What makes you play the guitar?

[Bobby Hogan]

What is it about the guitar that drives you to play it and the type of music that you like to play?

[BluesShredder]

the heart and the soul of the blues

[trendkillah]

One thing => expression of feelings and creativity.

[Raskolnikov]

Right on Tredkillah!

I could have done lots of things with my life, but I don't think I could do anything without music. So music is what I do.

[Fenderblues]

The music is in us.

The wife bitches, women leave us, bill s come in at the wrong time, freinds let us down, unemployment all the **** life chucks at us mean's nothing when you pick up the guitar and play, freeing your mind letting the music breathe life and soul into us with each strike of the strings.

Without the guitar life would be hum drum.

[zepp_rules]

love of the music

[Mai Zure]

Fast money and easy women!
:D

[Kevin Taylor]

I see dead people :eek:

[Christoph]

Lol schmange.

[Lordathestrings]

I started in Grade 5, playing trumpet. By the time I got to High School, I was playing in the school orchestra, a marching band, and a drum'n'bugle corps.

I had a lot of trouble with chapped lips. Its a drag trying to play when your lip splits. So I took up guitar. At the time. (late '60s) , everyone was playing.

Like the song says, "I got the music in me". That's not a boast, even a mediochre musician has a need to play.

Its who we are.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Bobby Hogan
What is it about the guitar that drives you to play it and the type of music that you like to play?

You know, this is the question that we ask ourselves everyday, ands why we continiously try to find new way to be creative on this instrument. There are a lot of days, (through turmoil that we've suffered with friends, ex's) we just don't even want to look at a guitar, but if you're a true musician, where you just have the fire inside of you, its almost impossible to stay away. I love learning new things, whether it comes to music, or pertaining to different people that Ive let into my lives. I would have to say that Jimmy Page has been my primary influence over the past several years, and from listening to my favorite Led Zeppelin records over and over again, it reminds me why I picked up this instrument to begin with. And that was to learn from the master, and create my own untouchable style. But still, we create new reasons to stay motivated everyday with this instrument. Despite the fact that there isn't a wjhole lot to say in the music industry today, the artists from the past will never die, and I'm still learning from these amazing artists after all of these years...


I started on the panio, but wiyth the guitar there are just so many endless possibilities, and thats why Ive stuck with it...


-Joseph

[stratman42]

The muse within inspires me to play, that and the want to be like greats and better than those untalented people out there (Oasis, Travis etc) and also the need to be noticed and identified as an individual with my own individual style taking aspects from different greats and blending them and my own features to express what i like to call...

Me.

[Led Zeppelin]

Originally posted by stratman42
The muse within inspires me to play, that and the want to be like greats and better than those untalented people out there (Oasis, Travis etc)

What?


You bastard

[Led Zeppelin]

Listen to Champagne Supernova or D'You Know What I mean and then say that Oasis arent talented.

[Joseph]

I must say, Champagne Supernova is a really good song. But aftere that album, I donlt kno I kind of got the feeling that these guys were at loss for creativity. Don't get me wrong, these guys are talented, (and they're shows are pretty amazing) but it seems as if they have (unconsciously, if you will) have been re-hashing a lot of their previous tracks, because they are so afraid of breaking away from their original style.

-Joseph

[fendermonkey77]

At the risk of sounding cheesy....music lets the heart express what words cannot.

[Led Zeppelin]

Originally posted by Joseph
I must say, Champagne Supernova is a really good song. But aftere that album, I donlt kno I kind of got the feeling that these guys were at loss for creativity. Don't get me wrong, these guys are talented, (and they're shows are pretty amazing) but it seems as if they have (unconsciously, if you will) have been re-hashing a lot of their previous tracks, because they are so afraid of breaking away from their original style.

-Joseph

Am I the only one that says the 3rd album was there best. I know the 4th one was ****e but their album of B-sides The Masterplan is sublimely better than most other normal albums Ive heard. The effort that Noel puts into the band is unbelievable, he writes and occasionally sings the songs and plays lead guitar plus he has to deal with that idiot Liam.

[stratman42]

I'm not saying the songwritings bad(tho it has gone downhill since WTSMG), more the guitar playing, which again, isn't bad, but referring to the original subject, its the kind of thing i want to be better than. I do (did) consider Noel a good songwriter.

