When I was seventeen I got an electric guitar for my birthday.  A friend taught me a few chords and I was rocking & rolling.  I played faithfully for three years.  After I married, with so many big changes I let go of my practice and fell out of my groove.

About two weeks ago I bought new strings for my acoustic and my electric guitars.  My daughter wants to know what I know.  After I teach her what I know she might take private lessons.

I, however, am playing everyday again, learning new songs, and writing some too.  It feels so amazing. The joy is back!  After a great session of practice, during which I picked and strummed and sang I feel so at peace and serene. I feel lighter, unburdened.  It is miraculous.  I pick up my guitar several times a day, and I am eager about it in the way I was when I began. I hope that feeling lasts.

I am rebuilding my practice primarily on my acoustic because I want to build my hand strength and finger strength.  The tips of my fingers are hard now that calluses have developed from playing everyday for the past two weeks! 

I think playing guitar is a bit like breast feeding. (Wait! I know that incredulous look you have on your face!  Don’t stop reading!)  At first, it’s downright painful to press with enough force soft fingertips to wires, and similarly the first few days of breastfeeding are quite challenging as the baby sucks already tender breasts, but after your fingertips/nipples toughen up you don’t give it a second thought.  If you’ve breastfed or played guitar you know it’s true.

My next lesson will be to teach myself scales, so that I can rule the neck! RAWR! I need guidance on this so if anyone has any advice, I’d be much obliged.