Thoughts on Buying Guitars
A common refrain I here from my more experienced musician friends is that the instrument doesn't make the musician. They never say those words exactly, but that's their message: a new instrument isn't going to make you be a better musician. And who can deny that? The instrument doesn't play itself, unless of course it's some newfangled thing, but let's ignore them. An instrument is only as good as the person holding it. It's a truism, so why am writing this?
I remember the first day I brought home a guitar. It wasn't even mine, technically; it was my nieces, and she lent it to me. I had no idea how to play the thing. I didn't know the tune of the strings, the shape of the chords, or anything else about music. But I knew I loved that guitar. I enjoyed holding it. I enjoyed looking at it. And most of all it inspired me to learn how to play it.
To be honest, most everyone who has ever offered me advice on not becoming enamored of guitars has a rather large collection of the things themselves. I guess they're trying to save me from going down the same path they did. But I wonder why. If it's so self evident that the instruments inspire people even before they are played, why try and derail the natural attachment? I doubt it's the cost.
Perhaps it's just them trying to focus the new player's energies where it will pay the most dividend. That makes some sense, but it's sort of disingenuous. Guitars are beautiful and inspiring. That's reason enough to want to own more than one.
I know, it's a circuitous and pointless post, but hey, I needed to say something.
I remember the first day I brought home a guitar. It wasn't even mine, technically; it was my nieces, and she lent it to me. I had no idea how to play the thing. I didn't know the tune of the strings, the shape of the chords, or anything else about music. But I knew I loved that guitar. I enjoyed holding it. I enjoyed looking at it. And most of all it inspired me to learn how to play it.
To be honest, most everyone who has ever offered me advice on not becoming enamored of guitars has a rather large collection of the things themselves. I guess they're trying to save me from going down the same path they did. But I wonder why. If it's so self evident that the instruments inspire people even before they are played, why try and derail the natural attachment? I doubt it's the cost.
Perhaps it's just them trying to focus the new player's energies where it will pay the most dividend. That makes some sense, but it's sort of disingenuous. Guitars are beautiful and inspiring. That's reason enough to want to own more than one.
I know, it's a circuitous and pointless post, but hey, I needed to say something.
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