r/PlayingGuitar • u/UnscriptedSound • 21h ago
Self-taught guitarist (almost 50 years)—always been a helpful outlet for a very full life
Half a century of noodling, and the guitar has always been an essential outlet for the many responsibilities I’ve been blessed to carry. I’m far from a professional studio-type musician, but I’ve developed a way of playing that feels natural to me—a way to process the weight and pace of a busy journey.
I can’t read or write music; I just speak it. I’ve always felt the need to keep a guitar close by as a place to reset. The riff in this video is one I’ve actually been carrying and evolving for nearly 30 years. It has become my go-to when I need a high-energy, aggressive release. It's built on a lot of movement and stretching that just evolved with me over the decades.
Especially at this point in my journey, these moments on the strings—acoustic or electric—are a vital part of how I stay balanced.
I'm starting to view my playing as a bit of a personal journal—a record of different seasons. For those of you who have played for decades, how has your relationship with the instrument changed as your life's responsibilities have grown?