[Captain Crunch]

I play guitar pretty much religiously. Call it sad, or call it admirable. But for me (middle class, regular guy, never fancy) Guitar is Life and Life is Guitar. It may sound cheezy but my guitar is my existence I know nothing else and at timez when no one else is there my six string is always there for me.I play heavvy metal if you couldnt tell by my name, and playing Metallica and other Metal make life have a purpose.And while i play it for a short time life makes sense. Some may find me completely obsessive but others who have their heart in this as much as i do will feel my words.Good Luck to All Guitarists out there and may you find happiness in music.Amen and Halleluah.
-Cap'n.

[Zeppelin]

i'm playing the guitar because i need to
it somewhat similar to the idea of Captain Crunch..
i mean i'm not one of the guys who can play 8-10 hours per day, but i'm playing the maximum i can, and i feel like i will die or something if i wont play at least 30-40 minutes per day.. i know it may sound stupid but once i was away from home for like 3 days, and it was some school trip and i was sitting and listening to some LZ record and then my hands started to shake, coze i couldnt just take a guitar and play with that record, and it was like a hit point when i understood that i really need the playing as much as i need to eat to sleep or anything else

[emmanuel79]

Interesting questions and never thought of it...

The first time I learn to play guitar since 12yrs old, take it as, something like, Ahhhh.... what the heck... play guitar, everyone plays the guitar... I take it as a hobby. At that time, I understand what music is... it is all just about tune. But after a few years, OK, to express yourself or maybe for the guys... don't deny like me... during youth, OK, to impress some girls... but what the heck. Some people can play guitar even better than me, and they can impress more people even girls... hekekeke. (Don't laugh) OK, suddenly, find out, it is not just that, it is about to show who you are, what you can do other than become a boring person witout any artistic talent. This is the beautiful sight of guitarist, they tend to look normal people, but they are not in the sense of talent. OK, during my youth, I know how to play the drum, the keyboard, bass and trumpet. Even now, i still can play them well but not really pro. Only the guitar. Heck!!! Everyone wants to be the best... DON'T DENY!!!
Realize, it came from da' blood, almost everyone in my family can play musical instrument and even sing. I am not good in singing though. father plays blues stuff, one uncle plays hardrock and satriani stuff with a local band weekend in a pub. One uncle is a good jazz player, and my auntie'S are all able to play guitar without going to music school. I don't believe background that influences you to be a guitar player. It is all in you own blood. Hmmm... because music is everywhere. That is what influences you. Once my father reminds me of this quote all the time. To learn and play the guitar is easy for everyone, but it is hard to master it. So, don't think if you know all the chords, i mean ALL, it does not mean you have mastered guitar. It means you have to go to the next stage and learn new stuff. there is no exact definitions of guitar master. If someone tend to about to finish the level of all guitar skills, tricks, someone else will find something new. That is it. This is a good reminder for all guitar player. Oh, maybe it is not usefull for those who are aleady good in guitar scene.

[missy_chick_420]

kurt cobain inspires me to play, he influenced me. he made it clear to every one that he would "burnout then fade away" and that to me is an indivedual and shows love for music.but he died for what he belived.i mean he had real talent.





kurt for life
:) ;) :( :D

[Edited by missy_chick_420 on 08-09-2001 at 09:24 PM]

[MajinMojo]

Well like most things, habbits, hobbies, obsessions I have become entangled with they all generally start with the same idea. I have nothing better to do. I figure, "What the hell I can't just sit in my ass all the time and what is the harm of trying?" Yeah sometimes those words are a double-edged sword (bad habbits, smoking......otherstuffs....) But anyway this consistent thought has also sparked to life my desire to learn the guitar. Then when i felt that i LEARNED it, i started to enjoy it. In fact, I love it. I wouldn't call myself a fanatic but all I'm saying is that it has always given me something to do and has never let me down and I can always rely upon it knowing that everyday I can discover new things all from the chair in the corner of my room.

[Barreta_jetstream1]

i think MajinMojo said it best. i play the guitar for aroun 2-3hours a night and i love it. whatever i am doing i have a guitar next to me. i have ofter asked myself "where would i be now without my guitar". as i am 15 i could be doing anything right now but no. in my opinion the guitar is a great saviour to me as it has also helped in my school-work and the ability to xpres myself. the money isn't bad too....

