how learning to play guitar changed my life.

today i wanted to talk about how learning to play guitar changed my life. i’ve been playing guitar since i was 9 years old & it is one of the best things that ever happened to me, it has impacted my life in so many ways! playing guitar has taught me so many things from learning how to focus my attention, an escape from life on hard days in high school, a tool that led me to songwriting, & one of my most loyal companions :’) i never would’ve been so connected to music, taylor swift or writing if i didn’t know how to play guitar. and it’s the reason i get to come on here and teach all of you every week how to play your favorite songs and maybe that has changed something about your life too :)

i love you guys so much, thank you once again for subscribing & watching my videos, i truly appreciate each and every single one of you!!

xoxo
nena

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sub count: 44,000

[avocado]

I’m not even kidding, 75% of my guitar learning comes from you. I love your tutorials so much and I’m so grateful that we have a fellow swiftie making guitar tutorials! guitar is an amazing part of my life, if anyone wants to learn it def should try it (and obviously learn from nena cus WHY NOTTTT)

[LarryInYonkers]

I just bought my daughter a guitar for her 7th birthday. She watched The Eras Tour movie and immediately wanted one. We went to a store to get measured and I found one that worked, and ordered it. The next day at work I couldn't stop thinking about how I could help her learn to play, so I started looking for YouTube channels. That's when I found you. We started watching your videos together and she immediately thought you were the coolest person outside of Taylor Swift. She's been watching along while holding and strumming her guitar. So much of what you're saying about learning when you were younger sounds like the place she is right now. Thank you for putting this out there, I'm so glad my Zoe looks up to you. Your manner is kind and easy going, I'll be thrilled if she has a similar journey with her guitar.

[areyouallergictoawesomenes]

Learning guitar is one of the best decisions of my life and you were a huge part of it, thanks Nena, 💖

[surajponnanna]

I've said this before and will say it again, you're one of the reasons why I still play guitar!!!

[Spcyfic]

You're the reason why I'm still playing guitar. There are many talented guitar players on YouTube, but you're so good at teaching and making things simple. I started learning 1 year and a half ago and felt like I would never ever be able to play a single song properly and then I found your channel and learned so many songs since. When I think about how much I improved over the last few month, I'm really impressed and happy. And that's mostly because of you so thank you for your tutorials and all of your videos, you really feel like a friend to me 🥰

[cardigan]

im a guitar beginner, i really had a long time wanting to play guitar and my grandpa gave me his guitar like a month ago, i started looking for tutorials in youtube and i wanted to learn so bad guitar and play taylor swift songs, then i discover your channel and you really helped me and teached me so much in a short time, everyday i learn something new, i played my first song with you, the 1 by taylor. right now im in guitar classes with my music professor and he said that i have talent even though im starting. i learn literally every day a new song from your videos, im not kidding, every song i play on guitar is thanks to you. im starting making my own songs on guitar and i really wanted to thank you because if it wasn't for you i wouldn't be able to play guitar the way i do, you teached me almost everything i know. thank u nena 💕

[tracyevans]

I started playing guitar a year ago. Now, not a single day goes by that I don't play it. I don't know, something about my day feels missing when I don't play it.

[daniella]

Love your videos Nena. Learning guitar is not the easiest but it’s fun.
Your videos have helped me a lot in learning.❤️❤️

[ozer_]

I'm 23 and I just started to learn to play guitar. At first, I thought that " oh I'm too late for this, people start at a very young age it is just too late for me." then I decided to give it a chance. All I wanted to do is playing Taylor Swift's songs 'cause I'm obsessed with them. I listen to them literally every single day through the day. And also playing guitar helped me to keep my emotional rollercoaster within a normal boundary. ( 'cause I'm bipolar, but whatever that's not the point.) And most importantly you helped me to improve my guitar skills and I'm so thankful for that. When I started, which is just a couple of months ago, all I wanted was to be able to play All Too Well but obviously, I knew that it'll take a long time. That's why I started with the other songs, I tried so many of them and meanwhile, I found your channel and I said "This is it, She is a swiftie and she will teach me all the songs the way Taylor plays them." Since then I'm watching your videos. Recently I was working on Love Story, it's quite an easy song 'till the end but that key change... it's just too hard to play that chords to me at least for now. So, I am planning to study All Too Well, maybe I'll start today or not I don't know. Actually, I've tried it last night and I was like "Yes, now I can play it. It's easy." I was too excited, it was like my heart could go out of my chest. But again something happened and that thing was the strumming pattern. I just couldn't do the up strumming but today I worked on it and I believe I can do it now. Wish me luck 'cause I need it. Wow, it's a pretty long text here, sorry :) I hope you see it and read it, I just wanna say thank you and please keep doing this 'cause it is fantastic even just listening to you while you play. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I'd write it 13 times but it's already very long text so I'm just gonna stop at 3😅

[deepanshudj]

Hey Nena

I stan TS since a long time... And i wanted to play her songs all the time..
I got my guitar like 2-3 months back. And... Immediately i wanted to start learning...
Yours was the first channel that i came across YouTube... And it felt like i found just the right person... Who's as connected to TS as i am... Your entire video list is full with TS song lessons... I love that.
I've seen you playing her songs so passionately...and that made me feel like.. i can do it too...
It's not been long...but i can play quite a few songs by TS now. I'm progressing everyday... A major part of it is because of you.
Thank-you.!

