Conference napalm::guitar

2092.0. "What does your guitar teach you?" by ESKIMO::AUSTIN () Wed Jan 23 1991 21:45

    A little over a year ago I bought my first guitar.  Since then I've
    enjoyed playing it more than I ever imagined.  I wondered after
    putting down all that money for it if I made a wise investment.  Well,
    I have no regrets other than not being able to devote as much time
    to it as I would like.
    
    One thing that really amazes me is discovering what kinds of music
    have the biggest influence on my playing.  Obviously I had specific
    goals in mind when I decided to buy the guitar and knew what 'sound'
    I was after.  I've always liked raw, raunchy guitar playing the most-
    artists like Keith Richards, AC/DC, Jimmy Page, etc.  Playing the
    blues is also at the top of my list.  But something that really
    suprises me is how much Indian music is influencing my playing!  The
    sitar has always aroused my curiousity, but never enough to make me
    want to go out and buy a Ravi Shankar album.  I can remember watching
    Shankar on films about Woodstock and really enjoying his playing, and
    I've always liked how the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and the Stones, have
    been influenced by this, but I can't imagine myself trading in my
    Kramer on a sitar right away.    
    
    Has anyone else out there had this type of experience?  I guess what
    I mean is, has your guitar 'awakened' something inside you that caught
    you by suprise?  How much do you let yourself stray from your own style
    of music?  I've only been playing for a year now, but this definitely
    motivates me to want to keep practicing; I not only want to become a
    terrific guitarist, I want to see what my guitar can teach me about my-
    self.
    
    Thanks in advance for your replies,
    Alan
    

    
    Yep, I know what you mean.....I thought than when I get 'Good' on
    the guitar (I am not at the moment) I would find my style influenced
    by groups such as Pink Floyd, Jefferson Starship, Dr Feelgood etc.

    Instead I attend a jam with a couple of other muso's and get told
    that I have a real rock/*country(& western)*  style!!!!!
    
    and I don't even like country and western.....(apart from Mark
    Knopfler)
    
    
    I don't understand it! Oh and a friend told me that all the songs
    I write sound like Beatles numbers....(but I don't mind that so
    much!)
    
    J.
    

    One thing the guitar taught me is that you can make money and have
    fun doing it..