Story time - not Gretsch-related, Im sorry, but involves a name that comes up around here a lot, so I hope itll fly. I started taking guitar lessons around age 9, 1983, in Bartlett, IL. My teacher was a guy by the name of Frank Scelfo - I dont expect that to mean anything to anyone, but throw it out just in case. He was, Im guessing, a bit north of 50 at the time and gave lessons out of his mobile home he shared with his wife, a sweet, grandmotherly woman. Frank played a white 60s era Strat with the lowest, lightest action you ever did see - the frets were mere suggestions. He let me play this beautiful guitar during lessons as rest/reward while he played my crappy, torturous Sears acoustic and made it sound like a real instrument. The Strat went through a Fender Twin combo of some kind - sometimes with a bit of tremolo thrown on. Frank played for his local church and penned an arrangement of Ave Maria which could make an atheist weep. Yet, he could also effortlessly play a jazzy/lounge version of All of Me, fingerpick The Wabash Cannonball, or cowboy chord some Elvis. He exposed me to a LOT of great foundational music. As my lessons went on and I struggled with my guitar (the neck of which had developed a crack and would never stay in tune), he had a suggestion for my parents - set a goal for me, for a piece to learn, and if I stuck with it, get me a proper guitar. They agreed, and I set about learning his arrangement of Duelin Banjos. In the interim, he gave me - GAVE ME - a beat up old electric of unknown origin to take home and use. After a few weeks/months, I finally gave a duet recital for my mom as she nodded in approval and for my 10th birthday, I received a Peavey T-15, complete with the hard case with built-in practice amp. I also got a cassette of Princes Purple Rain. :D Im finally getting to the real point of the story. So, my parents bought me the guitar, but Frank gave me a gift as well. He went back to another room somewhere in his trailer and came back with something shiny in the palm of his hand. He handed me a metal guitar pick - the first Id ever seen one like it. On the pick, in script letters, was written, Chet Atkins, which meant nothign to me at the time. He told me a brief story that his nephew (name not mentioned) had done some playing with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and at one point met Mr. Atkins. Chet, as the story went, impressed with the nephews playing, gave him one of his picks. The nephew, paying homage to the man who had taught him to play, gave it to Frank. Frank, seeing something special in me, passed it on. Of course, I have no way of knowing how much of that tale is true - I dont even know if Chet was wont to use metal picks - or if it was just something bought from a store of which he had dozens for his students. But really, its the thought that counts. And of course, I was too young to fully appreciate the gift at the time anyway. I played with it a few times, didnt like the feel, and threw it in the old Sucrets tin with the rest of my picks. Every few years, Id take it out and think about it. Eventually, after about a year and a half of lessons, I went on a two week summer vacation and never went back to lessons with Frank. As a dumb kid, I didnt appreciate what I was giving up. I honestly dont know why my mom let my lessons lapse other than I was probably not practicing as much as I used to and having been forced to piano lessons as a kid, she never wanted to push it. Some time much later, I ran into Mrs. Scelfo at a grocery store and was pleased to learn Frank was still giving lessons out of his trailer, but despite the invitation, I never stopped in to visit him. I have few regrets in life, but thats one of them. The happy ending to this story is that a) I NOW appreciate the foundation that I learned from Mr. Scelfo, b) I NOW play just about every day, and c) I certainly know who Chet Atkins is. The pick could stand a little polish and the engraving is no longer legible, but I always know where it is and certainly appreciate it now. (Still not a big fan of playing with it, though.)
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 17:26:42 +0000
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