guitar proved to be easier to play than the piano (at least it has so far...)
and i was getting the hang of it.
one day in class, my teacher told us what our midterm would be. we would each choose a song that uses only the four chords we've learned (g, c, d, and e minor.) they're all fairly simple chords, and 8 billion songs use them. singing along was encouraged but not required. easy enough.
i chose my song, i worked out a strumming pattern, and i practiced. i sang along, because without it the song is extremely repetitive. i had a little trouble singing along to the strumming pattern i had picked during the chorus, but i didn't worry too much.
on the day of the midterm, i sat down in front of the class to play. i was shaking a little bit, but just a little bit, because i was only a little bit nervous. i had practiced. it would be fine.
i made it through the first verse fine, but as i came to the first chorus i stumbled over the lyrics, getting distracted from my strumming, and before i knew it, i was using a strumming pattern that was completely wrong and didn't fit at all. i got back on track during the second verse, but upon realizing that there was still another chorus left in the song, i got even more nervous and started to shake so much it made it hard to play. by the end of the song, i was even singing notes that were completely wrong. i was incredibly thankful at that moment that no one really knew the song, so they wouldn't know just how badly i'd messed it up.
yes, i played badly.
but i played.
i didn't stop singing halfway through when i realized how downhill it had gone. i finished what i started.
i've only been playing for 2 months. i am not going to be perfect at this yet. and while my confidence was shattered for a moment, it isn't anymore.
the beginning is always going to be hardest.
don't give up.