[educatedfilm]

I'm glad there are people who like nirvana... but why has Kurt been made a martar. HE'd didn't kill himself cos it was gonna imortalize his music, unless maybe the fact that he was a herion addict (some will say he walked out of rehab clean a short while before he died, but they'll forget he was out of his head on the stuff when he shot himself), had undiagnosable stomach pains, and came from a town which had a ski high suicide rate (which makes you think that there was some genetic factor involved with their depression) and a child hood spent passing between two parent was all a coinsedence...

Kurt wasn't a very good player, but like some of the greats he was a great song writer (and had some impressive tricks with feedback...he was only second to the guy from sonic youth when it came to feed back)...
(please take no offence of this)

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Led Zeppelin


Am I the only one that says the 3rd album was there best.

Probably, :rolleyes:.

educatedfilm
Kurt wasn't a very good player, but like some of the greats he was a great song writer (and had some impressive tricks with feedback...he was only second to the guy from sonic youth when it came to feed back)...
(please take no offence of this)

I know a lot of people can easily say that Kurt Cobain wasn't a very good guitar player, without thinking twice. But for someone who thinks like that, they are just merely focusing on the negative aspects, and their immediate reaction. Technically, Kurt wasn't all there, face it, we're not all blessed with the strong capacity to match up to steve Vai but Kurt Cobain was a solid guitar player. I hope that as the years ptrogress people will rekmember all of the great things that Kurt Cobain brought to the music industry, and honesty played a major factor. Anyone who has truly seen Nirvana (live at their best) would definitely think twice before undermining Kurt's ability as a guitarist...

-Joseph

[Led Zeppelin]

The kurt Cobain thing is the same argument as the Oasis/Travis argument except Kurt is looked at differnt because hes dead

[emmanuel79]

What is this about Kurt Cobain? OK, accept this, he is not a great gutarist, but he is one of the great expressionist among other song writers. When talking about expression through guitar or great guitar solo, it is not his area and he is left far behind. This is the area for guitar solo such as Satriani, Vai, Eric Johnson, Malmsteem and blah blah blah. So, it is not logic to say he is a great guitarist but it is logic to say he is good in guitar and he is a great song writer or composer. His tune of his lyrics are also unique. Just listen to his chords progression and tune of his lyrics, you will realize he is a good song writer. Feedback? Weird guitar sound? OK he may have done this, but all of the scales are... god damn it... boring... even people who have just learn the guitar for just one day could have learn this solo. So, face this again, if you understand the nature of his state of mind, he doesn't care his solo in his songs, and all he cares about is his expression through music lyrics and chords progression but still does not left alone the solo. But he has the same nature with other great guitarist, they are all unique and they are truly musician which can produce their own music and styles.

[Edited by emmanuel79 on 08-12-2001 at 09:42 PM]

[guitar_babe]

I play the guitar because I love rock, and i guess its because my dad use to be in a band a long time ago when i was a little girl. I think the guitar sounds very cool, and is fun to play, but it also takes a lot of practice, hard work, and determination!

[PonyOne]

OK, about Nirvana...

I knew Kurt, not very closely, but my uncle was in tight with him (he was in a band called Fifi that was moderately big on the Seattle grunge scene).
For some reason, everyone wants to make him a hero, or thinks that he died for what he believed in. But that's one of the reasons that he turned to drugs and slipped into a depression, and ultimately ended up killing himself.

(interesting trivia: the manner in which kurt cobain shot himself does not make sense at all. the way that they determined he was holding the shotgun doesn't make that much sense; plus, he used a Remington 808 pump-action shotgun. I have one and the manner which he allegedly used it to kill himself would be difficult taking into account the gun's mass. One of the examiners said that his arms weren't long enough to do it, and cops at the scene said it was obvious the scene had been rearranged.
The sucide note has two noticeably different sets of handwriting on it. He mispells his daughter's name in the second half as well as makes other mistakes in regards to people he knows.
And finally, there was the lead singer of a band in Los Angeles who told the LAPD and the LA times that Courtney Love approached him two months before the suicide and offered him ten grand to kill kurt, but he declined. About a week before the paper was going to run, he was murdered in his apartment.
Food for thought.)

