10 Things You can do With Guitar Skills
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A friend’s spouse told me the other day I was lucky because with a guitar I’d never be unemployed. Hmm, that made little sense to me but I thanked him for the compliment anyway. I used to teach guitar out of my home and had a bunch of marketing pens that lie around my house to this day … without the millions of dollars I secretly thought might follow.
I played until my fingers bled as a kid and spent countless hours through my tween and teen years … even through my 20’s jamming and tuning and restringing that marvelous instrument.
But it hasn’t done me any magical favors or anything. It got me to thinking: What can a guitar player do with a guitar? Here’s my list I came up with:
- Play on the street corner for maybe a few bucks.
- Start a band and disillusion other people the same way you are disillusioned (LOL - Oh I have so many times)
- Record on a home recording system that no one will hear except your wife who will be annoyed she has to sit through it.
- Play local bars for drunks.
- Play coffee houses for people who don’t want to hear live music while they talk.
- “Jam” with friends from work or church etc.
- Create melodies you think are original only to find later they are plagiarized (there is so little left to invent since the Beatles).
- Entertain kids that are wild. Music calms the savage beast.
- Solo to the radio and envision you’re Eric Clapton or that guy from Creed.
- and finally, smash it to bits against the house in the backyard.
Below are MP3 links to some of the music I’ve wasted too much time making through the years. I could say it feigned insanity but then again … look at the name of my blog ;) I don’t mind the insane label when it involves a 6 string.
people.mp3 surehigh.mp3 fallen.mp3 soultraveler.mp3
If you are a player and a songwriter, you might be interested in my post on how I write songs.
What else can a soul do with a guitar? Your thoughts.
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Tags: guitar, hobbies, home recording, sanity, songwriting
I'm Damien Riley, author and teacher. Here you'll find "think outside the box" posts on psychology and inspiration. 
Number 7 - that’s a shame.
Number 8 alone is worth learning to play and all those hours of practice! Not a guitar player, but I can vouch for these two:
Guitar can save your sanity when the world is crashing around you
Guitar can bring a huge smile to a saddened heart, actually any heart
Play on, Damien.
Marcias last blog post..A Quickie
I am sure your brother understands this list! ;) Thanks for the encouragement Marcia.
Damien, the links didn’t work to your songs the other day, I thought you were in the midst of posting it. They still don’t. (Using Firefox today)
Marcias last blog post..A Quickie
Oh don’t do #10!!!! That’s the worst idea for a guitar I ever heard!!! Though mine isn’t doing much better by sitting in the back of my closet either!
My parents did a lot of things with their guitars - dad played a 6 string, mom a 12 - They played in clubs, at wineries, for 3 masses every Sunday at church for 30 years, for weddings, funerals, at retirement homes & hospitals to cheer people up. They’re great for camping or parties or like you said #8 entertaining kids.
I have some of my own badly recorded music on myspace, but you won’t be abe to pry the link out of me no matter how hard you try, lol. After listening to your stuff though you woud probably like it. My hubby was in 2 bands that “amost made it” so while we have our own mini recording studio & record label I don’t think neither of us has the energy or motivation to become rock stars anymore. His band was actually somewhat good until the lead singer disappeared: myspace.com/spencerlane.
Chelles last blog post..Cleaning Up the Clutter
Marcia, Thanks for the heads up. They are the same songs as on Myspace but i went ahead and repaired the links.
Chelle, wow! I don’t have speakers on my current comp but when I steal my wife’s laptop later I will check out those tunes!
Thanks for sharing some of your tunes…good stuff. I think you forgot to add — 11. Kick all of your friends asses in Guitar Hero ;)
Great one Chris. Folks, you can see and hear Chris’ band at: sepiaband.com/
Rock on brother.