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I thought it would be fun to deviate a bit from my usual format and delve a bit into some guitar player psychology this week. I’d like to pose a question to all of you, and I’d love to hear your answer in the comments below:
Why do you play guitar?
Or, for those who don’t already play…
Why do you WANT to learn to play guitar?
This is a question I’ve asked many guitar players over the years, and one I’ve asked myself on several occasions during some self-reflection. People’s answers to this question always fascinate me and stimulate some great discussion.
To get your ideas flowing and maybe even help you uncover some reasons that may be buried in your subconscious, here are some of the top answers I’ve heard over the years:
“To express myself”
“To relax or relieve stress”
“I just like guitars”
“To get girls/guys/friends/be popular”
“I want to be famous”
So, Why Do YOU Play Guitar?
In the comments below (there’s a form at the very bottom of the page), please share your answer and let me know why you play guitar, or want to learn to play guitar. Your answer can be as short or long as you’d like. Go into as much depth as you need to.
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I like to write poems, and I like to play guitar. I do both regulary since I was 15. When I put those two skills together, usually a very nice song comes of it. Then i feel like I have created something worthy. That I sublimed my suffering into beauty. Most of art does exactly this.
beautifully put man, very true
There is something more to it. A universal appeal/attraction to harmonize with the Cosmic Silence. To join in and become a note of the Great Symphony that will resound forever and forever. I strummed a large beautiful Guild as my brother Tom also strummed his Guild; at the same time, just one strong downstroke and let the sound of the two guitars sustain as long as we could hear it. We were in the desert at night……….Wow!! I told Tom the sound was circling the entire earth/universe,.,,,,,,,all connected, touched, sympathetic resonance……..Magic…
Right on man! I can feel it all the way over here in AZ.
The reason I want to play guitar is to learn how it operates in a band and play a few songs whether it be rhythm or lead guitar.
I grew up listening to classic rock, and I guess that got me hooked. All I know is that I was dead set on playing guitar. My mom didn’t exactly approve, which, naturally, made me want it even more. I started learning when I was 13 on a crappy acoustic guitar borrowed from a friend, and it was instant love. I Remember You by Skid Row was the first song I learned. I love playing because I can express my feelings, in both words and chords. Sidenote: playing guitar helps with anger issues, too.
Im learning to play beacuse its hard and i’m determined to do it. And i will not let stop
I play because it makes me feel young. When I learn a new chord or a riff, I feel empowered. I love how playing guitar connects me to my past (classic rock) and to other guitar lovers, my tribe. Even though I only know a few. Plus I love the tangible feeling I get with the guitar on my lap, both hands creating. I grew up with a violin under my chin and it was only a few years ago I bought my first acoustic guitar. That sealed it for me. A few weeks ago I bought my first fancy (to me) electric guitar. Exciting times! Great question. Thanks for asking.
Very cool reply Maureen, and I can definitely relate to everything you said. What make/model electric guitar did you buy?
It started out as something to do. Then it was to impress chicks. Then it was to perform on stage. Then it was to make money in the studio. Then in Iraq it was to entertain my fellow soldiers and help alleviate tension. Then after a few combat tours music became therapeutic. Now, I build guitars (and play them) to see that look of sheer happiness on their faces,when they open the case of their new guitar for the first time. It’s been a roller coaster ride, but that is why I play guitar.
I watched a Joe Walsh guitar set up video yesterday, and he said you needed to treat your guitar like a woman. I play because my women don’t like being ignored!
LOL. I’ve been meaning to watch those videos. I assume you’re referring to the 6-part series on YouTube?
Thats right!
The one where he says he is at Gibson…..in the UK!!
I’ve been struggling with setting up my Fender strat to my satisfaction, but after watching Joe, it became a pretty easy job and the results are darned good!
Learning to set up your own guitars is a great feeling (and saves you a lot of money). I still recommend taking it to a pro if it’s something serious (refret, fret level/crown, major repairs, etc) but you can learn to do those things yourself as well. I just wouldn’t use your main guitars to learn. Buy crappy necks and junk bodies to practice on first.
