Wednesday, November 21, 2007

An early Christmas Present

Blogtoberfest in Helen really struck a chord with me this year, so to speak. I have always loved the sound of a guitar and finally decided in late October that I want to learn how to play. I really enjoyed hearing everyone play together, and I want to do that. So we started looking, and asking questions. We were told to get an el cheapo to see if I would like it, and was serious enough to spend the time to learn how to play. I was a little daunted by the price, but decided that instead of Christmas, I might get it for my birthday in January.



Then the universe shifted and realigned.



My very wonderful friend, with the worthless, scum sucking, dooshbag, asshat, candyass, ball licker, drunk, chickenshit, piece of horsesnot Ex-f**king husband DAVE STANFORTH (who we would all like to find so to throw his sorry ass in jail until he could come up with 2 gottdam years of child support that he walked out on, may he be plagued with hemorrhoids the size of a flank steak for the rest of his miserable life) gave me my Christmas present a little early.



Behold:



an Epiphone PR-5E, with hookups, no less. And why yes, that is a broken string. Because I don't know how to play, or tune, a guitar. YET.

I will take any and all advice you might have to give...

Life is DEFINITELY good today.

4 comments:

Erica said...

My very humble advice: Get used to calloused, dangly skin hanging off the fingers of your left hand. When I started playing, I found it to be one of the most exhilarating feelings, ever. Especially when I put it down for a while, and then picked it up again. More so if it's a steel string [I have nylon]. Aside from dat, I would say you need to speak with Da Professionalz.

Joan of Argghh! said...

Sweet!

Get an electronic tuner. I used a tuning fork for years, but why should a newbie struggle? Get one and get busy playing instead of tuning.

Of course your very first song is the Chinese one: Tsu-ning!

Devise a mnemonic for remembering your strings, looking down at your strings from above: Every Alligator Demands Great Big Eels. (that's the one I made up. don't ask.)

Find people to play guitar with and struggle to keep up and watch videos and dream guitar and see yourself playing guitar, and tell your fingertips to quit whining. And once you get callouses, don't ever let 'em go.

And forget wearing nylon stockings, cuz your fingertips will shred them before you get them halfway up. In fact, your fingertips will catch on every bit of delicate fabric you own. heh.

Go for it!

Anonymous said...

... excellent!!... good luck and stay focused and you will do just fine!....

Eric

That 1 Guy said...

Sweet! Definitely try to get together with others to jam. You'll learn alot just off of that. Also,get yourself something like the Guitar Fretboard Workbook by Tagliarino. It will familiarize you with the patterns of the fretboard.

If you want a decent program to get you started, and then some, check out E-media's Guitar Method.

Good luck!