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    The 26 Stages Of Learning To Play The Guitar

    No one ever told you playing the guitar actually required talent.

    1. You see your friend playing and it blows your mind.

    2. So you beg your parents to buy you a guitar.

    3. You expect a Strat. You get the beginner's 3/4 size acoustic from the Argos catalogue.

    4. You have lessons. They don't go well.

    5. You can't get your head around reading music.

    6. You want to give up.

    7. But then someone teaches you how to read tabs.

    8. And suddenly it all makes sense!

    9. So you hit the classics. Smoke On The Water, Nothing Else Matters, and - of course - Stairway...

    10. Things take a turn for the worse when you discover barre chords.

    11. You constantly show people how screwed up the ends of your fingers are.

    12. You learn that a dropped guitar pick will never be seen again.

    13. And you live in eternal fear of breaking a string.

    14. You start to take your guitar wherever you go.

    15. And play for people at every opportunity.

    16. In your head people can't get enough.

    17. In reality it's a little different.

    18. You pick up a few secrets. Like how turning your amp all the way up helps to hide your mistakes.

    19. Or how learning the Minor Pentatonic scale means you can play most rock solos.

    20. After a while you start to write your own material.

    21. And convince your friends to start a band.

    22. You work on your stage craft.

    23. But after a few big gigs...

    24. ...creative differences start to get in the way.

    25. So before you know it you've forgotten everything you once knew.

    26. And this is the only band you'll ever be in.