A Guitar and my Identity

Two years ago I decided that I wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I spent hours a day practicing until my fingers were blistered and drenched in pain. Each day I progressed and became noticeably better. After a year of concentrated practice on a friend’s guitar, I decided it was time to purchase a guitar of my own. I browsed through musicianfriends.com and found the Schechter C-1 Plus. This is the first and only electric guitar I own which is why it has a lot of meaning to me. Although I was unable to take the actual picture of my guitar due to the lack of a camera, I was able to find an image on the web.



From the image, you can see that the colors on the body are very appealing. The sunburst shades of orange combined with the dark border line gives the guitar an aggressive look. In addition to the body, most of the features are a metallic chrome color, such as the knobs and pickups, which also makes the guitar appealing to potential customers. The superficial design on the fretboard looks somewhat like small spacecrafts, giving the guitar a unique look. The neck of the guitar is the perfect size for the hand to grip around. The guitar as a whole is shaped as an axe, which is where the slang term for a guitar, “axe”, came from.

Although guitars can be a form of art with attractive designs and features, the real art in a guitar comes from the creative sounds it produces by plucking of the strings. The vibrations in the strings are received by the pickups, which sends the signal to an amplifier which produces sound. These sounds, depending on what is played, can bring out different emotions and feelings in people.

Not just anyone has the ability pick up a guitar and start playing. It takes time and practice, which requires patience. Whether playing as a hobby or professionally, guitarist of all genders and racial backgrounds understands the complexity and lengthy process it takes to become good. It takes a lot of passion and desire in order to be a decent guitarist. With enough desire, even people without hands have learned to play the guitar.

The more I played, the more my skill level increased, and I began to play my own style of music, which became a part of my identity. Because of the countless hours I have spent playing my guitar, I have integrated into one with it. I now perceive music in a different way than I did before. I get an amazing feeling when I play; the sounds bring out all emotions within me.

Although the object in the picture is not my actual guitar, I look at it a see a symbol that represents my personality. It’s like the guitar and I are one. It has become a part of my identity.