Now, guitar was pretty cool. Everybody knew something on the guitar. So I wanted to play guitar, but I told my dad if he wanted me to keep studying something, I’d like to study piano.

Browne contrasts the social ubiquity of the guitar—an instrument many people can strum casually—with the piano as a more formal, structured course of study. The remark frames his early musical development as a negotiation between youthful desire (to join what seemed “cool” and accessible) and a longer-term commitment to musicianship (choosing an instrument associated with theory, harmony, and disciplined practice). Implicitly, he suggests that opting for piano was a way to deepen his musical foundation rather than merely participate in a popular trend. The quote also highlights parental influence: he positions the decision as conditional on his father’s wish that he continue studying, indicating how family expectations can shape an artist’s technical formation.