Sam Ash

As I said in my bulletin the other day, I'm slowly teaching myself to play the guitar. I have a few chords down, and I'm not giving up any time soon! Anyway, I went to the local Sam Ash today to get new strings for it. It's been so long since I bought strings for it, and last time I asked my bro which ones to get (he was in jail at the time). I didn't know which ones to get so I took my guitar in with me in hopes that someone could give me some good advice on it. The guy at the front counter asked me what I was bringing my guitar in for, I told him "I need strings, and I'm not that great at stringing it myself, so I was hoping someone could help me with that too." He kinda brushed me off with saying "Well, we do stringing here, but it's $30 and takes about 2 weeks, so you're better off doing it yourself." I'm thinking 'how in the fuck does it take 2 weeks to string a guitar? You can't tell me they get THAT many guitars in to string...' but since I know how to do it myself, I said it wasn't a problem. He told me how to get back to their guitar area, so I went back and there were 2 guys back there. They asked what I was there for and I told them I needed strings but wasn't sure which kind would be best.

The one guy (who's name is Matt) asked me to see my guitar, then got me a set of Martin light strings. In our conversation he asked me how I didn't know what kind of strings I needed, as he could tell that the guitar wasn't new. I explained it had been my brothers guitar, but that my brother passed before he could teach me how to play so I've been trying to teach myself. I'm not sure if he felt sympathy for me or empathy, but he got a little soft and said "alright, well come back here and I'll show you a few things."

I gladly agreed, thinking he meant he was going to show me a few chords or something. We went into their 'work' room (I guess you could call it that) and he had me pull out my guitar again. He then unstrung it, used a brillo pad to get all the grime off the fret board, then used wood conditioner on the fret board and bridge, then re-strung it and tuned it (and only charged me the $6 for the strings!). He sat there and played it for a little bit, and it was hard to fight back the tears. Hearing any type of acoustic music is hard for me, but seeing it played on my brothers guitar is especially hard. Only one other person has played my brothers guitar besides me since I had it, and that time I did shed some tears.

I was there for a good 1/2 hour - 45 minutes. We were making small talk about all types of things. He told me how he had been to about 15 Grateful Dead concerts and I told him how jealous I was, lol. I wanted to ask him while I was there if he could help me out and maybe give me a few guitar lessons, but I didn't have the courage. What can I say, sometimes I'm a bit too shy for my own good. After I left there though I was really thinking about it, and somehow I summoned the courage to call back and ask for him.

I said "I have a question, which may come across as strange or rude, or but I was just wondering if there's anyway you might be able to help me learn how to play guitar?" He was PERFECTLY fine with me asking this and agreed to help. We exchanged phone numbers and he told me his availability. He also told me that he hosts an Open Mic every Thursday at the Whitpain Tavern. In doing a search online, I found out he plays guitar in a band called Ten Feet Tall and the whole band plays every Thursday at the Whitpain. I'm planning on going out this Thursday to see them.

I just can't begin to tell you all how incredibly happy I am about all this. I've had other people try to help me learn, but at the time I just wasn't ready to yet. I mean I wanted to, but the wound of my brother passing was still a little too fresh. Does it still sting a little bit everytime I pick up his guitar? Absolutely, but it's gotten a little easier. Almost 4 years later and I can finally put my mind, heart, and soul into this. I've got down 3 chords, almost 4, but even after I learn the chords I'd have no idea how to turn them into music, and I'm hoping once I get the chords down, this is one of the things that Matt will be able to help me with.

Normally, I would have no problem going to a "school" and taking guitar lessons. However, learning how to play guitar has a deeper meaning to me other than just being able to play. I don't want to learn from just anyone, I want the person teaching me to understand what it means to me, and why it means so much.I feel that this guy does.

Music, because of its specific and far-reaching metaphorical powers, can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable.

Where words fail, music speaks.

Music must serve a purpose; it must be a part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity...