For me it was the music chose me.
No denying that the Beatles moved me such that I said "I gotta do that".
I was 11 years old on Feb. 7th, 1964 the day they landed in New York.

Yup, I just turned 56 and I still "get" the Beatles. But I don't live in the past.

 
Pretty much the same for me Bapu.  I am 50, so I caught the bug a little latter than you did, but at about the same age.  I don't actually listen to the Beatles very often these days but they still influence me in a big way.  Everytime I do hear a Beatles tune, there is still a magic in them and they bring a smile to my face.  Was it McCartney that led you to the bass?  I know that I took notice of his bass playing pretty quickly and it is still my favorite instrument to play.
 
I don't feel that I live in the past either, but I still recognize the genious of their writing.  The 70's and 80's were obviously a big influence on me as well.  Loved the guitar playing of EVH, but it really did n't fit my style and never came naturally to me in my playing.  Still, learned a lot from him as well.

boredom made me do it.

That and the promise of loose women

Almost feels like I was born into music. I started out singing as far back as I can remember. I was singing harmonies with my mom at a very early age. It seemed to me to be an effortless and natural thing to sing harmony. I'm dumbfounded when I meet good singers who seriously can not sing a simple harmony or stay on the melody to a harmony singer behind them. (WHAT?) 

Started piano lessons around 7 because my mom had bought a nice piano and I tried to imitate her playing (she played by ear...and quite well) and she realized I should take lessons.  

Took piano lessons for 7 years and got a fair understanding of the basics. My teacher "fired me" from lessons because I had started to play more by ear than reading from the staff and was spending more time on guitar than the piano lesson material.

Took some drum lessons in school and played in the bands and orchestras for most of my school years.   Quit the band in 10th grade and studied music theory in 11th.

Started guitar at 14... it was my birthday...and I asked for one of 2 things.... either a .22 rifle or a guitar..... I got the guitar. I guess my mom thought I would do less damage with the guitar. 

Except for the time I was in the military, I have been an ardent player of music and the guitar. It is a part of my fiber and being and gives me reason to look forward to the days remaining on this planet. 

Now, as a songwriter and a chaser of dreams, I can do what I love and enjoy every moment of it. 

Did I chose it or did it choose me? I would say both, but it really doesn't matter. It simply is an integral part of my life. 


BTW: my mom still has that same piano to this day... she's in her late 90's and still sets down and plays it and sings. Such a joy to see ....and hear. 

daryl1968


boredom made me do it.

That and the promise of loose women

I read that as the "bedroom made me do it".....(I suppose that would compliment the next line).
 
 
Music was always in my family (especially from my Dad) and on every (weekly) social event, I was the deignated guitar accompaniment for my dad's drinking/singing buddies. When I was around 12-13, I heard Hotel California for the first time and realised that there are songs that had more than 3 chords in it.......

Mesh

daryl1968


boredom made me do it.

That and the promise of loose women

I read that as the "bedroom made me do it".....(I suppose that would compliment the next line).
 
 
Music was always in my family (especially from my Dad) and on every (weekly) social event, I was the deignated guitar accompaniment for my dad's drinking/singing buddies. When I was around 12-13, I heard Hotel California for the first time and realised that there are songs that had more than 3 chords in it.......

 
you mean....there ARE more than 3 chords?????? 

Beagle

Mesh

daryl1968


boredom made me do it.

That and the promise of loose women

I read that as the "bedroom made me do it".....(I suppose that would compliment the next line).
 
 
Music was always in my family (especially from my Dad) and on every (weekly) social event, I was the deignated guitar accompaniment for my dad's drinking/singing buddies. When I was around 12-13, I heard Hotel California for the first time and realised that there are songs that had more than 3 chords in it.......

 
you mean....there ARE more than 3 chords?????? 

:)

Herb, I wish I could say that someone in my family was musically inclined and feed my desire for music, but it was just not the case.  I caught the bug and could n't let it go.  In middle school I was tested for band and it was recommended that I become a drummer.  For some reason, my parents never let me pursue it.  Probably because the thought of drums banging around the house would have drove them crazy...or maybe that my father was much more into me playing sports. 

I refused to give up though and after years of begging for a guitar, they finally bought me one.  I don't think they had any idea what they had gotten me though; it was a 1963 Rickenbacher 330, Fireglow, for cheap.  I banged on that for a year with out having an amp to go with it.  Finally got a little 5w practice amp and made that work for several years.  I have basically never put the guitar down since the age of 16 and was mostly self taught. 

I always tell the kids today, you are lucky for the internet.  There is just so much info out there on playing guitar that you can learn an incredible amount right off of youtube.  Back in my day, living out in the sticks of Minnesota , it was hard to find someone to even learn from.

hookers and coke???

I just kind of wandered into it really. Friend of mine had a little classical guitar with only 4 strings on it, and I used to twang on it occasionally. 

Eventually I swopped him a second hand copy of Focus' 'Moving waves' LP for it, took it home and twanged a bit more, then got the other strings.

Another friend suggested we started a band when we were 18, and I splashed out on a Columbus 335 copy and a 10 watt practice amp.

After 35 years my lack of musical theory and lack of 'chops' sometimes embarrasses me, but I like how I play, and feel I have a certain style which works in certain settings. That's perfectly fine.

musicman100


hookers and coke???

Please, NO SOLICITING!!!