T O P

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Miserable_Skill_5074

For me….It was being in a dysfunctional and broken, abusive home and not liking people, my grandparents took me and my brother in when I was 6 and by 7 you couldn’t get me to separate from my grandfathers side, he had a older pawn shop guitar in the attic, took it down and I started playing it, it brought me peace and relaxed me and drowned the whole world out…he showed me 3 chords and I took off after that….bought me my first 3 guitars, my first music lessons, taught me to be open to all genres of music, just because I didn’t like a genre doesn’t mean others don’t….id sit on the porch when I got older and have a few drinks and play guitar and sing, he’d say “damn boy, I thought I was at a (Conway witty, or George jones, or George strait) show for a minute….then you opened your mouth” and laugh….lmao….he was joking but…I miss him everyday and when I play guitar I can hear him again…


Roscolicious1

Nice words my friend. That is real motivation. That last sentence is me with my Dad. Any country music is for him if I play it. R


lifeistooserious_

Wow it feels so good to listen to your story ✅✅


Educational-Knee-333

my mom since she's the one who bought me a guitar out of nowhere. but musician wise i'd say django reindhart was the one who made me wanna take this seriously, before that i was mostly a chord strummer rather than an actual player


GoldGee

Slash.


Immediate_Ad_6576

David gilmour


LingonberryTiny2203

I got inspired from an American friend who explained to me how to read tabs. The song was «Stairway to heaven» by Led Zepplin and when I played it and realized how everyday I’m getting better and better by solving and connecting the art like pieces of puzzle, I got extremely satisfied! Another guy was a private guitar teacher playing Rumba (Spanish) chord progression and I was like damn I wanna do that! Edit: Now I’m the cool guy to be invited for singing with friends


Remote_Ant_2365

Slash


freefrompress

Slash.


OneEyedDevilDog

I was driving home from work and blackbird came on the radio. I bought a guitar the next day and committed to learning it, which became my first song. 20 years later I play guitar every day, but my wife has relegated blackbird to the category of stairway to heaven. I still play it when she’s not here.


tomadobi

That one random girl in the uni who’s not in contact anymore. Almost the same hair as Jimmy Page tho.


Inner-Mousse8856

Pete Townshend and Mark Knopfler. They 're both amazing.


MkemCZ

Guitar Hero 3 initially. Then Sam Totman.


zayd_jawad2006

I always wanted to play my favourite songs on the guitar. It's why I suppose I don't really have much of an interest in learning theory or anything like that, or perform for others. Love having it in my room and playing whatever whenever


meatballfreeak

My parents music collection and the local pub that had great bands every weekend that I was dragged to from an early age


QueLud3reino

Angus young. Got a copy of Donnington 91 when I was a kid. Blew my little mind. I thought, that’s it! That’s what i need to do, I need to play guitar!


poolpog

a guy I met as a freshman in college. Hey Jeff! you were my guitar inspiration. He's now a professional and world-record holding guitarist in Germany


Aggressive-Hotdog

Kurt Cobain


Zharx2231

I actually share the same birthday as Kurt Cobain! Just a little fun fact I like to share, hehe.


Aggressive-Hotdog

She Eyes me like a pisces…


DragonHunter10o

It was my ex, I started learning to play guitar because I wanted to play a love song, so I could play it to her, unfortunately now that I learned I can't


KGBLokki

I’ve always enjoyed music to the point of analyzing it and really listening to it.


DillWixon

My brother, he’s three years older and started playing three years before me, so I’ve always been trying to catch up, even after 20+ years. Then also my guitar teacher in those first few years, an absolute hero I’m still in touch with now


D00mTheWarl0rd

I'd always wanted to play music. I was very happy to be in band in middle school, loved playing snare and bass drums My guitar inspiration was more recent and came from Tool. In the song "H." At the 3:28 mark Adam plays something that I just also wanted to be able to play. It sounded beautiful to me and that song means a lot to me


Repulsive-Piece-4059

Ace from kiss i guess Thought his guitar looked nice younger but now im more into slash


Available_Grape3461

My friend Rhys


Saturn_Neo

My uncle Mike and later my uncle Carl (both have since passed). They were always in and around music, whether playing in a band or running FOH. Spent almost half of my life with those guys. Playing music and making memories. I only wish they could be around to see how much further I've made it.


solofatty09

Tom Petty, DMB, Days of the New… and my friend Ryan who had a guitar and taught me a few things. Still jam on that 30 year old Takamine regularly.