Hard to admit, but after 3 surgeries on my spine I play simply because I still can. Years ago, I used to play and write everyday; often staying up all night and then working the next day. These days, picking up a guitar reminds me that even if I’ve lost some ability the passion and skills remain. It’s an affirmation for me, a declaration that I’m not completely broken.
I play guitar because;
Television is not especially entertaining.
Amen
My family loved to listen to music and I was brought up listening to a wide variety of styles, (Beatles, Queen, David Bowie, classical music etc) As a teenager I did try to learn how to play the guitar but just didn’t have confidence, and my music choices were mocked on more than one occasion. Just over two years ago, after going through several life-changing events and having therapy for post traumatic stress disorder, I finally found the confidence to tell my family that I wanted to have guitar lessons (at the grand old age of 44 lol!) Going into the music shop/school in my town to book my first lesson was the best choice I have ever made. I have an excellent tutor, who is very patient and he encouraged me to keep going when I was struggling to play even a simple D chord. Sitting down and playing my guitar helps me to stay calm and focussed and it’s pushed me to change other things in my life. My one regret is that I didn’t do this sooner as I can now indulge my secret passion for classic rock songs and the joy I feel when I finally master a new chord or technique cannot be matched – even if I do have sore fingers and very short nails!
Thanks for sharing such a personal story Kes. I’m a firm believer that it’s never too old to learn, and 44 is a great age to get started. I’m glad to hear you have a good teacher, as that can really help whenever you start feeling discouraged and need motivation. I still seek out and take guitar lessons from time-to-time, whenever I get into a rut. The finger soreness will go away, in time. It can take a few weeks or months, depending on how much you play, but you’ll have calluses in no time 😀
I love music period. I have a deep passion for it. Being able to connect to something I love by playing it or creating it is an amazing thing.
I grew up listening to a lot of music. At 13, I saw the movie “Crossroads” with the famous duel between Steve Vai and Ralph Macchio. I was hooked instantly. I wanted to be this guy. I took classes and started to socialise in school because of the instrument. Years passed. I gave up the guitar for the bass during a full decade, almost to a professional level, playing for others, then got back to the guitar to compose my own music. Now I never stop writing, really. It just flows. It’s a cool way to express myself and illustrate the documentaries I make. Lastly I got really attracted by vintage and reissue guitars & equipment. I don’t really explain it. I’m just looking for the tone that will start the music writing process. Plus I found that vintage guitars are more appealing as I grow older. I’m no longer attracted by thin necks or speed licks. I just wanna play the right notes that will help the song and help me writing more interesting music. Voila.
We have a lot in common. That movie definitely had a profound impact on me as well. I saw it in ’89, and I’d already been playing guitar for a couple years at that point. That’s also when I started getting really “serious” about guitar, and seeking out other guitarists and musicians at school. However, where we differ is that I’m not really into vintage gear. I’m still stuck on the shreddy guitars with ultra-thin necks 😀
It grounds me. It centers me. It focuses me.
Yep, same here. Playing guitar is my equivalent to mindfulness meditation (which I used to do regularly). Focusing intensely on one thing for an extended period of time is a great exercise for the brain. I think it enhances memory, concentration, emotional control, etc.
Before he died a friend and drummer who I’d known and played music with since junior high said that he knew when we were kids that we were playing music because we had to. Not to meet girls or be popular, etc. I knew he was right but didn’t have an explanation as to why. At some point I realized that playing guitar gave me the same feeling as looking up at the stars on a clear night. Or seeing that place in Maple Valley where the road curves and Mt. Rainier kind of sneaks up on you. I’m not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, I’m living in that moment. Playing guitar is like that. I’m alive, I’m present, I’m paying attention. It’s my form of meditation.
It’s my form of meditation too. I feel what you’re describing whenever I’m improvising over a backing track–my own or one I’ve pulled off the web somewhere. Not as much when I’m doing diligent “practice”, in which case I’m trying to concentrate intensely on the thing I’m learning/practicing. But improvising and soloing–THAT’s when I’m taken to another place.
