gearbasher Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 The last time I picked up a guitar was about 2 months ago. I moved my Guild DV-52 from my living room to my spare bedroom, just so I can paint. I have no desire to play. Anyone ever get spells like that? BTW: I still haven't painted yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I've been through spells like that. Mine were only a day or two. TWO MONTHS? Go and see a doctor, you poor soul!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 never in my lifetime. It's too damn fun not to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NevadaPic Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 The last time I picked up a guitar was about 2 months ago. I moved my Guild DV-52 from my living room to my spare bedroom' date=' just so I can paint. I have no desire to play. Anyone ever get spells like that? BTW: I still haven't painted yet.[/quote'] Not within the past couple of years anyways, but it will pass. Over the past 30 years though I have gone a lot longer than two months without so much as looking at a guitar let alone playing one. Don't let it get you down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannusguy Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 i quit playin' for over 10 years at a time in my life. i play every day now. you'll get back to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I had a 10 year break after college, a ten year break after marriage......lol....I can understand taking breaks.....just play a little each day......the sound will carry you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I took a long break and have just once again began to play again. Play some once in a while and you'll come back to it when you are ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchdogg Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Maybe trade the Guild for a Gibson? I have a number of guitars and since buying a Gibson have been playing more in last 6 months than 6 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevef Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 The last time I picked up a guitar was about 2 months ago. I moved my Guild DV-52 from my living room to my spare bedroom' date=' just so I can paint. I have no desire to play. Anyone ever get spells like that? BTW: I still haven't painted yet.[/quote'] After my second son was born. Stopped for around 20 years, did alot of painting in the house (along with driving to hockey games, soccer games, baseball games, etc.). Third son got interested in playing guitar about 2 years ago. I've been playing alot since then, and now my wife can't get me to paint. It'll come!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayla Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 After 20 years of steady playing, gigging, recording, everything but touring, I quit for eight years. Didn't touch an instrument. Didn't think about music. Only rarely even listened to music. Then slowly but surely started up again. Not gigging or recording at present, just playing and enjoying it. You seem to need a break. I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe one day you'll come back to it, and if you don't, well, so what? Heretical though it may sound, there is a life outside music. < RUNNING AND DUCKING FOR COVER! > Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Those DV 52's are nice. Maybe just strum a chord or 2, & you will be hooked again?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Yes. I've gone for weeks before and maybe played one song then put the guitar down. I don't know why I get like that every now and then, but I do. Then all of a sudden I'll crave the feeling of the strings, or I'll get inspired to try something new. I just got out of a phase where I wasn't playing, but last night it hit me again. I found a song that is really challenging for me (I figured out one of Fretkllr's songs) and I'm now totally immersed in that. Don't worry about it. You'll get back into it when something strikes you. And you'll be amazed at how easy it is to pick it up again. You'll find you're maybe a bit sloppy, not as tight as you once were, but it doesn't take long to polish up again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 The hardest part of taking a long break is that you have to get those fingers back in shape again. My grandson wanting to play electric guitar got me started again. I didn't have anything but a couple of old acoustics so I had to go out and buy a LP Studio and a Marshall amp. I have not stopped playing since. Bought a Gibson Songwriter a week ago and can not put that thing down. Maybe you should go out and get you a Gibson Acoustic and see if that cures you. If that doesn't work, you can send the Gibson to me with a note telling me how wrong I was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanC Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 After playing for about 10 years solid and passionately I stopped playing regularly and then pretty much stopped playing altogether for more than 10 years. Looking back on it I think that I became jaded continuing to play the same old material. About 4 to 5 years ago I started playing again on an every day basis but made the rule that I would mostly play new stuff and I pretty much stopped playing the old stuff I knew and loved. Playing new stuff has been the key to energising myself and rekindling my interest in guitars and playing. Now I can't get enough guitar and play every day for as long as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Yip I think it is quite normal to quit for long periods After I left the bands I didn't play for years. Then we had a reunion with the old band and that meant days of practice etc and getting to know the feel of music again. Since then Ihave been playing more or less fairly regularly, although only at home or private parties for the in laws etc. Still ... it is greatly thepeutic. I haven't written any songs for a long time though .......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 From '81 to '84 all I owned was the Telecaster and a trashed 17" Kay archtop I had attempted to repaint red a la George Gobel in a drunken fit in the summer of '80. I never finished it and later watched my three year old nephew drag it across the crushed rock driveway. Thus endeth the hotrodding. I bet I didn't play one hour in those three years, too busy being a wannabe biker and corrupting a neurotic Catholic girl who subsequently moved in with me and became a very open minded biker chick. The french fry plant I worked at closed in the fall of '83 so it was a long winter. No phone, 1958 black & white tv, $122 a week unemployment check. I dug out the trashed Kay, sprayed it gloss black and re-bound it and I was back in bidniss. About that time I also subscribed to the Gruhn and Elderly lists, bought American Guitars by Tom Wheeler and proverbial hell broke loose. I've gone downhill ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 Thanks all for the thoughts and recommendations. For those of you saying I should buy a Gibby to get inspired...Well...I have 4 Gibson acoustics, 2 LPs, 2 ES-175s and a 165. So, that ain't the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Yup. It's mostly like that with me an exercizing. I can't seem to get the motiviation to get back into it after a day or two off due to scheduling conflicts, but once I get off center I'm after it like a banshee. So Scott, Did you ever marry that neurotic Catholic girl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayla Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 After playing for about 10 years solid and passionately I stopped playing regularly and then pretty much stopped playing altogether for more than 10 years. Looking back on it I think that I became jaded continuing to play the same old material. About 4 to 5 years ago I started playing again on an every day basis but made the rule that I would mostly play new stuff and I pretty much stopped playing the old stuff I knew and loved. Playing new stuff has been the key to energising myself and rekindling my interest in guitars and playing. Now I can't get enough guitar and play every day for as long as I can. Interesting what you say here. In my case, I actually changed instruments, going from bass (and some guitar) to all guitar. Learning "new stuff," like you say, but not entirely forgetting the "old stuff." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I know a lot of forumites will agree with me on this one.......maybe buy a new guitar? That always gets the Juices flowing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbasher Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. As far as getting a Gibby or a new guitar...Hmm... I have no problem in the wood and wire area. I guess I'm just in a "funk". At least with the winter comming, I'll soon have to open the cases to juice-up the humidifiers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 That's how I wound up playing the mandolin and fiddle. I laid off the guitar for a while, just wasn't going anywhere, but I got going pretty easy on the mandolin, which eventually led me to want to go back to guitar and see if my flatpicking was improved. It sure was. Then the mandolin led me to the fiddle- same left hand so I figured I was part way there on fiddle. Learning fiddle made me better on everything else. Nowadays I play 3 instruments everyday and swap around- some days guitar, fiddle and mandolin, some days banjo, guitar fiddle etc. I never get bored- maybe I hit the wall on one, but moving around keeps me going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 All joking aside, I quit for a very long time. Maybe as long as 15 years. Started playing again and now I can't stop. Fingers are now tuff enough to play for long periods without pain and I seem to pick things up quicker now. Some of these guys will tell you that there is life without music and they are right. Life is just not as passionate without music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august_reader Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 I put the SJ-200 down about a month ago but have picked up an F-5G, so I just switched addictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 The last time I picked up a guitar was about 2 months ago. I moved my Guild DV-52 from my living room to my spare bedroom' date=' just so I can paint. I have no desire to play. Anyone ever get spells like that? BTW: I still haven't painted yet.[/quote'] Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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