[goby]

With the help of youtube and you guys, I have been learning guitar. For the past 8 months, I have tried to learn the basics, actually putting in the time.

I bought a metronome and it changed my life. I'm really building up speed. Then as a goal (you know what's coming guys....) I was determined to learn the barred F Chord. I set my goal, accomplished it, and now I love that chord and look forward to it.

The problem is that I'm in hillbilly country. I don't want to learn John Denver/Bob Dylan type songs. Nothing personal, but that and the blues doesn't nothing for me. I love punk. That's my first love. And I can see its pretty simple.

So a friend came over. He's played for 7 years. He's recorded. He practices for 3 hours everyday. He's played the Warped Tour. He likes punk and new Metal (think Lamb of God, Killswitch Engaged)

I had a list of a few things I wanted to learn.... palm muting, deadened notes, octavtes, "strumming" a power chord with the root on the fifth string and the 6th (low E) string not heard and muted. I figured it would take an hour or two... I've tried to figure it out on youtube, but its just not working.

Within 5 minutes, he taught me all of the above. Wow! It was so simple, but I just needed someone to be there and show me.

Then I looked at my punk tab. Wow!!! No fear of palm muted, then a clean then back to palm muted notes. No fear of octaves. No fear of fast power chords with the root on the 5th or 4th strings. This is amazing.

Then he played some killer metal. I was blown away. Then I said "Can you even play Dragonforce (hate the music, but the guitar work is amazing). He said "Anthony, they are truly great, but its not that difficult." He then played an amazing rhythm riff. It was soooooooo hard. Totally impossible. Then he said "watch this slow". I did, and wow was it simple. When I say simple, it might take me a year or two of hard practice to do it like Dragonforce, but the point is, I can do it. Why.... (warning...it's coming guys) ..... because if I can practice for a month and now play an Am to Barred F Chord superfast, I can do anything! I just need to put in the time.

I wish there were others up who played the same type of music that I like, but I am so excited with the future. I know that I will be mastering punk very soon. Maybe not much to you guys, but to me, it will be a dream come true. Then I'm off to other musical genres.

It was a great evening that ended to soon. After he left, I couldn't sleep, and played for another hour. Wow.

I wish I could take lessons from someone who plays something other than Cat Stevens.