What Makes You Thrum?
Are you a reader, a writer, a musician, a dancer, an artist? Or maybe you’re still discovering what your soul needs?
Take yourself seriously.
That doesn’t mean you can’t crack jokes, splash in puddles, or dress up for Halloween. To me, it means:
- Carve out quiet time so you can listen to your inner voice.
- Embrace mistakes.
- Avoid judging yourself or others.
- Find a kindred spirit.
- Give gifts.
- Share your passion and enthusiasm.
- Take creative risks.
- Be patient: anything worth doing takes effort and practice.
- Just sing.
- Just play.
- Remember to hum at the sun.
You can find help here.
- How to Play Videos
- Free Blank Guitar Chord Sheets
- Free Blank Uke Chord Sheets
- Free (Guitar) Songwriting Notebooks
- Mary Amato’s Songwriting Lesson
- Mary Amato’s Song Revision Lesson
- Songwriting Tip Videos
- Free Guitar Notes Songs Lyrics & Chords
- Links for choosing a guitar and more.
Share your thrum.
Have my books inspired you to write your own story or song? Sharing your work can be scary…and thrilling. Live venues, such as school or community talent shows or open mics, are a great way to begin.
Guitar Notes is honestly one of the best books i have ever read! I’m almost done with the book and i don’t want it to end. Thank you for writing such and incredible book <3
Its one of my favorites also and I don’t call many things my favorite. It was like a rollercoaster of emotions. I read it in school and at home. When Lyla… [xxx–I removed this so no spoiler alert] I cried for a while and couldn’t continue but I did.
Thanks so much! Need to write sequel!!!!!
It also could be one of those wonderful books with no sequel.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
i am a music geek, i may not know everything but i know alot. i am a writer. i am an artist. i want to study art in college to become an art major. music and writing and art and photography are my passions. it makes me feel alive. it makes me thrum. thank you so much Mary Amato!!!
I am a musician at heart, but I write poems occasionally. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 13 and I’m only 15 now. I started to give up on guitar because I was never used to working so hard for something. But after reading guitar notes… My whole perspective on it changed completely. It showed me that if it’s right for me, I will feel it… And I felt it.. That thrumming deep in my soul. That feeling that tells me “this is your life”
I have always thought that life was just a big game of good things and bad things and the things in between. After i read Guitar Notes, I realized that life has the special things, the things that make your bad days good, and your good days even better.The things that make you laugh until you cry, or cry with tears of joy. That there are those moments in time, when everyone is equal. Equal in, spirit, strength, and soul. The things that matter but yet they are so subtle that you hardly notice that they are there. The things that make life worth living. The feeling of having someone you can have to talk to and feel at home when you’re with them.
Beautiful writing and insights.
I loved your book guitar notes! It’s so inspiring. Before I read your book I was already learning how to play the guitar, but now I’m like 110% motivated to learn at least one of your songs. Your book gets 9 guitar picks out of 10! Can’t wait to read another!!!! 😀
Thanks so much! I love the “guitar picks”. I hope you’ve been finding lots of ways to thrum.
I’m thirteen years old. Ever since I was about eight, I’ve wanted to learn how to play guitar. I still do. I can’t afford to actually get an acoustic guitar or lessons though. So all I’ve been doing is dreaming. I see on TV and read in articles and stories how artists sing and play, and how they leave it all on the stage. They thrum. I dreamed of walking up on stage feeling like I am the music and the music is me, but so far it hasn’t happened. When I read your novel and heard the songs from Guitar Notes, I was so happy to find a new meaning to passion.
I just started to play guitar when I remembered that I bought Guitar Notes last school year. I thought it would be a great book for me to read as a beginner and I was right. when ever I mess up a song or chord that I am practicing, I play all of the strings to remind me why I am learning to play guitar, to express myself. I started putting sticky notes on the book when there was a quote that I liked. I ended up reading the whole book in one day because I was hooked. technically it was not one day because I finished at 12:05 in the morning, but close enough.
Am having a hard day today, so your message lifted me up! Thanks for writing in and sharing your story. I’m so thrilled that you got hooked on the book. Keep playing and thrumming!
every morning sense I read the book, on Saturday, I have gone over to the guitar to practice. normally I don’t practice or study but when I find a reason to, there is no stopping the practice.
This was fun to read! 1000/10!!!! Woohoo!!!!
Hi Ms. Amato! I’ve explored through your webpage and I’ve read a lot about Guitar Notes! I just shared your page with my school librarian because my middle scho is always looking for awesome authors to visit! Keep writing!!!
Thanks for passing along the info to your librarian and for the encouragement.
Omg when I finished guitar notes I was happy but shaky at the end. I am a young new author who was so inspired my this book I can wait to finish my first book. Thanks for sharing your book with everyone.
