The Umpteenth New Start

[KwanYingirl]

I am moving soon and seriously downsizing. Last night I took my old guitars to sell to a local music shop. I haven't played hardly at all since my chemical exposure ruined my singing voice.

I spied a concert guitar and asked him to play it for me so I could concentrate on it's sound. Not bad at all and with the trade in I bought it!!! It's the perfect small size for my new little condo.

I decided right there on the spot to reclaim that hobby even if all I can do is play and not sing. I go to bed too early because I'm bored and then I wake up at 2:00. If I stay up to practice I bet I'll sleep better. I'm so glad I found this model.

 

[Jane.l]

Love my guitars - haven't played for months due to a hand injury, so frustrating! Music is such a wonderful magical thing - writing music is my 'self therapy'. I hope you and your guitar are very happy together :cool:

 

[franciemarnie]

Hooray! Music is so good for the soul, not to mention great fun!

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

That's great. I am happy that you have that new guitar.

 

[arfie]

I am just back from my solitary instrument therapy session. I used to call it, "music therapy," but these days the term "music therapy" will generate an overwhelming barrage of youtube links. Guitar and voice were the instruments I used in this morning's therapy. I have hearing troubles, so my voice never was lovely, but I still gain greatly from using it in therapy. Singing is a form of breathing exercise. It is not about becoming a superstar. It is about balancing my personal rhythms and tones while I connect them to the rhythms and tones of life.

Strum on, KwanYingirl!!!

 

[KwanYingirl]

@arfie that sounds very interesting. Do you have the sessions one on one? What benefits have you gained from your music therapy? And where did you find out about it? Sorry, so many questions but it sounds intriguing. Thanks

 

[arfie]

Still haven't found a therapist to guide me. The psycho-therapists I have found who advertise music therapy only use recorded music. The "...just back..." this morning referred to the fact that I took my guitar out to the barn. Just me, my dog and the barn critters... I still haven't been very successful with putting it into words, but let me give it another shot...

My father started me on it personally after he read about Mel Tillis using it to overcome a speech defect. We couldn't afford doctors. The theory went that speech and music come from different brain centers. Someone who cannot speak normally can often sing what needs to be said. I had a severe speech defect as a child. My father sang conversations with me, then taught me to modulate the singing to sound nearer to normal conversation. I think I might still speak from my music centers, but have no way to know... No way I am likely to pursue, anyway.

In my self-styled instrument therapy it is a balancing of my personal energies and an inventory of what I have to work with on any given day. If I am remembering and finishing songs easily, I do my organizational and/or maintenance work. If all the songs keep coming out fragmented or mutilated, I lay low and go with the flow. If new songs are popping out, I start new projects. If I find I can't sing and am only doing instrumentation, I do simple physical labor.

Not sure if that made sense, or not...

 

[whserenitynluv]

Music therapy along with nature are my angels.

 

[Chava]

Lovely! I have a beautiful solid top (spruce?) guitar. It sounds so lovely to play but I cannot sing! My vocal chords are too tiny and constricted. But I like just hearing pretty chord progressions. Can you do any classical style playing? That doesn't need singing. Not that chords do either. But anyway, no voice makes it the perfect way to just love the sounds of the strings. But I'm a biased non-singing violinist.

 

[whserenitynluv]

That sounds beautiful! A non spruce guitar :) I have played a little bit here and there :) no violin- so we are good. I also love the sounds of beautiful chords as well. I'm sorry to hear about your vocal chords, but completely understand. I do play and love music, but I'm learning a whole new way to be with music. Slowly is the way it has to be for me, otherwise I break my guitar strings :/

 

[KwanYingirl]

For now it's just scales until my fingers remember what to do and get calloused. I use open tunings to get nice harmonics. With my memory problems, I don't have to worry about lyrics!

 

[franciemarnie]

@arfie - Interesting connection re singing as a breathing exercise. I have been using Contolled Breathing taught to me by my chiropractor to calm my brain's survival center a lot lately. Never connected my love of singing (alone only - my voice is not so good!) all those years with the unknown help it was giving me in calming down. Thanks!