My fingers are burning
It has been 3 weeks since I started learning how to play the acoustic guitar from zero!
For a long time I wanted to learn how to play an instrument, but when I was a kid my family didn't have the means to help me with that. I was also interested in other things. The only opportunity I had was to learn with the people from the church, but I obviously would not do anything that would make me spend more time than I already had in that place...
Now I'm 19, I'm already in college with my scholarship, and I have nothing else to do until next year when I start my internships. I was worried that learning at this age would be too late, that I should have started when I was 13 or something. But then I thought about it a bit more. I'll still want to do this some years from now, and if I do not start now I will then feel the same way, that I should've learned sooner, like when I was 19, so I'm doing it for my future self.
This shit is hard! I know I'm really just beginning and, actually, it's not sooo frustrating like I imagined it would be. Even if I know nothing, the nothing I know improves a tiny, tiny bit EVERY day I pick up the acoustic again. There isn't a single time I don't notice some sort of progress. I'm repeating the same part of the same 2 songs to test everything I learn, but at least every time I play I can compare the differences because it's always the same thing. I already can change between 3 chords at least 30 times in a minute. I fumble most of them, but at least my fingers are going to the right places now. My strumming is really shit. I can't stand the sound of the high E string when strumming up. My posture will not only make playing properly harder, but will also probably give me some sort of lifelong injury. My fingers don't spread enough to do the exercises where each one goes on a different fret, and I can't keep my foot counting the tempo and play at the same time to save my life.
But at least I can play along with "Anyone Else But You" by The Moldy Peaches, or half of it before getting lost. I can also play the beginning of "Sailor Song", a little too loudly because, again, I can't strum upwards lightly and end up making it a battle between my pick and the strings.
The most annoying part is doing it on my own. I always loved learning things, even if manual things were not my strongest point and I usually stick to academics. I recognize that having a teacher was most of the time really helpful, as it is for most people.
I know I can do this and because of that I will keep trying, but I wish I had someone to tell me how to correct the things I just said I'm struggling with, like taking my hands and putting them in the right place or putting me in the right posture.
Anyway, even if I end up with bad habits when I start to properly play, my goal was never to be a rockstar and play for others. I really am just enjoying all of this. My goal is to be able to say I play guitar, knowing it's true because I made it happen. I don't need to be great, I just want to play the songs I love with my own hands whenever I feel like it! So I'll keep making my fingers hurt until they don't anymore!