Licks and Picks

Since the left side of my brain is pretty much controlling my actions lately I decided to invest my tax return into a guitar. I bought a Squire, which is the lower end of Fender, so it can't be that bad, it looks like a Telecaster, which is what Prince used to play in the early 80's. It's electric, by the way. So now I have a guitar, three picks, one strap (that says "Mississippi Music Company" and I think that's kind of cool), one case, and two books to aid me on my adventure.

So I get this thing home and take it out and get ready to play, and then I realize that I know absolutely Jack about playing. I figure that the books will teach me something, and they have taught me a little, but I'm "Me Generation" remember? I look at these guys on TV (That aint workin'/That's the way you do it) and I think, "It doesn't seem that hard.", Yeah, OK! I now have cramped my hand to the point of tears more times than I can count and just like Bryan Adams in the Summer of '69 I've played it 'till my fingers bled, and that is a terrible feeling, just so you know. I've broken a few picks too. After all that heart ache and pain you'd think I've learned some amazing stuff, right? Well, Gentle Reader, not so much. I've learned one song that was in the book, and that's just six notes, the first six that the book teaches you. I've learned one "lick" that Dave Matthews used in one of his songs, and I think I learned to play "House of the Rising Sun" but I'm not sure, it doesn't sound right to me for some reason.

One would think that I would give up with all this let down, but that aint good enough for me (and my Bobby McGee), I love it. I tried to play after my fingers where bleeding and I was very upset that I couldn't because it just hurt too bad. I've got a drive and desire that keeps me going. I keep having a vision of me entertaining some small smoky bar or something like that. So off I'll go, breaking picks, strings, and my fingers, and maybe with all that breaking going on I'll get a break and have "The thrill that'll getcha when your get your picture on the cover of the Rollin' Stone."