A Year of Guitar

Springsteen sings "I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk." Well, I got a guitar, too, but I think I gave it a speech impediment. Either that or I mistakenly taught it a language that I don't understand.

But after a year with the guitar, I'm slowly breaking through the language barrier. I really love playing and am looking forward to moving forward. I'm pleased that I challenged myself with this and I'm semi-impressed with how far I've come. I can play a few songs that a casual listener might be able to recognize, despite the plodding pace and multiple errors and start-overs. (Hint: if for some reason you want to hear me play, suggest "Dead Flowers" or "Smoke on the Water.")

Still, I can't help but think about that Will Hodgkinson guy and how he started from the ground floor and was proficient enough to play a show six months later. I keep thinking that should be me. Also, I'm petty enough to keep hoping that Will Hodgkinson will somehow be exposed as a fraud who was already a skilled guitarist and made up the whole story just to get a book deal.

My original plan for this blog was to chronicle my first year of guitar but since I've got the Telecaster now, that should give me plenty of material to carry on a bit longer. I'll continue with the acoustic, too. Just don't expect any audio of my playing. The world still isn't ready for that. And as I've mentioned before, when I say I play badly, I'm not being modest or funny.

Anyhow, below are a few thoughts and impressions from the past year, all from a beginner's perspective. The last one is probably the most important.

* There's an old saying, usually attributed to Woody Guthrie (right), that you only need three chords and anything beyond that is showing off. That's really true. I was surprised to see the simplicity of the structure of so many songs.

* The G chord is my favorite. Whenever I pick up the guitar, my left hand instinctively goes straight for it and doesn't want to let go until I've played it several

times. I guess that's because the G was the first chord I learned.

* For some reason, my playing is more crisp and precise in the morning. I have no idea why this is so.

* I was about ready to chunk the guitar and switch to chess back in January simply because of the F chord, the nemesis of every beginning guitarist. It seemed impossible at the time and I'm still pretty awkward with it. Someone wiser than me did show me a little sound-alike shortcut, however, that looks like that diagram on the right. The A chord still can give me trouble, too. Squeezing three fingertips into one fret one on top of another is like putting a size 12 foot in a size 9 shoe.

* For me, watching the fingers of an accomplished guitarist is like watching a magic act. It's almost hypnotic and I sometimes find I'm not even hearing the music when I focus on the fingers.

* Why didn't I start this when I was a teenager? Back when my muscles could still remember things?

* Despite not making as much progress and I'd expected, I'm still on pace to make my debut on "Austin City Limits" in 2029.

* I'm proud to say that I know five kinds of D. The Dsus4 and Dsus2 sound the prettiest together, like in the chorus of "Dead Flowers."

* The great thing about "Louie, Louie" is that no matter how sloppy you play it, it still sounds right. Plus, it couldn't be easier -- just A, D, E, D as many times as necessary.

* Despite what you may have heard, I did not start the guitar just to get chicks.

* I still don't understand how someone can listen to a song and figure out the chords. I just don't -- and never will -- have the ear for that.

* As long as I have a guitar, I will never be bored.