I always wanted to learn guitar but the beginning seemed so slow and frustrating
(This is a pretty waffley report of sorts which hasn’t got structure or a plan, just opening up about my guitar past, likes etc)
I started playing guitar back in 2011 and I was lucky enough to have a teacher who is a good friend to this day and still my teacher to this day.
Motivation was something that was going up for a long time, I was learning a ton of new stuff and it was really really fun. Learning to play the things you thought weren’t possible, breaking the barriers and progressing was the best feeling in the world. Up until a few years ago I was heavily influenced By zakky boy and I was largely a pentatonic player. Running the same runs i was pretty confident with some things but it left much to be desired. The runs seemed mundane and not challenging enough.
In 2015 I got into A7X and at the time i was listening to the 80s shredders like EVH, Lynch and the axe slinging hairspray abusing, spandex pants wearing, machine gun kelly “they look so much better on me” players.
That was the second stage of progress and then the wall came up. HAHA TRUMP I HAD A WALL FIRST!
I was still a pentatonic player but I started to delve into a7x and their solos and as i did that I started to listen to other bands and other players such as Vai, Petrucci and a few other lesser known players and the one thing they had in common was the fast meticulous leads that were super precise.
It was then that I joined the school. Having had guitar lessons I still relied pretty heavily on this but something called out to me about this school and I knew it would be an amazing resource. The fact that all the lessons are so thought out, so diverse yet so interlinked and backed by an ridiculously cool community made it a place that I could go to on the daily. It was also a place where I felt I could post my music without the fears of constantly being put down. The mantre kf this school speaks volumes about how others should act outside of this school.
My favourite lesson was and still is the introduction to economy picking. Syn wasn’t kidding its glorious. It feels so right to not have to fight with the direction that you want to go. It is something that has completely opened up my playing and made me feel like monstrous songs were just that bit more achievable and after such a long time of trial and error and frustration that is a colossal improvement.
Whilst the lead issues were going on I decided to invest my time in rhythm and thats how I found a certain band. Not naming names for reasons that are probably obvious now.
My biggest achievement was probably getting my syn custom but music wise it is learning economy picking for the reasons discussed above.
The future seems daunting but My main dream is to be a guitar player in a worldwide band and be a role model to guitarists just like how players like syn were my heroes. Failing this I would like to work in sound and lighting and work with pyrotechnics. Lots of pyro.
Sorry for the lack of format but its 1am gmt and I don’t know if I will have the time to do this if I missed today.
(This is a pretty waffley report of sorts which hasn’t got structure or a plan, just opening up about my guitar past, likes etc)
I started playing guitar back in 2011 and I was lucky enough to have a teacher who is a good friend to this day and still my teacher to this day.
Motivation was something that was going up for a long time, I was learning a ton of new stuff and it was really really fun. Learning to play the things you thought weren’t possible, breaking the barriers and progressing was the best feeling in the world. Up until a few years ago I was heavily influenced By zakky boy and I was largely a pentatonic player. Running the same runs i was pretty confident with some things but it left much to be desired. The runs seemed mundane and not challenging enough.
In 2015 I got into A7X and at the time i was listening to the 80s shredders like EVH, Lynch and the axe slinging hairspray abusing, spandex pants wearing, machine gun kelly “they look so much better on me” players.
That was the second stage of progress and then the wall came up. HAHA TRUMP I HAD A WALL FIRST!
I was still a pentatonic player but I started to delve into a7x and their solos and as i did that I started to listen to other bands and other players such as Vai, Petrucci and a few other lesser known players and the one thing they had in common was the fast meticulous leads that were super precise.
It was then that I joined the school. Having had guitar lessons I still relied pretty heavily on this but something called out to me about this school and I knew it would be an amazing resource. The fact that all the lessons are so thought out, so diverse yet so interlinked and backed by an ridiculously cool community made it a place that I could go to on the daily. It was also a place where I felt I could post my music without the fears of constantly being put down. The mantre kf this school speaks volumes about how others should act outside of this school.
My favourite lesson was and still is the introduction to economy picking. Syn wasn’t kidding its glorious. It feels so right to not have to fight with the direction that you want to go. It is something that has completely opened up my playing and made me feel like monstrous songs were just that bit more achievable and after such a long time of trial and error and frustration that is a colossal improvement.
Whilst the lead issues were going on I decided to invest my time in rhythm and thats how I found a certain band. Not naming names for reasons that are probably obvious now.
My biggest achievement was probably getting my syn custom but music wise it is learning economy picking for the reasons discussed above.
The future seems daunting but My main dream is to be a guitar player in a worldwide band and be a role model to guitarists just like how players like syn were my heroes. Failing this I would like to work in sound and lighting and work with pyrotechnics. Lots of pyro.
Sorry for the lack of format but its 1am gmt and I don’t know if I will have the time to do this if I missed today.
***** WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT *****
This was HARD. So many great entries. So many stories. So much baring of the soul and emotion and vulnerability. Some of you really put yourselves out there, and I can only imagine how scary that must have been.
I loved all of your words. I watched many of your videos, and clicked back to older ones to see how much you’ve grown (no impact on the contest, mind you).
In the end, it came down to two. And it was close. I made my decision, then I reached out to Jak. Since it’s her contest and her idea, she had a right to know who my choice was. She agreed, both with the final choice, and with who came in a close second.
It was really close.
WINNER: Rowan Morris
HONORABLE MENTION: Anna Gufler
Reading both of their stories was humbling – all of them were, but these two especially. I’m super proud of you all for sharing and putting your hearts into it!
Congrats, Rowan!!!
This was HARD. So many great entries. So many stories. So much baring of the soul and emotion and vulnerability. Some of you really put yourselves out there, and I can only imagine how scary that must have been.
I loved all of your words. I watched many of your videos, and clicked back to older ones to see how much you’ve grown (no impact on the contest, mind you).
In the end, it came down to two. And it was close. I made my decision, then I reached out to Jak. Since it’s her contest and her idea, she had a right to know who my choice was. She agreed, both with the final choice, and with who came in a close second.
It was really close.
WINNER: Rowan Morris
HONORABLE MENTION: Anna Gufler
Reading both of their stories was humbling – all of them were, but these two especially. I’m super proud of you all for sharing and putting your hearts into it!
Congrats, Rowan!!!
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