At almost 70, I'm going to get back on the music train. I'm going to start taking guitar lessons again!
I was taking lessons for a few years before my heart attack in 2016. Loved it! I would put in a 10 hour day at work (software developer) and then scoot off to a local music store to spend an hour with a great instructor. I have to check with him before I say who it was. I'm hoping he will be able to take me in again.
We split our time between playing classical spanish guitar music on my Yamaha C-40 and blues on my Gretsch G5120 Electromatic guitars. That's a little practice Fender amp and a Vox amp in the corner.
What's different this time? I'm retired now. No work to deal with. I spent over 40 years twiddling bits in the software industry. It was great! I still play around with little s/w projects. BUT... it isn't all consuming like it used to be. I can put that aside and stoke the fires of creating and playing music I love.
My current piece to learn is 'Con te partio', which literally is 'I'll leave with you' but is known as 'Time to say Goodbye.' I first heard it sung by Andrea Bocelli on a TV special. It is a heart wrenching, soaring melody that makes me weep. My emotions are always on full display, you just have to deal with it ;-)
I found the music for guitar and I'm trying to learn it by myself until I can take lessons again.
One of the things I've found is that pieces like this sound 'right' on my classical guitar, BUT I really enjoy finding ways to play them on my Gretsch! Being able to release huge tonal swings and effects through my Fender amp turns any piece into a flight of fantasy! Truly 'My guitar gently weeps...'.
I'll keep you up to date on my musical journey. Maybe I can post a movie of my playing with Jeff (hopefully my teacher) later in the year.
For now I'll end with a cartoon that nails my thoughts on life!
Be good to yourself and to others.
