Me and My Guitar Part II: Kumbaya (Sort Of)

After my aborted introduction to playing a musical instrument (the accordion, aka "The Refrigerator") ended with my broken left wrist at around age 10 or 12,  for a number of years my only experience at playing music was "Chopsticks" and the first few bars of "Blue Moon" on available pianos. I frankly can't recall how or when I learned to play these, but their simplicity as well as the keyboard similarity to a concert accordion made it pretty easy to do.  However, although I like listening to piano music very much,  I never had any interest in playing it seriously.

Fast forward to college days.  A couple of my new friends played the guitar.  And not tunes like "Turkey in the Straw" that I had played on my accordion or "Chopsticks" on shared pianos, but songs by very popular folk performers of the time (the 60's) like The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Joan Biaz, Pete Seiger, Judy Collins, The New Christy Minstrels (youngsters, please use Google to identify these people).  The guitar was an instrument that drew positive attention whenever it was played in a dorm room or at an informal gathering, and those who knew how to play it were admired and exuded "coolness."  This was way different (i.e., better) than the accordion and I wanted to learn to play it.

My friends taught me a few basic cords and strumming techniques on their guitars, and I would borrow an instrument to practice whenever I could.  But I couldn't afford to buy my own guitar and I never got beyond a very rudimentary level of playing.  My chord changes were slow, awkward, and sloppy.  I became aware that my left wrist had a permanent limitation that was probably the result of a lack of physical therapy after my childhood break (the expert therapy available today would undoubtedly have led to a better outcome).  This made certain chord positions very difficult for me and to this day they present special challenges to playing. Nevertheless, I was able to produce some pleasing sounds and even managed a halting rendition of a couple of cheesy songs -- "Kumbaya," and "Wayfarin' Stranger."  My informal lessons and playing sessions didn't get me very far in terms of mastering the guitar, but they showed me that it was possible to really enjoy playing a musical instrument -- something that had never happened with the accordion.

Aria AC-6, Age 50+

Fast forward past school days to the early 70's.  My wife bought me what has turned out to be one of the most enduring and impactful gifts ever -- my own guitar.  This was in 1972 or 1973, and I still have it today, almost 50 years later (!).  In those early days we were just starting out and didn't have a lot of money to spend on something like this, but nevertheless she got me a very good "entry-level" guitar -- an Aria AC-6 classical acoustic model that she bought with the advice of the owner of our local musical instrument store.  The Aria company is still in business, and their guitars generally get pretty good reviews. Mine has the advantage that age has given it a deep, mellow resonance that only comes from guitar geezerhood.

I'm afraid I didn't do my gift justice, however. I was fully absorbed in my career,  as well as working around our new house, and indulging our passion for travel. Guitar playing was not a high priority but I would occasionally get it out and try to recover what little skill I had achieved earlier.  I couldn't remember the chords to any tunes, but in trying to reproduce them I discovered that just noodling around and faking it could sound pretty good.  I also found that playing for playing's sake, without regard for looking "cool" or emulating a popular performer, was very satisfying.

If I would have had more time and commitment I might have approached learning the guitar in a more formal and structured way by taking lessons from someone.  However, my childhood experience with the accordion left me with an aversion to playing scales and practicing the same thing over and over.  Although this might have led to a higher level of proficiency than I have now, it is more likely the guitar would have joined my accordion in that great music store in the sky -- in the Used Instrument Section.

So, for the next 30 years my guitar and I had a sort of "companionable neglect" relationship.  Every once in a while I would get it out and together we would amiably explore my incompetence.  I always liked these sessions, though, and vowed at the end of each to do them more often -- but then didn't follow through.  Even after I retired it took another 15 years before I finally began to give my guitar playing a real chance to develop.  It has turned out to be one of the most positive aspects of my Geezerhood, but not in a way I could have predicted, as I'll try to explain next time.

Next up -- I discover why the guitar is often described as a very "personal" instrument.