I've started up my guitar lessons again after a hiatus of over a year, and I'm very excited about it. In the first lesson, my instructor, Colt Valenti, started me on some techniques for blues guitar. I can tell the difference in my playing after only one lesson.I've also bought a new guitar, a Schecter Diamond Series, CSH-1, pictured to the right. The manufacturers website has all the specifications. I already had a very basic Fender acoustic and a Fernades electric. I think it's a Fernandes Revolver. At least after a look at their website, that's what seems to match it closest. It is about 15 years old now, so the minor differences are probably just the evolution of the product. Mine is also a purple color that is apparently no longer available in the new ones.
What's compelling to me about this particular guitar includes price (only $600 on sale at Guitar Center, which makes it on the inexpensive side,) the hollow body with F-cuts, and the lack of a floating tremolo. My Fernandes has the floating tremolo, which means it also has a locking nut. That means that to make more than minor adjustments to the tuning, you have to use an Allen wrench to unlock the strings. Some of the music Colt has tried to teach me involves doing stuff like dropping the bass E string to a D, like when playing music by Soundgarden. That's a five minute operation with a floating tremolo and really cuts into lesson time.
Having a second guitar also means I can have one at home and one at my office. Having a guitar at the office may seem really strange, but by keeping my Fernandes there the last month or so, I've actually practiced more. Sometimes I have ten minutes between finishing a task and an upcoming meeting, and I practice my guitar during that time. I'll also sometimes play when I get to the office early or stay late. All these things happen enough that I was actually getting better even without lessons, but the progress was way too slow.
Lessons, however, are a necessity. If you're thinking of learning to play an instrument, take lessons! You'll waste enormous amount of time trying to figure it out yourself from books or CDs when an instructor-led lesson will accelerate the learning process 100 times.
6 comments:
I'm so jealous. Not only are you doing what I've always wanted to (taking guitar lessons instead of just picking up the guitar every 6 months to learn one new song, then forgeting about it entirely for another 6 months and wondering why I never get any better at it) but also your guitar teacher looks like he might be pretty hot!
this weekend I was the 'entertainment' on a camping trip and the whole time I was thinking, "I wish I knew more then 7 songs!!" and "I wish I could sing!" and "I wish this guy we are camping with would stop talking about Ricardo Montalban!"
P.S. this is my guitar
nice guitar. I want one. Thanx for the story Idea you should be a writer........
wow, i don't think i knew you played guitar. that's cool. i only play acoustic, never tried the electric.
and man, you people in the technology jobs just get to do whatever you want at work! (just kidding) :)
Spider Girl: Nice! My acoustic is a very plain vanilla Fender. I have no idea what model, as it's unlabeled. I don't even recall where I got it or how much I paid for it. I don't play it very much, as the electric with various effects is so much fun. You should bring your guitar to the office. If you got off the web for two minutes, I bet you'd practice. ;) You certainly have enough office space, and I'm sure Shwagon wouldn't mind.
Bethany: Yeah, we get to do pretty much what we want, as long as we also do what we have to! Still, Microsoft doesn't have the same playful culture it once had. For example, ten years ago, you'd go on a break and play foosball or a video game in the hallway. Now, you'd be reluctant to do that because it might give the wrong impression to the wrong person. I'm the only person I know with a musical instrument in my office, but today my PUM (that's Product Unit Manager, my manager's manager) told me specifically that he thought it was just fine.
well i brought a guitar to work but i can't ever play it because if someone walks by and you are playing guitar, its obvious you aren't working and are just d*cking around, even if you busted your tail for 4 hours straight without a break before that. Also it attracts a lot of attention. I am sad its not working out, i want to practice the new songs i am learning all the time...! until my fingers bleeeeed!
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