Why pick up an Instrument?

It's a rather simple question that I'd like to know about almost every guitarist, or grand musician out there: Why did you pick up the guitar? Or any instrument really. Who knows, you might even learn a little something about yourself.

I started learning guitar because I would watch players like Joe satriani or Jimi Hendrix and think "God, I wish I could play like that" so I thought I'll never be as good as them but there's no harm in trying.

my dad had an old rag-guitar (really bad one, had to push the strings down for 8 cm to hit the 5th fret) on which I tried to learn to play.
I tried a couple of times, but never kept going for more than a week.

things got a lot more fun 1.5 years ago when I discovered his old electric guitar on the attic and bought an amp :)
now I'm addicted to my guitar.

Aaah, I think there was this discussion earlier too... I answer same than before. To get more chicks!

I originally played bass/keys cause my dad was a guitar player, so we could jam. I was damn good,but he was too stuck up to play music with me beacuase I had only played for 3yrs and he played for 35, so I decided I would play a lead instrument(guitar) if I need not play rythmsfor anybody. So I been playing guitar since then and still dabbling in other instruments.The rest is history.

I got lost and wound up in Guitar Center.

Im serious.

Thats hardcore dom....

Haha. Keep on rockin guys. The guitar, or any instrument is great. Perhaps the greatest investment ever. It's something, a passion, that no one can take from you. I started playing to overcome a broken heart. Getting lost and ending up in guitar center is awesome lol. Jammin with your old man is probably the best I've ever heard. I envy those with parents that play instruments, but from what I hear they tend to be asses about it xD. Thanks for the responses guys. One love.

@zolume Lol, they are total asses about it, my dad has jammed with me one or two times in my whole life. He always brags to other people that im a virtuoso, but then kinda dogs me by saying "I taught him everything' I wish is I had the internet when I was a kid to make learning easier, we had to slow down records to hear parts, or my personal favorite " It runs in the family" Funny part is he never taught me anything except how to tune. Lawl

cuz i promised my girlfriend i could play and she told me to play for her so i learned a little and after that i was hopelessly addicted lol xD

I wouldn't say the guitar is the greatest instrument ever, it's definitely an amazing instrument, but every instrument is extremely useful and without it's variety we couldn't appreciate the guitar like we do now.

I picked up guitar 'cause I've always loved music, I played piano for a while and wanted to play something different, I loved it! Linkin Park (before Jay Z got involved) were actually one of the main reasons why I wanted to play guitar, then Three Days Grace, Three Doors Down, Lost Prophets, Hoobastank. Then I went onto heavy metal and started to love bands like Necrophagist, To-Mera, Tyr and then I started to love Jazz! And my god, I am so grateful. All of these genres are amazing and have helped me so much. :)

Music is the language that connects the universe.

+1

Music as a weapon.

Rock on!

Originally I did because my parents made me learn something, I played violin for awhile but i got sick of it (now I wish I hadn't, but it was really frustrating.) my dad plays guitar, and my brothers were learning so I was like, "guitar I guess." I started out acoustic and just learned songs I didn't really like, alot of old country that I actually love now actually haha.. so I started learning and I practiced but I never really cared, i never just played around. I only really wanted to play guitar after I was watching Dave Mustaine play on youtube, after that I learned power chords and I was hooked because I could finally rock!

My mom bought me Blizzard of Ozz by Ozzy and when I heard Randy Rhoads' playing I wanted to play immediately haha. It was like an overnight thing that just sort of happened.

My dad gave me a guitar and at the time it was the only thing that I enjoyed that was not illegal.

The reason I play guitar has a bit of a story behind it.....so here it goes.

I was really into wrestling when I was 11/12 years old and my favorite wrestler was The Sandman. Now take a guess what his theme music was. Yes, that's right it was "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.
I freaking loved that song. So I looked up who it was by. I saw/heard Kirk Hammett play "Fade to Black" and said....."yes".
Thus I asked a guy at my church (go figure, I learned my chords from a guy at church so I could play Metallica) to teach me. After he taught me my chords I was kinda on my own.
So then I got into Black Sabbath. After Sabbath I got into Blues (From Iommi) and Jazz (From Bill and Geezer). And I yada yada yada and so on and so forth.

That's the story of how I picked up the G-Tar.