My subtle desire to learn to play the guitar goes back to my youth. I never acted on it though. When I was still in my 20’s I did somehow end up with a nice little Martin guitar. Good intentions to learn to play never materialized, and I sold it to a friend who did play. It was a rather expensive guitar and I remember hating myself for parting with it. I think I hated myself more for failing to give learning to play a go.
About 3 years ago I began saving my money $5 at a time. I’d stash away a little bit here and little bit there. Never anything more than $5 and usually doing it a dollar at a time. My objective? To purchase a guitar and learn to play. I had no idea what guitar I wanted or needed. I had no amount of money in mind, but I figured it might require about $500 or so.
My failures of the past were due, in part, to my inability to properly fret a guitar. The action (the height of the strings off the fretboard) of acoustic guitars seemed awkward and difficult for me. I could fret an electric guitar easily. But I didn’t want an electric guitar. Amps and all that stuff? No thanks. Not that I wouldn’t love it, but it’s just not practical for me. Even so, I was often tempted to go that route because electric guitars typically have a lower action than acoustics.
I kept saving my money. I stumbled onto Zager Guitars.
“EZ-Play” Guitars are modified by Master Guitar Luthier Denny Zager to play easier than any other guitar made. The EZ-Play modification process involves:
- Lowering the strings closer to the fret board so you no longer have to press hard to form a chord.
- Adjusting the string spacing so there is more room for your fingers which enhances speed and reduces buzzes and rattles.
- Modifying the bracing, bridge, and saddle in harmony to amplify the tone and resonance.
The result is a guitar that is 50% easier to play with a sound that compares to guitars costing 5 times the price
First, I must brag about their customer service. I’m a customer service fanatic. These folks perform extraordinarily well. And they make a fine guitar that is admittedly easier to play (fret) than any acoustic guitar I’ve held, and I’ve held Taylors, Martins and many great ones.
Well, I’ve had the guitar since November 2007. I even got 6 months of Zager’s online guitar instruction. I’d love to tell you that I’m strumming away with great success, but I’m not. I tried to follow the instruction, but after a month I become incredibly discouraged and stopped. No, I wasn’t even able to get my money’s worth from the 6 months of online instruction.
I don’t blame the instruction though. A number of things sabotaged me. One, the instruction was online and if you don’t have constant hi-speed Internet access, then you don’t have access to the lessons. To just sit and noodle (practice) away from a computer is practically impossible. Two, I struggled to get into it. I take full responsibility for that. I just couldn’t seem to make progress. Day after day I would try to practice for 30 minutes so I could chord more comfortably and apply what few things I was learning. Truth is, I got very bored. Three, my boredom won. And I surrendered. But not completely.
Enter my next phase. I began to talk to people and ask lots of questions. I began to research taking lessons. I began to research other instructional programs. While almost everybody said personal lessons would be beneficial, they also indicated that the instructor made all the difference. Well, I suspected that. So I began to ask around about various instructors. For every recommendation I got, I got a handful of people who suggested somebody else. Then other questions began, “What style do you want to learn?” Style? Are you kidding me? I don’t have a style. I suspect I won’t live long enough to have a style. Blues? Rock? Gospel? My answer: Yes. It was all becoming so complex.
Time and again the Internet was recommended as a great source. Like I didn’t already know that. So I continued my search. This all began in earnest around March. In the meantime, I was barely taking the guitar out of the case. I had little idea what to do. Correction, I had NO idea what to do. I did, however, reach a few conclusions. I knew I needed help. I knew I needed somebody who could show me what to do. I also knew I needed somebody who wouldn’t just teach me how to chord a song. My quest to learn the guitar was sparked because I really wanted to learn music. It seems lots of people taught how to parrot. I wasn’t so interested in that, even though I wanted to see myself able to play real songs. And I also concluded that I needed something not tethered to being online. I wanted video or in-person. And I wanted some written material to boot. I also knew I needed a community of other people - guitar players - where I could ask questions without looking as stupid as I really am.
After months of doing more research on learning to play the guitar than practicing or actual learning - I finally made a purchase. I’ve not received the program yet, but I’m anxious to get it. I’ll keep you updated on my progress. It’s a highly touted program, but it may be all hat and no cattle. I’ll find out if I can at last get the inspiration to keep after the goal.
For starters, I intend to practice at least 15 minutes a day. I can find that much time every single day. And I hope to increase it to 30 minutes after the first few weeks. If I find myself enjoying the process (and making progress) then I’m liable to sit for much longer practicing. It’s more important to start out with a lower expectation. After all, when you consider all the drug-addicts capable of playing the guitar (and other musical instruments), surely I’m able to learn it. Or, maybe I’m too sober to ever learn!
I’ll post a weekly update. Look for me on YouTube in about a year.
