Who actually plays their guitar?

TTBZ · September 2023

Tbh I'm barely playing at the minute, have hardly picked up a guitar since about May. Just feeling a bit bored and uninspired with it and currently no real interest in gear other than "hmm that's cool". I kind of have seasonal hobbies so it'll probably come back when the weather gets too crap to get out biking regularly.

SPECTRUM001 · September 2023

I’m currently going through a bad patch (house and health woes) so not been able to focus, nor had a place to play that feels good.

I did crank up on the weekend and it was bloody awful, so am aware I need to get back into the zone to retrieve my mojo. Hoping that may happen in the next few months.

Ironically (I’m full of irony these days !) my guitar / amp / pedal set up is beautifully sorted, so I shouldn’t be lacking inspiration…

tony99 · September 2023

I play my guitars fairly regularly, to the point where I'm getting quite good and am almost ready to put some strings on them.

Philly_Q · September 2023

Svartmetall said:

At least an hour of basic muscle-memory practice and conditioning every day. Picking one up due to an inspiron particle hitting my brain varies from 0 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the day (this usually happens late at night, I'm very nocturnal and I find I get more ideas when the rest of the world has gone to sleep so it's quieter).

I hope you're not playing 100W through a 4x12 when you get inspired at 3:00 am...

(I'm a night owl as well, so I know where you're coming from.)

jdgm · September 2023

I play/practice every day if possible. I work from books, work out melodies, occasionally look at youtube vids, and use Band-in-a-Box.

But - as above - I go through bad patches, get stuck in ruts etc, too. Now I am 69 and my hands are getting weaker not stronger.

Image: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/plugins/EmojiExtender/emoji/fb/46.gif

Cookiemonster · September 2023

Today I tried to learn a few songs, but mostly i noodle, sometimes I play everyday and sometimes not for a week or so, after so many years of playing and now not really being in a band, I just play when in the mood, but I do make a few pedals so tend to play more when trying them.

EvansDrD · September 2023

What about polishing, mods, and criticising other people’s playing ?

Dr_Necessiter · September 2023

Just go on YouTube and toss off to guitar porn. Can you see this because it looks quite blurry to me.

darthed1981 · September 2023

I try to play a bit every day.

I fail but I try!

bluecat · September 2023

I play most days acoustic and electric , depends on the mood. Just wish I had people to Jam with , it gets a bit boring sometimes , and gets a bit repetitive.

bluecat · September 2023

I need some new ideas with new people.

Lestratcaster · September 2023

Yes, well, most of them anyway. I'm a teacher so need them to teach with!

Rowby1 · September 2023

I play virtually every day, odd days where I don’t are rare. I rehearse and gig regularly so I need to do my homework to keep on top of learning new material.

Fishboy7 · September 2023

EvansDrD said:

What about polishing, mods, and criticising other people’s playing ?

Or measuring and weighing your guitar or searching for finishing flaws with a magnifying glass

Funkfingers · September 2023

EvansDrD said:

What about polishing, mods?

What the modmins do in the privacy of their own homes is their own business.

MtB · September 2023

I play for an hour or so most days of the week, but then I'm retired. I have a "cheat sheet" list of a hundred plus songs that I play along to - mainly playing the chords and singing, and gingerly attempting the solos. Next goal is to memorise the chords....and solos.

Fez · September 2023

I try to play every day. Need to keep the band songs up to scratch and we are nearly always working on something to add to the set.

Yorkie · September 2023

Every night. Lay some chords on the looper, try to crack that melody, stop when fingers start to hurt.

roberty · September 2023

A lot. Unstructured practice mostly at the moment. Not the best

Tannin · September 2023

^ Unstructured practice is basically the only thing I ever do, and I've been happily playing for 50 years.

If I ever think of some other activity that would be more fun than unstructured practice, than I'll do that too. Until then though, nope, anything from zero to three hours of unstructured practice a day. Most days its two to five sessions lasting between 10 minutes and half an hour, but purely as the mood takes me. Some days (not many) I don't play at all.

CasperCaster · September 2023

I don't understand the question.

What's a guitar?

HarrySeven · September 2023

Which one?

Neil · September 2023

Usually around 30 minutes to an hour most days.

Any more than that and my back/arthritis start playing up.

stufisher · September 2023

If I am at home then I'll play guitar almost every day ... typically for an hour to hour and a half.

I still have appetite for learning and regular unstructured practice has improved the flexibility and reduced the pain in my left hand, which is a real boon for me.

I started relearning guitar after a 40 year Sabbatical to stop my brain turning to mush during COVID but it has also introduced me to a load more music, techy awareness, humour and societal insights via tFB.

For me the whole experience has been cathartic

Basher · September 2023

maltingsaudio said:

Tax return time is rapidly approaching so the guitar will be played a lot more !

Strum a guitar every day … this is my stairs

I'd be tempted to tune them all to open chords, ascending by a semitone as you get higher up. That way you could just strum your way up, or down, the stairs as you go.

MattP · September 2023

I actually think about this question a lot, and the answer depresses me a bit. I've been playing since 96 or so and have never been worse than I am now because i don't really have the opportunity to play anymore. Probably like a lot of you, I have a really busy job and a couple of young children and that takes up all of my time, there's nothing left over.

I keep my toe in the hobby by reading this forum and watching the odd youtube video and sadly doing that has become a substitute for playing, but at least there's some element of guitar in my life (even if i'm watching someone else play one on my phone!).

rossi · September 2023

I have over 2000 guitars but I still get the best tone from my trusty cricket bat so I play it every day ..

mudslide73 · September 2023

To misquote the late great Colin Grigson: "If you can call what I do music, then, I have been playing it".

I have a constant battle staying focused on learning new material for the band when all I want to do is widdle over modal jam tracks on Youtube.

Yorkie · September 2023

MattP said:

Probably like a lot of you, I have a really busy job and a couple of young children and that takes up all of my time, there's nothing left over.

That's nothing to be ashamed of

I’ve been there, did what you are doing and would do it all over again if I had to. For me, making music is a wonderful hobby, but children – and a day job to be able to feed them! – wife and home take full priority.

What I don't know – and would like to hear from the pros here – is how you balance family life with being a touring musician. I do travel a lot as part of my job as a scientist, but I'm sure it's nothing compared to what professional musicians do every year.

Jon

Th4fonz · September 2023

I generally play daily for 1-2hrs. My guitars sit in there cases so no sitting and starring and admiring from afar.

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Who actually plays their guitar?

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