I learned to play guitar many years ago because i cant just sit idle. I am hyper-active and must be busy at all times. Another reason i play is so i can hear the music that i want to hear. I can be depressed or tense and pick up the guitar and feel relaxed in short order.
Gene
I love rock and metal music. Its what I listen to on my free times and all the times. So I was thinking, instead of just laying down and be lazy and listen to my music, why don’t I set up or stand up and play my music.
Metal and rock (in that order) are my genres too. I listen to a lot of music, including “epic movie trailer” music, but metal will always be my #1. That’s what I’ve listened to since my early teens.
It’s the ultimate happy maker, well playing guitar and having sex.
I can’t argue with this.
I play guitar to exercise my non-technical side of my brain. I work in high tech and management, so guitar playing is the polar opposite of what I do day in day out. I need creative outlets!! A bonus, but does not happen too often, it is a means to connect with other creative types who just want to hang out and jam (in a non-judging forum).
I think this is very important. I work with a lot of engineers (primarily software developers) at my day job, and several of them are musicians to some degree. One is in a band that gigs every weekendand has released a couple albums now. These musician-engineers seem to be more well-rounded people, in general. I’ll probably catch some flak for that statement, but it’s been my observation.
I have a feeling that my main reason is escapism. Playing guitar is the exact opposite of my day-to-day grind and there is something magical about the guitar for me. Not just playing it though. I love the look of most guitars and the associated gear that goes with it to amplify and/or enhance the instrument’s natural sounds … Goodness.
I think I just escaped from the daily grind again as I thought about it all.
Nothing at all wrong with escaping. Some choose television, others choose fishing, and others play guitar. Whatever the reason, I think we need to escape a bit to stay healthy. For me, guitar is sometimes meditative–kind of a mindfulness activity. If I can focus entirely on my playing–even if just for 1-2 minutes at a time–it means I’m not thinking about the other crap in life that stresses me out.
Rock and Roll Baby! Had to play guitar! 😉
Joined a band. Made a pretty good living at it too for a decade or so…
LOL… I’m not sure how to respond Luke, except to pump my fists and say “hell yeah!” Couldn’t agree more \m/
One reason I play is because I have 3 Taylors! Sounds stupid, but owning such musical works of art makes you feel like you have a duty to live up to the instruments. (Only an aspiration so far!)
With Strat, everytime I replicate a drop D Three Days Grace lick, or run through one of my favorite Green Day songs, it makes me feel like I’M on stage at MSG, even though I’m in my living room with my 5 watt tube amp set at 1 watt!
I play guitar because I’m alone alot. Something to do.
Jackie, I think many great guitarists throughout history would tell us the exact same thing. What starts out as just “something to do” can turn into quite a constructive hobby. I’ve always been a loner/introvert by default, so I’d say that a lot of alone-time is definitely one reason I started playing. Sure beats watching television all day.
Hey D, it’s not stupid at all! Having nice guitars creates a sort of inspiration to play. In fact, I think it’s a big driver behind GAS (gear acquisition syndrome). Whenever we plateau or get in a rut, a new or nicer piece of gear can help break you out of the funk. This is one of the reasons I play the make/model of guitar(s) that I do, and why I hang my electrics on the wall. Just seeing them gives me the urge to play, even if it’s just grabbing it off the way and playing unplugged. It’s so dry here in AZ that I keep my acoustic in the case with a humidifier, and as a result I hardly ever play it.
Guitar is a way for me to “de-stress” after a day at work. I play for my and my wife`s enjoyment. Occasionally I meet up with a good friend, and we jam for a while and exchange ideas, suggestions and new techniques.
I work in IT and guitar is a great way for me to get away from IT for a while – wife’s idea originally, which I remind her of every-time I fancy purchasing a new guitar 😉
My girlfriend (who I’ve lived with for almost 8 years now) asked me recently, “why are your guitar practices so ANGRY?” So, apparently playing guitar is a way that I de-stress as well 😀 It just so happens that I work in software development, so I recon we have some similarities there when it comes to stress.