The Night That Grandpa Taught Me How To Play

The first stringed instrument I learned to play was the ukulele. The second was my grandfather's guitar, which he often played for us during visits. Playing that guitar was a moment I'll never forget, for many reasons...

It was back in 1967. My grandmother, who had been very ill with cancer, finally lost her battle. The family was up in Palo Alto for the funeral. After the service, we went back to my grandfather's house. My mother and I planned to stay overnight, while my dad and brother went back home.

We were all aware of the weight of sorrow that my grandfather was carrying, so we wanted to give him some space to process everything. In the early evening, I cautiously asked him if he wouldn't mind showing me a few chords on his guitar. Having learned to play the ukulele, I was anxious to move up to guitar, which has four strings in common with the uke.

He brought out his guitar, an old Martin that had been given to him by my uncle. He showed me a few chords and how to strum with a pick, a skill that was new to me, since ukulele is typically strummed in an up-and-down motion with the thumb and index finger. I then asked him if there were some instruction books he could recommend. He wrote down "Hy White Guitar Method" on a small scrap of paper. I still have that scrap of paper in my memorabilia box.

Sadly, this was the last that anyone would see of him. During the night, he suffered a stroke and passed away the next morning. It hit everyone like a lightning bolt. I spent a good part of the day lost in my own thoughts.

To say that this experience changed my life would be an understatement. It's somewhere in the back of my mind whenever I pick up a guitar, especially so whenever I play his guitar.

One of these days I'll finish this song. I have the chorus:

"It was just three simple chords
But it opened up the door
To a life of making music
That I'd never known before
I remember it like it was yesterday
The night that Grandpa taught me how to play"