Out of Tune

So I may have finally figured out how to use this clip-on Yamaha GCT1 tuner. Yesterday, I tried tuning my guitar and I failed miserably. The instruction paper that came with the tuner was uninformative and there was nothing on youtube or google about how to use it!!! So, like an idiot, I attached the tuner to each string thinking that was how it's done. Nope. It isn't. Seriously I am embarrassed to say I hold a doctorate degree and couldn't figure such a simple thing out.

Today, well today, I GOT IT DONE! I must say the guitar sounds so much better! For the past couple of days, I would strum on my chords and wonder to myself why they do not sound anything like how they do online. On my way to SoHo yesterday, I walked by a street performer who was strumming on his guitar and knew for a fact that my guitar must have never been in tune.. not even when it first arrived at my doorstep, well, er, package room, that is. Today, after the tuning session, my guitar sounds heavenly! Cue the choir and the laughing cherubs! Now, when I practice my chord changes, it doesn't sound like a cat is dying anymore :)

Where the tuner is supposed to go: on the Head of the guitar, duh!

The dog was not a fan of the guitar at first. He would run away and hide in the bedroom while I practiced in the living room. He has warmed up to it now. However, he has become quite jealous of all the time and attention it has taken away from him -_-

Picky-Picky

Justin @ justinguitar.com recommended beginners use Dunlop 0.38 mm nylon picks so I ordered some off of, where else, amazon.com. They are a dream compared to the Yamaha plastic ones, in my opinion. They seem to be much easier to strum with and I think they sound better? Maybe? The weather was ridiculously gorgeous out this weekend so I didn't spend much time indoors practicing. I really should have picked up this hobby back during the winter time, when the weather was gross out. Oh well, you live and you learn.

Left: Dunlop USA Nylon 0.38mm pick; Right: Yamaha plastic pick from starter pack

The First Strum is the Deepest

After browsing youtube.com looking for the right internet guru to guide me along my journey to rock stardom, I've decided to go with Justin Sandercoe. Today, I learned the D, A, and E chords. I am in the process of practicing 1-minute chord changes before even attempting to play any 3-chord songs. So far I'm still having trouble with switching between the D and A chords. The goal is to make 1 chord change per second, or in other words, 30 changes in 1 minute. So far the best I can do is about 15. I made a little cheat sheet on Paint to help me remember where to place my fingers on the strings. By the way, guitar playing is PAINFUL!

Exhibit A:

Finger dents from the strings

The tips of my fingers were numb for the next few days. Ah well, no pain, no gain.

Oh right, here is my cheat sheet, which I compiled from the images on Justin's website.

It Has Arrived!

Finally, after what seemed like forever, my guitar has finally arrived thanks to amazon.com! My Yamaha F325 came as part of the Yamaha Gigmaker Acoustic Guitar Package. I think I got a pretty good deal on it. I browsed through guitarcenter.com and musiciansfriend.com before heading over to trusty ol' amazon and pulling the trigger. Included in the package were the guitar, 3 plastic picks, a tuner, an instructional dvd, and a guitar bag. Too bad I have work tomorrow.. can't strum on the bad boy until Friday. Until then, I'll just have to keep air-guitaring:D

The Seed Is Planted

I have decided to teach myself how to play the guitar.. you know, because I'm super creative and musically talented.. NOT. Aside from being tone-death, I have extremely terrible hand-eye coordination. So why the sudden inspiration to play the guitar? Well, the main reason would be Taylor Swift. I own her albums, I've seen her concerts, I follow her on instagram, I love her taste in clothing, etc etc. Another reason would be that because I only work 3-4 days a week, I need a hobby besides online shopping, window shopping, and actual shopping to occupy my time. A third reason would be self-improvement. I have always been the type of person who doesn't really like to go the extra mile. I am not a highly motivated individual, despite what my resume might claim. I like to use the least amount of effort to successfully attain my goals. So now, after 24 years of life, I am breaking the cycle.

Photo from instagram @taylorswift