Do you want learn how to play the guitar? First, you buy yourself a cheap guitar so that you will be forced to practice it. Next befriend with someone who knows how play it and can teach you for a free. Buy a song book with chords and then practice it with yourself. Go for any drinking session where there are lots of guitar playing. Practice 1-2 hours everyday. After a year, you will be a good guitar player. Believe me, this is how I mastered the skills of playing this beautiful and lovable musical instrument.

At 5 years of age, I became interested in guitars, ukelele and piano.  At 6, I used to entertain my grandparents with my piano rendition of the "Planting Rice", "Greenfields", "Inday", "Bakho sa Kasingkasing".  Between 7 and 10, I headed a little group of "combancheros" (playing harmonica, make-shift cas-gan bass, tic-tac sticks, maracas, tomtom drums) with my ukelele and did Christmas carols during the holiday season.  At 12, I had my very first (second-hand) accoustic guitar.  Teamed up with Sim Inso, Celedonio Pia, and Frankie Lim.  I then began to appreciate the sounds of lead and bass guitars.  I learned bass, subsequently.

High school days were inundated with episodes of serenading and nighttime adventures (including stealthily getting out of our house just to be with friends.  My father was very strict and he wanted my nose on the book or homework at all times!).  We became famous as the "Fireflies" who continuously won amateur singing contests during town fiestas in Maasin with our Lettermen-like renditions.  Got to the point where no one would dare compete with us anymore.  So we just eventually settled to become guest performers only.

High school days also included the time frame when the band, "Stringbyrds", emerged. Members were Tito Enage, Tansiong Tan, Loloy Abiera, Alex Garciano, Bulaw, and Celso Abiera.  They emulated the Bee Gees, Dave Clark 5, The Animals, Elvis Presley, The Platters, The Beatles, The Ventures, The Drifters, etc.  As more and more Beatle songs came about, the more of my affinity and admiration towards the base guitar developed.  I had my first base guitar locally built by Felipe Jaranilla of Bagtikan.  Practiced like crazy and pretty much idolized The Beatles' Paul McCartney.

At first year colege, I had my first 12-string guitar -  the very first one ever in Maasin.  I had it made to order in Opon, Mactan out of nangka tree.  Its sound would make your hair stand.  With it, I mastered the lead of George Harrison's "Sun King", and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

Then my head went loco and dropped out of college.  Played in a band for two years at The Tiger's Den and Chaparral in Mantahan, The Premiere In Tunga-tunga, and briefly at The Beachway at Nacoco Beach.  I played the bass with Tito Enage (lead), Toring Veloso (the first boyfriend of Oging wife)(lead), Sim Inso (rythmn), Efren Reyes of Malitbog (drums), and Celso Abiera (drums and elect. technician).  We emulated The Beatles, Dave Clark 5, The Badfinger, Guess Who, Bee Gees, The Animals, The Temptations, The Hollies, etc.  I rendered jazz standards by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Jack Jones, and several bosa nova beats.  We'd gotten so famous we were invited by other town mayors to perform during their fiestas.

Tito Enage's passing to typhoid fever turned my life around. One day, I looked at myself on the mirror and asked what the hell was I doing to myself!  The next thing I knew I was back in college where I left off.  Graduated BS in Architecture and took the Board exams in 76.  I left for the states in 77 to join my father.

To date, I am an avid admirer of pop and mellow jazz (sax, cocktail piano, and accoustic guitar), and bosa nova/Brazilian beat.  Occasionally, I get into "blues" when the mood is right.

As for musical instruments I presently maintain, I have a Fender 12-string guitar, Yamaha 6-string accoustic, a fly-by-night electric accoustic guitar made in Opon, Mactan, an antique piano, and 2 Casio and Yamaha full size keyboards.

I am currently considering investing on a mild-powered Karaoke Professional System to be hooked up to my Bose 9-point sensurround system.

Life goes on....  

Wow!!! I envy you guys. I want to learn how to play the guitar too... My mom bought me one from Opon when I was a about 13 years old. It even had my name carved on it in capiz shells (or something like that). It didn't last very long because in my excitement one day from school, I rammed straight into the doorway with my guitar held horizontally. Nightmare!! It ended up in two pieces... That was the first one. The second guitar that I got was a hand me down from an uncle who was a professional player. He migrated to the US so he sold his guitar to my mom for a song. It was a fancy Morris guitar.

Like most starters, I would sit under a tree with my Jingle Magazine (chords in it of course) and sing to some popular tune. Somehow I never graduated from this mode. I can still strum a few chords but can't seem to play a tune without a "cheat sheet" in tow. It's darned frustrating. To date, I can still follow a few chords but I wish I could just get up and jam like you guys...

I don't know about you, guys, but I've noticed that each time I play the guitar, I just plain forget about my problems.  I strum it, and sing with it, and the next thing I know, my mind is at ease.

I'm pretty much into broken chords (bimol) that are most often used in standard songs, jazz and bossa nova beats.  I like most types of music except hiphop, rap and gospel.  My favorite artists are Larry Carlton, Chieli Minnucci, Brian Hughes, Dave Grussin,David Benoit, Antoine, Jack Jones, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Diana Crall, Marilyn Scott, Keiko Matsui and Michael Buble.  For rock groups, I like the Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Guess Who, etc...  As for church music, I like Ave Maria by Schubert and Gunod (everytime I hear it, my throat gets lumpy)(hikbi, hikbi...).

By the way, Bay Dundeet, don't despair.  On my next visit, I'll meet up with you so we can play guitars besides exchanging viewpoints.  I can teach you some.  In fact, I can also have my old "alalays" (The Fireflies) serenade you. I think you'd love their renditions.  LOL!  

I was very small then when the "Stringbyrds" of Maasin was a hit in '70s. I was really excited then when they play on stage. But the motivation to learn this instrument was when my Mom went to Union Trading to buy something for Christmas and she was asking what I want as pinaskuhan, without a doubt in my mind I said guitar eventhough I cannot play it. I was in first year high school when I started playing this instrument and later on began to love it. I got a lot of improvement with my playing skills by practicing with other guys and going out nightly to serenade the beautiful ladies in our barangay. One of the craziest thing I done was with my friends when we're all drunk and decided to serenade the Franciscan sisters. Another motivation was when we became champion of the band competition in our school's loyalty day. When I study in Cebu for my college, I also enroll at Yamaha School of Music for the classical guitar program and this makes my playing improves a lot. So from time to time I always have guitar on my side at home and at work during my break. The kind of music that I play are James Taylor, Jim Croce, John Denver, Beatles, Neil Young, Chicago and hotlicks of Led Zeppelin. I also play hits of sixties as long as I have the song book. Learning is a process and it takes time, do not expect those best lead guitarist did not practice well, they devote most of their time in practicing. Although there are people who can easily play thru hearing but this is seldom. If you improve yourself, learn the advance one and play classical music and read notes and not only chords.

I have already a guitar but no one's gonna teach me.


I really want to know how to play it and i dont know where i can find a chords or something like that.

I'm not that good playing a guitar, I played banduria when I was a rondalla member way back in high school.