

The second was to create time by stopping some volunteer work that was too much like work, and instead seize an opportunity to play in a band with other busy people for fun and to donate all proceeds to charities.   These performers were significantly more experienced and put me onto a new learning curve as we played gigs and forums I never thought possible.  

My instrument collection grew to include 2 Gibson’s, 2 Fenders, 2 Taylors, 2 Martins, 2 bass guitars, 2 PAs (like Noah’s Arc😂), amps, mics, a DW drum set, percussion stuff, keyboard, and baby grand piano — being able to host practice sessions is another great time saver!!  After years, this led to an offer from another band of friends that I couldn’t turn down.  

While an ear virus injury prevented me from continuing to play in loud live situations, I reverted to my couch and Active Melody came along.  After breaking my right hand in 2021 I started engaging at AM with Brian and the community learning experience. It’s been amazing.  I call that “my lucky break”.  

It reinforces the importance of continually creating and seizing new guitar playing opportunities.   Another key learning for me was that you can develop a talent for playing, i.e., thankfully you don’t need to be “naturally gifted”.  You can get to a good place by working hard and enjoying what you do.   The saga continues. Cheers, Tom

[Manfred M]

Hello my dear AM friends, some time ago I wrote an essay about my musical journey through life. And since I think it fits quite well with Richard’s question (many thanks Richard for your initiative), I would like to share it with you here as my contribution to this topic:

How I almost lost my passion for music and how I regained it
—————————-
Music has always been a big and very passionate part of my life. I remember being on vacation with my family in Austria at the age of twelve in 1967. At that age, spending time on a family vacation was just starting to get very boring and so I developed the goal of saving as much money as possible to buy my first record when the vacation was over. Back home, I went to my local record store and bought the first record I ever owned: “We love you” by the Rolling Stones. But it wasn’t to be the last.

Since then, the music I listened to has been the soundtrack of my life. When I think back to situations in my life, it always has to do with the music I was listening to at that moment. Even when I think back to the friends I had, the music we listened to together is immediately in my head.

At the age of 16, I also bought my first acoustic guitar and tried to play some songs I loved. But I was just too lazy at that time. And so I only learned 5-6 chords and that was it. Playing the B7 chord was always too difficult for me.

First and foremost, I lived out my passion for music by listening to it. I developed a great ambition to keep discovering new music. And I tried to go to as many concerts as possible. It was great to see all these fantastic musicians like Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Randy Newman, Tom Petty, Steely Dan, Ry Cooder and so many others.

I also developed the need to listen to music in the best possible quality.
So I spent a lot of my money on thousands of vinyls and CDs and on amplifiers, CD players and speakers of the best quality I could afford. Enjoying good sound quality became a big part of my passion for music.
It stayed that way, even when my own family and job took up more and more of my time.

About 17 years ago, I realized that I didn’t like listening to music as much as I used to. I always thought it didn’t sound as good as it used to. Do I need to buy new speakers or amplifiers? At the same time, I found it increasingly difficult to follow conversations with people. A visit to the doctor and a hearing test made it clear that I had a loss of my hearing ability.

Since then, I have had to wear hearing aids. As a result, listening to music is no longer the same as it used to be. I always remember, how good it used to sound and I always have the feeling that something is missing.

My hearing loss is now around 60db and this has meant that I listen to less and less music because I just don’t enjoy it as much anymore. My passion for music has been a little bit buried or a case of memories.

I retired eight years ago and had to figure out what I wanted to do with the time I now had. My old buried passion for music, must have made a cry in its grave, because it occurred to me I could try to learn to play the guitar, a wish of a lifetime that I never fulfilled.

So at the beginning of 2019, I ordered a €200 guitar from an online store and started learning the guitar, and this time I wasn’t lazy. My passion for music was reawakened.

And unlike before, it’s not the quality of the sound that’s most important, but how I can express myself with the music I play. This gives my old passion for music a new strength with completely new experiences and discoveries.

As I’ve learned more and more about how music works, I’ve heard the music I’ve always loved with new ears. And these ears don’t need hearing aids, they are still fresh and powerful.

It’s such a good experience to discover that my inner ears still work very well. And that has made me live my passion for music again and share it with all of you here at AM especially in the challenges and Zoom meetups.

