Your Musical Gift

Some people are born with a musical gift. I had a friend like this once. No matter what instrument you gave him, he could play it. At least that's what it seemed like to me. His gift eventually took him to new heights where he was invited to join Cher on tour! Most of us only dream of ever having an opportunity like that.

Several years ago, I was given the opportunity to use my own musical gifts to create an album called Dancin With The Blind. A friend and I wrote and performed all the songs that were used on the project. It was great fun and also provided us with another way to share our music.

The dictionary defines someone with a gift as being: "endowed with natural talent." But what does that mean when we apply it to music or playing the guitar? How can you know if you are gifted musically? Good question.

First of all, I want you to take notice of the word "endowed" in our definition. This describes something you have been given. It describes your natural abilities, or any particular inclinations you might have. It's not something you have to conjure up or work hard to produce. Instead, when you follow your natural inclinations, you will tend to experience a sense of well-being and fulfillment. This is because you are enjoying what you're doing. You are being who you were created to be.

Well, does that mean learning the guitar will be easy if you have a musical gift? Not necessarily. But you probably won't need anyone to tell you to practice, because you'll want to practice! Your desire and inclination will motivate you to perfect the musical gift you've been endowed with. But what if you don't have a musical gift? Can you still learn to play the guitar? Yes. In fact, people in this category often become excellent musicians on sheer determination. Perhaps it's because they're competitive and are driven by the need to succeed.

If your gift is in an area other than music, why not turn what you have been given into an asset for learning the guitar? For example, people who are good at sports will have good hand/eye coordination skills. This is a very nice gift to have when learning a musical instrument. Likewise, those who are gifted analytically are usually good with numbers. These folks will probably find it easier to understand music theory and memorize chord shapes.

What are you drawn to? What are your personal interests? How do you like to spend your time? These questions can help shed light on where your natural gifts and talents lie.

Article Source: http://www.articleopus.com

Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years.

You can receive her free guitar tips each month by subscribing to the ABC Learn Guitar Newsletter.

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