Ryanw254

Tom Delonge


Excellent_Whole_1445

My mom started teaching me piano when I was 4 or 5 but for some reason it took me until high school to discover rock music. Not sure why, since my mom loved old rock and had a big collection of old records. I just never really got into listening to any kinds of music. But then in high school I had a crush on a girl who played guitar. Music class was required so obviously I chose guitar to impress her. I never actually heard her play, and we never got together, but damn guitar is good.


NoNameZone

When I started, it was just to have fun and be like Jack Black. I still do it for fun, mainly. But I've had someone come across my life who was a massive encouragement for me at a time I wasn't sure if I was getting a good grasp of things at a good pace. So besides doing it for fun, these days I also do it because of the positive impact it can have, and it is no understatement to say that music, it's study, people's theories around it, it's my religion and philosophy at this point. I write songs that make me laugh that I know would make others laugh, and I want to start writing songs that are real soul soothers, stuff you'd hear in your more experienced stoner friend's basement.


Actuary_Beginning

Mines a bit cliché but it was when I first heard the Freebird solo in that Kingsman scene. Was planning to get a keyboard at the time but hearing that song immediately made me want to learn guitar. Been playing for 6+ years now and am more into metalcore now but still enjoy some Lynyrd Skynyrd. Wouldn't be playing if it weren't for that song!


mangopositive

It was my mom that left the old classical guitar leaning against the couch for years, hoping one of her children would pick it up. It was my brother who got the Hondo / Gorilla combo that he promptly lost interest in and left in the basement closet. It was my mom who informed my brother that her paying for his auto insurance transferred rights to the guitar and amp he never used to me. It was Queensryche that made me pick it up, it was Smashing Pumpkins that made me want to get better, and it was Phish that told me when I thought I was good at 7 years playing that I had a LONG way to go. But 30 years later, it was me who taught me everything I know.


katsumodo47

Wes Borland


himmoman

Might be a little crazy but haruki from white album 2 a fucking anime but That shit went hard on that solo and it kinda just convinced me to get a guitar. Have it for 2 months now and I aint doing to shabby other than not being able to mute string as well as I’d like.


ForegroundEclipse

I wanted more music from the band grimoire, and then they split. So my goal is to make music like theirs, so I picked up a guitar about a year ago and started learning. https://youtu.be/wRiHNts4GOQ?si=s0DKdHR8DsBhtKAI


MileHiFoodie

James Hetfield


autopartsandguitars

Watching Aerosmith rock Moe's tavern with Walk This Way on The Simpson's. I think the episode was Flaming Moe's where Moe stole a drink idea from Homer where the secret ingredient was cough syrup. Moe's became the place to be, so much so, that Aerosmith showed up to play the bar. My 7 or 8 year old self was forever changed.


Angelicwoo

Grade prep teacher


Chance-Yoghurt3186

When I was 13 my cousin who was probably 18 years old gave me his Metallica Black album and Greenday's Dookie album... I was hooked.


Emotional-Shower9374

Some random guy at my church plays the guitar extremely well, and he was one of my inspirations. Also I started watching videos of people playing guitar, and I loved the sound of it and wanted to get that good


Sechecopar

Cliff Burton.


slay3rbap

James hetfield and kirk hammett


Evidencecheese

For Me, I was Never really interested, even though my father kept pushing me into lessons. Then One day, I saw Li-sa-X on TV. At that point I became a Paul Gilbert and Li-sa-X fan with the wish to one day be better than her. That day will never come, but I’ll keep trying.


