What inspired you to pick up the guitar

[texshred777]

My father always had an old Ventura acoustic lying around. We were watching a Stevie Ray Vaughan Austin City Limits performance when I knew I had to play. When he got a Van Halen CD and I heard "Eruption" it was definately all over. I got out that acoustic and his Ernie Ball method book(old one from the days before tab) and started learning immediately.

[jim777]

Originally Posted by jemaholic

So instead of getting inspired to pick up guitar by a certain song or band - I picked up guitar because my dad told me to.
-oh yeah, that record was called "A Hard Day's Night" ;^)

Old post, but what a great, Great, GREAT album

[Ekim]

Vai and Mike Keneally on the Fire Garden tour, Dec 1996. Took me a while to act on it, though.

[Rayzor]

Wish I could remember :-(

[linuxpenguin]

seeing eddie van halen live.

[Jay.Lucas]

GNR's Appetite for Destruction. Then shortly I discovered Vai and there was no going back!

[Pezz]

Great topic. I started playing guitar because my Mom bought me one. She was an accomplished pianist that used to perform. I did not care for the piano as a boy so the guitar was her solution.

[Tom Stegeman]

Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk started the obsession,
then when i felt bored or discouraged, Buckethead would pick me back up.

To this day, i work very hard learning Andy's style and am still working on developing my own style of shredding, combining the lightning fast 8-bit finger nubbing/2-hand-tapping techniques and melodies of Buckethead, combined with Andy La Rocques twisted take on the neo-classical and very-80's style of shredding and heavy use of thunderous descentions ending with his triumpant screeches and his little creative wammy bar songs, fused with inspirations of jazz and trance music melodies and harmonies that i enjoy.

[6fingers]

Music inspired me.I already posted this but here I go again =

Someday around 12 years old I was walking to the school with my beloved MONO 1 earphone small radio(lol) and while listening to a station a brazilian rock song started and in the middle there was a small (maybe 2-3 bars) distorted guitar solo.
BOOMMMMMM
My life changed.
I didn't know what a guitar was,there weren't cell phones or internet and brazilian borders were closed to importation so we rarely could see a guitar at the stores,mostly were acoustic guitars and the fact that bossa nova reigned in that period and there were no guitars in bossa nova grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
In my classroom there was a japanese guy called Oscar(I still remember his name cause he helped changing my life about music)......(hmm BTW I'm not *** lol).......... who loved rock and metal bands,he had a list in the last pages of his notebook,everyday he used to add more bands.because of him I started to know guitars,bands,musicians etc.
First metal I heard was Dio and Maiden,I was like how the hell they get those sounds!?
Well I was a kid having a brainstorm while having a nerves breakdown lol

That's it,music inspired me

[evolvedmb]

One word -ERUPTION

[van01010100]

When I was 12 some kid at a party was playing and getting more attention than me

[ohaple]

My parents always played classic rock stuff. Boston, Def Leppard, Styx, Journey. Stuff like that. They had always had an open invitation that if I wanted to learn an instrument or other hobby (pottery, woodworking, etc.) that they would pay for lessons to get me into it. About the time I hit junior high and was starting to skateboard, my parents took me to a string of concerts. In a couple years I saw Rascall Flatts, Def Leppard, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Journey, and Rush. Some of the best experiences of my life. The first Def leppard concert really got me wanting to play, so I told them I wanted to take guitar lessons. They set me up with a $100 Ibanez starter kit and lessons from some college kid. The lessons and guitar both sucked, but sparked enough to keep me going. Now I am in with a great Academy/lesson center, and have a better guitar. The idea of Playing on stage has always been my motivation. But I usually just use guitar as a hobby and release. Only play on stage occasionally.

Ive seen a fair number of bands for only being 20, and every time I go to a concert, it gives me more motivation to go play and practice harder. Trying to think back, I have seen Rascall Flatts, Def Leppard(2x), Journey (2x), Rush, Warrant, Bret Michaels, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Incubus, Linkin Park, Peter Cetera, Skid Row, Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire, Tickle Me Pink, John Mayer (yawn...), and a bunch of various bands that opened for those groups. As it stands, my favorite three bands are: Def Leppard (for the tone and attitude), Chicago (for their musicality), and Incubus (just because).

[LMDAVE]

Definitely the movie Crossroads. Saw it in the theater back in 1986 when I was 14 and knew that I had to start playing. The only guitar in the family was my grandma's NYLON string classical, so I played that for a few months then got my first electric.

The influence of that movie was unbelievable though, even to this day I can pop it in and restore a good portion of the desire to play if needed.

[Swirltop]

For my 13th B-day my first concert I went to see Priest with Megadeth opening for them. All I could think about after was getting a guitar. I always loved metal, but never really thought about playing until I saw those guys on stage live...

[super66]

I play drums but always liked and messed with guitars....I've taken it more seriously as of late and the reason was Taylor Swift....what can I say, have a soft spot for her....yes, setting up an obvious joke there...