Guitar Queer-o

[Beer of the Bass]

There are still a handful of teenagers out there interested in playing guitar, bass, drums and things, but it's a bit more of a niche interest than previously. My stepson turns 17 next week and mostly likes music that sounds like some awful cross between 8-bit chip tunes and cheesy dance music, but one of his best friends is playing bass in bands, growing his hair out and buying music from internet cassette labels (which I was surprised even exist). We took the pair of them to a small hippyish festival last year, I lent my cheap acoustic bass to the friend and he had a great time wandering around finding people to jam with.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Beer of the Bass

[zbd1960]

I didn't have a clue at the end of primary school - astronomy and chemistry were my interests then. I went to a grammar school, so in 2nd to 5th forms (no I don't do 'years' either) I had a weekly music lesson at school playing cello, but didn't get very far and after 6th form, didn't expect to be doing anything musical. Thus is stayed until I was in my 30s when I started singing lessons and I didn't touch an instrument until in my 50s...

One of my nephews (now 20) was musical from an early age. Although my brother is clueless, nephew started on trumpet aged 9 and then guitar at 13 and had regular lessons until he was 17. He's not playing anything at the moment as uni and g/f currently take precedence... I'm hoping he'll return when he's a little older.

[drTStingray]

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1472564513' post='3122140']
I've just plugged in the terms 'learn bass' and 'learn guitar' into Google Trends. From 100% in 2004, there's a year on year decline to 22% in 2016.
[/quote]

I wonder if the volume of guitar sales shows similar trends ..........

Apart from people on forums who are addicted to buying them (though many on here seem more intent on getting a second hand bargain than a new one - unless it's a bargain) ... and retired gentlemen who want to buy a Strat or Gibson simply because they can and lament not having one in their youth - even if they can't play, I do seriously wonder if there's a reduction in interest.

Edited August 30, 2016 by drTStingray

[ivansc]

quoting GarethFlatlands:
Distant memory says it's the last year of primary school in which case they'd be about 10-11

Ah! I joined my first semi-pro band at the age of ten. First paid gig a couple of months later.

Looooong time ago. We didnt call it "year" back then IIR. "Form" was the form.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1472590470' post='3122465']
[i]Sounds of drumming of fingers, followed by whetting of blades... Sudden 'Whelp..!' as Parkinson's belies rigor mortis, metal rings out from the stone floor, followed by low grumbling[/i]
[/quote]

You've been overdoing the James Joyce again. Stop it. Stop it now.

[Dad3353]

[Barking Spiders]

I guess when I was at school in the early-mid 80s the in-crowd types played footie or rugby league (northerner, me) while the oddballs formed rock bands. Still, bung in guitar, bass, rock music related phrases into Google Trends and they all follow the same pattern. I've just put in 'greatest guitarist' and as of now it's 14% don from a baseline of 100% in 2004.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1472613882' post='3122598']
You've been overdoing the James Joyce again. Stop it. Stop it now.
[/quote]

I'll drink to that!

OT - Wasn't there a game that allowed you to plug in your own (real) instruments? I forget the name but I thought it looked like a good practice aid. No?

[Japhet]

I wasn't that interested until I started going to gigs. Then it hit me and I thought 'I'm having some of that!'.

[ambient]

I teach part time at a Yamaha music point, they've got over 200 students, ages vary, but there's lots of youngsters.