I Play Rhythm Guitar Although I’m NOT worth $4.56M

There is still time to be a star.

I took guitar lessons when I was about 10 years old. I blew my recital by forgetting that my plastic pick was wedged in the bottom 3 strings at the top of the neck, deadening every note of The Camp Town Races in the D, A, and high E strings. Shortly thereafter, my guitar got stolen due to my own carelessness and it took me until I was 16 years old to pick up another guitar, a red Harmony Rocket, brand new, that within two years I’d mashed so badly that it had to be held together by duct tape — but with it I learned to play Rhythm Guitar thanks to the desperate patience of Max Karst, the only real musician in our R & R band.

Teen era R & R bands, most of them don’t become the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Most quit long before we “make it” and our talents were never enough to succeed anyway, except maybe Max’s.

But I picked-up a brand-new Fender acoustic guitar at Costco, two years ago this last November and I’ve played in Every Fuckin’ Day since except quite recently, while recovering from rather painful elective surgery embarked upon so that, at 76 years old I’ll be able to keep playing for the rest of my life.

I even bought two additional guitars because as the old story goes, “How many guitars does a guitarist need?” “Always one more.”

And this is why I just sent an email to my friend Mark Silver, asking if he’d be willing to trade me one of his many guitars (he doesn’t play but used to own a pawn shop and has a big collection).

“Hey Mark,

You maybe wanna look at several gorgeous 400- to 500-Million-year-old fossils I own and I’d like you to consider making a trade for a guitar or a bass guitar? Lemme know, I’d love to have another guitar or two and/or a bass guitar but I can’t buy anymore…lemme know. No hard feelings if you’re not interested, but these fossils are VERY fuckin’ cool. Maybe even just trade the pieces for a year or six months then swap them back? Just a thought. I knew the second that you were telling me how cool the Playboy guitar was that you owned that indeed you absolutely can’t appreciate guitars the way Keith Richards and I do.

xoxoxoxox, TT”

That’s right I’m offering to trade my pal Mark a 500-million-year-old fossil of inestimable value for any guitar he can let go of, even if it’s only a temporary swap.

This is because I have realized by playing every day, that I am, at heart a poet, writer, AND a rhythm guitar player — yeah, you heard me right, a musician.

The main difference between a rhythm guitar player and a solo guitar player is the role they play in a band or musical ensemble. Rhythm guitarists typically play chords and provide the harmonic foundation for the song, while solo guitarists play lead melodies and solos that are meant to stand out and be heard above the rest of the music.

Rhythm guitarists are responsible for maintaining the tempo and rhythm of the song, while solo guitarists are free to improvise and add their own flair to the music. Rhythm guitarists must be able to play chords and transition between them smoothly, be proficient in strumming patterns, have a good sense of timing, and understand basic music theory. Solo guitarists, on the other hand, must be able to play fast and intricate melodies, use techniques such as bending and vibrato to add expression to their playing, and have a good ear for improvisation. I have no interest in playing music with others, as one would in a band. I play for myself and for my wife Patti who loves it (or so she says).

Some guitarists are able to play both rhythm and lead guitar, while others specialize in one or the other. It’s important to note that both rhythm and lead guitar are important components of a band’s sound, and that each style of playing requires a different set of skills and techniques. But again, I’m not interested in being in a band. In fact I don’t even care about learning other people’s songs—why would I write the same poem that someone else already wrote? And why would I want to play someone else’s music?

In rhythm guitar playing, **strumming patterns** refer to the rhythmic patterns that are played on the guitar strings. Strumming patterns are an essential aspect of rhythm guitar playing, as they help to create the desired sound and feel of the song. **Timing**, on the other hand, refers to the sense of rhythm and tempo that a rhythm guitarist must have in order to maintain the rhythm of the song. Timing is an essential aspect of rhythm guitar playing, as it helps to keep the song moving forward.

Strumming patterns and timing are both important aspects of rhythm guitar playing, but they refer to different things. Strumming patterns are the rhythmic patterns that are played on the guitar strings, while timing refers to the sense of rhythm and tempo that a rhythm guitarist must have to maintain the rhythm of the song.

A rhythm guitarist can play music by himself that sounds beautiful. While rhythm guitar is typically played in a band or musical ensemble, it is also possible to play rhythm guitar as a solo instrument. In fact, many guitarists use rhythm guitar techniques to create beautiful and intricate arrangements that stand on their own.

Playing rhythm guitar is an essential skill for any guitarist. It provides the harmonic layer that supports the melody and helps to create the song’s tempo and overall sound.

According to Guitar World, some the best rhythm guitarists of all time are:

Jimi Hendrix: Known for his innovative and experimental style, Hendrix is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Malcolm Young: Young was the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the Australian rock band AC/DC.

Pete Townshend: Townshend is the rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the English rock band The Who.

Eddie Van Halen: Van Halen was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the American rock band Van Halen, but he was also known for his rhythm guitar playing.

Other notable rhythm guitarists include John Lennon of The Beatles, Bob Marley, and Carlos Santana.

But my fav. has always been Keith Richards, and let’s get real, he’s fuckin’ 80 and worth millions!

How much money am I worth? Well,

According to one source, Terry Trueman’s net worth is estimated to be 4.56 million dollars as of December 2023. $4.56M???¹

(Just FYI the above source is VERY wrong, I'm worth more like $4.56.)

So as far as I'm concerned, there is still time and hope as long as I try real hard.

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Mondays here on the Trueman and Triola Sub stack Newsletter are set aside for me to help our dear readers start the week with something ridiculous and funny and outrageous, unlike our usual calm, staid, carefully considered approach to news and life and the world. Trueman & Triola Newsletter | Vincent V Triola | Substack (stories.email) Calling myself a musician and a multi-millionaire are about as hilarious a self-referential statement as I can imagine, so enjoy it and more soon. xoxo

1. Source: Conversation with Bing, 12/11/2023

According to one source, Terry Trueman’s net worth as of December 2023 is estimated to be 4.56 million dollars. However, this figure may not be accurate or up-to-date, as different sources may have different methods of calculating net worth. Terry Trueman is a Printz Award-winning author of young adult fiction, poetry, and short stories. Some of his best known books are Stuck in Neutral, Cruise Control, and Life Happens Next. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and has lived in Spokane, Washington since 1974. He has a son named Sheehan, who has cerebral palsy and inspired some of his novels.