Not playing much lately.

NorioDS · 2011-02-22T09:50:30+00:00

I haven't touched my guitar in a week. Before that, it was probably another 2 weeks. It's such a sexy guitar and my gear is great - which makes it even more of a pity. My excuse is work but, even before I had this full-time contract, I was barely touching my guitar except for the odd jam once in a while. I think I need to do something to get back into it. Start lessons again? Join a band? What do you guys think is the one thing you have done / can do that will result / has resulted in you playing more? I'd really love some tips!

Tonedef

Some movie quotes are in order. ?

"Are you quitting on me? Well, are you? Then quit, you slimy f**king walrus-looking piece of s**t!
Get the f**k off of my obstacle! Get the f**k down off of my obstacle! NOW! MOVE IT!
Or I'm going to rip your balls off, so you cannot contaminate the rest of the world!
I WILL motivate you, Private Pyle, IF IT SHORT-DICKS EVERY CANNIBAL ON THE CONGO!

(Meant in the nicest possible way of course, dude!) ?

guidothepimmp

haha.. full metal jacket.. great movie

took my goose to watch this for an anniversary..

lol.. nothing more romantic than a good military movie

[deleted]

(More hijack: The first half of that film has some of the best script quotes ever. Michael Herr contributed plenty genius. His Dispatches is also one of the great war books out there.)

singemonkey

Norio. We need you to pick up the guitar and play for at least 5 mins tonight. Report back to us by oh-eight-hundred. Are we understanding each other?

philicon

You know make time and write a song or something... it helps to have something to work on which will make playing guitar more enjoyable... writing a song or some riffs is much more creative, inspiring and fun than simply playing songs that exist which can get boring... well I find that anyway

8)

Tonedef

philicon wrote You know make time and write a song or something... it helps to have something to work on which will make playing guitar more enjoyable... writing a song or some riffs is much more creative, inspiring and fun than simply playing songs that exist which can get boring... well I find that anyway

8)

This! Im still a total newbie but Im working on an original piece that sounds like nobody elses in the world, and its giving me MOERSE satisfaction. Keeps me coming back to the guit for more and more!

singemonkey

I've heard nothing back from Norio. I think some of you Jo'burg people need to mount an intervention.

NorioDS

LOL! I played, I promise! But didn't enjoy it much. Got bored. I'm making notes of ideas so that the next time I pick it up, I'll hopefully not be bored ?

Keira-WitherKay

Norio wrote LOL! I played, I promise! But didn't enjoy it much. Got bored. I'm making notes of ideas so that the next time I pick it up, I'll hopefully not be bored ?

damn norio how can you get bored playing guitar ????? i heard a cute and very truthfull....... story of a friend of mine who was learning indian flute from a true guru while he was living in the east .....and after playing the same raga over and over for many lessons my friend dared ask ..when they would work on something new....and the indian guru simply answered "there are many lifetimes of work to be done on just that one raga before you can perfect it " i find that wisdom very relevant as i mature as a musician ... sometimes one needs to go over phrases over and over and get them right before moving on ........ boring maybe....making you a better musician "priceless"

Bob-Dubery

It's playing a guitar - or not playing. It's hardly the end of civilisation as we know it.

I haven't played for 3 or 4 days now*. Just haven't felt like it. For about a fortnight I've been dutifully picking up a guitar, playing the same old same old and found myself thinking "meh". I'll probably have a noodle this evening just to keep the callouses up, but that's not much of a reason for playing or much of a satisfaction.

Amateurs shouldn't feel obligated to play the guitar. If it's your living, if you or somebody close to you depends on your guitar playing then take the rough with the smooth. Otherwise it's a different proposition.

I don't see the point of pursuing the matter if one has nothing to say or gains little pleasure from going through the motions. Life will move on, other avenues of pleasure will open up. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west... The only awkward point is trying to explain why you spent all that money on gear that you now want to get rid of.

Probably best to hold on to them for a while though. I do know of people who packed it in and then found they wanted to start again. OTOH I know people who packed it in and lived happily (or as happily) ever after.

* this is actually a lie. I executed about 2 bars of robotic finger picking, a half-assed blues lick and 3 or 4 barre chords on a '63 Strat yesterday. I don't believe anybody felt the earth move.

singemonkey

X-rated Bob wrote It's playing a guitar - or not playing. It's hardly the end of civilisation as we know it.

I haven't played for 3 or 4 days now*. Just haven't felt like it. For about a fortnight I've been dutifully picking up a guitar, playing the same old same old and found myself thinking "meh". I'll probably have a noodle this evening just to keep the callouses up, but that's not much of a reason for playing or much of a satisfaction.

Amateurs shouldn't feel obligated to play the guitar. If it's your living, if you or somebody close to you depends on your guitar playing then take the rough with the smooth. Otherwise it's a different proposition.