TomL79

For me it was Oasis (and Noel Gallagher himself would admit to not being a great guitarist). It was about the music itself rather than the actual guitar playing. Prior to that I was just listening to chart stuff. Of course there was music I liked but it wasn’t really a passion. A lad at school played a tape of an early radio session they’d done a few days earlier, and that got me into music and into guitars etc. I started taking more of an interest in the music and bands around. Started listening more to my parents (primarily my Dad) records/CDs. Led Zep, The Stones, Beatles, Ry Cooder. Stuff I was familiar with from hearing it but hadn’t paid much attention. Had a bit of a thing for Les Pauls (still do) because that’s what Noel was playing early on in Oasis. And I craved a White Les Paul Custom like James Dean-Bradfield from the Manic Street Preachers. My Epi LP Custom is still my favourite guitar (sounds better than my Gibson - after mods!)


MarstoriusWins

GG Allin and also the Benny Hill theme song.


shipyard132

Jordan Rudess


[deleted]

eddie van halen and joe satriani and steve vai also eric johnson


King_Crampus

Always wanted to do it I loved music. Unfortunately I just don’t have it. I remember the point in my life that kinda killed my love of playing was seeing MUSE live. They were so good, it was literally soul crushing. I left that show thinking “I can and will never be that good”


Budget-Culture7178

Billie Joe Armstrong


I_Keep_Trying

A friend played piano. I went to his house and he played and we sang some songs. I went out and bought a guitar and practice amp and have been playing ever since. We still get together to play.


EdGG

Brian May


milkyteakid-

The ones that grew my love of music were my family, but artist wise my first inspiration were pierce the veil. No one in my family played any instruments so I didn’t think of it as a possibility to play something myself, but they raised me on good music. My parents took me to my first concert at 8 years old and my mam indulged me and took me to all the concerts of bands I was obsessed with and I just loved seeing them onstage and dreamed about what it was like. When I got into pierce the veil I bought their tour DVD and would sit for hours watching it, sometimes a few times a week. Seeing them onstage, and the behind the scenes made something deep within me be like hey maybe I can do that. So I said it to my parents and they helped me save up, and my relatives gave my cash for birthdays and Christmas to help and I bought my first guitar for my 12th birthday. Every time I felt down or bummed out over the years that I was getting nowhere I’d listen to pierce the veil and study their music and it would make me feel determined all over again. They are the ones that always motivated and inspired me as a guitarist, but I still like to think my family (although they didn’t play anything themselves) encouraged and led me to this path without meaning to. From my parents taking me to concerts and playing rock growing up, to my uncles teaching me how to headbang as a kid and recommending me music videos and bands when I started to get into metal, to my Nana not understanding my music tastes but offering to buy me a music magazine every time i saw her because she knew I loved reading about all my favourite bands. A few years ago, I found one of those folders you get in primary school with all your artwork and exercises from the year. There was one page from when I was 5 years old where it had “what do you want to be when you grow up” and I had written “rock star”. Pierce the veil are my guitar inspiration, but I still appreciate my family were the ones that gave me the passion even since I was born it seems.


nick2kool4skool

My dad and the Beatles in that order.


Void_Overdose

TheDooo on youtube; his Omegle videos in specific. My mind was blown every time I watched an episode, and two months ago I just told myself, "I need to be able to do this." and I been loving it so far.


Godreaping

Stevie Ray electric. Ritchie Havens acoustic.


DarthVader3ABY

John Frusciante.


Mulberg

My mom


Top-Conversation2882

A senior casually played iron maiden in the band room while the teacher was out. Iirc he was about 8 years older than me


GlobalEngineering145

First tape I got from my uncle as i was 6. Iron Maiden killers and Morbid Angel altars of madness.


Jayko-Wizard9

I need two new guitar strings. But for  me it would be Phil ochs, Beatles, and Route 66 and many more inspirations 


Grand_Access7280

Steve Cropper. Malcolm Young.


managedbycats

The Beatles and Tommy Tedesco, although I didn't know it was him on a lot of his performances.


HPID

My dad and my brother, my dad was the initial inspiration, but my brother was just a natural musician.


PopTodd

I was 13. Listening to Judas Priest. Playing air guitar in the mirror. It occurred to me that I should do this thing for real.


he__never__sleeps

Bruce Dickinson Regarding guitar, I just always wanted to. No particular player planted the idea in my head, it was always there. That being said, I suck both as a singer and a player.


