The Chief Says Hi, "You're gonna need a bigger axe" Options

[Chief Brody]

Hello GMC,

A certified newbie says hello! Here's the low down.

Name: Rob McMillan
Age: 22
Nationality: English
Current location: Japan (Gifu prefecture)
Current employment: English teacher

I've been out in Japan for 5 months now in my first "proper" job and it's afforded me both the time and the money to fund a dream of mine - playing guitar!

I've wanted to play for many years but didn't have the confidence to follow it through, convincing myself that i was too old to start and had no "natural talent" (it didn't help that a number of my friends at University were/are fantastic guitar players who started at a young age).

But when New Year rolled around i realised that if i'd just taken the plunge when i first felt the desire to play i would already have 5+ years of practice under my belt and be achieving things i can currently only dream of! After this realisation i decided that i would not wait any longer and broke out of the vicious cycle.

I didn't feel my newbieness justified buying anything super expensive (i'm saving that for when i head back to the UK in a few years) so i went to the local music store and, with the advice of the super-friendly assistant, i purchased a Fender (Japan) Jaguar and a Yamaha Compass series Electro-acoustic, both of which i already love playing.

After the initial excitement of finally owning a guitar i realised that i needed a bit of direction, which brought me here. I can't fault the friendliness of the members nor the standard of the lessons here, as a beginner i find myself quite intimidated by the sheer amount of work i've let myself in for but at the same time i love the challenge, i can't put down my guitars and try to get at least 3 hours of practice in after work. I know now that i'm going to be playing until i die!

I'm currently mixing it up between a couple of exercises, a standard lesson or two and i give myself one song that i like/has inspired me and try my hand and transcribing and learning to play it. This feels like the right balance for me and i figure that as long as i maintain focus and dedication with the knowledge of good technique i'll achieve what i'm aiming for. Currently the aim is to be able to play the music i listen to all the time such as blues/funk/rock, although i'm definitely beginning to appreciate the shred since coming here . As long as i maintain a focus on my goals, i figure the more techniques i'm exposed to the better!

Anyhoo, i'm currently at work and have a class full of kids desperate to learn some English!

This is a fantastic site with a great community, keep it up!

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