More obsessed with playing or guitars in themselves?

[Shinji13]

I would love to play more, but as I work full time, I don't have enough hours in the day - as for playing 4-8 hours a day, really? pictures or it didn't happen.

'My buddy from England will always say, "Bruv, I can't tell you shit about a guitar but I know how to play one"

I live in England, and anyone that uses the terms 'bruv' and 'I can't tell you shit', really shouldn't be listened to.

 

[sj250]

yup. this is how I feel. I am not a musical person. I have a very bad ear for tone and have always been bad at keeping rhythm. I'm also not a creative person so improvising does not come to me naturally. this does not mean I don't enjoy it. I very much do.

there are few things that will hold my attention for long periods. guitar is one of them. I can literally sit down for hours on end and just play nothing. even if its simple chord progressions or various riffs over and over. the sounds I hear make me happy.

I really think you and I need to get together. You pretty much just summed me up word for word as well so maybe we need to do a crappy jam together. It would be perfect, no one feels bad about there playing and you get someone else to help you make the neighbours run away because they think something horrible is happening next door!

 

[AngryHatter]

I like to see pictures posted versus clips as a ratio.

 

[Deftone]

A couple of years ago I came to the realization that I love electric guitars, as works of art and engineering, and the idea of playing them more than I like actually playing them. I suppose if playing came more naturally to me, I would enjoy it more and do it more just because it was more intrinsically fun. But I struggle with motivation, and therefore I progress slowly, which in turn inhibits motivation, etc., creating a vicious cycle. But the idea of playing is still so intensely alluring, that I simply can't bear to give up.

Well said, I would only add for myself that there are occasions when I play a lot and then I play really well (by my standards) and it's truly invigorating.

 

[blamo]

I really think you and I need to get together. You pretty much just summed me up word for word as well so maybe we need to do a crappy jam together. It would be perfect, no one feels bad about there playing and you get someone else to help you make the neighbours run away because they think something horrible is happening next door!

I'd be down for that!

my jamming skills are non-existent however so I suspect it will be a grueling evening.

I like to see pictures posted versus clips as a ratio.

my gear room is a bit ridiculous for a guy that can barely squeak through a simple song. I'll have to post a photo some time.

 

[moeman]

+1

I've just recently started playing out (six times in five weeks now), and my theory that having fun is more important than playing well, in terms of audience acceptance and reaction, has proven true. Thank goodness, because most of the guitarists I play before, after, or with are much more technically proficient than I.

Well said River. I find that a larger percentage of the audience is just there for a good night out. (Night clubs anyhow) . As long as you have your chops together, and have a good P.A. to push it through so the band over all sounds professonal. Play what they want to hear or expect and the majority leaves there satisfied. You don't have to be the most advanced players but you have to play within your abilities.
There's always a few other musician types (with one hand holding their drink the other in their pocket) playing judge and jury.
Play from your heart and you can't go wrong.

 

[So What]

I have literally had at least one guitar from the time I was born. It was my grandfather's. My father was the local sports star, and he tried to push me into that pigeon hole. So, While my musician friends were learning Eagles, Foriegner, Boston, Van Halen, Def Leppard, etc., I was playing sports.

About 20 years ago, I talked my wife into buying me a cheap acoustic for Christmas. For the next 15 years I taught myself to play. I bought a few Strat copies, and an Epi Les Paul. I could play stuff I had learned from Books and Tab, but I didn't really understand music theory.

When I approached 40, I decided I better start learning now while I still had a few brain cells left, and some dexterity. I started taking formal lessons, and have learned a great deal of theory, enough to know how little I actually know, and much improved technique.

I am also at a point where I can spend some money on gear, so I have a pretty good collection of guitars.

I have played, as a guest, several times with friends at their gigs. It was great fun, and I look forward to the next time I get to play live. In the meantime, I spend time practicing 2-3 hours a day, and playing with friends.

I do like to look at and buy gear. It's like porn for musicians over 40. I also enjoy building "Partscasters" and modifying guitars.

I will never have the ability to play like I want to, but I do have a great time, and that is what it is about.

It is hard for a non-musician to understand how great it feels to play one of your favorite songs yourself.

That's my story...

 

[AngryHatter]

I've been blessed with a metabolism that likes five or so hours of sleep per night.

I don't play four hours a day like I used to, though.

Wait...it'll change as you age.
Perhaps even less sleep.

 

[Falconbill]

I might have a different take. IMHO, guitars aren't that complicated - if it feels good, works for me. I enjoy looking at the pics of these guitars, because they're like works of art, but honestly, if I like the way it plays, I really don't care if it looks like burnt log. Once I've found that axe I like, I've used this forum to find useful info on wiring and pickup upgrades, but that's about it on the guitar end. OTOH, amplification seems like an eternal search for me to find that tone. I spend most of my time in the Squawk Box section of this forum and have gotten some great advice because these folk play basically the same instrument I do.

 

[gibsonguitar1988]

I am both a player and a gearhead.

One inspires the other... The more I play, the more I'm inspired by better gear and great instruments. And the more I drool over gear, the more inspired I am to go down to the studio and plug in and play. And getting new gear always brings me out of a rut and will inspire me to play my best. I have to be inspired by the tone to play my best. I'm one of those who can't just play no matter how good the gear or tone is. There is nothing like having a great tone that makes you want to play and nothing will make you play better than sounding great and having good gear.

So for me guitar playing inspires and feeds my gear obsession, and my gear obsession inspires and feeds my desire and passion for playing. So long after drooling over 59 bursts I'll go and pick up my own Les Pauls and play..... And after playing my own, it makes me want more and I'm always looking and am inspired by better guitars and great quality instruments.

