It's that time of year when all the music magazines and blogs are compiling their year end lists of the best albums, best musicians, songs, videos and more. In this blog I focus on guitar knowledge, instruction, history, and anything that might help or encourage anyone from the beginning guitarist to the indie recording artist/songwriter trying to make honest music and get it heard to the aspiring guitar instructor. So I'm not going to give you another list of the best guitarists, guitar albums, guitars or guitar gear. There are plenty of big time guitar publications to do that. I'm just going to give you a short list and review of what the guitar did for me personally this year.
I'd like to ask you to ponder the same question. There is no right or wrong answer. It's just good to look at your relationship with the guitar from time to time and consider where it stands. Are you getting what you want out of playing the guitar? Do you find the time to play and practice? Do you make the time? Are you happy just knowing a few chords and being a knowledgable listener? Are you satisfied with your methods of learning? Maybe you're exactly where you want to be. That could be anywhere from an ambitious beginner to a casual hobbyist to an accomplished professional of just about any age.
So I ask myself "What has the guitar done for me this year?" The first thing that comes to mind for me is that I made my living with the guitar. It wasn't the best year but I'm not sure it was the best financially for any profession this year. If I wouldn't have had my guitar it would have been worse that's for sure. Even when the CD and download sales and club shows are barely covering the costs, I always have the bread and butter of teaching guitar. And I truly love it. Because when you get to share your passion, knowledge and love for music one on one with a person it really comes down to the music's bare essentials. When you see the pure joy and satisfaction learning music gives a person you realize you are a part of something bigger than yourself, and that something can be a positive force in helping people tap into unexplored parts of themselves. In a guitar lesson the first thing I try to do is get the person to understand that this isn't about either one of us performing for the other one. It's about exploring the musical path together. I get to impart secret knowledge and demonstrate technique but I also get to go on treasure hunts seeking further wisdom when I don't have the immediate answer. The greatest thing about being a teacher is that you have to keep learning.
This year the guitar has also been my comforter and my confidant. Anyone who has lost a loved one knows that there are periods of grief and mourning that are inexpressible and this summer I became entwined in the strings and sounds of my guitar that helped me work through a lot of emotions. I wrote and recorded some things that will never see the light of day but were major therapy for me.
Exactly one month to the day after my mother passed away last June I won a beautiful Gibson SG 1961 Reissue at a concert in the park in Nashville on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I don't mean to get too cheesy or sentimental but I really took it as a sign. If you knew my mom you know what I mean. A sign of hope and inspiration in the midst of dark times. Not only is it a great guitar that plays excellent and sounds perfect for my music but it is also beautiful to look at as a work of art itself.
So if I was to distill this short discourse into a list of the top things my guitar did for me this year it would look like this.
In 2011 my guitar was my:
1. Employer
2. Teacher
3. Comforter
4. Therapist/confidant
5. Prophetic sign/muse
6. Hope/inspiration
7. Tool
8. Object of art
Be sure to let us know what the guitar did for you this year in the comment section. Keep on rockin' and keep on practicing!
Jerry O