I don't see the point of pursuing the matter if one has nothing to say or gains little pleasure from going through the motions. Life will move on, other avenues of pleasure will open up. The sun will rise in the east and set in the west... The only awkward point is trying to explain why you spent all that money on gear that you now want to get rid of.

Probably best to hold on to them for a while though. I do know of people who packed it in and then found they wanted to start again. OTOH I know people who packed it in and lived happily (or as happily) ever after.

* this is actually a lie. I executed about 2 bars of robotic finger picking, a half-assed blues lick and 3 or 4 barre chords on a '63 Strat yesterday. I don't believe anybody felt the earth move.

On the other hand. Sometimes you need to push through to get over the hump.

DonovanB

It has been mentioned before, but if your aim to play guitar is not to be a pro muso, or even a gigging muso (that includes busking or playing in church bands) then you will find it hard to be motivated to practice.

Norman86

Donovan Banks wrote It has been mentioned before, but if your aim to play guitar is not to be a pro muso, or even a gigging muso (that includes busking or playing in church bands) then you will find it hard to be motivated to practice.

Sorry to ask, but why do you HAVE to want to be a gigging or pro muso to play guitar, or any instrument for that matter?

I am doing it solely for the enjoyment! to get my mind off of the other trivial crap in my life! Its another avenue/outlet of creativity for me, even if im mostly trying to play my favourite songs!
But the aim is NOT to go pro or even semi pro! its for fun and relaxation!

Maybe Norio is just having a tough time lately and guitar is the last thing on his mind! And even though he would love to pick it up, when he does, nothing wants to happen because there is too many other things going on in his brain, stifling any guitar playing notion he had!

Well, thats my thoughts anyway, because thats what it sounds like to me!
I could be wrong though!

PeteM

I was very involved playing music in the early working stage of my life.... starting in the '60s. Playing in gig bands and show orchestra's, teaching guitar, writing jingles and doing session work... but sad to say I could not earn enough money to feed a family so I went into the mainsteam business sector.

I'm one of those people who has to devote my full attention to a project (with guitar playing this would have included practicing for at least 3 hours a day) so dabbling with music during my corporate-world time was not an option for me... so I dropped music completely, except for a bit of noodling at home... going to a few classical and singing lessons... and playing the same old shite at family braais. I, in effect, stopped playing for about 25 years.

It was not until I was contacted by an old band buddy to ressurect our band from the '60s, at the precise moment that I was retiring from my business, that the music thing came back into my conciousness. I have been practicing in ernest again for about two and a half years and the band is now developing into a tight unit and I personally do solo gigs or sometimes with my bass player.

Now, I have to supplement my pension with a reasonable extra income and I'm sad to say that I'm not earning enough out of my music all over again. The delimma now is that I might have to focus my attention on other more lucrative exploits, which means that the music thing will go again completely.

So Norio, my reasons for not playing both in the past and possibly in the near future is probably different from your reasons, but I can certainly empathise with your situation.

MIKA-the-better-one

maybe you should take a break till you want to play again..... one of two things will happen you will either miss it or not want to play.... either way its your decision and you will be happy making it......
I often find myself hating guitar, more myself and my inconsistancies..... so I try remove myself from that comfort zone..... and sometimes it works

domhatch

righteous bob, pete, righteous.

NorioDS

Norman86 wrote Maybe Norio is just having a tough time lately and guitar is the last thing on his mind! And even though he would love to pick it up, when he does, nothing wants to happen because there is too many other things going on in his brain, stifling any guitar playing notion he had!

Well, thats my thoughts anyway, because thats what it sounds like to me!
I could be wrong though!

Nail on the head, methinks. But I know this situation will continue until at least early May, so I wanna try inspire myself to play more, if I can. I do think the band thing will help stax because otherwise I'll just allow everything else to be more important than my fun. (Workaholic, guilty as charged :'( )

NorioDS

PeteM wrote So Norio, my reasons for not playing both in the past and possibly in the near future is probably different from your reasons, but I can certainly empathise with your situation.

It does make it very tricky to enjoy playing the guitar when you've got to worry about taking care of a (future) family. I'm trying like hell not to fall into the "trap" of stopping playing so I can make my living but, right now, the living is winning. To my great disappointment. (I would rather have some sort of balance where they both get the attention they need but, it seems for at least a while, the living will win.

NorioDS

MIKA the better one wrote maybe you should take a break till you want to play again..... one of two things will happen you will either miss it or not want to play.... either way its your decision and you will be happy making it......
I often find myself hating guitar, more myself and my inconsistancies..... so I try remove myself from that comfort zone..... and sometimes it works

Wise words ?

Norman86

Well Norio, I do hope things work out for you!
May you still break many more strings! Or at least need to set intonation on your FR bridge many more times in your life ?

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