If Kurt did kill himself (i'm 50/50 on this), it wasn't to make a point. He didn't stand up for his rights by burning out rather than fading away; he wanted to but didn't feel he could. It's called drug-assisted depression combined with people who think you're God and take every word you say and pick it apart to try and find divine meaning.
I always hear the old guitar guys at the music stores go to a friend "hey look, I'm kurt cobain" and strum three strings with the gain on full and it pisses me off. Kurt proved a point that has always been true: excess is not rebellion, excess is not always the best. When he rose to fame, he was one of the few guitarists who wasn't striving to make intricate guitar solos for the sake of having an intricate guitar solo. He was trying to convey a point, and do it in the best way possible: without muddying it up with irrelevance. Great, so in one measure, you play fifteen chords as well as play a screaming section on the high E string above the twelth fret. To me, a lot of late 80's/early 90's rock feels fake like that. Maybe if you're crying over a breakup you start playing blazing solos of heartfelt fire; I play whatever comes out. If it's fast, it's fast, if not, then it's not.
Kurt was a genius. He may not play like Vai or Vaughn, but that wasn't his thing. He was more like Hendrix; he had a vision and he rolled with it, regardless of what anyone thought. He did it his way.

[hamlet]

I play guitar because I´m bored ;)

[Benoit]

I started like a lot of people, cus a lot of my friends played it. But I found something addictive in it`s sound.

I`m not looking for pity (been there, done that) but I wasn`t in the cool crowd in school and got laught at on a daily basis. When I played my guitar, it`s conforting sound helped me ease the pain and gave me the courage I needed to face yet another day. I`ll be totally franc with you all, I also loved shredding the %?&$ out of their faces by playing a kick%?& solo. Revenge is a dish better serve with music!

Now life is great, I couldn`t ask for more. Well, maybe a better sweeping technique but that`s for another thread.

If there are 13-16 years old girls and guys who are going through a lot right now, keep playing that guitar. Let it speaks for you, it`s the best advise I can give you all.

[skee1]

Why i play guitar by Mark Toman

I play guitar beacause i love it plus,
with the guitar you never stop learning.
The thing i like about the guitar with,
the guitar, you never stop being a beginner,
because there's no such thing as a advanced,
guitarest.
You could play all your life no matter what style,
you play and still not know everything.
Know body or anybody in the world that,
plays the guitar knows everything and never will.
The guitar is a endless learning tool.......
But you have to love it for it to be good to you.
I also love to play it, so i can express my soulful feelings,with-in my heart by playing it.

Mark
P:S I will alwasy be learning something new by playing,
the guitar and thats whats great about it.
It would be very boring if you new everything!
I like all music it would be really boring,
to only know one style of music.











[Edited by skee1 on 10-27-2001 at 02:49 PM]

[x0o_BurnOut_o0x]

I agree 100% with PonyOne with the Cobain thing, its ignorant and insane to consider him dying for his music. And to tell you the truth he wasnt going to die for his music. Courtney Love was obsessed with his publicity and wanted part of it. And some more "food for thought" he had 1.56 mg of heroin INJECTED, now if you know anything about drugs, A. thats a an insane amount even for a huge addict. and B. if he had injected it straight to his vein it would incompacitate him immediatley because the blood is pumping it straight to the heart so he could not have shot himself. But anyways, ive never considered Cobain to be a guitar god or anything close to it but i love him and Nirvana because although there songs are simple they were one of a kind, all there own. Besides kurts ability to create such awesome lyrics was a reason in itself to make him have his place in music even today.

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

Wow,this is an old thread...

how bout this...would cobain be nearly as respected or regarded so greatly if the music never got air time and minimal publicity?

[tehplatypus]

What is it about the guitar that drives you to play it and the type of music that you like to play?


it's just in me. can't deny it, you know? true love.

[crazywolf]

I play for the self expression. I was writing a lot, lyrics or what not, and wanted to make songs. Guitar seemed like a good instrument that I could play while I sing, or try to.

[Telebender]

I play guitar to earn a living. Being a working musician provides me with a comfortable lifestyle and the opportunity to do what I enjoy!

[Gareth Gravell]

Listening to my no 1 guitar hero Eric Clapton. He makes it sound so easy. His guitar is almost an extension to himself. I've tried to learn Eric's licks by sitting down and copying. This is futile. You need to listen and be influenced and develop your own style. Guitars are things that relieve stress for me. Nothing better than after a hard day's grind, being slagged off by all to come home to my Taylor lying patiently in the case and waiting to be strummed. Happy playing to yall.

