When/How/Why Did You Start Playing Guitar?

[westaussie]

This may have been done elsewhere but I couldn't find a thread, so here's my story.

I started by accident, - literally. Although I played harmonica and button accordion, I had no particular urge to learn guitar.
When I was about 14, I smashed my left wrist, - really badly. After a couple of operations and several months in plaster, my left wrist was about half the size of the right and my left hand was almost unuseable.
I was prescribed therapy of squeezing a tennis ball for several hours a day, something that failed to do, partly because it hurt and chiefly, because it was boring and there were a million other exciting things for a 14/15 year old boy to be doing. I just coped by using my right hand for anything that required strength and got on with living.
Eventually, my parents were warned that I would permanently lose the use of that hand unless I execised it. We had a meeting with the family doctor aimed at finding a possible solution.The old GP asked me if I was interested in music, and having told him I was, turned to my parents and said "buy him a guitar"

12 months later, spurred on by visions of emulating the Beatles, I had a functioning left hand. As a bonus could also play guitar really really badly. (A skill I have maintained ever since) :

Vic

[jimk]

I was 14 or 15, I guess. I wanted to play rock'n'roll very much. And there were several garage bands in my little town. Some of them were really quite good; good enough in fact that at high school dances, we never danced to records, but always to live bands from school. I had had several years of piano lessons, and could bang out some of the top 40 hits of the time well enough. Problem was I didn't have a portable keyboard nor the money to buy it. And my parents found quite a few of the rock'n'roll kids rather unsavory.

Being thus frustrated at the age of 16, I asked for and got my first guitar for Christmas. I eagerly unwrapped it, and spent the rest of Christmas morning learning several Bob Dylan songs. As I recall, I had "Blowin' In The Wind" down by the time the turkey was served for dinner. My fingers were so sore, I could barely pick up my fork to eat. (I'm left handed, and use the left hand fingers for fretting.) Eventually I purchased a Yamaha acoustic 12 string which I played all through college. I eventually traded it and another guitar plus cash for a better quality acoustic. This was stolen, and with the insurance money I bought the S. L. Mossman guitar I still own and play. I've had that guitar for 32 years, now.

JimK

[collin]

I sucked at sports.



The end.

[Scastles]

Started when I was 14 with the British Invasion and all. At that time nearly every other guy got a guitar. I played off an on for more than a decade, then walked away from it completely. I didn't start back up again until 15 years or so later. What I know I've taught myself, and there is still some debate whether I taught myself very well or not

[lennon211]

I started when I was sixteen because I had a girlfriend who got me into good music, The Beatles. One day when she was on vacation with her family, I was flipping through channels and saw the Beatles on VH1 during one of the Ed Sullivan Show specials. After seeing the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, I knew that I had to start playing. It was a combination of seeing John Lennon with his 325 and Brian Jones with his Firebird that did it.

Now, twelve years later, she still has to listen to the playing and tells me to turn it down.

[wmthor]

I was given an acoustic guitar at Christmas, '65. However, it was stolen in the summer of '66. During HS, some friends & I formed a garage band, where I played an electric piano and did the lead vocals (I was also in the school's choir). After HS, except on one notable occasion, I had quit singing or playing any instrument.

Fast forward to Christmas, '96. I was recovering from some surgery was going to be laid up for at least two months. With all that time on my hands, one of my sisters suggested that I should start playing the guitar again. The rest of the family agreed and her hubby, who's been playing since the late '60s/early '70s, recommended that I start with a Mexican Strat and a Frontman amp. So that was my Christmas present from the family. However, it was a right-handed Strat. I tried to play right-handed, but it didn't work out. My first lefty guitar was a MG 360 that I bought at Norman's Rare Guitars, when the shop was still located in Reseda.

[electrofaro]

I've always wanted to learn to play guitar - let's blame Peter Buck for that! Then, after being at a Franz Ferdinand gig I decided it was time to give it a go.

Due to a car accident I have a crushed finger tip on my left hand's ring finger. Which did not help a lot when learning to play when everything's difficult already. I never got beyond beginner's stage...

...then beginning last year I decided to look for a cheap 330. I almost bought a 330 MG for 800 Quid. But... there was this 360 Jetglo for 1300 Quid in Schotland. It was the cheapest 360 around on eBay at the time, and I got it. Now after a year you can still call me a beginner, I guess, but at least I can use the crushed finger again (although it's a fat ugly thing, with a dozen bone remnants inside) and the playing's slowly getting better as well. I do hate the F barré though...

[badeggs]

Started playing piano when I was 7, started on my brother's old Ibanez Roadstar around 10 - that was a nice bass. Got a Yamaha at 11, finally a Rick at 19...playing drums the last 10 years as well, guitar all that time, still keys. I play by ear and I'm self-taught, it's just always been something I'm really good at, unlike sports or making money or anything else! I'd like to try picking up violin next, my bass player has one he doesn't play much...and reeds interest me but I imagine those would take some time to figure out. Still, I'm up for it.

I'm 31. Music is all I've ever cared about doing, my job is merely a paycheck. If no one ever knows me, that's fine; I still plan on leaving a big box of recordings behind when I'm gone...

[wittyair]

I talked my parents in to buying me a guitar when I was 11 ( an electric at that!!). Ended up with a pretty cool
sunburst double pickup Melody Maker and a Fender Twin. Tried to put various bands together over the years but
nothing stuck. Finally, in 10th grade I joined an already together band........made my first money for playing
guitar with that band......ten bucks.......I was way overpaid. I've been in plenty of bands since, some pretty good.
Been very fortunate to make a little money at something that was fun and a hobby for me.......and have had very
good luck to play with some great people.......some who have Grammys on their shelves. Haven't been in a band
now for about 15 years.......anybody in the upstate SC, Western NC area wanna change that????

[kiramdear]

When I was 13 I finally talked my folks into getting me a horrible acoustic guitar from the Blue Chip Stamp store and a Complete Beatles Songbook. I'd already been working on them (my parents, I mean, to let me learn guitar) ever since Ed Sullivan (9 Feb 64), so this was a long time coming. Not one to waste time, I learned all the Beatles' songs and soon acquired a solidbody Kay and a no-name bass. The bass proved a good choice and before long I was in a band.

[ozover50]

I think I was 14 when my parents bought my brother a snare drum for his birthday. I cracked a wobbly and demanded that they buy me something musical for my birthday two weeks later - what a rotten little brat I was!

Thankfully they could afford an el cheapo entry level student spanish guitar.

Just as well there were no cheap tubas or euphoniums around then!!

[jps]

what a rotten little brat I was!

Has anything changed since?

[rickenbrother]

I sucked at sports.

The end.

Me too! I was the guy you DIDN'T want on your team!

I started seriously at 13 years old. Before that I was just plunking around on an old beater acoustic guitar. Then my brother lent me his '66 Gibson Firebird and it was on!!

[jps]

I sucked at sports.

The end.

Me too! I was the guy you DIDN'T want on your team!

+1!

[scotty]

My mum had a flying V in her womb....Birth went well but she couldnt manage the Half stack Marshall..........