Should I learn guitar?

Question:

Should I learn guitar?

I played saxophone for almost 15 years. I'm not really tired of it, but for some reason I've developed this love for guitar music. I want opinions on whether or not I should learn guitar. I've given it a small effort in the past with not alot of success but I have new motivation. Any honest opinions will be appreciated and weighed. Thank you.

Adam

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hi Adam

Motivation and ability are the two main ingredients for success in any endeavour. Having played sax for 15 years, you obviously have musical ability. So I would advise you with your new motivation to give the guitar a go. You have nothing to lose and plenty to gain.

It will be a new challenge for you, which will be good for your mind and spirit. New challenges stimulate areas of our brains previously unused, thereby increasing our overall intelligence level. They also broaden our range of life experiences and thus inspire our spirits to new heights.

Learning a new instrument can only enhance your musicality. There are many musicians who can play more than one instrument, and play all of them very well. Wikipedia has a list (referenced below) of some amazing feats by mult-instrumentalists. Just a few of the many famous musicians proficient at more than one instrument include David Bowie, Ben Folds, Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield, Prince, Steve Winwood and Stevie Wonder. Imagine the insight it will give you to study and play a familiar melody from the new angle of not only a different instrument, but a whole different family - strings as opposed to wind. That can only deepen your appreciation for musical interpretation and expression.

Once you learn how to drive a car, does that mean you should never try learning how to driving a bus or ride a motor bike or fly a plane? Whilever you keep learning new things such as a new instrument, you will keep on improving and growing, both as a musician and as a human being. Plus you could open up a whole new area of fun and joy in your life. You might find that the guitar turns out to be more your instrument than the sax, and think what a multitude of possibilities that could open up for you.

If it doesn't work out, you will still have learnt something from the experience. Plus, it will give you a batch of memories to look back on instead of a bunch of regrets, over what you might have achieved but didn't even try.

Life is short enough without cutting ourselves off from new experiences through fear of possible failure. Just because you didn't have a lot of success last time does not mean that you won't this time. There are probably heaps of factors that are different now. For one thing, your mind is more open and that will make success easier to achieve.

Your musical talent is a gift. Enjoy it. Make the most of it. Give the guitar a try. Then after you have mastered it, have you thought of the harp? The bagpipes? The glockenspiel?

Good luck and have fun!