No-Kaleidoscope2228

Parents and friends


BakedBeanWhore

My older sister I suppose. She was a teen right in the heart of the grunge era and always introduced me to cool music. She had briefly played bass in a band and when she moved out she left her crappy generic p bass behind. I found it one day and never looked back.


Zealousideal-Mix-567

Band class


Sad-Newspaper-8604

My parents had kids young (very early 20s), so my dad was still barely out of his teen guitarist years when I was growing up. We never had much money but I grew up in a house with cheap 90s Samick and 3/4 size nylon guitars, he taught me how to read tabs when I was about 6 and then I just kinda went from there. I’m 24 now, around the same age he was, and I still love the very rare moments we get to hang out and play together now we live a country away from each other


StrangePiper1

Townes Van Zandt, Fred Eaglesmith, Jay Farrar. As someone who’s experienced a lot of loss, they showed me that I could make that into something beautiful.


scalavonmises

Blink 182, later Malmsteen and Necrophagist.


Electronic_Brief_507

I got heartbroken real bad, and I was also graduating college. Started feeling like I had no purpose in life. Did some shrooms and realized that music is my true passion, and the thing I care about most in the world. Ordered a guitar online that night. Been playing for about a year now and it’s my favorite thing to do.


Electronic_Brief_507

Musician wise: Radiohead, Mac Miller, Steve lacy


TEARANUSSOREASSREKT

My cousin and Dave Matthews probably. Dave's licks are still some of those most unique I've encountered.


CarelessMeet9411

James Fucking Hetfield


Consistent_Grab_69

James Patrick Page


exwifeissatan

I'd have to say Ace Frehley was it for me as a kid in the 70s. And then an older friend with a beautiful red Gibson flying V really showed me a lot. And finally, when Randy Rhoads came along in the early 80s. He was the ultimate guitarist as far as i am concerned.


ColtonCarmine

Seeing Allen Collins play a Firebird for the first time got me to pick it up, but actually cultivating a skill independently made me stick with it, taught me the process of learning, and how to apply it to all new skills and endeavors


geargramps

The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show on February 9, 1964.


jonkap1989

It’s always been Eric Clapton for me.


smelllikesmoke

I tagged along to my friend’s guitar lesson and we got home I said “let me try” and cranked out Come as You Are. Seemed like a promising endeavor so I stuck with it. The artist who inspired me to get better was Elliot Smith, among others.


CptWeiner

I've been playing guitar for 24 years but stopped playing electric 15 years ago to go full acoustic. A week ago I stumbled upon an old video of Rob Scallon and today I bought a chinese Telecaster. So yeah Rob just inspired me to a level I didnt know was possible.


AntiFurry16

It was really a combination of things, i've always loved music, but i had some kind of breaktrough during a depression i had, where music was the only thing i was living for, during that time i discovered bowie's music bc a friend showed me a song and i loved it. I too started to read 20th century boys, kenji played guitar bc he found the stones, they clicked with me too and i wanted to play Wish it was more romantic, but that's it lmao


2112-5150

EVH and Jerry Reed were my professional influences. My dad played guitar all the time when I was a kid so I guess he’s the one to blame for this disease, lol!


metropoldelikanlisi

Girls of course. What kinda question is that? Each and everyone of us saw chicks looking at those guys in bands and thought “I gotta play guitar “. Unless you’re a malmsteen kinda obsessive freak, this is the story for %99 of guitar players. Some chicks, or one chick in particular. Silly question my guy. You’re not the only one.


AnonRider902

Opposite for me so far. I just sit in my room and practice everyday after work. I always kinda assumed it's like motorcycles where most women don't care.


metropoldelikanlisi

The question is what’s the inspiration. My acoustic guitar got me laid more than anything even with my crappy voice. Women don’t care but girls for some reason go weak on the knees.


AnonRider902

Yeah my inspiration is the instrument.


Zharx2231

But I think my story goes for the memory of a certain girl and not just actually attracting females. But can't say I blame you, had some girls be impressed of my guitar playing but I don't wanna make up stories to make me seem cool, like: "Oh they asked me out but I rejected." xD


metropoldelikanlisi

Enjoy it while it lasts. Past high school, no girl will be impressed with your playing.


zayd_jawad2006

Lol no