String Theory

Learning to play the electric guitar for the first time

In February 2026, I decided to learn electric guitar. I'd never played an instrument before. I just wanted a hobby I could get absorbed in, something unrelated to work.

Music Has Always Been There

As a kid, I was a huge Beatles fan. Later came The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, Radiohead and Oasis. Music had always been a big part of my life, but I'd always been a listener. Now I wanted to try playing.

Choosing My First Guitar

I knew the music I loved, but almost nothing about guitars. So I asked ChatGPT to help me choose. We started with my favourite bands and guitarists, exploring their instruments and sounds.

I eventually chose a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster HSS in Miami Blue. There's a photograph of John Lennon playing a similarly blue Stratocaster — a lovely coincidence connecting my childhood Beatles obsession to my first guitar.

I still enjoy simply looking at it.

The Sound of the Sixties

We took the same approach to choosing an amplifier: exploring the sounds of musicians I loved and comparing models. I settled on a Fender '65 Princeton Reverb, a tube amplifier based on a classic sixties design.

So I had the guitar and the amp. Now I just needed to learn how to play.

My First Riff

My first experiment was the riff from Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. It sounded nothing like the original, of course. But even a few recognisable notes from a song you've loved for years can be incredibly satisfying.

How It's Going

I now take lessons twice a week, gradually learning songs by The Doors, Radiohead, Nirvana and The White Stripes. Familiar music turns out to be much more intricate than it sounds: rhythm, technique, chord changes and countless tiny details.

It changes how you listen, too.

Just for the Fun of It

I'm not planning to perform. I like working through songs I love and hearing something that seemed impossible a few weeks ago finally start to sound right.