P.S. I would like to thank all my AM friends for sharing this passion for music with me and becoming a part of my passion for music. Together with you, it’s even more fun.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
This time we are going to have a 600th AM Lesson Celebration Meetup on December 21, 2024

For more information click here

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Bill]

What a great topic Richard, thanks for the prompt.

My guitar playing goes back to my teens, maybe about 15? My dad is left handed and had played guitar when he was young, in the early 70s, but as time went by he just had an old off brand acoustic around the house. When I started playing this was what was available to me, and even though I’m naturally right handed, the lefty guitar worked for me. I had already been playing trumpet since I was 10 in school band, but interestingly my mind compartmentalized the music that I played in band (marches, concert pieces) from the music I was into at the time (Nirvana, Tom Petty), so I never really learned to read music on the guitar. This was also the mid 90s so there were more tabs and chord charts available. It’s interesting how guitar is an accessible self-taught instrument, much more so than something like the trumpet.

My early music influences were kind of a grab bag. My parents had a couple VHS concerts they loved to watch regularly: Peter Paul & Mary reunion show, and a Fleetwood Mac concert (Lindsay Buckingham!). Then I remember my grandparents would always have this big band jazz from the 30s/40s on in the background (more on that later). This being the 90s, Kurt Cobain was probably my biggest earliest influence, but not necessarily his electric playing, I used to listen to the Nirvana Unplugged album on repeat. I remember really digging Brian Setzer and some of the Seing revival bands of the late 90s…but never thought much of playing that on guitar.

My first electric was a Kramer Strat copy with a little Peavey amp (Mississippi Marshall). The local guitar shop owner helped me eventually pick out an Epiphone Les Paul which became my main guitar for years.

Going away to college, I knew I had to get into a band. I answered a post at the local music shop and went in for an audition with a hard rock band called Going Blind. These guys were a bit older, in their mid-20s, and had been playing together for years. But I guess they saw something in this bleach blonde 18 year old and let me play with them for the next five years or so. We had some fun on the local club and bar circuit and with weekly practices. A local paper described us as “ The Offspring meets Guns N Roses”, to give you an idea. Lots of power chord riffs, distorted guitars and pentatonic scale soloing. I really enjoyed playing out and jumping around the stage, off the stage, and doing the occasional Irish jig imitation in time with the bass player.

After college, life got busy. I was working in the sound reinforcement industry, jammed with a a couple of musicians at work occasionally, but mostly let the guitar fall by the wayside. Silly me, sold my beloved Epi LP in my late 20s.

When I was 29 my wife and I made a huge life change and moved to the Florida Keys (from Albany NY)and started a watery life. I had an acoustic guitar with me and learned a lot of Buffett and some Marley. I enjoyed hosting dinner parties and then pulling out the guitar for some “guitar-e-oke”; where folks choose a song and I look up the chords and we all sing and play it (usually badly, wine helps).

In 2019 I got the bug to get into playing electric and more seriously again. But I wanted to play more “jazz” (not really knowing what that meant), and lean into those old Setzer, and big band influences.

Finding a ton of lessons on YouTube (way better than when I started!) I eventually settled on Active Melody as I liked Brian’s style of teaching and he had some lessons that sounded like how I wanted to play; whether T Bone, Setzer, or Ragtime. Since then I’ve been on a deep dive to learn and play like guitarists from the 1930s and 40s.

It’s funny to think that music has been sitting there my entire life but as a guitarist I’ve only recently “discovered” it. I wish I knew about Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Oscar Moore, Eldon Shamblin, T-Bone Walker when I was 20. Anyway, I’m totally obsessed with it now and very much enjoying this journey.

The past couple years I’ve been taking some private lessons too and that’s given me a tiny bit of confidence to actually participate in some jazz jams. I’m now in Baltimore, MD and have found a vibrant music scene and started sitting in on a gypsy jazz jam; a whole lot of skills still to learn!

