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November 16, 2005
"Riddle Song" Sing-Along
As I type, the fingers on my left hand slightly sting. I have taken up the guitar after years of wishing I could play and regretting not doing so when the parents might have paid for lessons and forced me to practice so I wasn’t wasting their money. So almost two weeks ago I bought myself a guitar (Yamaha – sycamore top, mahogany sides and back) and started on up. It was a very bittersweet moment when I had to cut my fingernails on day two of guitar ownership. The nails were at a good place. Long, but not gross long, no hangnails or cuticles, filed, buffed, strong – my first sacrifice for the music.
I believe I definitely do not have a “knack.” Two nights ago, I played the same song for three hours, never once getting through it successfully. Oh the twanging! Last night, I finally moved on to the fifth and sixth strings, and tried and tried and tried to go smoothly up the scale. Good Lord, how I struggle! Which caused me to ponder what exactly the “knack” was. How long does it take to figure out if you have the “knack”? Do some people just have magically nimble fingers that figure out how to move after one go? I’ve been playing every day for a little over a week, and I’m going strictly by the book so I can have the basics firmly ingrained before trying to figure out how to play songs that I like. At this point “Rockin’ with C and G,” “Boogie Style,” “Riddle Song,” and “Gold with Threads of Silver”(or something like that) are plenty for me to undertake, and I dream of the day that I can sit back, pop in a favorite album, and play along. I’m not even dreaming of self-written yet. I just want to be able to copy other people. But I don’t think I’ll be one of those people that just sort of catch on. I really caught on to “Ass-hole” (you know, the drinking game?) and managed to become president really quickly when I first played, but I can’t think of much more that I just got. This always makes me feel extremely sorry for myself, and I will go running home seeking affirmation. Note to self: do not call mom tonight.
The “Riddle Song” has words, which is awesome because I do have a little singing background, and I love to sing along - with anything. I’ll hum along with the microwave sometimes if I’m home alone (don’t worry, I’m not one of those people that are always humming/singing at inappropriate times – *ahem* certain train riders). It was terrible, halting, and ridiculous, but super-fun. For me. My husband did not find the “Riddle Song” sing-along quite so hilarious. He was trying to read. Pfft. Who reads anymore? I used to read on trains and then got an i-Pod and so…no more. I can’t read and listen to music at the same time. It’s weird. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, my new guitar. It’s so shiny and pretty. One of my favorite things is tuning it. My tuner rocks and sometimes I tune my own voice and check out what note I’m talking in (I tend to go sharp). In my “Teach Yourself Guitar” book, there are some pages that talk about notes and rests, and I get really excited because I already know that stuff and can skip on ahead. Then I remember that the “knack” is not quite kicking in, and the twanging and squeaking and general cacophony of beginner musician ensues and I’m not so excited anymore. Who knew the guitar could sound so, so bad?
| By heidi | 4:57 PM