Is This Retirement?

[junglejem]

Thought I'd post something that might strike a chord with some of you folks. I started playing guitar shortly after the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. Played all through school. Played professionally for several years in the late 70's/early 80's.

 

Put it away for about 14 years while I finished law school, had a son, started a career, etc.

 

Then in early 2003 I started playing at our Church. Three services a week, maybe 46 weekends per year, up until this past July. We got a new worship pastor who immediately switched to an all volunteer band and added a Thursday rehearsal to the Saturday and Sunday services. The result? The only people willing to volunteer under those circumstances were 18-20 year olds, most of whom are just developing their skills, and most have a way to go. But they do have heart, and that's cool. I felt like Shirley Jones on the Partridge Family...the only "adult" on stage, at 59 years old. And the music consisted almost exclusively of driving 8th notes, muted power chords, mostly I-IV-V with the occasional minor 6th. It was time to go.

 

The band that had been together at the Church for most of the past 7-8 years consisted of some really good players, and several of us decided to put together a (secular) band. I was excited. We had one get-together to pick some tunes, chart out the keys and basic vocal duties, and then for the past 3 weeks it has been one cancellation after another, trying to make our first complete rehearsal. Life, wives, careers, Olympics, you name it...if it isn't a priority, it is exeedingly difficult to start up. I don't see it happening.

 

So at 59, I have come to realize it is probably the end of the line for me as a performing musician. And that's a strange realization. I'm an attorney, so it isn't like my career is ending. But music has been a huge part of my life and personality since 1964. I'm a little bummed.

 

I'm sitting on a fabulous collection of lefty instruments (Gibson Jackson Browne, Rickenbacker 330/12, Gretsch White Falcon, Fender P-Bass, some really nice amps, etc). I guess I'm relegated to the garage with a Tascam 8 track recorder. I do intend to study guitar (more Mel Bay, less Ebay), to develop chops that in all likelihood will never be heard outside my home. But this is going to take some getting used to.

 

Can anyone relate? How have others gotten past this "transition" and onto the next phase?

[Markini]

Age 60 here. Engineering professional. Level of playing semi pro. I performed in the 80s mostly as a rhythm player. I like you, put the guitar away for few years. Now I am up to my neck in guitar playing.

 

Fortunately I have three friends that I jam with at my home every Friday evening. One is a very accomplished guitar player. The other two, one sings and the other plays a decent harmonica. We don't perform either. But have written and arranged and recorded about dozen originals, (good old 8 track Tascam).

 

If I was in your shoes and still wanted to perform, I would start out small with just one other person and do the open night and coffee shop routine. Then again I don't know if you are an acoustic player or electric guitar player or both. If you are a 'Rocker' you are going to need a band. If you do tasteful acoustic pieces you aregood to go by yourself or with a singer.

I still perform occasionally at retirement parties, friends and family.

 

I am a 50/50 player acoustic or pure electric. I like soft soothing music on the acoustic or blues. On the electric I am a rocker, metal, blues, etc. The kids at Guitar Center freak out when I plug in a Strat or LP and overdrive those suckers and lay out some blues lead or hard rock licks.

 

Find new friends!

[Bob Isaac]

With you both on this, but I gave it up for about 25+ years and started again this year. Muscle memory comes harder when you are older. The fingers work OK on chords but riffs take a little more concentration at the moment. I would love to join up with a few folks just for fun. At the moment work is still getting in the way as we have the para Olympics round the corner and I am involved in the policing operation. Too tired when I get home.

 

But, NEVER retire. Keep it going. I have been reading Eric Clapton's autobiography and he never gave up. OK he was young then, but that does not matter. Age is but a measurement. Heck I'm getting philisophical. :(

 

Bob

[jedzep]

I love these geezer tales. Don't get insulted, I'll be 60 next week. I always just picked up styles and techniques from records and friends but played solo all throughout and now can't even sit across from someone and accompany them as the distraction fouls me up royally unless it's a simple riff. Trying to overcome that now, but I think back to '66 and my first teacher, the great Buddy Merrill of Lawrence Welk (yikes) fame. After a lifetime of playing on the show, recording his albums, and doing studio work, he told me a little while back that he, at 72, hasn't touched a guitar for 3 years. Closed his cases after sitting alongside some young studio wiz pickers. Hard to imagine just not ever playing again. Maybe when it's your livelihood one has a different perspective, but there comes a time when it's just you and your guitar in your den or sittin' on the edge of your bed, and you have to come up with the next move. Hell you could always start writing those horrible original songs us shadetree pickers like to think are worthy of tormenting our friends and family with. I'm taking up bass guitar and will start trying to blend that into doing something I've always been good at...playing with myself.

 

Good suggestion though...finding one or two picker cohorts. All my friends that are used to playing in bands tell me it's getting impossible to pull off as life fills up with, well, life.

[junglejem]

For what it's worth, I'm having a little fun laying down a drum track with the Alesis drum machine, adding a bass line and maybe some rhythm guitar, then just practicing soloing over my own one-man band. But this gets a little tedious, when it takes the better part of an evening just to put together a rhythm track for one song. And when its 100 degrees out in the garage (Central California) I'm not seeing this as a long term solution! I'm toying with the idea of doing some acoustic solo work. I did this back in Tucson and Phoenix back in the late 70's and it was fun (and convenient not having to rely on anyone). But there is a certain magic to playing in a band with top quality musicians, most of whom are better than you...makes you play up to their level.

