As a child, Paul showed no interest in music. Him and his brother Michael both took piano lessons but nothing came of it. Jim, his father, wanted Paul to join the Liverpool Cathedral choir.
Paul was given an old trumpet by his uncle, which he managed to teach himself to play some songs. This talent of picking up music came from his father. Jim McCartney had taught himself to play the piano, he never had any lessons. He even had a band, but when he had started making a family, he had given it up. Paul wasn't interested in the piano, but he loved listening to music. When he was fourteen, he wanted a guitar.
Paul bought a guitar, but nothing came out of it. He thought there was something wrong with it. That's when Paul realized it was because he was left-handed. He got it altered and learned to play a few chords.
Paul got into pop music when he was twelve years old. The first concert he ever went to was Eric Delaney's Band's at the Liverpool Empire. He also went to the Pavilion. Like the other Beatles, Paul was influenced by Bill Haley's songs. The person that influenced him was Elvis Presley. When he got his guitar, he tried to play Elvis's songs and other popular songs.
Paul played the guitar every chance he got. A friend of his, Ian James, also had a guitar. He and Paul used to play together, teaching each other at the same time. In the summer of 1956, Ivan Vaughan introduced him to John Lennon, who also played the guitar. At the time, John was sixteen and Paul was fourteen.
Paul taught John a few chords that John didn't know. Pete Shotton, John's friend, thought Paul was very quiet, and too young for them. John knew Paul could play the guitar from the pieces he played for them. He then became one of the Quarrymen.
Paul's first performance as one of the Quarrymen was at a club in Broadway. He even had a solo that evening, but it never happened. Later, he played songs he had written himself for John. After John heard him play, he himself started writing his own songs, but not because Paul had. In the next few months, John and Paul got to know each other.
John and Paul started spending all of their time together. They both stayed away from school, and hung out at Paul's house, while Jim was at work, and practiced playing the guitar. Pete Shotton began to feel left out. He then quit the Quarrymen.
Ivan Vaughan also left the group, but he was still a friend of Paul and John. At the same time, Paul was considering the possibility of letting a friend join the group. Ivan didn't like this. He had introduced Paul to John, but he was annoyed at the idea of Paul bringing someone along with him. This new friend was George Harrison.