--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played the guitar for ten years before…" description: "\"I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it wasn't a weapon.\" — Pete Townshend" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png" --- # I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it… ![“I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it wasn't a weapon.” quote by Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png) > “I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it wasn't a weapon.” [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instruments are tools for expression, not weapons; art should unite, not divide. **In simple terms:** Music is for, not a weapon. Key Takeaway Use art to connect, not conflict. Themes music expression peace Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - concerts - songwriting workshops - community events Key Concepts creativity nonviolence communication Questions to Reflect On - How can music foster unity? - What responsibilities do artists have? A Different Perspective Art can be misused for aggression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) ## Related quotes > [I played guitar since I was 9 years old, drums since I was 11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-beats/i-played-guitar-since-i-was-9-years-old-drums-since-i-was-11/) [Kenny Beats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-beats/) > [I've played guitar for years, and wanted to play guitar, but we got halfway through the last one and realized we hadn't used any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-farquarson/i-ve-played-guitar-for-years-and-wanted-to-play-guitar-but-we-got/) [Will Farquarson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-farquarson/) > [Strider's bedroom "The only thing hanging on the wall that wasn't a weapon was the portrait just over the bed. No. Not true, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/strider-s-bedroom-the-only-thing-hanging-on-the-wall-that-wasn-t-a/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [To be totally candid, it was really born out of a panic attack the summer between my sophomore and junior years, when I realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/to-be-totally-candid-it-was-really-born-out-of-a-panic-attack-the/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [It was only through the years that I realized what an absolutely extraordinarily thoughtful person Dr. King was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/it-was-only-through-the-years-that-i-realized-what-an-absolutely/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [My father had played the guitar when he was young, and my uncle Jack had worked for Kalamazoo, before the war, developing guitar pickups.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/my-father-had-played-the-guitar-when-he-was-young-and-my-uncle-jack/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Well, I have been playing electric guitar all these years and acoustic was something new to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/well-i-have-been-playing-electric-guitar-all-these-years-and-acoustic/) [Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/) > [I started out on guitar when I was nine years old, and I started playing bars and stuff when I was thirteen, and I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-ashba/i-started-out-on-guitar-when-i-was-nine-years-old-and-i-started/) [DJ Ashba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-ashba/) > [I started playing guitar back in '56. I was a teenager, and guitars had just come in, and I had a thing for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mcguinn/i-started-playing-guitar-back-in-56-i-was-a-teenager-and-guitars-had/) [Roger McGuinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mcguinn/) > [I've been playing the bass guitar for almost twelve years and fretless for about nine, so I've got quite a bit of mileage in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaco-pastorius/i-ve-been-playing-the-bass-guitar-for-almost-twelve-years-and/) [Jaco Pastorius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaco-pastorius/) > [I played the Spanish guitar for eight years, like flamenco.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-garrix/i-played-the-spanish-guitar-for-eight-years-like-flamenco/) [Martin Garrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-garrix/) > [I first picked up the bass guitar when I was twelve years old, and fooled around with it. By the time I was thirteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mendoza/i-first-picked-up-the-bass-guitar-when-i-was-twelve-years-old-and/) [Mark Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mendoza/) > [I used to play guitar years ago. It brought me a lot of pleasure when I was a teenager growing up and was having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/i-used-to-play-guitar-years-ago-it-brought-me-a-lot-of-pleasure-when/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [I always use the same guitar; I got this guitar years and years ago for nine pounds. It's still got the same strings on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-always-use-the-same-guitar-i-got-this-guitar-years-and-years-ago/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [There was a show in Germany called Beat Club, and they had a lot of bands playing live. And I had this master plan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottmar-liebert/there-was-a-show-in-germany-called-beat-club-and-they-had-a-lot-of/) [Ottmar Liebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottmar-liebert/) ## More by Pete Townshend > [Here comes the new boss Same as the old boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/here-comes-the-new-boss-same-as-the-old-boss/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [What we learned quite early on is what was really important to early British pop that we produced-and this is where we were distinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/what-we-learned-quite-early-on-is-what-was-really-important-to-early/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [We've got to fool the fools, and plan the plans. We