 

I don't know, maybe its time to return to golf, which has suffered over the past 8-9 years since I've been so busy playing music at Church! There are seasons in our lives, and maybe one season is ending here, only to open the door for a new one to begin.

 

Yes, yes, I am feeling nostalgic. But I do love my guitars. Took years and tons of money to arrive at this collection, and I'd really like to use them somehow.

[lazarusvt84]

Been playing as a hobbyist since age 10 (now 50)...played in college but put it away for about 20 yrs to marry, career and family. Picked it back up at age 43 when my 10-yr old son took a keen interest. Well, he just made his 'professional' debut with his teacher's band today (he only played on 6 of about 50 tunes, but only got two days notice and no rehersal time)...and it was such a joy! The outdoor crowd of several hundred (with lots of drunk geezers dancing like fools) ate it up!

 

For me, I still can't play all that well, don't have an interest in joining a band...but very content to live vicariously thru my son...who might make a career of it (doubt it)...but we shall see. I intend to continue to practice/play daily until my hands give out just to improve my skills and have something to bond with Jr. I suspect he'll be one of those 27-yr olds that live in their parents' basement.

[jedzep]

Right...play some everyday. When you forget how to, or physically can't form an A7, you'll know you're done.

[Izzy]

If I was in your shoes and still wanted to perform, I would start out small with just one other person and do the open night and coffee shop routine. Then again I don't know if you are an acoustic player or electric guitar player or both. If you are a 'Rocker' you are going to need a band. If you do tasteful acoustic pieces you aregood to go by yourself or with a singer.

 

Find new friends!

 

+1!!!

 

In addition to coffee shops you could do a little bar action. There was a bar near my house, tiny thing, and an all chick band (all in 40s and 50s) played thursdays. I LOVED them. They covered cool 80s stuff and the patrons got happy. I imagine they just did it for fun, I was jealous o.o

[RaysEpiphone]

I'm 48, started playing drums and guitar in 1979, had plenty of friends to jam with and even tho I got married and had a son at 19 I managed to get into a band that was purely part-time and mostly for fun. We did cover's as a band but recorded originals too we never really tried anything with them. Now I stopped playing with them guy's in the mid 1990's and in 2010 I started playing solo acoustic but never getting to much more then low paying gig's one or two times a month. I still cover other people's song's but I have worked up an hour or so of my own song's, I work a hand full of them into my set's. Now I think I'm losing my nerve as more and more of my show's are not as good as I'd like them to be. If I can still get show's I'll show up and play but I'm not counting on any thing big happening... Not forgetting how much I still want big return's but I'm not depending on it.

[zigzag]

I'm 59. Started playing when I was 12, inspired to learn by George Harrison and Bob Dylan. Played off and on from the time I was around 18 until I was around 43, and have played seriously since then- almost never missed a day. I've played out dozens of times. I prefer playing with others, but I don't prefer gigs, because they're a pain in the neck, and often I'm playing music I don't enjoy. I'm kicking myself for the long period of not being a serious player, but my reasons for picking the guitar back up don't include playing for others.

[retrosurfer1959]

I'm 52 and i stopped playing in bands a few years ago by choice, I do almost all solo stuff now and I found a pretty good niche in hotel bars especially hotel resort bars tht have several bars including pool side bars. probably the most fun Ive had in decades honestly if you can do two or three hours worth of music as well as being able to do enough covers to keep the people making requests happy a having a good time your doing well. I change guitars and rig based on what I'm feeling like but the basics are a couple guitars a zen drum laptop model mounted on a snare (midi Drum) and a couple of looping pedals and a couple harmonicas all running through a Bose L1 double bass system and I'm set. The pay isn't that great but they usually let you stay at the resort for a big discount or nothing and if you have a good crowd and can keep them parting and drinking it's amazing what you can collect in a tip jar Ive had several $500 plus dollar nights. And one big wedding party with a 1200 dollar night at a pool bar in Maui. And Ive also spent time is some truly amazing resort around the world.Another fun way to we playing is busking on the street at art show and similar events again your right in the crowd taking request and having fun playing songs that either are your own or covers that are important to people in the audience Ive never had more fun.

[milod]

Sheesh...

 

I'm the oldest one responding - at least so far - and... With my work schedule I simply haven't time nor the ability to promise more than at most a half dozen daytime gigs a year.

 

But here's the deal. Sometimes I have a bit of time to practice; sometimes I don't. Sometimes I know there's a gig of some sort I could/should do - all benefits nowadays doing some solo bits, but one or two a year have been basically me and a batch of elementary school kids on stage. (Ever herded cats?)

 

The thing is, money's nice, and it's nice feedback.

 

But to me at my point in life rather older than most here, the important thing is that pickin' is a lot cheaper than booze and leaves less hangover.

 

I'd say I pick up new stuff faster now than I did in my rock and country weekend saloon band era.

 

Youtube and such are an incredible asset we didn't have when I was a kid.

 

For what it's worth, I wish I had some of Leo Kottke's ability with humor for a solo show. He's a heck of a picker, but I think the show as a whole is what carries him through a good career.

 

m