Guitar

I've been playing the guitar for so long, it's become something that's intertwined with my very personality. For me, playing guitar is somewhat of a type of therapeutic self care. Whenever I'm feeling stressed out, whenever the world becomes too much, or whenever I simply need to get away and get lost in music, playing the guitar always solves all of those problems. The reason that I first got into guitar was because one day I was at my grandparents house exploring and I stumbled upon my dads old guitars. I started playing them because, in a way, it felt like it fostered a connection between my father and I. I just wanted to be like him. From that point, I actually had somewhat of a love hate relationship with the instrument. I liked that it had become something that my father and I had in common, but I quickly grew to distain practicing. I hated practicing scales, I hated how it made my fingers hurt, I dreaded going to lessons, and I just overall began to see the instrument as a chore. However, I'm so glad I stuck with it, because gradually, as I slowly got better, my views on the instrument changed. Little by little I began to understand more about music. I would take the various songs that I learned in lessons, dissect them, experiment with them, and use the various riffs and chord progressions to begin making entirely new music. As I learned more and more, each new song provided me with new material to incorporate into my repertoire, and throughout that whole process I grew to love the instrument. I couldn't help but feel a strong sense of pride when everyone who ever heard my dad play had told me I had surpassed him in my musical capabilities. Now, I'm far from a perfect or professional musician, and I need to remind myself to be humble from time to time, but that will never change the fact that I will always love the guitar for providing me with a means of creative outlet, for a way to channel my emotions, and for being something that not only I enjoy, but so too does everyone around me. I'm not going to lie, while most of the time I keep to myself when I'm playing, it is fun to show off from time to time. I always loved the rush of adrenaline I got before performing in the various school and garage bands I was a part of throughout my life. I loved being able to share my abilities with others, and I know that I will continue to love that for the rest of my life. The guitar doesn't only have a beautiful sound to offer, it is also a piece of physical art in and of itself. For centuries, master craftsmen have created majestic and beautiful guitars, each and every one of value due to their unique design. Then of course we have the advent of the electric guitar in the nineteen fifties which changed the game forever. Brands such as Dean, Gibson, Charvelle, and countless others sprung up and created a competitive race to create the newest and most exciting guitars. From that race came many beautiful instruments, as well as some very strange ones, but even if they were hit or miss, when it comes to musical instruments, the phrase "nothing ventured, nothing gained" is especially true. The guitar will always have a special place in my heart. It is a kind of sanctuary to me that I'll always cherish. I truly do feel sorry for people who don't have anything like that in their lives and I honestly don't know how they get by without it.