Who helped you get BACK into guitar?

[korby]

After having kids I couldnt find the time , then my 16 year old son started playing my old guitar , I gave it to him and bought another . I play every day
now because I want to and my son is leading worship for the teens at our church . I have picked up a gas problem in my old age , latest a Gibson Les Paul R-8 .

[menhir]

I got myself back into guitar...

I started taking piano lessons at a very young age, but I bought my first acoustic guitar (with S&H green stamps) at maybe 10. I bought an electric guitar sometime later. Something about the guitar always appealed to me. I was never really that good at it then, and as far as playing in bands, well, keyboard players were a lot more in demand and that was fine by me. However, I always kept an electric guitar on stage for those times a guitar made more sense in a song than a keyboard...so I never really left it...I just didn't pursue it much.

Many years went by and I eventually stopped performing in bands. In fact, I stopped playing almost entirely but the music bug bit me again. I like to travel light, and I wanted an instrument that I could take with me wherever I went (that eliminates the piano), or to whichever room I wanted to be in (no piano again). Something that I could sing along with or play as a solo instrument. Something I didn't have to plug in. (There go the rest of the keyboards. S'OK, I had sold them off anyway.) Hmmm.

What could be better than a guitar? I bought myself one that I liked and have been playing and enjoying it ever since.

[Taylorplayer]

A close friend gave me a Doyle Dykes CD about 10 years ago. That CD was so good that it basically "jolted" me to try playing again. Prior to that I hadn't much over the previous 10 years.

[gary palmer]

I'd quit playing and building guitars - back in 2003 after 32yrs playing and 25yrs building - following the totally unexpected onset of rheumatoid arthritis. I laid my guitars and other instruments to rest in our attic and packed my tools away as widespread inflammation and pain made it impossible to play, use, or work with anything manually. My immune system had basically forced me to quit as it steadily destroys my joints.

It's still the case, but one day, early last year, my then nine year old daughter totally surprised me by asking if I'd teach her how to play guitar. How could I refuse?

Fortunately my meds had been effective in limiting and slowing the progression of the ongoing joint destruction and digit distortion. I thought why not? I've nothing to lose, so bought a book on hand exercises and set to re-teaching my hands and fingers to play guitar again while also working with my daughter who's enthusiasm had triggered the now renewed spark of interest.

Any form of serious fingerstyle is out of the question as my right hand is the worst affected, but my daughter's playing has gone from strength to strength - she's even formed a band with friends - and in all honesty she's the one to blame for renewing my enjoyment and enthusiasm for all things guitar.

[Bob Womack]

When the kids were born in the early '80s, both they and my career shut me down for a couple of years. Eventually, my wife told me she thought it was wrong for me to let it go. Then she started buying me guitars...

Bob

[stratokatsu]

I started playing in college, but stopped for a few years when we first moved to Miami in 1980. Then I met a bunch of people through the old AOL guitar forum and sort of got inspired to pick it up again.

One of those people decided to host a get together about 9 years ago and have an annual jam. It's been to Louisville, Miami, Houston, San Diego twice and probably back to Louisville next summer. Those guys, along with many friends I've met here in this forum, continue to keep me playing.

[Ken C]

Originally Posted by gary palmer

I'd quit playing and building guitars - back in 2003 after 32yrs playing and 25yrs building - following the totally unexpected onset of rheumatoid arthritis. I laid my guitars and other instruments to rest in our attic and packed my tools away as widespread inflammation and pain made it impossible to play, use, or work with anything manually. My immune system had basically forced me to quit as it steadily destroys my joints.

It's still the case, but one day, early last year, my then nine year old daughter totally surprised me by asking if I'd teach her how to play guitar. How could I refuse?

Fortunately my meds had been effective in limiting and slowing the progression of the ongoing joint destruction and digit distortion. I thought why not? I've nothing to lose, so bought a book on hand exercises and set to re-teaching my hands and fingers to play guitar again while also working with my daughter who's enthusiasm had triggered the now renewed spark of interest.

Any form of serious fingerstyle is out of the question as my right hand is the worst affected, but my daughter's playing has gone from strength to strength - she's even formed a band with friends - and in all honesty she's the one to blame for renewing my enjoyment and enthusiasm for all things guitar.

What a great story! Thanks for sharing. I am sorry for your medical condition but the daughter and you did each other a real favor.

I am sure you have considered the potential results had you said, "No, Daddy's hands hurt too much."

Ken C.

[Bravejoy]

It was my wife.

