A Lifelong Dream
I had always desired to play the guitar, but for many years, I never truly believed I could learn it. At the age of 39, I decided to finally take the plunge. I bought a used guitar for very cheap and embarked on an autodidactic journey, trying to coax some harmonic sounds out of her. I experimented with YouTube videos and online courses, but the process was challenging, and I found myself giving up many times, only to start anew. It was a fascinating yet frustrating experience, but I played every day because I really, really wanted to learn.
A New Approach: The Ukulele
At one point, I decided to order a ukulele, thinking it might be easier to learn and could serve as a good transition to the guitar. The instrument came with a little book containing songs, explanations of chords, and rhythm instructions. It was so much fun to experience making music myself and even start singing along. After gaining some confidence with the ukulele, I returned to my guitar, and to my delight, I found that my skills had improved.
Confidence and Travel
As I grew more confident, I began to play and sing for myself. Then, we embarked on a six-month travel adventure. I decided not to take my old guitar but to buy a new one during our journey. On the way from the airport to our destination, we stopped at a music instrument shop, and I bought a guitar with an integrated tuner and the ability to record. However, this guitar was different. No matter what I played, everything just sounded off. For three months, I tried every day, growing increasingly frustrated and doubting my abilities.
A Serendipitous Encounter
Our travels eventually took us to Mexico, where our host, by coincidence, was a guitar teacher. He simply showed me how to tune the guitar correctly. It turned out that the strings had been tuned to the wrong chords all along. After tuning it properly, the guitar sounded so nice. Since then, I’ve been playing for myself every day. Soon, I hope to gain the confidence to play with others, and I dream of hosting singing circles in the future.
Share Your Experience
What are your experiences with learning an instrument? Share your thoughts, feelings, and questions. I’d love to hear about your journey and the lessons you’ve learned along the way.
