You wanna know a little secret? I play guitar. I'm certainly no Rock God, but my trusty six-string and I have been known to musically entertain my dog and annoy the neighbors just for the sheer fun of it. Why am I sharing this with you? Well, Things fans, April is International Guitar Month, and not only is it a great reason for getting your hands on a few new guitar Things, it's also the excuse you never knew you needed for rocking out in the garage, basement, or local open-mic venue; mastering a complicated solo, starting a band, or even taking up guitar for the very first time!

If that last option speaks to you on a visceral level, but horror stories of blistered fingertips and pain from playing chords makes you wanna take up yodeling instead, fret not! (See what I did there?) If you have extra-sensitive fingers, painful arthritis, or you're even missing a finger or four, you can still play that guitar! E-Z Chord Guitar Device attaches to your guitar neck and replaces difficult finger moves with four buttons, using just one finger. If finger sensitivity or dexterity issues aren't a problem, but you find you still need a "hand" with fretting, we also have the Chord Buddy. This gadget works kinda like training wheels for your guitar by taking the guesswork out of playing chords while helping transition you to using strings alone.


Intimidated by guitars but wanna start "small"? You could give the ukulele a go! Not only is this mini music maker insanely trendy right now, a lot of the basics for playing can be applied to the guitar should you decide to make that leap. We even have a ukulele kit to get you started.

Before I sign off, I'd like to leave you budding rock-n-roll hall-of-farmers with a few (hopefully) helpful tips:

• If a new guitar is out of your price range, hit up pawn shops, online classifieds, and yard sales
• Some music shops will clean and restring your guitar for the low price of a new pack of strings (note: the guys and gals at these shops can easily become your best friends)
• The Internet is also your friend - you can find articles and tutorials for everyThing from guitar maintenance and playing songs, to finding other local guitar heroes and even starting that band already--seriously, what are you waiting for?
• A medium-to-heavy guitar pick (or driver's license, debit card, store loyalty card... anyThing with a hard edge) can help you build those fretting calluses quickly. Keep one in your pocket and occasionally give the edge a squeeze with your fingertips throughout the day until practice time.
• Practice daily--not only to get better, but also to ensure those new calluses don't disappear (and also because it's fun, duh.)
• Keep forgetting which string is which? Starting from the bass (thickest) strings, keep in mind my favorite mnemonic device: Eddie Ate Dynamite. Good Bye, Eddie.