"Guit-her" LOH Community Contest #109

Hello lovely ladies of hive! I am joining this week's Ladies of Hive Community Contest #109. I just thought of sharing with you my thoughts and experiences with connection to the first question by @irenenavarroart that goes...

1️⃣ What is your favorite musical instrument and why? Do you know how to play it? If not, do you think there are limits to learning to play?

THE GUITAR

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If only I get a chance to learn to play a musical instrument, I'd choose the guitar. Why the guitar?

Music connects people. One instrument I have seen that really do the job of connecting people and getting them to come together is the guitar. The guitar is portable and easy to carry whenever or wherever you want. I also believe it is easier to learn to play the guitar though I haven't tried once. It is not very costly. An average family or those who earn enough can easily purchase a guitar. And whatever genre of music, a guitar can always be used to accompany any song. These are the reason why the guitar is one of the popular musical instrument.

Back then, when I was in college my appreciation of this instrument started. I had seen how it connects friends, lovers, organizations and communitites.

Playing the guitar was one way to bond with friends. During that time, cellphone wasn't much of a thing yet. Only few students owned a cellphone, the one that was used for calling and texting only. There was no internet connection to connect us to any platform to entertain us during our free time. The best way to spend our free time at the dormitory was to bond with dormates or friends through music especially with a guitar. When a guitarist friend started to play the guitar we would come close to her and sing along with her. She would also play some music to our request. It was a fun way to bond with friends. She usually had with her a song book with the lyrics and the chords. I would take a look with that songbook, I was fascinated on how a guitarist was able to play a whole song just by looking at the chords.

Playing the guitar can be used for courtship. When a guy knows how to play a guitar, it's already a plus "pogi" (handsome) points for him. Who's heart wouldn't melt when someone sang you a song to express his intentions and feelings while playing the guitar?

During my younger days courtship was not an easy process. Ladies were pakipot (playing hard to get) and men need to step up, show efforts in courting the girl, and convince her that he is the man for her. He needs to get her to say yes to be his girl. Even if they both like each other, the man still have to undergo the courtship process. Ladies hated to be called an easy girl. One way men show their efforts to court the girl was through harana (music serenading to woo the girl they like). And men who knew how to play the guitar can really make a young lady's heart to flutter. He would have an adavantage to win the heart of the girl they like.

Another instance where I find the guitar used to strengthen the bond between friends or organization is when someone celebrates his or her birthday. A group of friends or members of an organizarion will perform a mañanita for the celebrator. A mañanita is harana or music serenading which is performed during dawn. It would come as a surprise to the celebrator as he or she will be awaken by the singing and guitar playing. They would also bring food which they would share together after the manianita.

Being talented in playing the guitar, you'll be asked to perform in talent shows. In college, dormitories were to host a talent shows once a year where the residents have to show their talents and perform. They would invite students from the other dormitories to come to talent show. Singers and guitar players would always shine during these activities.

It was unfortunate that I grew up in a family with no inclination to music. In my immediate family there is no one who knows how to play any musical instrument or anybody who has a beautiful voice to influence me into music. I only become insterested in music when I was a teenager and playing the guitar when I was in college. But I never got the chance to practice playing it. I couldn't find someone to teach me how to play the guitar. Even my husband who came from a family with inclination to music and siblings who know how to play musical instruments, he was the only who one doesn't know how to play the guitar. Maybe it's just the way of the universe to tell me that I don't belong to the music realm. Hahah!

Thank you ladies for yet another interesting topic for this week and thank you for taking the time to read my post.