Topic: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

A couple people have told me that the reason kids my age, 13-14-15 have started playing guitar is because a lot of music we hear today just isn't that great, and we think we can do better.  I mean, I do have a lot of respect for some modern musicians (some indie stuff, nine inch nails, jack johnson etc.) , but I have a lot more respect for past guitarists/bands. Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, even Bob Dylan.  You just don't hear stuff that good anymore.  If you go on sites like myspace you can still find some awesome guitarists, but it seems like people don't wanna hear it anymore.  I'd much rather listen to someone busting out an awesome solo on their cheap Epi SG, than listen to Fergie spelling glamourous... or tastey... or delicious, or whatever. I go to school every single day, I dont need a hip hop musician teaching me to spell, I need to learn licks, scales and chord progressions. So I encourage people my age to pick up a guitar and show the world that rock n roll is not dead.

okay, I meant to post this as a "what's your opinion?" kinda thing but it turned into a public service announcement, sorry. Do you think that that it the reason so many kids of this generation are picking up guitars?

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

You bring up alot of subjects JP. First off I think alot of kids are picking up the guitar because it has a short learning curve, you can get to singing and strumming chords quite quickly. I also think there's a backlash against bedroom PC dance music, 21stC kids have watched their big brothers waste hours in front a screen creating bland disco tracks and want something more immediate and sociable.

I don't think the renaissance is about electric or solo gymnastics though or rock'n'roll, the most promising acts today are very hybrid, careful not to subscribe to any one genre. I expect alot of these seeds to bear fruit soon.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

haha i do bring up a lot of subjects dont I? I enjoy hearing people's opinions, especially the people here on chordie.  The community here is diverse and doesn't really argue a lot. So, yes, i enjoy making you guys think ,and answer my questions.  Without you guys i would have probably given up on guitar months ago! thanks for your, tips, tricks, opinions, and even general rambling!
~kori

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

I think you may be on to something. I think we have a sharper, more creative new breed of musicians comming up. The class of 95 (my class) were awsome and had so much to say and a desire to create a new world. We didn't quite make it but we took a few steps in the right direction. The class of 2000 weren't thinkers and creators. They were consummers for the most part. Now I do know some brilliant young artists in there twenties but they are a rare beast. Your generation seems to have more to say than "Check out my new ring tone!" The guitar is a very personal instrument. Do you honistly know anyone who names their mixing console or digital loop program? Your generation has the passion needed to create meaningful music. I just learnned to play to get chicks!

"Nobody paints by ear so why would I play guitar by sight?" hmm

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

I learned to play because I got lessons as a gift, quite honestly. A year and a half later I consider it the best gift I have ever recieved. Started as a metalhead, then I moved into classic rock and the blues and that's where I am now. Also, I'm the same age as Kori (jpage_roxmysox)

"You have to get over the love of power, and enjoy the power of love, in order to know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Being a chick, I learned to play mostly because I started listening to zeppelin and
ACDC, and im like whoa, gutiars sound awesome! I was raised in the 90's, very not rock n roll.  Then you hear the old stuff and you're like, hey what happened to this? I'm also a writer, so a guitar is a great, and easy way to some up with song ideas. Like SG, I also found myself hooked on blues, just because it sounds neat.  Playing blues is also pretty awesome because almost ALL rock guitarists base their stuff on blues!
but yea... rock on class of '11!

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

A side note:

A lot of kids in my school started playing because of Guitar Hero. Personally I think there are no bragging rights to a game, just like there never should be in music, but they seem to think they can play Freebird on a real guitar so long as they can on Guitar Hero

Also, Kori, did you get my last email?

"You have to get over the love of power, and enjoy the power of love, in order to know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

guitar hero is kind of lame. Yet, there are so many people who play it. (and think its just as cool as real gutiar) there's a guitar hero tournament at this concert hall not to far away, im thinking about showing up with my tele, and being like... get a life, play REAL guitar.

Yea, Ethan, I replied.

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Great idea. Show them all up. Nothing like Tele twang to wake you up from video game fantasies

"You have to get over the love of power, and enjoy the power of love, in order to know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

I started because it always felt like the most sincere form of audible expression next to...well, I won't say. But what I'm trying to say that there is just something to it....like the guitar solo on "SIN" by Stone Temple Pilots. You can feel every emotion that solo takes you through....from anger to relief to joy to sadness and back to anger.
It's just awesome and when I felt that solo....I had to learn to become someone who could express feelings like that.

Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Spot on there jpage_roxmysox. Everyone my age listens to hiphop and pop music and all that kind of crap. I seem to to be the only kid in my year who actually knows and feels the guitar, not just thrash out powerchords and copy the solos of the original recording. I don't know any one except my best friend who has actually heard led zepplin, rolling stones, p-funk etc. Im glad to know theres other people out there actually taking time to learn the scales and the theory and all that stuff because if you do you'll be a much better player.

I live in semi-rural (country) Australia and theres never any guitar comps or anything out here. Do you have a real tele or just a copy?

[url=http://www.myspace.com/rdxfunk]www.myspace.com/rdxfunk[/url]

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Well I started playing last year at the age of 32. Something I wanted to do years ago but never did. When I was 14 I got an acoustic from Santa but only new 2 chords and never stuck at it......something I regret no end! No lessons and no internet sites for me to learn from, but in all honesty it was laziness on my part.

So, if I can just say this without beinga all preachy like, All you youngsters that are starting out don't ever give up on it. Persevere and get better and dont put it aside till yer in yer 30's.....you WILL regret it. smile

Craig.

Blind acceptance is a sign, of stupid fools who stand in line.  John Lydon.

'Mod' is a shorter word for 'young, beautiful and stupid' - we've all been there." - Pete Townshend.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

guess I am just an old relic (class of 75)  I started playing at age 14 so I could get girls

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Altex: its a real tele, its a squier a brand branched off of fender.  i'm not a big fan of Fender Teles, I think squiers have much better tone.

moddish: It really surprises me how some people can begin to play guitar/bass then just give up on it! I've been playing for a year and  a half, and I've learned so much that if i were to give up now it would seem like such a waste of all those hours of practice.

patrick: wow, i had no idea so many guys started to get chicks... come to think of it guitar players are a little more attractive, more sensitive i think.

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Forty odd years ago I was in a group (now called band) that had a superb drummer. It was nothing for him to do a 15 minute drum solo. An ideal opportunity to leave the stage, find the prettiest girl in the room, get a dance (jive) and arrange to take her home later. Those were the days. So I guess I used my guitar to meet girls too.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

i just graduated high school and started playing guitar hero.  after playing it for a while i found out that i really, reallly like rock and roll, old stuff and new stuff.  im probably one of the only guys i know to actually give up on guitar hero and start playing the real guitar.  i just got bored with guitar hero, picked up my brothers acoustic, and started learning.  i learned pretty slow at first, but now a few weeks later im picking it up pretty quick.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

although I dont go there anymore. ( i am merried now) you got to admit and you cant deny and you got to love it.... the guitar is a chick magnet.

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Not if the chicks in your town play better than you it's not.

"You have to get over the love of power, and enjoy the power of love, in order to know peace."
-Jimi Hendrix.

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

good point

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

i am one of these kids
i got inspired by a mate of mine who is 23
i alos like to listen to songs that have amazing guitar playing in like bands like jimmy eat world, i know alittle jeff beck and some guns and roses stuff
also it dose pick up girls so much easyer and you can tell them to see you play at gigs that your playing

its just a name!

[url=http://www.myspace.com/punked_will]www.myspace.com/punked_will[/url]

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Wow. I never even thought about that! (im 14) I am starting to learn because I love music and wanted to be able to play something that I could write myself...and play songs I hear all the time!! (I play violin piano and now some guitar!!!)

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

Good point SG, I think its a little sad when I can play better than guys my age tongue emo, im glad you mentioned jimmy eat world, they do have a really good guitarist, but theyre really an overlooked/underrated band i think, especially guitarwise.

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥

23 (edited by patrickjacques 2007-05-20 21:02:58)

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

jpage ther is no reason to feel sad about playin better ...when guys see girls that are good and or better its a turn on

and if it's not... it's thier problem

what a long strange trip it's been

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

I started learning guitar after I got ditched by my long term girlfriend. I think it was some kind of attempt at wooing her back, play her a few songs etc etc.....didn't work!

Now my guitar is my baby, and I love her so much......she'll never leave me! lol

Re: The reason a lot of kids have started playing...

rj, u bring up another point, guitar, like many forms of art, is stable.  I forget who said this, but i know someone once said that the arts are man's way of coping with the world.  Which is so true, I think the world would be a lot more sad/angry if it weren't for music.

If you spend your life judging people, how will you ever have time to love them ♥