Every time you pick up the guitar to play, play as if its the last time
– Eric Clapton
It’s super cool.
It’s cool to be a guitar player, especially in a band. From Willie Nelson to Bruce Springsteen and Jimi Hendrix to Joe Satriani and Richie Sambora, the lead guitar player is always the most admired one. Bass players or drummers do not have the same glamour.
It makes you the centre of attraction.
Bring one out at a party, and you can become the centre of attention. It starts with a few absent-minded chords to add some ambience. But There is a catch, though. You do need to be able to play the songs!
You don’t have to burn your pockets.
A starting-level instrument can cost as little as 5000-6000, a good mid-tier instrument costs 10000-20000. A budding musician on a budget can afford to get started with a decent guitar – or accumulate 2–5 instruments without going deep into debt.
It’s easy to master
There are some instruments that take months or years before you sound good enough to play for anyone other than your parents or teacher. You can’t play chords on a violin. You can’t slur notes on a piano. You can’t play counterpoint harmonies on a sax as easily as you can play with the cords of the guitar. Yes, complex chords do take time to learn to play, but it is possible to make music on the guitar and its smaller cousins like the ukulele in just a few lessons.
Strum your way to success.
Imagine making a guitar earn you your living. How awesome would that be? Well, this scenario is not that far-fetched. As a guitar player, you can become a session musician, jumping in for various bands when necessary. On the other hand, you can write songs for a living and sell those songs to various performers. There is just so many avenues of approach that you can take and make good money at the end of the day.
You Actually Get Smarter.
Believe it or not, it was scientifically proven that your brain makes new neural networks when you start learning how to play the guitar which makes you way smarter. On top of the hard connections in your brain, you also develop your muscle memory in general. playing the guitar includes a lot of fine motor skills which are crucial to a good performance and technique. From all the reasons to play the guitar, this one is the most important.
Practice Your Passion.
This should probably be at the top of the list, but one of the most obvious benefits of playing the guitar is that it’s really fun! Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, you probably started playing because you were interested, and you continue playing because you love it.
Pick away the pain!
Have you ever noticed how playing or listening to music seems to take your mind off the things that are bothering you? This same strategy may work to alleviate anxiety and/or chronic pain. So why spend on medicines when you can just use six strings instead.
Frankly, I have to agree, playing the guitar is seriously fingerpickin’ good. (sorry but I had to)