You're not holding it right

The guitar...That's what my husband said literally in the first 2 seconds of my very first guitar lesson; "you're not holding it right." I was holding it how it was comfortable. I did, however, acquiesce. One thing we had to agree on before we started the lessons was that he would try to be patient with me and not just want to show me how to do it right, and I would do what he said. So I tried to hold it "right." (I put right in quotes because I still think the way I was holding it was just fine). After we got past the holding it right part, I learned the G chord! Any of you who know anything about the guitar are probably laughing because you know that D is the easiest chord out there. You put one finger on one string and strum. There ya go. A, G chord.

My husband is very musical. He's very talented. He not only plays the guitar, but the drums (and anything percussion oriented) and the bass guitar. He knows what he's doing. And not only that, but he's good at it. He tried to explain some theory behind what he was trying to teach me about the guitar and about 5 seconds into it, I could feel my mind clamping shut and my eyes glazing over. That's probably why I could take 5 years of piano lessons and still not know how to play the piano. Our oldest daughter, Kristin (who is 7 by-the-way) may have taken after her dad a bit. We got her a recorder for Christmas and she has done really well with it. It came with a little instructional song book and Paul taught her the basics. A week and 1/2 into it and she already had learned and mastered at least 4 notes, how to read them and play them and how to play 3 different songs.

I do wish I was musical. Much in the same way, how I wish I could sing. *sigh* I am still waiting for the voice that I know is hidden somewhere deep, down in my body, to break free from it's prison and for me to be able to sing like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. (When I was a kid, I used to think she had the most beautiful voice! Come to find out, friends of ours at church actually know the woman who was the voice of Ariel!!) I pretend I can sing. I sing (loudly) to my I-pod while doing the dishes, I sing loudly at church (who'd going to criticize me at church?), I sing to my kids all the time. Grace (now 4) actually used to cry when I would sing. No lie. When she was a baby, every time I started to sing to her, she would cry! Paul, standing right beside me would sing, and nothing. He would stop, I would start up again, and WHAAA! It was actually hilarious. I always meant to get it on video to send in to Americas Funniest Home Videos, but never did. Elliott (2), however, loves for me to sing. It's always the same 2 songs; Jesus Loves Me and The ABC Song. She will request for me to sing. Grace no longer cries, but she's not asking for it either. I know I'm no Ariel, but I always thought I could at least carry a tune! I don't know what it was about my singing voice that never failed to bring her to tears.

Anyway, so far, only 1 guitar lesson. Hopefully there will be more. He taught me 2 other chords along with the G, but I've already forgotten the names of them. Pretty pathetic, huh? I'll get it though. Before long, we'll have the family band going that I know my husband secretly dreams of.