Learning Guitar

Recently I've begun listening to the blues again.

I've always had a liking for the blues ever since I first saw The Blues Brothers, which was when I was around 13. In the beginning I only ever watched the car chases, but slowly I saw the rest of the movie and realized I liked the music better. The car chases are epic, but something about the music drew me in. It is now one of my favorite movies, and I am planning a trip to visit most of the filming locations, but that's a different story.

I've spent a lot of time in the car listening to B.B. King's Bluesville on XM radio, and even more time on Pandora listening to the blues. My interest hasn't always been steady, but I always seem to come back to it. There is something about it that makes me feel at home.

The fall semester of college has ended, and I am back at home. Suddenly I've found my self listening once again, but this time something was different. Something about it felt more appealing. As I thought about it more, it hit me: I want to learn to play the blues.

That thought hit me pretty hard. I've had little experience with making music, and none turned out well. The closest I've come is trying violin way back in elementary school, but I was terrible and didn't enjoy it.

What if my heart was in it? Could I learn play the blues? And where do I begin?

Those are the thoughts that have been racing through my head. One thing is certain though; I need to get a guitar. That opens a whole other can of worms. Acoustic or electric? What brand and model? Where do I buy it from? How much will it cost? Add to this the fact I need to learn to play it and I have a confusing mess.

As of now, I think I've decided to get an acoustic, but no particular brand or model yet (suggestions?). But other thoughts are going through my mind as well. Why do I want to learn to play? Will I be able to handle other people listening to me play?

After talking with a friend for a while, I think I'm starting to see me playing guitar as a way to express myself. I'm not sure if thats true yet, but it feels right as of now. As for people listening to me, I guess I will have to get used to it if I really want to learn. Putting all this aside, I have a desire to just get my hands on a guitar and start strumming.

Within the next few days I will go out exploring music shops and playing with some guitars. I have no idea what I'm looking for yet, but I am very excited to get started. If you have any tips on guitar buying or getting started playing, I would love to hear from you!