Learn to play a string instrument

I’m still practicing, though not everyday. Some days I’m just too tired to bother. I’m up to half an hour at a time for practice sessions though. My fingers are getting tougher. I can play several chords and I can do scales. Yay!

My teacher is trying to get me to learn the Beatles “Across the Universe” but some of those chords are HARD! I don’t have enough fingers. I’m also learning that breasts and guitars aren’t the greatest combination. I have to find a way to hold the guitar comfortably while sitting.

I have another lesson tomorrow.

I’ve been practicing guitar everyday. Sadly I can only do about 15 minutes at a time before my fingers refuse to hold the strings down any longer. I’ve learned two chords. It’s like learning a new language. I haven’t the words to explain how excited I am to be doing this finally. It’s like finding a part of yourself you knew was there, but didn’t know how to give voice to.

My fingertips on my left hand feel strange, almost numb. I find myself running my thumb over them again and again because I like the feel and because I like what it means.

I had my first lesson on Thursday. It’s going to take a while to build up strength in my fingers, not to mention toughening up the tips. Right now it feels like I slammed the tips of my fingers in a car door. I’m still really excited to finally be taking lessons. I’ve wanted to learn an instrument my whole life. The guy teaching me seems like he’s going to be a good teacher. I just hope I can make myself stick with it. My tendency to jump from thing to thing/project to project tends to stop me from ever getting REALLY good at any one thing. I’d like to change that.

I got my guitar yesterday. It’s so beautiful. I still can’t believe I got the guitar and everything that goes with it for less than I thought the guitar would cost alone. My first lesson will be October 11th and then will continue every Tuesday after that. I can’t wait!

I bought a guitar at work today. I should be in possession of it by Monday. I can’t say how much it cost, but it was CHEAP. I had no idea the mark-up in the stores was so much, but it helps when you work for a company that builds and distributes them :)

I only bought the guitar (and all the fun things that go with it: case, strap, tuning thingie, etc…all for less than I thought the guitar would be) because my officemate told one of my other co-workers I wanted to learn and he offered lessons. One of his students is leaving so he has Saturday afternoon lessons open now. Yay! It’s $80 a month for the lessons, but I think it will be worth it. That’s way less than people were asking when I checked into music lessons in Tallahassee. They were charging $35-45 an hour. This works out to about $20 an hour most months and less on months with five Saturdays (he gives you the 5th Saturday free). I’m so excited!!

Since my new job is at a company which sells really nice guitars (I hope to get a Michael Kelly guitar as soon as I can afford it. They’re beautiful!) and more than half of the employees are musicians, I have high hopes that I will be able to find someone in the office to give me lessons. I know learning music first on a guitar is difficult (most people suggest learning on piano first), but it’s what I have available to me so it’s what I’m going for.

I had several goals but they all related to learning how to play different string instruments, so I decided to just combine them all into one. Easier that way.