You are such a sweet, dedicated and motivating person... Thanks for sharing your guitar story.
Wish you all the best... Your channel will hit the sky soon😉.
Love from India 🇮🇳

[nobinpunyo]

I’m 24 and I’m a huge swiftie too!! And I’ve been playing guitar since I was 18, And I also know a little bit of keyboard and I relate to you a lot . So high Five mate ✋ 🙌🏻

[rockyrax]

I can relate to this. I have ADHD and playing guitar and eventually becoming a musician gave me a purpose in life and have allowed me to discover who I really am!

[jefsymens]

I started about a month ago. Guitar is my way to escape reality an stress. Your video were already a big part of my journey. Thank you so much for that. It means a lot.

[WildBill]

Love your story. Thank you for sharing. I have found many guitarist talk about learning to play as a “journey.” It has certainly been a journey for me. A long journey. I have been seriously playing for about 11 years. But there were many false starts along the way. It started when I was 7 years old. My beautiful sister sister was 8 years older and a boy came over to the house to visit her. Being the smart guy he was… he brought his guitar. I was more impressed than my big sis. LOL! He played Puff the Magic Dragon. To a seven year old, that was a cool song about a dragon! I was bit by the guitar bug. I begged my parents for a guitar.

That Christmas (I was 8 years old by then), my parents gave me a 4 string, dime store guitar. Neither of my parents were musicians (but Dad loved singing at Church!). They sent me for lessons in an old, dark house; where I was stuck in a room with a teenager who didn’t know what to do with an 8 year old with a dime store, 4 string guitar. Not a good experience. I wasn’t articulate enough at that age to explain to my parents why I didn’t want to go back. They just thought I wasn’t interested any more. But I kept begging for a real guitar. Took four more years (I’m persistent! LOL!). At age 12 they actually gave me a six string (steel strings) acoustic guitar for Christmas. A close family friend (Uncle Charlie) taught me to play Little Brown Jug (G, C, D7, perfect!). But he lived on the far side of town so not too many teaching opportunities. Back in those days there was no YouTube, internet (I know… hard to believe!), electronic tuners, etc. Most beginners ears are really not good at tuning by ear. Interest faded again.

Fast forward almost 20 years and my wife was pregnant with our son. I had expressed to her that I wished still had a guitar so I could play for our baby in the womb. She surprised me with a guitar for Christmas (LA brand acoustic). It wasn’t outstanding quality and the action was very high. Still no internet or YouTube. Just Mel Bay guitar books that didn’t really teach about right hand technique (strumming patterns). That guitar end up In the closest for 21 years.

When my son was 20 he suddenly expressed interest in guitar. We dusted off the old LA guitar and I showed him the few chords I knew. But the old guitar was in bad shape. My wife and I shopped all around for a guitar for him and I educated myself on the latest and greatest acoustic brands. We bought him an entry level Martin for his 21st birthday. My wife saw the spark light up in me again and surprised me 18 days later on my 52nd birthday with a Taylor 110. This time I had electronic tuners, an online course (guitarinanutshell.com) and a fire in my belly. 11 years later I can play 50+ songs, a few lead riffs and some finger picking. In my long journey I have met some awesome musicians (I regularly go out and watch live music to watch and learn) and many of those folks are now good friends.

It’s an awesome journey with many, many rewards; including a Zen like relaxation, new friends, and a greater appreciation for the hard work it takes to be an accomplished guitarist (I’m far from that… but remember, I am persistent. LOL!).


Thanks again for sharing your story! 😎👍🏼👍🏼

[sukyp]

Learning how to play the guitar with you has helped get through severe heartbreak.. I'm on my 3rd Taylor Swift song and playing and singing has given me happiness again. Thank you so mux Nena, I couldn't have do it without your encouragement and tutorials ❤

[jessicaniss]

I've always had this fascination for guitar, but I'd been afraid to really start playing because I too lose interest in things very quickly. But then I found your tutorials last year and knew that they were exactly what I needed to keep me loving guitar. Thank you! 💖

[peterfarrell]

Learning to play guitar was crucial for me too. When I moved away from home for the first time, playing guitar helped me make friends and I serenaded a young lady on our dates. We’re still married. I’ve always learned songs, period. If I learn notes or scales, it’s just to play a specific song. It still gives me joy. Keep it up!

[satevamorley]

Learning guitar changed my life too and it's all thanks to you making songs about my life helped through a lot in my life thank you so much nena 💖💖💖

[milabemel]

I’ve had so many guitar teachers through my life, and you’re the only one that I actually get. I can say now that I play guitar and that’s thank to you! So thank you Nena for all of this! Love your videos and your dedication to it 💓💓💓

[falonrogers]

your story sounds exactly like mine!! i started high school this year and a lot of days i have come home and just ran straight to my room and sang and played guitar for hours to try to sort through things in my head and playing piano, singing, and in the last year, playing guitar and just music overall in general has been such a constant in my life and i'm so thankful for your channel because watching your videos really gave me the courage to finally actually buy a guitar because i loved a lot of music, including Taylor, and you taught that and really inspired me!! 🤍🤍