Hammer On or Pull Off?

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Learning the guitar is hard work.

When every time you change the string-fretboard alignment to prevent 'buzzing', you have to start tuning again. When every time you change the string length at the bridge to keep the octave intervals in tune, you have to start tuning again. When you've got new strings which tend to stretch a little and, well, go out of tune.

You can find yourself spending the whole night fiddling with allen keys and miniature screwdrivers, and never get around to plugging it in or opening Bert Wheedon's book on how to "Play in a Day".

On the other hand, doing a favour for a friend - the kind of favour that should take an hour but winds up taking two days. The kind that involves sitting in front of a wordprocessor doing what they should have done if they'd read the instructions. That's light work. The kind you can do with the radio on, giving most of your attention to the radio.

Guess which one I'd much rather be doing. Give me difficult and meaningful over easy and meaningless any day.

I once knew someone who spent most evenings configuring their collection of TV satellite dishes. They could get thousands of channels - none of which they felt like watching - they just enjoyed figuring out the technology.

Oh yes, my guitar arrived yesterday. And tomorrow I have the day and an empty house to myself - which means I have a choice. Do I invite a friend round for a drink and a shag...or do I start learning to play the guitar?

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