 

[Strato]

Since I fall into the category of not jack about much of anything and having been practicing for 30+ years and finally worked myself up to the 3rd bar in a 12 bar Blues scale, I reckon I'm obsessed with buying them and banging around on the things.

I like the colors to match my outfits.

 

[DanL]

I would love to play more, but as I work full time, I don't have enough hours in the day - as for playing 4-8 hours a day, really? pictures or it didn't happen.

'My buddy from England will always say, "Bruv, I can't tell you shit about a guitar but I know how to play one"

I live in England, and anyone that uses the terms 'bruv' and 'I can't tell you shit', really shouldn't be listened to.

He's lived in America for many years now, both of my friends from England use the word "bruv" so maybe it's a regional dialect thing. They're from Thetford.

As for playing several hours a day, I always find the time. I usually have a couple hours in the morning after I wake up before my day really starts then I always have a few hours at night before I wind down to let loose and jam a little bit. I'm unmarried, have no children, and don't have a serious girlfriend, so time is something I actually have.

 

[psychnurseblues]

I wound up with a whole bunch of other guitars that I bought because they're interesting and unique, non-traditional, and I appreciate the design and the way they're built. I'm always looking around at gear, but lately I've realized I've gone overboard and now I'm selling a couple of 'em.

I feel guilt over having so many guitars, and pretty much all I play is improvised leads I figured out by playing along with backing tracks. I can play some of what I hear. If I put on a song on my iPod, I can parrot the lead. Once the song's over, I can't play what I just heard. I go back to improvising. I've never learned a song from start to finish, just the way the artist played it. I don't have the patience. But I play almost daily. I use making music to relax. Drums got me through nursing school. Guitar helps me relax.

I don't read music. I don't understand tabs. I had a hard time reading chord charts. It's a processing problem. So I play by ear.

I've got rhythm. I play drums (by ear, no formal training). My timing with the guitar is good. Some have said that the level of "feeling" my playing has exceeds the year and a half I've been playing lead. I've played drums and guitar during some jam sessions I've been to and a couple I've hosted and it was big fun.

So since I'd been recording some stuff on my Mac using GarageBand, I decided to get a bass and try doing the bass lines. Boom, I get an Epiphone bass. Next thing I know I'm buying a bass amp. And then a Les Paul Bass! It's OUTSTANDING! I'm loving it. So I bought a better bass amp, because I find that I'm able to use my rhythm and mimicry skills to get a groove going. I need to learn technique but I'm having so much fun. I can't wait for the next jam so I can break out the bass. 'm trying to avoid joining a bass enthusiast site or else I'll be there as frequently as I'm here.

 

[User100]

Neither,

I only drop in here every now and again..............

Nor do I play all day?

Being there is a big difference in playing and practicing,

I would say I play on avg 7 hours a week but different amounts daily.
I do this in the morning before work in my little studio.

I practice at night in my recliner watching the tube or watching my wife watch the tube I have a dedicated practice ax in a stand by my chair with a music stand ,headphones and my I-Pad.

So I'd say I practice another 10 hours per week.................


When my kids were younger and I used my studio to do outside projects, I got a lot less quality time to myself, so my playing suffered considerably.

I almost feel like I'm getting back in decent shape now........

 

[Arthur]

I've been slacking off a bit lately but now I am playing 1 hour a day, that's decent considering I'm in school, and am more motivated then ever now that I have my new Mothership Tab Book!

 

[RichBrew]

There's always a few other musician types (with one hand holding their drink the other in their pocket) playing judge and jury.

You left out 'executioner'.

RichBrew

 

[zoork_1]

Been drooling over my R9 and Standard for 2 years now, searching for the holy grail of tone - think I'm close to target now , and it's time for some serious playing ....

 

[djphelan01]

It comes in spurts.

Play my ass of til i grow bored.

Come here and BS til i grow bored.

Wash rinse repeat.

+1 . It also seems easier to be able to visit forums and talk guitars than to play while watching my 2 year old daughter. I wish I could practice an hour or more a day but between work watching my daughter and regular life there doesn't seem to be enough time.

 

[Ides of March]

Well I definetely am obsessed with playing more than guitars themselves. I have so much practice material and songwriting items at my disposal alot of times I am overwhelmed. But for the most part I get an hour or two a day depending on if I am by myself or if I have to bring my guitar and practice material upstairs and go unplugged for tecnique which works too. But I always am desperate to be better, I always think I suck and never practice enough, my wife thinks I have a problem cause I am always thinking of better practice routines and ways to manage my time.

I am also maybe not obsessed but love Gibson les pauls. I have 3 and would love to get another one but I probably would get divorced over it lol.

 

[zslane]

Let's face it, buying guitars is a lot easier than playing them. It's hard on the bank account perhaps, but it takes no skill and only a little knowledge. Amassing a collection of hot axes is child's play compared to acquiring mad skillz.

I think if I had picked up this instrument back when I was in high school, when I had lots of free time during the day and like-minded friends to jam with who also had no other serious commitments, I would probably be orders of magnitude better today. Playing with others is probably the most fun you can have as a guitarist, and yet I've had virtually no experience with that.

As a solitary experience, learning is most fun when either (a) playing a song, or (b) recording a song. But I am not good at memorization and I get bored easily. That means that long before I've learned how to play a song competently, I've become sick and tired of it from practicing it. And recording is a tedious task that doesn't feel like artistic creation so much as some sort of cruel boarding school exercise in reciting bible passages over and over until there are no mistakes.

I'm not sure where I'm likely to find the motivation to spend hours a day practicing on my own when the two most fruitful methods are full of their own kind of tedium. After a long day at work, I'd rather just relax on the couch and watch another episode of Eureka. And that's where I get most of my "practice time": sitting on the couch watching tv and aimlessly noodling/riffing. It's no wonder I still suck at this after 3 years. Me gots ta get outta mah rut.