Influenced To Start Learning An Instrument

Guitar - wanted to play like Steve Hackett, took my Dad's old steel strung along to the local music school where a very snobby classical musician refused to teach me as I didn't have a nylon string and he hadn't heard of Genesis!

I've bee playing bass for 5 years. When I started, I didn't really know what a bass was. I had never seen anybody play one and I wasn't sure what it sounded like. For some reason I picked it up and I'm glad I did it.

Guitar, inspired by (in this order of appearance): Iron Maiden, Kamelot, Kayak, Arena, King Crimson, Holdsworth, Di Meola, Jan Blok (Jazz-guitar player of Wim Sonneveld Cabaret).

I really want to take up the accordion but it's way out of my price range. Mind you, a loaf is bread is out of my price range at the moment...

Slartibartfast wrote: Anirml wrote: Prog inspired me to get a Gong behind my drumset  Also got a Triangle! Saving up money for a cowbell?

Already got one Need another one though now when I think about it!


Edited by Anirml - November 26 2010 at 09:45

When I started playing guitar (classical), I didn't even know prog existed. Played it for 3 years, stopped having lessons, bought a cheapo Gibson SG copy in 2006, left it in the closet because I couldn't play solos.

I suppose there is no one method that works for everyone.  In the end you just have to enjoy the creation of music or just stick to the listening.  However if you have become an avid listener, you may want to put your hands on an instrument and see what you can do.


Edited by Slartibartfast - November 26 2010 at 18:25

Don't bother unless you feel the urge to make your own music in your heart and soul because you can always enjoy listening after all.

I find it interesting that when I started playing guitar at age 7, "The Beatles" influenced me to want the rock star fame. From age 7 to 18, I secretly wanted that fame. When the real deal made itself available to me at age 18, I then realized that apart from all the shocking criminal activity I witnessed, that this was no different from a normal life. It had all the same disappointments, regrets, and mistakes that any normal kid experiences. So, in that sense...nothing was really different personally. It was an exciting experience to tour with celebrities in the 70's and 80's but your life was no different than the average guy walking down the street. Unfortunately,  a few of my long time musician friends didn't see it that way and as a result...committed suicide. Because they were living in a bubble and really didn't know. It was too late for me to guide them in the right direction because they were doing tours like me and sometimes the chances of meeting up again were slim. But that's what it is .....some musicians think that everything is going to be so different when they get a break and it's not. And they are let down because they have high ideals about life. I never fell into that realm fortunately because for years after getting over the Beatles, I studied in a room everyday with my dad and developed an opposite perception about playing music from what my friends had developed during that time. I hope I'm not bringing you folks down. I still think about losing my musician buddies that way and yes! It's sad to see your friends exit like that when you yourself know they were blind and exactly why. Once they were faced with that realization that nothing changes, they started doing hard drugs, sometimes falling off stage and being rushed to the hospital, etc. It felt to me like they died inside and I took it as tragic. It's still hard for me to except it today. It's not a why me? It's a why them. or why does this have to exsist?

I wanted to learn to play guitar after becoming familiar with Steve Howe's playing.
Still can't play like him though.

My first instrument was bass (guitar) but I really wasn't able to play it before I learned the guitar!