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I, GUITARIST Yat Fei Leong, 48 The Guitar Needs To Be Enjoyed TEXT BY IVAN LIM Dec 1 2023 
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As a guitarist, I feel that the classical guitar has to be enjoyed when you are playing it. Too many players focus on the technicalities of playing that they forget why they picked up the guitar in the first place. They lose focus on the joy of the music while concentrating on the technical aspects of playing and you don’t enjoy listening to their playing as a result. I have been playing the guitar as a hobby since I was 16. My love affair with the guitar started when I was at a shopping mall and strayed into a Yamaha event that was promoting the CD album of guitarist Mark Yong. I fell in love. With the music, not with Mark Yong.
I run a tiny IT firm and my work can be stressful. I play the guitar to relieve myself of the stress of work. So the breaks I take to play the guitar are effectively my practice sessions. These breaks usually last 10 to 20 minutes each time, and I take a break whenever I need one. My favourite pieces are Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Gran Jota and Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tarrega, Cavatina by Stanley Myers and La Catedral by Agustin Barrios. Not in any particular order. I would play and record these pieces so I can share them with the guitar community in Malaysia. I don’t have any favourite composer for the guitar. I find pieces that I like from various composers. I don’t have a favourite guitarist either. Currently, the main classical guitar that I own is made by Yu Kun Long, a luthier from China who is also a personal friend of mine. The top is made of German spruce while the sides and back are made of Brazilian rosewood.
I feel that playing the guitar is like getting into a relationship. It can be fun when you don’t commit too much to it. But often, you can’t help yourself and it breaks your heart! It also burns a big hole in your wallet when you get serious about it! |