It was something like 15 years ago. I hadn't played for quite awhile, but had a desire to do so. Unfortunately, buying a new guitar wasn't in the budget. We were strapped economically, even with me working a full time job and my wife working two part time jobs.

She saved up money from her second part time job, and bought me my Yamaha for Christmas.

I haven't looked back since.

Thanks, Honey!

[LouL]

I'm more of a lurker than poster, so I hope you don't mind chiming in here. I come from a family that every get together involved the whole family singing and those who knew how playing guitar. I started playing probably at 9 or 10 years old. Played through high school and college without being very good, but always enjoyed it. When I got out of college and started working, life got in the way and i started playing only once in a while. When my Uncle passed away about 8 years ago, I put the guitars away. The Applause 12 string he had given me ended up in my parents basement and my elctric was put in the back of the closet. This past January I was traveling on business and my wife stayed at my in-laws with our 2 kids. My father in law had been cleaning and found a beat up guitar that had been his when he was a kid, and had made it through all 3 of his kids. When I got back from my trip and my 4 year old daughter was playing that, I grabbed my electric out of the closet just so we could both play. Next thing you know, the electric is restrung, but i wasn't happy playing that. I always prefered playing accoustic, just never owned one of my own. Went out and bought an cheap Applause, and a few weeks ago purchased one of the Silver Creeks from Music123. I still can't play all that good, but me and my 2 kids have a lot of fun with it. I had to actually go buy a cheap one from Toys R Us for my 18 month old b/c I was afraid he was going to destroy one of the "good" guitars.

[Mandarb]

I got myself back into playing. About 14 yrs ago I started to learn guitar but like many others - life got in the way. I never thought that I would play again. But the bug hit pretty stongly a few years ago and I started taking lessons again. Life is still hectic but I am making the time to play. Now I just need to learn to enjoy the journey - I want to learn everything right away but I need to accecpt the fact that it takes time and practice.

Thanks for sharing all the great stories.

[anthonyd5189]

I never stopped playing completely. But for the past 2-3 years I haven't played much at all. I'm just getting back into it right now.

As for who helped me get back into it.....me, myself and I.

[wbrisett]

First off, hi.. I've been lurking for a bit, but this is my first post. :-)

I started playing a bit back in high school, but never quite had enough time to properly learn how to play (too many motorcycles, girls, and work, and not enough practice time). Then ten years ago, a co-worker bought a D-18 out of the blue and brought it into work. I noodled around on it and decided to see what I could pick up cheap. The local music store had a Jasmine they were blowing out for just over a $150, and since I wasn't ready to commit 100% to it, seemed like the thing to do. But then my wife and I had our daughter and the guitar once again sat in the corner. Last year my daughter out of the blue decided she wanted to play cello, so she started taking lessons. But she started falling into the half-hearted practice sessions and her teacher mentioned that to me. She then asked if I played any instrument. I told her I 'played' a little (what an understatement). So, she asked if I would practice with my daughter. Out came the Jasmine and so did a renewed interest in playing. So now we have a daily practice ritual and her cello playing has gotten 100% better and my guitar playing has started to finally improve. I got so excited about playing again, I went to the local guitar store and after picking their brains and playing guitars, I decided to pick up a new guitar. I had a very tough deciding between a Seagull Artist, Epiphone Masterbuilt, or Guild D-V4. In the end, I went with the Guild.

Nothing like a child's interest in music to renew a person's interest in playing.

Wayne

[jlkitch]

I've always played regularly, usually in the private of the home since my band broke up in the late 80s. When my mother died in 2002 I had to be the administrator of her estate which entailed a lot of time travel and worry. As a present to myself I did two things: first, I had the neck reset on my D-18; and second, I bought a new Taylor 710 ltd. It's all been downhill since. I've been performing and jamming regularly for the last six years and I have way too few guitars (for my way of thinking). I just picked up my new Metcalf OM last weekend.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by LouL

I'm more of a lurker than poster, so I hope you don't mind chiming in here.

Originally Posted by wbrisett

First off, hi.. I've been lurking for a bit, but this is my first post. :-)

Welcome Lou & Wbrisett, and, thanks for joining in the discussion. This is clearly a great topic since it made you guys feel like you could fianlly jump in. Please know that we all would like to hear more from you.
LC

[rattletrap]

When I was young I played seriously for a few years, but then wife, kids, college, career and life in general faded the guitar into the background. I went for nearly 20 years without playing. A couple years ago my son told me that he wanted to learn to play the guitar. My shirt-tail didnt touch my backside until I had bought each of us a guitar. I havent slowed down since.