Guitar Instruction, Parrot-style

Guitar Instruction, Sun Conure-style
Originally uploaded by beachhearted

I can't believe I lived without a pet in the household for so long! Here's my new parrot helping me play the guitar. I thought she might be afraid of it, but instead she crawled down from my shoulder almost immediately and sat on the body of the guitar while I played. After watching for a few minutes, she decided to assist.

I was practicing two-hand fret-trapping (after all, it's an Eddie Van Halen signature model guitar--the Fender EVH Wolfgang) and she was curious as to why I had to touch the fretboard so much. She bit the strings and rung a few chords, making MFM and I howl with laughter.

I wasn't quite howling when MFM made me check the guitar to make sure the finish wasn't scratched. Parrot claws are tough. I didn't have the nerve to do it until the next day--didn't want to ruin the moment. There was one small scratch, and it does not buff out with wax. I feel bad a little bit, but not too much. Must be love.

Photo by Shannon Wang.
www.shannonwang.com