Guitar

Whenever I feel sad, anxious, stressed, afraid, lonely, frustrated, tired, I turn to music - sometimes the vast collection of music on my ipod but more usually my guitars. There's something about music - it touches the soul and lifts the spirit in a way that nothing else can quite match. When I think on most of the significant moments of my life the memories are closely associated with songs or pieces of music - it's like there's a soundtrack running through my life.

This guitar is another from my collection - it is also the oldest that I own. It is the first one that I bought myself. My parents had bought me one previously that I learned to play on but it was a pretty basic affair with a really high action and strings that almost cut my fingers when I held down the chords. I loved it at the time but it was a dreadful guitar! In comparrison this guitar was a dream. I saved for months to buy it and when I finally got it, it didn't matter that it was second hand, to me it was perfect - just a shame my guitar playing wasn't so perfect - being a twelve string guitar every mistake was amplified! Still we shared several happy years together before other newer guitars came into my life and claimed my affections.

The more observant of you will notice that despite being a 12 string there are only 6 strings on this guitar. A few years back I loaned the guitar to a friend who had his guitar stolen as I wasn't playing it much and when he returned it a year or so later it was missing 6 strings and 6 tuning pegs as he had decided that it sounded much better as a 6 string guitar! I'm not quite sure I agree with him on that but as I don't really play it much I've never got around to restoring it to it's fromer glory. I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should really sell it on as I'm not really playing it and it's kind of a pity to leave such a beatiful guitar just lying around but then it then it still holds a place in my affections - in regagrs to guitars it was my first love and you never really forget your first love.

And thinking of this guitar reminds me of one of the first John Denver son'g that I learned to play on it and that I loved then - and still do......



This old guitar taught me to sing a love song
it showed me how to laugh and how to cry.
It introduced me to some friends of mine
and brightened up some days
and helped me make it thru some lonely nights. Oh
What a friend to have on a cold and lonely night

This old guitar gave me my lovely lady
it opened up her eyes and ears to me
it brought us close together
and I guess it broke her heart
it opened up the space for us to be
What a lovely place and a lovely space to be.

This old guitar gave me my life my living
all the things you know I love to do
to serenade the stars that shine
from a sunny mountainside
and most of all to sing my songs for you
I love to sing my songs for you.
Yes I do, you know
I love to sing my songs for you



John Denver