[Jeff]

Sooo, I grew up listening to Casey Kasem and taping my favorite songs on a Craig reel to reel recorder. My oldest brother moved out and left behind an acoustic guitar. Very small with horrible action. About 3/8” at the 12th fret. (More on that later.) My best friend’s older brother had an acoustic guitar and one of those old “Best of Bob Dylan” books. Maybe someone might remember those old blue cover ones. We learned every chord and played every song in our simplistic way. In 1976 I took my paperboy money and bought a Takamine acoustic. Then took the Sears/Roebuck with the bad action and did a Pete Townsend job on it. My friend and I developed a kind of Smothers Brothers routine and entertained family, friends and extended family members. Mostly birthday parties and the like. There were some guys who had a “real rock” band and I hung around them. I answered an ad in the paper for a guitar player. We jammed about 6 hours a day. And buddy, we were damn good. We had a standing gig at a biker bar as 17 year old kids. We took our chances and went to L.A. to compete in the battle of the bands. The band that won you may have heard of—- Van Halen. 6 months later they were on the radio and we were receiving rejection letters from everyone. Our drummer ran off the road and was thrown from the car on our way home from an out of town gig. He was paralyzed and that kind of blew up our dreams. I sold a couple of songs and then sold all of my gear. It was nice while it lasted but disheartening when everyone sat down when we’d play an original song.

Too old for rock and roll but too young to die

[Byron]

* Who was it that first inspired you to play guitar
* How and when did you acquire your first guitar
* What guitar style were you most interested in
* Did you want to play solo or with others
* Who or what helped you progress your learning most.

** Who was it that first inspired you to play guitar… What inspired me to play was mainly myself… I wanted to prove to myself i could do anything I wanted too. Even though a girl that i loved at a time inspired me as well. And my mom and grandpa (They played music at nursing homes back in the day!)!!!

** How and when did you acquire your first guitar… My mother saw a guitar at a flea market for cheap it was a Yamaha, and let me tell ya i fell in love with it and it sounded great!

** What guitar style were you most interested in… Everything really I love music period… Except for hard rap and death metal… Rap is crap (Except Eminem) And Death metal well… I dont have a rhyme for that lol… (Its crap)

** Did you want to play solo or with others? Solo (Im a loner).. But im teaching a friend and if that takes off to a Duo id be happy (As of now…)

** Who or what helped you progress your learning most? .Again… myself.. i wanted to prove to myself anything is possible and i have recorded some pretty good songs, some not so much as others… well lets say i think… some should have gone viral but nope… Youtube sucks…

Byron

[Don D.]

I loved the Beatles, Stones, and a bunch of other music. I begged for a guitar for a long while. When my parents finally got me a guitar, it was a terrible acoustic with high action and rusty strings. The first things I really tried to play were on GET YER YA-YA’S OUT. I didn’t stick with any song long enough to learn it, but trying to learn it, I found phrases and sounds that interested me, and I played them over and over. I’m still doing that to some degree.

Don D.

[Mike W]

