My significant other has been fishing in New Zealand for about two weeks now, and will most jealous when he returns to find that I have a new love that I take into my arms every night — my wonderful guitar, Carlsberg.

I can’t remember the last time I felt so excited about something. I go to sleep at night and keep thinking of chords and tunes like a jukebox stuck on shuffle. On the ferry going to work I wish I could use those 25 minutes to practice. And when I come home I don’t watch TV — I pick up Carslberg and delve into a new song.

Since rescuing this guitar from the Philippino yard sale on Saturday I haven’t been able to put it down. So far I have figured out a few Beatles songs, such as ‘Hide your love away’, which is pretty simple, and ‘We can work it out’, which is a bit harder but extremely satisfying.

Tonight’s musical challenge was to learn ‘I don’t want to spoil the party’, which is one of my most favourite pieces. It was tough but the song is lovely. I can’t quite explain why the first songs I try to play are all from the Beatles. I guess I’ve been hearing them since I was in diapers, know every note and every chord in my head, and just generally think they are wonderful, timeless, musically rich, high-quality songs — ‘not like that wanker James Blunt’, as my friend Malcolm said today. My dad must be so proud to have created a guitar-wielding Beatles-loving kid in the 21st century.

Alas, it is bedtime, so I’m off to massage my fingertips and try to turn off the volume in my head. I will say this though: for those of you who have ‘always wanted to learn to play an instrument’, I strongly suggest you really go out there and do it — you just may be amazed at how much you enjoy it.