When I went to school music was a part of the curriculum. We had a separate music class that was one hour per day with the music teacher. Her name was Mr. Carlson. The man who taught how to play an instrument was Mr. Chyala.
Music lessons for just about any instrument was offered to all the kids.
I started learning to play the clarinet when I was in 3rd grade. I was in the school band all through school. In middle school I taught myself how to play the guitar. In high school and middle school one of the elective classes that was taught was guitar. I already knew how to play so it was easy to get into that class even though it was full at the time.
My ex learned how to play the piano as soon as his feet could reach the peddles. His grandmother was a piano teacher. He plays the guitar too.
Studies show that music and art stimulate certain areas of the brain and help with logic, mathematics and reading. Children who learn music or to play music do much better in school.
My child learned how to play the piano and violin.
I wish my school would have had guitar teaching. As it wound up, I taught myself the guitar, then afterwards the mandolin and violin. Now I teach these instruments myself, but I am dismayed at the overwhelming majority of people (99%) who love music, listen to it frequently, but have no interest in learning to play it themselves. They don't know what they're missing - and they're missing A LOT.
Give somebody a guitar or mandolin for Christmas. Hopefully, they'll learn it, and at worst, it makes a superb wall decoration.
I taught myself how to play a guitar before I took the classes. It was very easy to me to learn guitar. It was a fun elective class and easy A. Something I didn't have to study for. Playing a guitar wasn't studying to me, it was fun. It was very easy to learn clarinet too. Just came easy for me. Others I watched struggled learning and felt sorry for them.
People would tell me I was great on the guitar but please don't sing. LOL.
I was the child who when most other kids were sleeping with their favorite stuffed animal or blanket, I slept with my radio. On my pillow turned on to rock and roll.
Music has been a very big part of my life all of my life.
I turned my two loves into a career and spent 35 years working with and photographing the greatest musicians of our lifetime.
Im not great at guitar. I can play chords that’s it. But people are impressed because I can sing and play at the same time.
That’s the only thing that came naturally to me. I ran a music school and singing while you play does not come easy for most people. They focus so hard on just playing guitar that after they learn how to play they then have to learn how to play and sing at the same time.
It was the way my teacher taught me. He told me just go home and learn D and G. I came back the next week and he said, “are you ready to play your first song?” I was like, ”what song?” And he started singing and playing D and G. Early in the morning, rising to the streets, light me up a cigarette and I’ll step shoes on my feet, love is what I got.
Then he taught me 3 new chords. Am, F, Dm, G. my Jones.
There are a million easy 2-4 chord songs.
Night moves by bob seater was the first bar chord song I learned. G F C
I never knew signing and playing an instrument was hard. I did it all the time when I was a kid and teenager.
I don't mean to be rude but I just don't get that. What is hard about singing and playing an instrument?
I can do that but people asked me not to sing. Apparently I have a terrible singing voice.
So I used to go outside to the patio to play my guitar and sing so no one in the house had to hear it. LOL.
Music, photography and math always came very easy for me.
I got my degree in accounting/finance but in my 30s turned my love and hobby for photography and music into a career.
I think it’s hard for them because they first learned how to only play the guitar. Then once they know how to play the guitar they have to go back and relearn how to play and sing at the same time.
I agree singing while I play comes naturally to me too.
That is strange to me. I have never heard that singing and playing an instrument at the same time was hard.
I didn't learn to play separate from singing. I sang the songs as I learned to play the guitar.
I was just told over and over to not sing. I have a terrible singing voice.
Imagine patting yourself on the head with your left hand. Then imagine rubbing your belly with your right hand. Then try doing both at the same time. It’s like that.
How about my nephew. He can play ukulele. But he can’t play the chords at the right time when I’m singing. I want him to play an easy four chord song and I’ll sing along. He doesnt know when to switch. For you and me that’s easy but for him its going to take time and practice.
I never knew anyone had any trouble playing an instrument and singing at the same time. I mean I couldn't sing along as I played the clarinet because the instrument was in my mouth but I sure did when I played the guitar. However old a person is in the summer before 6th grade, that's when I taught myself how to play a guitar and I sang the songs as I learned to play.
It's like with photography for me too. To me, it's like breathing. Take the shot and move on. It literally takes me seconds. While it takes everyone else forever to get a shot. I never understood that either.
I can pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. That has never been hard for me to do.
Mechanics. Now that is hard for me. I don't get it and you may as well be speaking to me in Japanese. My ex used to tease me and say he wouldn't even trust me to measure a door. One time I was late for work because my car wouldn't start. A guy in the parking lot came over to help me. He opened the hood, took some things off the top of the battery and said, "Here's your problem. You don't have water in your battery."
Guess what I said in reply?
These are my exact words. "Water goes in a battery?"
So everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
If we were all the same, this would be a very boring world.
