The reason a lot of kids have started playing... (Page 1 of 3)

You bring up alot of subjects JP. First off I think alot of kids are picking up the guitar because it has a short learning curve, you can get to singing and strumming chords quite quickly. I also think there's a backlash against bedroom PC dance music, 21stC kids have watched their big brothers waste hours in front a screen creating bland disco tracks and want something more immediate and sociable.

I don't think the renaissance is about electric or solo gymnastics though or rock'n'roll, the most promising acts today are very hybrid, careful not to subscribe to any one genre. I expect alot of these seeds to bear fruit soon.

I think you may be on to something. I think we have a sharper, more creative new breed of musicians comming up. The class of 95 (my class) were awsome and had so much to say and a desire to create a new world. We didn't quite make it but we took a few steps in the right direction. The class of 2000 weren't thinkers and creators. They were consummers for the most part. Now I do know some brilliant young artists in there twenties but they are a rare beast. Your generation seems to have more to say than "Check out my new ring tone!" The guitar is a very personal instrument. Do you honistly know anyone who names their mixing console or digital loop program? Your generation has the passion needed to create meaningful music. I just learnned to play to get chicks!

"Nobody paints by ear so why would I play guitar by sight?"

Being a chick, I learned to play mostly because I started listening to zeppelin and
ACDC, and im like whoa, gutiars sound awesome! I was raised in the 90's, very not rock n roll.  Then you hear the old stuff and you're like, hey what happened to this? I'm also a writer, so a guitar is a great, and easy way to some up with song ideas. Like SG, I also found myself hooked on blues, just because it sounds neat.  Playing blues is also pretty awesome because almost ALL rock guitarists base their stuff on blues!
but yea... rock on class of '11!

guitar hero is kind of lame. Yet, there are so many people who play it. (and think its just as cool as real gutiar) there's a guitar hero tournament at this concert hall not to far away, im thinking about showing up with my tele, and being like... get a life, play REAL guitar.

Yea, Ethan, I replied.

I started because it always felt like the most sincere form of audible expression next to...well, I won't say. But what I'm trying to say that there is just something to it....like the guitar solo on "SIN" by Stone Temple Pilots. You can feel every emotion that solo takes you through....from anger to relief to joy to sadness and back to anger.
It's just awesome and when I felt that solo....I had to learn to become someone who could express feelings like that.

Dm

Well I started playing last year at the age of 32. Something I wanted to do years ago but never did. When I was 14 I got an acoustic from Santa but only new 2 chords and never stuck at it......something I regret no end! No lessons and no internet sites for me to learn from, but in all honesty it was laziness on my part.

So, if I can just say this without beinga all preachy like, All you youngsters that are starting out don't ever give up on it. Persevere and get better and dont put it aside till yer in yer 30's.....you WILL regret it.

Craig.

Altex: its a real tele, its a squier a brand branched off of fender.  i'm not a big fan of Fender Teles, I think squiers have much better tone.

moddish: It really surprises me how some people can begin to play guitar/bass then just give up on it! I've been playing for a year and  a half, and I've learned so much that if i were to give up now it would seem like such a waste of all those hours of practice.

patrick: wow, i had no idea so many guys started to get chicks... come to think of it guitar players are a little more attractive, more sensitive i think.

i just graduated high school and started playing guitar hero.  after playing it for a while i found out that i really, reallly like rock and roll, old stuff and new stuff.  im probably one of the only guys i know to actually give up on guitar hero and start playing the real guitar.  i just got bored with guitar hero, picked up my brothers acoustic, and started learning.  i learned pretty slow at first, but now a few weeks later im picking it up pretty quick.

Not if the chicks in your town play better than you it's not.

i am one of these kids
i got inspired by a mate of mine who is 23
i alos like to listen to songs that have amazing guitar playing in like bands like jimmy eat world, i know alittle jeff beck and some guns and roses stuff
also it dose pick up girls so much easyer and you can tell them to see you play at gigs that your playing

Good point SG, I think its a little sad when I can play better than guys my age emo, im glad you mentioned jimmy eat world, they do have a really good guitarist, but theyre really an overlooked/underrated band i think, especially guitarwise.

I started learning guitar after I got ditched by my long term girlfriend. I think it was some kind of attempt at wooing her back, play her a few songs etc etc.....didn't work!

Now my guitar is my baby, and I love her so much......she'll never leave me! lol