Guitar worries

[hmpf]

So, I've decided to go with the tutorials recommended by one of our student research assistants, www.justinguitar.com, and so far it's pretty good,. The feeling of actually causing pleasant sounds to emerge from an instrument is amazing.

This is my first serious attempt at learning an instrument - the only instrument I learnt in childhood, (and pretty much only by default) was the recorder. (Why is this called "recorder" in English, btw? That's such a weird name for a kind of flute...) It was part of my school's standard fifth and sixth grade music classes. It's perhaps worth noting, though, that even though I did not love the instrument per se, I did love the ability to make music, and even tried composing a bit. Not that I got very far, mind you.

But now I'm worrying about what will happen when I go to America later this year. I won't be able to play for months... which probably means I'll forget everything again.

:-(

If everything works out, I'll probably leave in September.

Comments

[herdivineshadow]

You won't be able to play on a regular basis for months but perhaps you could borrow a guitar on occasion or, and I know it sounds a bit silly, but try and keep in practice what you've already done with an imaginary air guitar.

I don't think you'd forget absolutely everything though - I've not played the piano for something like 10/12 years but I could probably still have a reasonable go at sight-reading music and playing something that closely resembled it.

Re: Forgetting

[hmpf]

Ah, but you probably learned how to play as a kid/teenager, didn't you? Things we learn as kids tend to stick. Things we learn at 35 - not so much. I managed to completely forget the very basic knitting skills I acquired last year, for example. Learned it in February, had forgotten it by August. Of course, you can still learn things so well they enter your "body memory" even if you learn them after childhood - but you need a lot more practice to achieve that then. I won't be able to achieve that stage by September; it will probably take a few years. Which - probably - means that I'll just forget (almost) everything once I stop practicing daily. (Well, relearning it will probably be easier than it was the first time around, though - at least if I do it reasonably soon, say, beginning in January 2013.)

Maybe I'll buy a really cheap guitar to take with me. Or buy one there, and sell it again.

Or can you rent one for a few months? Will have to find out...

Renting

[hmpf]

Should be possible at least in some places, apparently.

Maybe I'll do that, then.

Re: Forgetting

[muladhara]

I don't know if they have them in America (also I guess it depends on whereabouts you're going), but in one of the large towns near me, there's a guitar cafe, so basically anyone can go in and use an instrument for an hour or whatever and there's probably some hire fee involved. I didn't even know that's what it was till last year. But renting sounds good. I didn't even know you could do that!

Also that about learning stuff as a kid is interesting! It would certainly explain why I retain more French than I think I should (started learning at the age of 9/10), but German won't stick as well (frustratingly!) (and I think you know I only started on that at 27)