Electric Guitar Video Highlights
WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
My dedication to playing electric guitar started when I heard a song blasting through the window of my dad’s car from the car next to us. I had never heard it before and quickly grabbed my phone to Google the lyrics I had heard.
“You need cooling, baby. I'm not fooling.”
My search came up with Led Zeppelin. “Whole Lotta Love.”
That one key moment started me on a journey discovering rock music. It changed not only my Spotify playlists, but my whole life. For days I listened to Black Dog, Immigrant Song, Kashmir, and Stairway to Heaven over and over, especially the lead guitar. I started following other ‘60’s and ‘70’s rock bands, falling in love with The Beatles, The Eagles, Hendrix, The Animals, Queen, The Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, and The Who.
I realized I wanted to learn how to recreate those sounds myself, so I convinced my dad to buy me a beginners guitar kit. For a while I was frustrated at being unable to reproduce the music, so I set the guitar aside in our garage. Still, I would find myself hearing the music and moving my fingers along to the beats in my head.
MY LEARNING PROCESS
I started watching YouTube videos and documentary footage about various artists, such as Boston’s Tom Scholz. He described being unable to find any guitarists who had the sound he was looking for, so he learned the instrument himself at 21. I realized that if he and other great guitarists could overcome frustration and self-doubt, and persevere I could do the same. I decided I had what it takes to develop my own sound like Tom Scholz and become a professional guitarist myself.
I pulled my guitar out of the garage and started watching YouTube videos teaching basic chords for “Whole Lotta Love” and “Smoke On the Water,” by Deep Purple. I asked my mom for lessons to help me improve. And when I became frustrated with my progress, I didn’t give up. Instead, I started an Instagram page to track my progress over time. Now, whenever I get frustrated I look back to see how far I’ve come since I first started playing 2 years ago.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @jackson_chontos
MY FIRST GIG!
I’ve built a community of other people with the same enthusiasm for making music. Another friend who is also a guitarist invited me to a jam session with some of his musician friends and we hit it off right away. This experience inspired me to start my own band, and we practiced regularly all summer. After months of searching we found a drummer and performed live locally in our first gig!
These days I focus my guitar lessons on music theory, and the feedback I get from professional musicians is encouraging. It means a lot when they tell me I have a great ear and say they are surprised that I have become a skilled guitarist so quickly. I also have videos posted on Instagram, linked above, in case you want to hear more.
Last Christmas my dad bought me a brand new Fender Stratocaster and amplifier. When I was on vacation and playing in the living room I couldn’t believe it when people walking by the house stopped outside just to listen to me.
I'm saving up now for an American Ultra Fender Telecaster, in cobra blue. I love the contoured body and tempered heel, and the s1 switch that provides a beefier sound at just the touch of a button. Also, with its noiseless pickups, you get minimum feedback.
Check back from time to time to see if I actually get it!
*Quick update: For those asking me, yes, I was able to buy it! I love the sound of it, but I do still use my old one. I go back and forth between them.