This is part 2 of my first journey of music school. If you haven’t read the first part yet, this might not make a lot of sense as we ended in a cliff hanger before!
The tutor was going over techniques used in jazz guitar, something I had never even considered being from a rock and blues background. If I remember rightly, we were exploring modal ideas and how to use them over certain chord changes.
Modes? What are they?
I had never even heard of a mode, let alone extended chords, but I was too scared to ask the question and make a fool out of myself on the first day. It was clear that everyone else in the room was familiar with these techniques since I could hear them playing the parts with a degree of competence.
This was a brutal first lesson and I walked away feeling very intimidated. I got home, made dinner and just locked myself in my room for the whole night. What I did was practice for hours, so that the next day I wouldn’t leave with the same disparaging feeling, and that I would hopefully be able to make a good impression on the tutor and my peers.
As far as first days at music school go, I had a very bad experience. I didn’t give up though, so the morale is that no matter how difficult something is, if you have the desire to be successful then you will make it happen.
Learning to play music
Learning to play music might not be easy. But it’s been a fulfilling experience. I would never change anything that’s happened previously, even though they were full of challenges.
I definitely think that no matter who you are you will be able to see the music if you work hard at it. It does help if you start when you’re younger however I’ve met even older people who have managed to learn to play the guitar and have it as a selling hobby that they have on the side. One of my friends actually bought a guitar for his son who never played it and he ended up picking up guitar lessons and now he has his own Instagram account of the following playing guitar.
So anyone can get started and I urge you to pursue whatever your interest is. What are going through 2020 has really taught me is that you really need to go for the things that matter in your life because you might not get another chance. I’m really glad that I’ve pursued music so far and I can’t wait to see what it’s installed for me in the future.