Okay, so, I wanted to learn to play the guqin. First things first, I needed to figure out how I was going to learn. Did I want a teacher or was I going to teach myself? I mean, going the self-taught route seemed tempting, you know, more flexible. But then, I remembered reading somewhere that the best way to learn is face-to-face with a teacher.
So, I decided to find a teacher. That was the next step. I mean there are plenty of teachers out there. It’s just a matter of finding the right one for you. It’s a bit of a steep learning curve at the beginning. There’s a lot to learn before you even touch the instrument, apparently.
- I started looking for teachers in my area.
- Asked around, checked online, the usual.
- Found a few potential teachers and reached out to them.
While I was waiting to hear back from the teachers, I started looking into the instrument itself. It’s a string instrument, so I figured it can’t be that different from learning guitar, right? Well, apparently, it’s easy to learn the basics but much harder to master. I guess that’s true for most things. You can pick it up relatively quickly, but to get really good, that takes time and dedication.
And then there’s the music. It is not the pop songs you hear every day. But hey, it might be interesting to learn some traditional pieces. Anyway, I heard back from one of the teachers. We had a chat, discussed my goals, and their teaching style. Seemed like a good fit. So, I decided to go for it.
Started my lessons.
It’s been a few weeks now, and I’m slowly getting the hang of it. It’s challenging, for sure, but also really rewarding. It is way different from playing the guitar. The teacher is great, very patient, and explains things well. We’re taking it slow, focusing on the basics for now. Posture, hand positions, basic techniques, all that jazz. Feels like I’m starting from scratch, but it’s all good. I am in no hurry.
I am practicing regularly, trying to get the muscle memory going. It is all about practice anyway. It is a long journey, but I am enjoying the process. I will keep you all updated on my progress. Let’s see where this takes me!
