I’ve somehow managed to make it half a century in this life without ever learning how to play an instrument, or even how to read music. I never showed any interest in music as a kid, so my parents never had me take lessons. My younger brother must have shown the required interest, he had piano lessons and then took up the trumpet in school. Me, I loved music too much to want to know how the sausage was made.
That was my excuse for all of my adult life, until now. For some unknown reason – possibly related to being closer to my grave than my crib, I have decided to learn music and to play an instrument. It was a gradual realization over a period of several years, if I look back on it carefully.
Why guitar, possibly one of the hardest instruments to learn? Because – guitar! Actually, it was cheaper than a piano, and takes up less space. Also – GUITAR! All my favorite music is guitar driven or featured. Some of my favorite bands had amazing guitar players. Like Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits.
My self guided study of music history has included an extensive stay in the purely American muisc genre of the Blues. Turns out all of those amazing British bands from the 60’s, like the Beattles and the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who, were all influenced by the Blues. So naturally, if I’m going to learn to play an instrument, it had to be the guitar.
Now I’m a big Blues fan and have been expolring the classics from Robert Johnson to BB King and of course Buddy Guy. My ear seems to favor the Chicago style Blues but I also really like the Delta Blues with a single acoustic guitar.
Modern Blues guitarists are keeping alive the genre and adding their own unique spin on it such as Samantha Fish, and the Lovell sisters of Larkin Poe. I’ll never be as good as these musicians, but you never know, I may develope my own style of Blues. Maybe a Cyber Blues genre?
