My name is Dan Collins and I have been playing acoustic instruments for the majority of my life. At eight years old, I picked up my first guitar and begin to learn to play, thanks to my dad who played regularly in a bluegrass band.
I am from the state of Kentucky so bluegrass music has always been a part of my life since I was young. It taught me to enjoy the sounds of acoustic instruments in their purest form. Although I don’t commonly play bluegrass music, I often find myself playing a lick on the guitar that takes me back to my bluegrass roots.
The guitar is something that I have always loved and it has always been an outlet for me to express my feelings through music. Being a self-taught guitar player, I have learned everything from basic strumming to more advanced fingerpicking style guitar over the years.
I’m far from an expert but I do play my guitar nearly every day and have for the past 35 years of my life.
Beyond the guitar, I have also played many other instruments including the ukulele which happens to be my second favorite instrument. I’ve played the ukulele for almost 10 years and I find it to be fun and easy. It takes me to a happy place when I pick up the ukulele after a long day.
The ukulele goes hand-in-hand with the guitar and often sounds great combined for an upbeat, beachy sound.
Acoustic instruments like these have been my friends when times were hard and have been great for helping to reduce stress in my life. Music can be therapeutic and when you are able to create the music yourself, it makes it even better.
When I am feeling down, I can pick up my acoustic guitar and begin to strum and I instantly feel better. The music takes me away to another place and allows my mind to relax while listening to the sounds.
Whether you are a guitar player, ukulele player, or whether you play other instruments such as the fiddle, banjo, piano, mandolin, cello or any other type of acoustical instrument, you know the feeling of being addicted to making beautiful sounds with instruments.
If you are not currently a player of any of these instruments but are looking to get started, hopefully, this website will help to answer some questions that you may have regarding different types of instruments.
I prefer the sound of an acoustic instrument over an electric one simply because of the simplicity. I’m a simple person and I like to be able to pick up an instrument and not have to worry about additional complexities. Although electric instruments sound great and can be a great addition, it’s the acoustic sounds that draw me in.
I have played electric guitar as well as the acoustic but my electric guitar has spent more time in the case than anywhere else. I can easily pick up my acoustic guitar or my ukulele while I am sitting at my desk or on the couch and get lost in the feeling of making music.
This website is all about the appreciation of simple acoustic instruments
Some of the following things are what you can expect to learn by reading my articles throughout the site
- Answers to common questions that you may have regarding different types of acoustic instruments
- Tips for how to be a better acoustic instrument musician
- Ways to maintain and care for your musical instruments
- Additional resources to help you learn and play at your maximum level
Although I am not a music teacher and cannot teach a person how to go from zero to hero on any instrument, I have had my fair share of fixing and maintaining my own instruments over the years. I am a self-taught musician and have learned a fair share that I feel confident sharing with others
I hope that my knowledge can help you on your journey to appreciate acoustic instruments and help you to become a better musician
Why Acoustic Fun?
This site is called acoustic fun because that’s exactly what it is. Playing an instrument is fun and this site is only about acoustic instruments. This means that I will only discuss instruments that don’t rely on electricity to operate.
It’s the most simple form of instrument that I will be featuring on the site. The type that you can pick up anytime and begin to play without the need to plug it in.
This site will provide a place to learn about different parts of instruments to help you play better and to help you maintain your instruments so that they give you a long life of using them.
If you already play an instrument, you know how fun it can be once you finally get the hang of it and begin making great sounds. If you are new to playing an instrument, the journey can be frustrating but fun at the same time.
As with anything, there is a learning curve involved and it takes time to achieve a level of proficiency that you can be excited about.
This site will help you to keep the fun in your craft but help to motivate and educate you along the way. I hope to inspire you to keep at it so that you can become the musician that you want to be.
