From Keys to Sticks: Part II — Strumming the Wrong Chord: The Search for My True Beat

 Not every melody can be played on every instrument, just as not every instrument fits every musician. Looking back at my three to four years of piano lessons and recitals, I realized that while the piano built my core foundation, it wasn't my true destination. I needed an instrument that matched my energy. My next detour was the guitar.

As a child, I was deeply drawn to music because I loved the visual storytelling in music videos. One day, I saw my uncle listening to the band Gorillaz. The animated music videos for Clint Eastwood and Feel Good Inc. instantly captured my imagination. Hearing the iconic riff in Feel Good Inc. gave me an overwhelming desire to learn how to play it myself.

My uncle was a drummer, so his house was always full of drumsticks. I remember grabbing a pair of his sticks, holding them like a guitar, and passionately pretending to play along to the song. Back then, lacking musical experience, I didn't even realize that the riff I fell in love with was actually played on a bass guitar by the character Murdoc, not an electric guitar. Still, the excitement was real.

They often say a drummer’s best friend is a guitarist, so I talked to my mother, saved up my allowance and report-card money in 1st grade, and bought my very first small electric guitar.

The Physical Disconnect

I started guitar lessons with high expectations, but the physical reality set in very quickly.

Moving from the soft, smooth keys of a piano to sharp metal guitar strings was uncomfortable. My hands were still small, and the steel strings hurt my fingertips, leaving painful marks.

More than the pain, I struggled with the posture. Because I didn't know the tabs by heart, I constantly had to bend my neck downward to watch my fingers on the fretboard. That constant strain physically hurt my neck. It felt completely unnatural to me—I was a kid who always preferred looking up at the sky and dreaming big, a habit that eventually led me to high-altitude paragliding years later. Constantly staring down at my fingers felt restrictive.

Knowing When to Pivot

After working with two different guitar teachers, I had to be honest with myself: the guitar was simply not my instrument. Unlike the piano, I never played the guitar on stage or participated in recitals.

Yet, that experience was far from a waste. I took good care of that first electric guitar, and today—11 years later—it still sits in my bedroom, fully functional, with the exact same original strings it came with. Even now, during band rehearsals or quiet evenings at home, I often open YouTube, look up catchy guitar riffs from songs I love, and play along. I still love turning passive listening into active playing.

Trying the guitar taught me an essential lesson in self-awareness: knowing what doesn't fit you is just as important as finding what does. Stepping away from the guitar wasn't about giving up; it was a strategic pivot. It cleared away the noise and brought me one step closer to the drum kit—where my rhythm, energy, and analytical mind would finally click into place.