Can You Play The Guitar?

[Bertha Venation]

Poll question: Can You Play The Guitar?

Vote then tell us about your guitar playing.

[mitchum]

1. I play the amplifier; the guitar is just the intonated trigger for the signal

[Bake]

2. Other - Semi-Pro

In other words, I'm not Tony Rice. But I do play professionally and perform regularly.

:hi:

Bake

[Bertha Venation]

3. then I hope you voted "pro"

Because I think if you get paid, you're a pro. :)

Now, I've been called a pro, but that was by someone with lousy taste in music . . .

[Bake]

7. I voted "other" because it's not my main gig.

Would that it were.

Sigh.

Bake

[guitar man]

4. I'm a pro

Or I was, I have a day job now and play mostly on weekends these days, but in bygone times it's all I did for a living. :hi:

[Orsino]

5. Well, I can scare it a little. n/t

[johnnie]

6. I'm a hack who has fooled people for years...

...and made money doing it. So I guess I am a mix of a few of the choices. :)

[tigereye]

20. playing well enough to fool em and make money oughta work!

:hi:

[no name no slogan]

8. Playing for 26 years

I've been paid to play, and I've recorded my music for sale at various times in my life. I've never done it full time though, because I can't live the way I want to live as a pro musician (too much hard work for too little reward).

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. I tinker around a bit on the guitar...

I've been "playing" for 13 years now and performed in a few high school talent shows and written a few songs along the way, but it's just a casual hobby for me really.

[DarkTirade]

10. I'm not sure which one to pick.

I haven't been playing much lately, but now that I've finally gotten an amp and an electric guitar I've been thinking about breaking down and starting a band.

I've been playing since the late/mid 90s, but up until recently all I had was an acoustic. :)

[BurtWorm]

11. I was in a couple of bands many, many, many years ago.

Tried to start several others, didn't get very far. In truth, I didn't have the faith/bravery/dedication/stupidity required to make a band happen. It's something I will regret to my dying day.

But I still love playing the guitar.

:headbang:

[TK421]

12. Hell no...my brother tried to teach me and I ran out of patience quickly

:thumbsdown: I can't make both hands do different things at the same time, and I don't know how others do it

[DarkTirade]

15. Well in my case I started playing violin in 4th grade, so that prepared me pretty well.

And I tried to learn piano when I was like 5, but that only lasted a month or two.

[TK421]

17. I am so musically un-gifted it's not funny

seriously, me and musical instruments do not get along

At least you could play the violin...I probably would have smashed mine if I tried it

[DarkTirade]

37. Unfortunately all of my musical talent is focused mainly towards stringed instruments...

... and I was born with ridiculously short, fat fingers. :P

[old mark]

13. Other: I used top be a professional, but I play at home for my own enjoyment now.

Primarily electric guitar.

mark

[Mutley]

14. I can get it to make noise.

Does that count?

[TK421]

27. You managed to do better than I did!

Hi Mutley!! :hi:

[Mutley]

38. Hey, what's up?

:hi:

[kimmerspixelated]

16. Actually, I can play somewhat,

but vocals are my instrument of choice. I play several instruments mostly by ear.

[RadiationTherapy]

18. Yep!

[Tikki]

19. Most often , I play my bass guitar....

I have a couple six string guitars, also...

Tikki

[Jamastiene]

23. I love to fool around with my bass.

I have a purple Mexican Standard Fender P Bass that I named SiDeeDee. :)

[Tikki]

31. I play a 70's Fender Musicmaster Bass....

...single pickup and all...

Tikki

[DarkTirade]

35. ... and I got a cheap starter bass that I'm learning on.

:P

[Jamastiene]

21. I played in band after band for about 20 years.

Finally, I decided to work toward one day building my own small (translated: cheap as I can afford) personal studio and just recording the weird ass shit I write.

[DFW]

22. I have done solo tours and recorded albums way back when

Then my day job intruded.

These days, the most I usually do is guest spots on WOMR-FM when I'm on vacation in the States.

Still, sometimes I get some cool informal gigs--how many other people here can
say they've played for Bill Clinton or done a duet with Theodore Bikel?

[bluesbassman]

25. Damn day jobs!

That's pretty cool DFW, what was the occasion to play for The Big Dog?

[DFW]

33. That was in South Carolina

www.renaissanceweekend.org

I'm a part of that, as is he. I always take a guitar along. You never know
who might be listening or want to join in. One night, Howard Dean and I
traded Leo Kottke solos back and forth in the upper hotel lobby. Now THAT'S
a gig you don't get every weekend!

[bluesbassman]

24. Played pro, mostly bass.

On hiatus till the kids are grown.:)

[carlyhippy]

26. I have tried, found it easier to just stick to keyboards and drums

Carly

[blue_onyx]

28. No, but I would like to

I really wish I had musical talent but I just don't. I played the cornet in middle school but only for one year. Maybe I learn how to play the guitar one day.

[Pierre.Suave]

29. I can rock like nobodies business...

On an air guitar...

:P

[Kajsa]

30. I can make noise,

and attempt a tune.

That's about it.

:) :hi:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. Other.

I started on piano in the first grade. Took 12 years of lessons.
Took up the violin in the fifth grade. Took eight years of lessons in grade school, then three more in college. played in lots of school and community orchestras, music camps, string workshops, etc.

My sweetie is a guitar player. I tried to teach myself guitar in high school. It did not work.

I cannot think in fourths. I can think in fifths because that's what fiddles are tuned in. I can also think in piano.

So, I have a Fender jazz bass which is fretless (like a fiddle) and tuned in fifths to C-G-D-A like a cello.

Problem solved!!! :D

[MrSlayer]

34. I can fast pick random notes and hammer like crazy.

My son is awesome though, a real prodigy. He plays 5 other instruments too.

[huskerlaw]

36. Does Guitar Hero count?

:D

:hide:

In other words, no I cannot play the guitar. ;)

[Ava]

39. i can pick out a few tunes by ear

i semi-play several instruments by ear, including the guitar.

i do play piano and clarinet.

[Broken_Hero]

40. amatuer who plays for himself/family

know a good handful of chords, got some riffs of my own...started teaching myself to play in 2000, I haven't really put much effort into the guitar since 2003, when I met my then, future wife...