Many thanks for starting this Richard – it’s given me much food for thought and got me dredging my memory banks – it’s also helped me get a lot of stuff into perspective – so here goes:
From the age of about 7 (1956) I’d liked the old-style rock and roll and by my early teens I’d been thrilled by The Shadows, but had no leanings towards playing music myself. That changed big style when I was about 13. At school assembly every Thursday, after the hymns/ prayers etc we had a music item. This would be one of the pupils playing a piece, normally classical, on piano, violin or singing. Sometimes the teachers might have a go – normally songs from Gilbert & Sullivan – that sort of thing. The nearest thing to modern music was a pupil playing the theme to “Stranger on the Shore” on clarinet – it was from a tv serial about that time. Each of these performances would receive polite clapping. AND THEN – a pupil called Jeff Powis, who was probably 2 or 3 years older than me, appeared with an electric guitar and played a Shadows-type number (unfortunately I can’t remember what it was) and when he finished the place was in an uproar. The reaction was such that he played again to a packed assembly hall the following lunchtime. The strange thing is that although it was quite a small school, they were the only two occasions I remember seeing him.
That was the start of my campaign to get a guitar for Christmas. Naturally enough my parents were not enthusiastic – thinking I’d try a few times and then give up, plus they probably didn’t relish the idea of me making more noise than usual. However, they did get me an acoustic guitar, but, as they knew less than me about it, that’s all I got – no instruction book, no way of tuning, no plectrum, no spare strings.
After some weeks I discovered that my friend’s brother had a guitar and an instruction book, and his mother had a piano, so at last I could get tuned and start learning a couple of scales and some chords. I never learned to read music at school so taught myself to read from a music staff and then surprised myself by realising that all major scales had the same intervals, so I learnt all the major scales and from an Alan Lomax library book, started learning some American folk songs. Fast forward to a sort of folk band: 2 guitars, drums and 2 girl singers. Fast forward again to coming up to 16 and deciding I was going to leave school, get a job, and buy an electric guitar (to my parents’ dismay). I got a job with a construction company (the UK’s Motorway network was being built at this time) and eventually bought a second hand Harmony H70 (I think), with 3 pickups and lots of switches which I thought was cool, plus a Linear Concord 50watt amp. We restarted the band (without the girls) and began learning covers – (this was 1965 so plenty to choose from), but we weren’t very good. I was invited to join another band, who were quite good, but I was doing the minimum input necessary and was told (quite rightly) I was being replaced. The motorway contract I was working on was coming to a close and I was then being transferred all over the country, which meant I was meeting other guitarists and learning from them – folk music and blues mainly. Swapped the Harmony for a 12 string EKO and my friend and I began bashing out chords and singing folk songs in a pub we frequented. This used to happen after official closing time and lasted till 2 or 3 am – no payment, just the odd drink. Actually we sounded pretty rough, but after several pints no-one seemed to mind.
This all stopped when I got married – my wife didn’t like (a) the noise I made and (b) the people it brought me into contact with, so the guitars went.
By 2002, wife#2 was supportive of me playing and I bought a Squier strat (which I still have). I couldn’t believe the changes that had been made in the intervening period: electronic tuners, tab notation, huge choice of strings etc, but still all I ever played was a few Shadows’ tunes. About 7 years later, a builder who had come to give me a quote showed me the Amin pentatonic scale – I’d never even heard of it at that stage (unbelievably!). At the time I was very busy with work so didn’t get a lot of time to play.
Fast forward to 2009 and I discovered guitar music on the internet. I started watching AM videos on YouTube – I was particularly taken with EP173 (still am!). My new partner was very keen on me playing and buys me a yearly subscription to AM. She also encourages me to buy new guitars!
I think it’s true to say that although I’ve had guitars since I was thirteen, I didn’t start playing guitar until I was in my early sixties. Since retirement I’ve also enrolled with a couple of other online teachers who tend to play covers (which Brian doesn’t normally do). I also started having jazz lessons but the teacher moved away when covid struck. It was only in the first covid lockdown (2020) that I investigated the AM Forum and found the monthly challenges – which I started to submit (with some trepidation) in June 2020. Fortunately the other participants were very encouraging. I also think it’s true to say that submitting challenges has been the greatest impetus to improving my playing.
Long may it continue.
Mike W

[Richard G]

Loved your story Mike, particularly your Wife’s encouragement to start playing again and finally discovering Active Melody.
It just goes to show, the guitar got to you in the end …… and long may it stay.

Richard

[Mike W]

Thanks Richard, I didn’t know if I was going on a bit – I think there’s loads more that could be said to make it a complete story. As you say – it got me in the end.

[AndréM]

Ah! man it’s a long story, will try to make it short.

My father was playing in a country band the weekends to make ends meet. I was 6-7 years old and sometimes when my father was at work I was taking his guitar out of its case and plug-it in his amp, think it was a Fender and just pluck the strings. Of coarse he never saw me do it. I have a suspicion that my mother probably told him but he never said a thing about it. So later I was 13 year old he bought me my first guitar for my birthday and it’s how it started. He showed me the cow-boy cords and the rest I learned by myself.

First I was listening to old rock & roll song like Bill Haley,Chuck Berry and the Beatles. Then I went on to listen to Johnny Winter, Deep purple, Grand Funk Railraod, Blood rock, Janis Jopin, Alvin Lee, Jimi Hendrix and some pretty heavy stuff for the time.

Later in my teen years, some friends from the neighbor hood, we put a band together 2 guitar, 1 bass and a girl singer later added a drummer. We did shows, appearance in a local TV, and marriages. After that I played in many bands and took some classical lessons but not for long. Played in a band in which the sax player had is original material, that was a great gig.

