Your Story

Just How Did You Get Into Classical Guitar?

This page is about your story and just what drew you to playing this wonderful, beautiful instrument. I'm sure you've got a tale to tell. And just how does it keep you captured? What has it done for your life?

There's something about the classical guitar that draws us all in, the sound, the warmth and depth of this sound. I remember it so clearly, as if it were yesterday...

I was in my teens and playing a steel string, just "mucking around" with it really, couldn't ever do anything fancy. Then one fateful day an Argentinean friend of mine named Daniel suggested he bring his guitar over to my place to "show off his pieces."

I must say, when he took the guitar out of its case I nearly laughed but luckily I wasn't rude enough to do that. I mean, compared to my steel string that thing was just junk...or so I thought.

I'd never really had any experience with a classical guitar or classical music up until that point. But when he started to play...WOW!!! I was "hooked" from that instant and it has continued right up until this present day.

I just couldn't believe the sound he was getting out of that little thing. Who writes these tunes? Where did this music come from? I just had to know.

Well, the rest as they say was history. That little classical session sent me spinning out on an arc that has affected my life almost totally! There isn't a day go by, and hasn't been for over the last quarter of a century, that I haven't been consumed with the classical guitar.

Initially, I must have practiced for at least 4 hours a day and then, with the help of a really good teacher (Adam) with his insistence on practicing studies and technical work, built up my skills and knowledge to the point where I was able to play to my satisfaction and teach the instrument.

It's funny how one little incident can change your life forever.

There are many good "side effects" and I really can't think of any bad ones. Playing classical guitar has given me not just a hobby or outlet but a passion that I can indulge.

In fact, It has given me a wonderful purpose in life, namely: creating this website so others can benefit and enjoy the classical guitar to a higher level; made me more patient; developed my knowledge; given me more appreciation of fine music; helped me to share and develop my relationships with others; and I'd say even increased my intelligence, though my friends and family would probably beg to differ...

It's about how YOU got into classical guitar. This is about your story ...

So go ahead. Fill out the form below and tell the world just how you got into classical guitar. I'm sure your story is filled with passion and interest...

Do you have a great story about this? Share it!

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Student for life  I was a child of the 60s and my older teenager brother was, like every kid his age, in a rock and roll band. So there were always guitars around, all electric ...

Instead of Sitting Around Moping  Like others posting here, I have wanted to play guitar since I was young. Lately, circumstances have found me living alone with no family close by. One ...

My story  About a year ago i finally decided to pick a guitar, And like most teenagers I got an electric guitar.

The sweet riffs and melodies of rock and roll ...

Classical music!  Hello,

I'm really glad I stumbled upon this site. I'm 21 and studying in the capital of my country. I've been playing guitar for two and half years ...

45 years later...  I've had the desire and passion to learn to play the classical guitar ever since I was a very young man.

I started taking lessons 45 years ago but ...

My Passion  I grew up in a musical family and had music as a subject in school with piano as main instrument.

Thirty years ago my husband bought me a guitar and ...

In my head, out of my hands  When I was in about fourth grade, my aunt died, and left me her acoustic guitar. The only musical experience I had at that point was a year of violin.

The ...

My story... not a happy one  When I was a teenager I wanted to be a drummer. I learned to play drums by listening to Sandy Nelson, Gene Krupa, etc, without ever taking a lesson.

When ...

Mike Hare  Hello, my name is Mike Hare.

I started playing guitar back in 1974, however it was not classical guitar that I started learning.

Back in the seventies,...

retirement wonders  I didn't start guitar until I was 69 years old. I was looking for something that would challenge me in several ways, concentration being one of them.

I ...

My Life With Classical Guitar  Although I am just about 19 now but I still remember the day I had my first experience with the classical guitar. It was the day my examinations for the ...

choir + guitar = classical guitar!  In high school, I decided to pick up my dad's guitar, and I always had a thing for classical music anyway.

