Jammin'

This picture of Isaac was taken last summer at the Family Fun Day.  He really enjoyed the band and played his balloon guitar along with them for a good part of the afternoon.  When the band was done and packing up, he hung around and helped them in any way that he could.  

When Christmas rolled around, we decided to get him a guitar.  He probably would have preferred a "rock and roll" guitar (i.e. electric), but was still pleased with his acoustic version.  It is a smaller, beginner guitar, perfect for his 8 year old fingers.

Well, January came and the question arose about who would teach him how to play.  Since neither Dada or I play, it would have to be up to somebody else. But who and where and how? hmmmm.

Our other challenge was that he had decided that he preferred to play left handed, thereby dashing my dreams of borrowing his guitar and maybe learning a bit myself -- in all my free time, you know!  Anyway, Isaac (who is right handed) was very sure that it was easier to play left handed, so after examining the guitar, I figured out how to switch it around for him.  I put Laurel down for a nap, sent the boys outside, and set to work restringing the guitar.  I got all the strings out, and two back in properly, but the rest has to wait -- someone is crying, another is cold and another is cold and wet -- see I have time to learn the guitar!  Isaac comes in, picks up the 2 stringed guitar, and starts strumming away, but is playing right handed.  When I mention this to him, he pauses, then tells me that he thinks it is more comfortable right handed after all.  WHAT?!  After double checking that he is sure, I take the strings out again and put it all back the way it was.  Well, I can now say that I know how to string a guitar!

In the meantime, we decided to get some lessons on DVD.  He can go as fast or as slow as he wants, stop, pause and rewind any part of the lesson and they can also be used by anyone else in our house who may want to learn to play the guitar.  So, guess what?  Isaac and I are going to learn how to play the guitar!  I got a second hard guitar (before learning that Isaac wasn't going to play left handed), and he and I had our first lesson today.  It's a little slow going and our fingers are sore, but the DVDs are great and hopefully we'll be able to help each other.

Give us a couple of weeks and we'll be ready to jam.  Any takers?