must rule the rules, got to stand the stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/we-ve-got-to-fool-the-fools-and-plan-the-plans-we-must-rule-the-rules/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed meeting fans face to face. They're less scary when they aren't going nuts at a Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-was-surprised-at-how-much-i-enjoyed-meeting-fans-face-to-face-they/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Although I dig my guitar playing, I think it's kind of an obvious situation; I play what I want to play within my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/although-i-dig-my-guitar-playing-i-think-it-s-kind-of-an-obvious/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rough boys I wanna bite and kiss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rough-boys-i-wanna-bite-and-kiss-you/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I'M FREE! - I'm free, And freedom tastes of reality, I'm free - I'm free, An' I'm waiting for you to follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-m-free-i-m-free-and-freedom-tastes-of-reality-i-m-free-i-m-free-an/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [“Roger Daltrey had been expelled for smoking, but was still impudently showing up on campus to visit his various cronies. I'd first met him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/roger-daltrey-had-been-expelled-for-smoking-but-was-still-impudently/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Keith Moon is not interested in Jazz and won't ever be a Jazz drummer because he's more interested in looking good and being screamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/keith-moon-is-not-interested-in-jazz-and-won-t-ever-be-a-jazz-drummer/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Rock music is important to people , because it allows them to escape this crazy world. It allows them not to run away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/rock-music-is-important-to-people-because-it-allows-them-to-escape/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Hearing loss is a terrible thing because it cannot be repaired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/hearing-loss-is-a-terrible-thing-because-it-cannot-be-repaired/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [I smash guitars because I like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-smash-guitars-because-i-like-them/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Everything that has befallen you happened simply cause it crossed your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/everything-that-has-befallen-you-happened-simply-cause-it-crossed/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Can't pretend that growin' older never hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/can-t-pretend-that-growin-older-never-hurts/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [Water is more precious than oil. Both are more precious than music. Music won't heat a house or help a plant to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/water-is-more-precious-than-oil-both-are-more-precious-than-music/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) [Explore all 163 Pete Townshend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) ## More Guitar quotes > [I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh\*\* out of my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-ll-tell-you-one-thing-i-will-always-play-the-sh-out-of-my-guitar/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [I remember people would talk about Country Music like it was this sexist, lame thing. Well, no, because Dolly Parton is writing songs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-remember-people-would-talk-about-country-music-like-it-was-this/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Growing up in Dallas, my first influences on the guitar were T-Bone Walker and Les Paul. T-Bone taught me how to play lead guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/growing-up-in-dallas-my-first-influences-on-the-guitar-were-t-bone/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/) [Lucas Grabeel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-grabeel/) > [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) > [I like to be quiet and play guitar and just chill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/i-like-to-be-quiet-and-play-guitar-and-just-chill/) [Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/) > [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Kenny Burrell is the grand master of jazz guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzy-gillespie/kenny-burrell-is-the-grand-master-of-jazz-guitar/) [Dizzy Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzy-gillespie/) > [Because of my background, I never felt comfortable with these R&B divas, but I'd hate to be just some pensive girl with a guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-bailey-rae/because-of-my-background-i-never-felt-comfortable-with-these-r-b/) [Corinne Bailey Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-bailey-rae/) [Browse all 3,915 Guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it wasn't a weapon.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pete Townshend" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before-i-realized-it-wasn-t-a-weapon/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Guitar" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before-i-realized-it-wasn-t-a-weapon/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9db/pete-townshend-2499_guitar_i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before_1590552.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I played the guitar for ten years before I realized it wasn't a weapon.” — Pete Townshend", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pete Townshend", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I played the guitar for ten...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before-i-realized-it-wasn-t-a-weapon/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-played-the-guitar-for-ten-years-before-i-realized-it-wasn-t-a-weapon/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```