-Abigail (soon to be a writer)
“Shaky at the end”–very cool! Thanks for your comment and best of luck with all your writing. Don’t get discouraged if you have to revise. My drafts are always terrible! Keep thrumming.
Hello I’m Audrey I read your book Guitar Notes I wish there was a 2nd book it really inspired me but I’m Stuck I signed up for band in my school but i didnt do it for myself i rather be in chorus but i cant switch what do i do?
Hi Audrey. Thanks! I have some suggestions. I’ll write them up and post them in What’s Happening in a few days. There are lots of ways to keep thrumming!
I absolutely love guitar notes! I am a cellist myself. (Not a serious though) but have always wanted to play the guitar. I am like tripp i need my instrument to survive. This book has inspired me i words i cant even begin to explain.
I would love to learn how to play the cello. When I hear cello music, it often touches me in a very deep way. Something about the range, those particular vibrations that really make me thrum. I’d like to write a couple of songs with just cello and voice.
I love the book Guitar Notes! It was so beautiful, I want to read it over and over again! I have always wanted to become a singer when i got older, and now I think it’s possible if I just THRUM! I just go with the flow. Your book is inspirational!
Sing with your heart and soul! Music will always be there for you. Thanks for writing.
I loved guitar notes! I’ve been playing guitar for 2 years now, and I can really relate to both characters in this story.
From one guitar player to another, I hope you have many moments of thrum! I’m so glad the characters resonated with you.
I loved Guitar Notes. It’s almost like my life story in 300 pages. I started the cello in third grade, enjoyed it for a while, and then got frustrated and tried to quit. My parents never let me though. So eventually I started guitar, which added more happiness to my life. I am now in Jr. high, playing guitar in a band, I don’t play cello anymore and am perfectly happy. Your book inspired me.
I love that you’re playing in a band. That is hard to make happen–you’ve got to find people who can play together and who can agree on at least some elements. I hope you guys get a few gigs so you can play for audiences, regardless of how many or where. Great experience. I’m happy that Guitar Notes inspired you. Keep thrumming.
I just read your book Guitar Notes and I just loved it! I am in a band with my brother and two other friends. I think your book really showed how music and all kinds of art brings us together :-). Thank you for writing your amazing book and I’m so excited to read your book Get Happy next!!
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I was traveling. I love your line about how music and all kinds of art brings us together. That is what keeps me going.That’s so cool that you’re in a band. Bands are hard to keep going because everybody in it has to be on the same page or at least near the same page. Whatever happens, keep thrumming!
I love your book! I got my dad’s guitar and now trying to learn to play i! You are truly an inspiration!
I’m so happy. Remember that when you’re learning how to play it’s going to be hard at first. When I first started, I sounded so bad. Try to play just 5 or 10 min a day. Give yourself permission to also just noodle around with it and make up your own way of playing. Keep thrumming!
I absolutely loved guitar notes it was a really good book and it helped me realize my passion for singing
Woohoo! That is music to my ears. Keep singing and be in the moment when you’re singing so that you are really thrumming.
Guitar Notes is one of the best books with music that I’ve read! The songs are amazing and the story is even better. I am a little shy and don’t sing in front of anyone, not even my family. This book might help me some, I just need to build up the courage! I do take piano lessons, and my teacher says that many pianists sing as well. Thank you for writing such a beautiful and touching story. It really thrums with my heartstrings. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for writing. I’ve been meaning to post some tips for playing piano on the Guitar Notes songs. I’ll try to do that this summer. I’m also working on an advice book with lots of encouraging messages. Keep in touch!
Guitar Notes is probably now my favorite book. It has everything that makes reading for me enjoyable- a good story, jokes, a budding relationship and most importantly MUSIC :). I also saw a lot of similarities as well which helped me like the book even more. The most significant one was when Tripp and Lyla started sharing their songs and giving each other feedback. I do the exact same thing! Guitar Notes inspired me to write more lyrics and take more chances like Tripp and Lyla did with the carpet and the wedding. I’m kind of mad at myself for not reading it sooner!
Oh oh oh you made my middle-of-the-night, which is when I read this! I love your comments. I have just written a collection of short pieces about some of the themes that you love in this book and I am hoping it gets picked up for publication. If it doesn’t, I’m going to record as audio and publish it here on thrumsociety.com. Stay tuned! I think you’d really like it.
Hi ms. Amato,
Thank you very much for the reply! As I picked up Guitar Notes to read for the second time in a row, I couldn’t help but think that it would be a really good movie. Don’t you think? Also, I was wondering if you ever thought about writing a sequel to Guitar Notes. I think it would be really cool to see where Tripp and Lyla take both their music (and the Thrum Society) and their relationship. Can’t wait to read your short stories.
I’d LOVE to see a Guitar Notes movie! Unfortunately, I can’t just make that happen. Somebody in Hollywood has to fall in love with the book. I’d like to write a sequel, just haven’t been able to see it yet. Thanks again for the encouragement.