Many of you out there might be researching what instrument you would like to start playing. Novice and expert alike, almost everyone considers playing guitar at some point, especially if your favourite artists and bands have a guitar player. Or maybe you've watched School of Rock 18 times and want to pull some Jack Black-esque theatrics...love that film.
So why would you choose to play the acoustic guitar? Well, here are 8 very good reasons.
1: You can be a one-person band
Most people I speak to who talk about starting to learn an instrument, and then giving up, talk about the difficulty to persist. It is my belief that many do so because they never get to reach the most impactful moment in any musician's career, playing live. Without band mates and others around you to keep you focused, it can be easy to put down the instrument and pick up the remote control.
By being an acoustic singer in the UK , I was able to control more of my destiny as I could perform solo at an array of venues, as well as audition for bands or start my own.
People will listen to an acoustic guitar player without any vocals, that's how versatile the audience can be.
2: It can be cheap and cheerful
Being a musician is expensive whichever way you cut it. Whether it's gear and equipment, or petrol money to the gigs, it's really difficult to pay your way in life, especially as getting paid to perform is a lot more difficult than you might imagine.
Luckily, being an acoustic guitar player means being able to play without an amp or even a mic, having access to a whole world of second hand guitars of which there are literally millions, and being able to learn using tons of free resources.
3: No muscles required
Seems like quite an arbitrary point, but actually acoustic guitar playing allowed me to get around far easier than some of my fellow musicians.
Picture the poor drummer lugging around all those cymbals or toms, or the double bass player on the Tube (mind your head indeed).
4: Get writing songs
I don't have much experience writing songs with other instruments, but for me, once I was able to play 3 or 4 chords, I was able yo construct my own music. This opens up a whole new level to enjoy being playing.
Check me out on Spotify to listen to some examples.
5: Unplugged
Set up shop anywhere you like and play a gig. Busk, guerilla gig, whatever you like (please note I'm not condoning unlawful breaking and entering).
The other great thing about this is if your smart phone is half decent, you can film the whole thing and distribute across all your social media channels. So pick a nice and obscure location to ensure a bit of chatter.
6: Think of your family
A lot of instruments are hard to listen to if the player is just learning, but I believe the acoustic guitar is one of the less ear-bleedingly bad.
I started learning the harmonica thinking it would be like one of those prison movies. Instead it was like one of those prison movies.
7: Life of the party
Now, a quick warning about this point:
Not everyone wants you to bring your guitar to their party
However, when the occasion arises, you can crank out a couple of party pleases at a Christmas gathering and people will generally sing along. I remember doing this one Christmas at my dad's behest. I was quite drunk but people clapped appropriately.
8: Join some of the greats
Few instruments can boast the amount of legendary alumni than the acoustic guitar. From the blues heroes like Robert Johnson, through the legendary sixties players like Eric Clapyon and Bob Dylan, to today's artists like Ben Howard and Jake Bugg, you can find so many amazing guitarists to be inspired by.
Or, if you choose to, even me.