All About the Rhythm

It was when I was about 6 or 7-years-old when I first started playing musical instruments, piano being the first. Soon after, when I was around the age of 8, I picked up a trumpet and joined my elementary school band. I stuck with piano up until about 9th grade, then I eventually stopped playing due to time restrictions with other extracurricular activities. Once I finished up high school, my trumpet hasn't gotten much action but there are times where I see what I can still muster up after not playing on a daily basis for about 2 years. And about a year and a half ago, I decided to pick up a guitar. Not a day goes by where I don't tinker around with the 6 strings and play some chords. 

Rock and metal had been my preferred musical genre to listen to for a few years, probably around 4 or 5 by now. I thought it was the coolest thing seeing, guitarists rip away at solos and play their hearts off. I wanted to do something like that. I knew drums wouldn't work at my house simply because no one in my family can tolerate what I listen to, so having literally what many call a "noise machine" would just not work out. So that left the choice between bass and guitar...

Around December of 2009, I was looking to kill some time, and I told myself "Think of something you've never done before...EVER!" Then I thought, why not ACUTALLY pick up a guitar and learn! There was just one problem. About 90% of guitars made are standard right-handed guitars. Guess who's a lefty...This guy. So after looking and looking, I found a few electrics a guitar center and tried them out. It took me about an hour of toying around to decide on my Ibanez Gio.

I loved my Ibanez, but there was a part of me that wanted to play some softer music as well, so I looked online to find a beginner's lefty acoustic guitar and I found this Sunlite for about 90 dollars.

I know these aren't exactly Gibson Les Pauls or Fender Strats, but I've been told it's never about the guitar...That is unless all the frets are buzzing. So far I have yet to have a lesson under my belt, meaning all that I know has come from lots and lots of patience. I've also been lucky enough to have a few friends at school help me out with a few tricks of the trade. Right now i'm still not guitar shredder like Dave Mustaine, or Brian Haner Jr., more commonly known as Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold, but with enough work, I would like to have at least half, no scratch that, a tenth of the talent that they do.

I started off with some basic songs, here's a few...

Landing in London by 3 Doors Down

Hero of War by Rise Against

Daughters by John Mayer

And now i'm into some more complicated stuff...

Gunslinger by Avenged Sevenfold

Butterfly by Jason Mraz

Another Song About the Weekend by A Day to Remember

God Hates Us by Avenged Sevenfold

This has easily been one of the best hobbies I've picked up and I don't regret a second of it. I'm trying not to sound like a teenager who knows 3 chords or can play Cliffs of Dover on medium, but I really truly do love the music that is out there and I don't want to stop playing it ever! Heck, maybe i'll start my own band. :) And if you can think of anything that might be interesting or fun to play, let me know!

A7X RULES! :D

IT'S YOUR F***ING NIGHTMARE!!!!