Style of music I played:
Rock&Roll, Country, Classical, Heavy rock, Progressive rock, Top 40, Stage band(kind of jazz ensemble), probably touch every style.

Played in bands till the late 80s. Then I sporadically pick-up a guitar for a few minutes and put it back in its case. So I got tired of having to pick a guitar from its case, so I stop playing. I didn’t play at least for 30 years.

In 2019 I discovered Active Melody, so I started slowly and got the feel of it again. I decided then to put all my guitars up on the wall, so no more cases, lol. Finally built-up a small studio. Took a while but with the help of Active Melody I started to get my chops back and learn the Blues.

And voila I am still here in 2024 with my friends in Active Melody.

AndréM

AndréM

[Richard G]

What a great story André, I think a common thread throughout our membership is being very active at the beginning of our guitar journeys, joining bands and gigs etc., with a lifestyle lull somewhere in the middle, only to emerge with new vigour again with Active Melody being the catalyst.

Thanks André

Richard

[Ken R]

* Who was it that first inspired you to play guitar
My mother was very musical she loved to play piano or guitar and sing. My sister’s boyfriend at the time actually got me interested in playing guitar. I used to watch him play in his band quite often. I would go to practices with him. I got to know some of the musicians around town.

* How and when did you acquire your first guitar
My first guitar was a Sears model given to me by my parents. My second descent playing guitar was a Vantage. My mom’s Stella was probably the first one I ever played around with.

* What guitar style were you most interested in
I was always pretty much interested in rock, but I learned to really love the blues. I have a lot respect for players of all genres.

* Did you want to play solo or with others
I always wanted to play in a band. I like the feeling when we all get in a groove. I remember one song we did in the last band I was in where the trailer we were playing on, was just a rockin’ to the tune we were playing. All of us were getting into it.

* Who or what helped you progress your learning most.
This site right here is giving me the information that I have so desperately needed. I used to jam a lot with a friend of mine who was a guitar teacher too. We had so much fun jamming 2 or 3 nights a week in his studio.

[Mark H]

Mine’s a bullet list. It’s pretty long so I’ll call this Part 1: Mark H: The Early Years.

o My folks, having been in the forces in WWII, both in the RAF, were into all the big band stuff like Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Sinatra, Rogers & Hammerstein musicals, Ella Fitzgerald. Some others were less interesting but those were cool.

o Hearing the Beatles for the first time. It was in a record store in W. Yorkshire UK, “Love Me Do”, their first single. The store owner was a cool guy and was playing it to everyone that went in there. I realized years later that it knocked the wind out of me. I would have been 10 years old at the time, 1962. It was all downhill from there 🙂

o Listening to pirate radio stations on a tiny Japanese transistor radio on a single mono earplug, buried under the bedclothes, reading comics with a flashlight (three colors!) while the rest of our family were asleep. It started with Radio Luxembourg, then John Peel’s Radio London show, every night for years. I’m pretty sure a few hundred thousand other brit kids of my generation were doing the same thing.

o My favorite Auntie giving me a Spanish guitar at the age of around 14. That clinched it.

o Buying Jeff Beck’s 1965 solo single “Hi Ho Silver Lining”, (which was nice but very commercial as Jeff himself said). Playing the B side though, “Beck’s Bolero”, even on my Dansette Major record player, was unforgettable. I’d seriously moved on from the Beatles by that stage, was always an obscurantist looking for the next big thing nobody had ever heard of; after everybody had heard about something I was long gone, looking for something else. I have so much respect for Jeff Beck, he was incredible. I saw him a few years later with the Truth era band with Rod Stewart. More later.

o Bought my first bass guitar, a Japanese Zenta, from the proceeds of my paper round and a summer job. Promptly stripped off the nice sunburst finish and resprayed the body rattlecan orange. I went over to bass because I had started jamming with my friends who had been playing longer than me and they needed a bass player as much as I needed to hang out with them.

More to follow on my direct influences, including festivals, bands I saw, bands I played in, records- and concerts that altered my brain and therefore trajectory. And other cultural experiences tangentially related to music.

[Author]

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