LOST CHORDS

I could not remember what happened to my first guitar. I do remember how I got it though. My father bought it for me from Keda Biang (Wee Hong Bian) after I promised him not to miss my daily solat. I wondered what happened to the guitar and sometimes to my solat.

My first electric guitar was a solid Hofner. It was stolen from my mom's cavernous but insecure bathroom. I never replace the electric guitar but I did get a few Kapoks which got misplaced or splitted beyond any reasonable use. After many years without a guitar, I bought a Yamaha acoustic guitar before my mandatory retirement. I discovered that I can't play the guitar as good as I did before (which wasn't much). I guess playing alone is not as much fun as playing in a band. I thought I played a decent guitar when I played with Subian (rhythm), Usop (bass), Tahir(keyboard) and Denan (on drums). We made decent music all over Hulu Terengganu and beyond. We got paid in kind instead of in cash. We got beras baru, durians, assorted fruits and petrol for our portable Honda generator. Years later, when I played my Yamaha, far far away from Hulu Terengganu, I knew why we were'nt paid. We were not good enough.

Now my guitar stands sulkingly in the store room, gathering a fine patina of dust. Once in a while it gets taken out to be played by my son (see pic above). He plays it better than me even though I did not teach him the guitar. I guessed he plays better BECAUSE I didn't teach him.

Today I took the guitar out and tried to coax the Aranjuez song out of it. My fingertips protested in pain. Mimi got worried and asked me if I was alright. I promptly stopped playing until she was out of earshot.

I am sure many of you have discovered that the guitar is one instrument that is so easy to play badly. It is also an instrument that you can easily hide behind. I have to punish my fingers more until I get the callouses on them as re-learn how to play the guitar again - at 61.