It's been about 31 years since I held my first guitar, a 6-string student Yamaha. I now have my third six string, had a 12 string stolen, and then magically, a friend handed me my first plug-in toy just a few months ago. I once owned an acoustic Ibinez bass. It was gorgeous- a 5 string- as Penn Jillette called it, "the mariachi model". I played it until I couldn't, and then it sat in the house for zero use and love for years, until I could hand it to an absolute bass monster, Todd McDearman, who lovingly strums the b-a-s-s out of it.
Losing the ability to play an instrument doesn't really mean a lot to an amateur like me, most times. But I learned how to play piano when I was 11, guitar was my first love the year before- although I didn't really start playing it until I discovered Neil Young and Bob Dylan had entire ALBUMS in less than 5 chords. I write songs, and sing melodies, and when it comes to playing and singing at the same time- I often wonder if that task is lost on someone like me. I'm not good at it. I see people who can't tie their shoes playing Jimmy Page riffs and singing like Chris Cornell, and I'm still trying to figure out where I come in, and how to not play the melody if I'm harmonizing and vice versa.
Almost three years ago, a very amazing magician gave me his electric piano, another Yamaha- the Clavinova. It made me glad to be able to mangle chords and put notes to paper again. It also lets me play piano in a house where the world's foremost jazz monster has a 9 Foot Concert Grand, without me feeling like I'm playing chopsticks. (It's as if I was trying to learn to skate when Brian Boitano was the only other person on the ice.)
It's not that I don't have the skills to play an instrument. In fact, I studied with some great people, even went for a degree in music at San Francisco State for a second Masters to add to the pile. I can read fairly well, and even write my own lead sheets and charts. The problem is, I have Ehlers-Danlos and that means my fingers and the bones in my wrist, hands, palms, just all of the joints really- dislocate, sublux and swell in a nasty icky way. I have hands that turn into baseball gloves.
Back to the free bass from the pal. It's another Ibinez, but an electric one. Not a fancy Les Claypool one, or a razzle-dazzle Jeff Ament one, but a great garage band one. Liz said her electric bass, (in cobalt blue), sat in her house, much like my acoustic sat in mine. It didn't mean as much to her as it would me- it's given me a reason to figure out that electric instruments and I are good with each other. Electric piano, electric bass- why not go for it? And, that's when I bought my first electric guitar, exactly 35 years after deciding to be the world's best folk singer. See how following your dreams always works out.. oh wait a minute. I didn't follow these dreams.
I waited until I was in my 40's before I realized my mortality, my now, my need to just do the music I've always been dancing with for every day of my life. In fact, I have followed dreams. I've headlined shows, went to graduate school- twice. I learn new things as often as I can. My personal life? I finally figured out that the nice one is the right one. After fears of living homeless, I have a great house, pets, a family, and every minute of that is the real thing and the real dream. My body has fought me every minute- from colitis to depression, to Ehlers-Danlos.
Oh, and the biggest surprise about playing instruments in my 40's, that seems to be WAY different from the years as a kid, skinny grad student, and comedian? The lessons I have online don't take in to account the fact that I've grown quite a bit top heavy over the years. Having ample bosoms makes it a feat of acrobatics to play a guitar now. I could have worse problems.
Losing the ability to play an instrument doesn't really mean a lot to an amateur like me, most times. But I learned how to play piano when I was 11, guitar was my first love the year before- although I didn't really start playing it until I discovered Neil Young and Bob Dylan had entire ALBUMS in less than 5 chords. I write songs, and sing melodies, and when it comes to playing and singing at the same time- I often wonder if that task is lost on someone like me. I'm not good at it. I see people who can't tie their shoes playing Jimmy Page riffs and singing like Chris Cornell, and I'm still trying to figure out where I come in, and how to not play the melody if I'm harmonizing and vice versa.
Almost three years ago, a very amazing magician gave me his electric piano, another Yamaha- the Clavinova. It made me glad to be able to mangle chords and put notes to paper again. It also lets me play piano in a house where the world's foremost jazz monster has a 9 Foot Concert Grand, without me feeling like I'm playing chopsticks. (It's as if I was trying to learn to skate when Brian Boitano was the only other person on the ice.)
It's not that I don't have the skills to play an instrument. In fact, I studied with some great people, even went for a degree in music at San Francisco State for a second Masters to add to the pile. I can read fairly well, and even write my own lead sheets and charts. The problem is, I have Ehlers-Danlos and that means my fingers and the bones in my wrist, hands, palms, just all of the joints really- dislocate, sublux and swell in a nasty icky way. I have hands that turn into baseball gloves.
Back to the free bass from the pal. It's another Ibinez, but an electric one. Not a fancy Les Claypool one, or a razzle-dazzle Jeff Ament one, but a great garage band one. Liz said her electric bass, (in cobalt blue), sat in her house, much like my acoustic sat in mine. It didn't mean as much to her as it would me- it's given me a reason to figure out that electric instruments and I are good with each other. Electric piano, electric bass- why not go for it? And, that's when I bought my first electric guitar, exactly 35 years after deciding to be the world's best folk singer. See how following your dreams always works out.. oh wait a minute. I didn't follow these dreams.
I waited until I was in my 40's before I realized my mortality, my now, my need to just do the music I've always been dancing with for every day of my life. In fact, I have followed dreams. I've headlined shows, went to graduate school- twice. I learn new things as often as I can. My personal life? I finally figured out that the nice one is the right one. After fears of living homeless, I have a great house, pets, a family, and every minute of that is the real thing and the real dream. My body has fought me every minute- from colitis to depression, to Ehlers-Danlos.
Oh, and the biggest surprise about playing instruments in my 40's, that seems to be WAY different from the years as a kid, skinny grad student, and comedian? The lessons I have online don't take in to account the fact that I've grown quite a bit top heavy over the years. Having ample bosoms makes it a feat of acrobatics to play a guitar now. I could have worse problems.
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