Strumming Along

About a year and a half ago, my neighbor Suzie and I signed up for a beginning guitar class at the rec center.  We thought it would be fun - we'd learn to play guitar and of course, learning with a friend is always more fun, right?  The first few classes were fine - other than the guy who brought an electric guitar and was strumming so hard on it that we could barely hear ourselves play.  The teacher seemed pretty nice - Luis, a Latino guy with black wavy hair and a penchant for playing U2.  Suzie teased me every class because Luis would always praise me for my mastery of the chords and seemed to always have some glowing remark for me every time he would walk by. 

After the class ended we decided to have Luis give us private lessons which were to take place in our homes, alternating between her house and mine.  Well, this didn't last long.  For some reason, once the lessons moved from the neutral territory of the rec center and into the privacy of our homes, a strange awkwardness settled over the lessons and eventually Suzie and I agreed to send Luis a nice, polite email letting him know that we were just too busy to continue.  My pursuit of the guitar slowly fizzled afterwards and it sat in the corner for many months, silent and forlorn in its black case with the makeshift rope handle. I felt bad because my Dad had given me the guitar shortly after we'd decided to sign up for the lessons - a guitar he'd brought back from Spain over 40 years ago while my parents were on their honeymoon.  In some way I felt like I had let the guitar (and my Dad) down.

Then, a few months ago I discovered Justin!  Yes, Justin, my new guitar teacher.  I didn't find this guy at the rec center or at any music studio.  No, I found Justin online.   That sounds a little sketchy, I know, but Justin has opened my eyes to a unique and wonderful method of learning guitar that is just right for me.  A friend suggested I check out his website and I've been pleasantly surprised.  Here is a sample of one of the videos from his beginner guitar method:

Anyway - it doesn't hurt that he's a young, good looking British guy with a very cool accent and a nice, mild-mannered way about him that makes following his lessons very enjoyable.  He also has no idea that after I spent about 3 weeks on his lessons I got side-tracked for a few months and just started up again. 

So I'm plugging away - working on my one-minute changes and strumming along awkwardly as I attempt to learn this new skill.  My fingertips are a little sore but I guess that means I'm practicing enough.  My secret fantasy is to be in a band some day, fingers flying effortlessly over the strings with lightning fast chord changes.  In my fantasy I also have a great voice - but that's another story.