Next thing you know, I discover "tabs," crawling ...

curiosity leads to discoveries  At first, I was curious about this instrument called guitar. The way they are being played and there is many frets and strings. I tell myself why not give ...

Harry New  I shifted to classical guitar after a spell on flamenco, which was my first interest. Through my interest in flamenco I discovered the Spanish composers:...

Thanks to Segovia  It was 1958 and my father was given something new to South Africa , a long playing record the first in the country and it was a Segovia Recital. I was ...

How Classical Captured Me  My first experience with classical guitar music came from an interest in the influences of Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot.

I was probably 17 or 18 years ...

addinall  Well, it's not much of a story, but at the ripe old age of 50 I decided to buy myself a Les Paul and a BIG Fender amp and to start guitar seriously.

My ...

False Start  In 1992 following a divorce, finding that I had time for a new hobby I bought a classical guitar and started to have lessons.

Realizing very soon ...

Bruce Boome  Way, way back at the dawn of time- well, 1959, I got a guitar for my 14th birthday. It was a "Valencia" arch-top jazz style guitar with an action that ...

Trombone to guitar...  Not much of a story, I'm afraid... I am a classically trained trombone player, who suffered a jaw injury making it impossible for me to play any brass ...

Small-town music man  I began guitar on an old Stella when I was 16. I played trombone in school so knew how to read music. I learned by myself that summer with a Nick Manoloff ...

James Edward McCutcheon  I began experimenting with my older brothers $15.00 Silvertone Parlor guitar it was made by Harmony, painted Black with a faux orange tiger burst.

I ...

For Her  As a freshman at a private university, I had never thought of trying to play the guitar. I had always wanted to learn an instrument but I couldn't find ...

Pepe Romero had dinner at my house  I am a beginning student of classical guitar but it has been an influence in my life for years. My father was a professor of Spanish and a musician so ...

How i got into classical guitar  I liked spanish music and got a guitar teacher who taught flaminco and classical guitar and loved it. Then my family and I moved to Seattle where in 9th ...

Dr. Michael Tveraas   Arun Chandra, my best friend and school mate in high school, introduced me to classical guitar. We learned what we could listening to Julian Bream & others....

Segovia and Noad  Watching tutorial classes by these two were an exciting intro to the classical guitar years ago. After buying guitar books I was always stopped by the ...

Living The Frustrations of Not Being Blessed By The Muses.   College, 1970, University of Arizona. My roommate, a classical artist with Oboe and Guitar, spoke the language of music, it's theories, it's major and ...

First -- Love making beautiful music  I've heard it said that music is a "celebration of the soul". It always has been for me. My wife and I have been singing together in choral groups and ...

How much and What?  Not a story, more a thought:

All you musicians out there amateur or professional, when you "just play" music what do you play and why?

I realize ...

Susan Heffron  I picked up an acoustic guitar in fourth grade and developed a passion to play classical guitar in high school; upon hearing Carlos Montoya in concert ...

How I started practicing guitar  I was 13 when I saw a guitar in a instrument store, a handmade guitar, it cost only 89 dollars here in my country El Salvador.

My uncle who died 4 ...

'Broon's Bane'...My Beginnings.  I was 16 years old when I first started learning to play guitar. I wanted an electric guitar but couldn't afford one at that time in my life so, I had ...

Another student of Mr. Noad  When I was in high school a good number of years ago, my sister dated a guy in a rock band, he was the lead guitar. He and my sister found an old guitar ...

Bob Anderson  I'm back again to thank you for recommending Pumping Nylon . I recently purchased that book along with a sequel entitled, "Easy to Intermediate" , which ...

My dark past!  From age 14 to 40 something? I played drums in a semi pro 'PoP' club & pub band. Well several actually & when I got too old...fed up with humping all that ...

jaybee  I messed around on an acoustic steel string in my youth, learning chord patterns and strumming and even finger picking a couple of rote patterns.

While ...