What song/Band made you want to play?

Sultan's of Swing, Machine Gun and Mike McCready's solo during Garden at Atlanta 94'

2-feign-reluctance said:

Sultan's of Swing, Machine Gun and Mike McCready's solo during Garden at Atlanta 94'

My answer to the question is Pearl Jam. But I have been really digging some YouTube videos of people playing Sultans of Swing. An underrated classic.

I have a different sort of answer. The musicians who made me want to play were my friends and kids I knew in Junior High and High School. I was amazed to see people I knew get up on stage and play really good music, and it made it seem possible for me to do that. So I did. I still remember going down to the local record store and buying a CD from one of those bands, kids I sat in English and Math classes with. That blew me away.

No doubt I had my musical heroes, like Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Green Day. I also had the music my dad listened to when I was young. I had the music my friends were listening to, and learning how to play. I had the songs that made girls stop and pay attention to me. But pretty soon, it was me and my band that made me want to play.

The last key to my playing music is this: in June of 1998, the summer before my senior year of high school, I saw Pearl Jam in concert for the first time. One of Matt Cameron's first shows on drums, in fact. And a friend of mine was at the show separately, watching with his other friend. After that show, we started talking about how awesome the show was. Apparently, the two of them had started playing music together in the basement, and they asked if I would come by and jam sometime. I did. Those guys became my first band, and created the whole entire path I spent the next 15 years following. There is little doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be playing music anymore, and never would have gone as far as I have, if it weren't for that Pearl Jam concert in 1998.

My story is semi on the same plane as MIG. Growing up I never knew what music even was other then country music on the AM radio that my parents listened too. In grade school I did listen to some Rock type music that was around that my brother and sister listened too. Bon Jovi etc.. (LOL). But music was never a big deal to me. I then started high school and became friends with these guys, that listed to music like Fugazi, Alice In Chains, Nirvana The Ramones, Dead Milkmen etc. All this new stuff that I never heard in my life that was nothing like I heard before. One of the guys worked at a record store, and let me borrow "Ten", and my mind was blown. That Summer I got my first job at the local zoo. I worked with a bunch of college kids there, and one of the guys that I befriended, was a guitar player. And that simply just amazed me. He listened to all the stuff I was just introduced to during the school year, but listened to even more stuff that I never really heard before. Bands like Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Stevie Ray Vaughn etc. He was the first person that really started to make me want to try to play. The job was only seasonal so come winter I was laid off. So I got a job at the local McD's. There it seemed like every kid working there was in a band, or played guitar or bass. That's where I met the guy that sort of pushed me to take the next step. I convinced myself that I couldn't play guitar because of the size of my hands (tiny)... very stupid thought. So I went with him bought a bass and amp. I tried to take lessons but quit. Board the hell out of me. So my buddy said screw it lets start jamming together. I learned more from those sessions then any lesson taught me. Sure it started out with him going "here play this note, then this note this this note, that's the verse. Then for the chorus play this and this". Within a few months I was adding my own walks to each note etc... Never looked back.

xtremehardy388 said:

I love all these stories. @All Those Yesterdays --I had the same problem---small hands. But the guys who introduced me to guitar kept me going and I learned so much from playing with other people than I did from any lesson. I play by ear and can't really read music (same with piano and trumpet). Those guys and the wonderful people on this board have helped me so much. i was "that guy", in 2006, and my first post was about pedal placement (which later led to the sticky at the top of the forum). I've gotten so much help on music and life, on here. Big ups to PJ_Gurl (I haven't spoken to her in years) for helping me, too.

Yea the stupid mental self pitty of small hands. Then I start to learn guitar, and still thought my issues were small hands. Turns out it was just determination. LOL....

Pearl Jam, Zeppelin, Petty

FrankieG said:

Mike McCready's Yellow Ledbetter solo on the Live at the Garden DVD.

That intro to led. I cannot even count how many times I've said "I wish I could play that".

There is just something about the way Mike does what Mike does.

I've been trying to learn guitar since hmmm January 2013. I've maybe gotten to touch my guitar 2-3 x's this year. Just like any other parent my hobby is last with youngsters around. Some day I will get my turn.

I have small-ish hands, or maybe my fingers aren't super long. I simply don't play chords that require too much stretch. Additionally, I only augment chords in places I can reach. Injury not worth it. I hurt my pinky playing too aggressively once and was out of action for about 6 months. Then my wife broke my middle finger throwing a laser beam at me in the end zone in flag football. Caught the ball, won the game, but tacked on another 6 months of not playing. : (
So, I find ways to play chords that suit my hands and dexterity.