[ScottMoney]

I started playing because I thought it would take away the pain of being single :p and when you're really down it picks you back up... Also more productive than video games

I play guitar to earn a living. Being a working musician provides me with a comfortable lifestyle and the opportunity to do what I enjoy!

That's cool, do you have a website w/some mp3's or anything? Also, what do you play?

[chucklivesoninmyheart]

I wouldn't have anything to claim or feel good about if I couldn't play guitar...I actually wonder sometimes how people can enjoy life without musical instruments and music that appeals to a inclined ear.Its such a large part of my life and what makes me happy that I don't know how I could live without it...

Even if down the road if I simply play clubs hear n' there,I would be very content.

[Cryptic Excretions]

Oh, I'd say I'm involved in music for a few reasons. Back when I was in my mid-teens I was a hollow kid to say the least. I held no direction in life and felt nothing about a lot of things. It should be noted that I didn't even listen to music at this time. When I did start listening to music, however, I felt a bit lifted. Granted I was still empty, but I didn't feel so lifeless. When I began playing music, my instrument of choice being bass, I found myself with some direction. Of course, my primary tastes were trendy, mainstream and nothing overly challenging. About a year after I started bass I acquired my first electric guitar. The complexity of the guitar intimidated me (I was still unaware of how hard bass can be mind you) so I didn't play too much. As time passed I began finding better musicians, better music, better musicianship, structure, variety, everything and it was that day that my entire tastes would shift 180. I broke away from mainstream music and became a death metal head. True metal. Of course I don't listen exclusively to death metal, that's just my favorite. In the process of this 180 shift, I also developed tastes for various types of rock, blues, progressive and even several types of music that typically don't even include a guitar and began considering myself a "guitarist" over "bassist". I've been playing for about 3 years now and I consider myself to be a competant player (not the best so don't mention my boasting). I've got a lot to learn yet, but now I know where I need to improve which is different from when I was just playing bass. After all of this for an experience, I've deduced that music gave me direction, it filled in a big blank. In a sense, it saved my life. I play now because I owe my life to my music. I feel as though it is my responsability to make the best music I can and to take things as far as they can go. That is why I am in music and that is what I plan on doing with music. I'm not gonna turn into Preacher Excretions on you all, but as far as my opinion goes, music (arguably art in its many forms) is the closest thing to the supernatural that we can comprehend. Regardless of what race, religion, gender, personality, etc. you are. Music is there. It's always been there and I doubt life would be worth it if it wasn't there. No matter what genre of music, it's there, and people are enjoying it. I'm really not opinionated about music, just what I music I prefer to listen to. I'd really rather see someone happily listening to rap than to see someone that doesn't listen to any kind of music. Tis a waste. My mom's last boyfriend didn't listen to music. Not a bit. Everything he heard he insulted. He was also an extreme jerk. I concluded that he needed music in his life. Just something he could listen to to free himself. To fill that gap that I once had. Music is one thing I have never taken for granted and hope that I never will.

how bout this...would cobain be nearly as respected or regarded so greatly if the music never got air time and minimal publicity?

How about this, if Cobain didn't die and continued to make music, would we still regard him as such a "legend"? Think about it, how long would grunge have lasted? If he kept making grunge then who's to say it wouldn't have been overdone and thus making him a has been?

[Polera]

The girlfriend...and to escape reality.

[guitarfreak141]

because its the best thing ever invented and nothing else matters when your playing guitar

[rockonman]

Playing guitar is my release, the one thing I can count on when everything and everyone else lets me down, there is nothing like a quick blues lick or a bone-crunching metal riff to take you to a better place.

[SG Supreme]

I took up guitar as I grew tired of playing the "air guitar " hehehehe...

I wanted to be able to play along with the greats in the business that I like.
Like Angus Young, SRV, The Clash, Rick Derringer etc.

Guitaring is also very relaxing and there is always room for improvement.
So the challenge never ends.

[chewyone]

I feel like I am flyin when I play my Guitar.

[ajheid]

self expression.....an escape for me......
a release valve of everyday ****!...hehehe
I enjoy all types of music (except counrty and opera)
Metal from the 70s and 80 i what I like......
the power.......RAW POWER.......