Folly Overuse

@Minjok Festival on July 17th, 2012

One thing I envy my friends about is that most of them learned to play at least one musical instrument as a child. Some learned to play the piano, others know how to play the violin. With consistent practice for several years now, they possess enough talents to play difficult pieces of music. Some of them play in the school orchestra and visit local institutions to play for the elderly. I have even seen one compose a new song.


Unlike my friends, I didn't learn to play any musical instrument when I was young. Running about the town playing with my brother and his friends was the best way to spend my time after school. I guess I was not interested in learning one. Sadly, I was still keeping distance from learning an instrument when I became a middle school student. I had troubles reading scores in the music class, and the only instrument I could play was a recorder.

Sungha Jung

Then, on one day when I was in the second grade, I happened to watch a video of a young Korean guitarist on Youtube. His name was Sungha Jung, and the performance was absolutely fantastic. He played 'Wake Me Up When September Ends' by Green Day in a 'fingerstyle' version. I didn't know what it meant then. But Green Day being one of my favorite bands, I greatly enjoyed his style of playing. It was amazing to see a child move his hands with so much dexterity and confidence.

Then I was even more shocked when I searched his name on Naver and discovered that he and I were the same age. The video completely blew my mind, but at the same time, left me regretting, 'What if I started learning an instrument like him a few years ago?' When I came to a realization, it took me no time to decide to start learning an instrument. So I bought a guitar.

A fascinating thing about the guitar is that it can be used to have a good time with others. One person can play the song and other people can sing it along. In these types of situations, you strum a series of chords with a guitar pick. However, I decided to try something different. Fingerstyle guitar playing. Compared to a traditional way of playing, it is unique in that the player can play melodies without singing. Also, it's not usually played with other instruments, enabling people appreciate the true guitar sounds. In addition, I'm not a good singer, so I don't have to worry about ruining a song.

aLaska Finger Picks

Instead of guitar picks, fingerstyle guitarists use their bare fingers to pluck guitar strings. I can say from my experience that fingers do hurt a bit at the beginning. But after a few days or so, I got calloused fingers and felt less pain. However, Some fingerstyle guitarists use special devices called fingerpicks or a thumb pick. They are mostly made of metal or plastic, and allows the player to produce clearer sounds than fingers. I bought a thumb pick and three fingerpicks manufactured by aLaska, but I don't use them right now because they're uncomfortable. I plan to use them when I get better.

I decided to learn to play the guitar by myself, so I had to look for resources on the web. I obtained helpful information and tabs on a Naver fingerstyle cafe and free introductory lessons by Ulli Bögershausen on Youtube. Ulli is a German guitarist and a mentor of Sungha Jung. I liked his lessons because he repeatedly emphasized the basics. So, every day when I came back from school, I practiced basic techniques and drills for 30 minutes. Even though the progress was slow, I kept my patience. As a result, I was able to play 'Silent Night, Holy Night' for the last year's Christmas. It wasn't perfect, but my family liked it anyway. I was proud of myself.



It's the beginning of a new semester, so I don't have time to hone my skills right now. But when the winter vacation starts, I will begin practicing again. Hopefully, I will improve a lot and play in front of my friends.