New guy here, but may be gone soon?

[studio]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I don’t and never had aspirations of being a famous musician. I just remember when I was younger I enjoyed just hanging out in the basement with friends and seeing what we could come up with. I guess I mostly enjoyed the hanging out and creativity. Just banging out chord progressions alone at home brings me no joy.

H

Hanging out with musical friends is important. Continue down that path. Enjoy the fun it brings to your life. Thanks.

 

[thegrasshopper]

Just my piece of advice...
It seems to me that you're musical inclinations (as a player) are more a fantasy than a reality, anyway it is fine... Don't overthink.. don't get frustrated.. spend some bucks in a Squier Classic Vibe, keep the remorse away and live! Don't care about if you drop playing for long periods of time, just enjoy when you're into it. I'm sure we spend lots of money in far more stupid things...

 

[Jim622]

First off welcome and I hope you stick around. I just play at home, for my reasons (my commitment is to family and work - time wise a band is not in the cards), it's just for my own enjoyment. The enjoyment I get out of that makes the gear extremely justified. Ask yourself what you want out of playing. First before bands or ...... success, a joy of just playing is needed/essential. Yes, when you are an absolute beginner that does not come for a little while, but if you have a love for it, it will. I have been playing a long time and I am not at a high level, but when I play, I feel good doing it, even when it frustrates me. I can even bring a smile to my own face from time to time. It is not a choice to keep playing for me. It is a necessity. I am also a song writer who more than likely will never sell a song, but I continue to do it, because for me it is not an option to not do it. Good luck on your journey.

 

[redhouse_ca]

Hello, everyone. Seems like a nice place. I have some concerns so I thought I’d sign up and ask for advice. I’m in my late 40’s. Played guitar in my early 20’s in a band for about two years. We’ll say it was rock music. I never really learned any proper way to play or had any lessons. Life took over after that band ended and I haven’t done anything “serious” since then. I’ve bought and sold new gear a few times over the years, but I need to play and create music with other people and where I live there’s not a lot of options. So I sell the gear because to me if it’s not being used it’s not an asset and I could use the money elsewhere. Over this last year I’ve repeated this process three times! I just sold the last batch of gear last weekend.

I can’t justify the cost of gear to barely be used other than noodling around at home. I considered switching to bass thinking maybe I’m just bored with guitar and guitar playing and the expectations of the role of playing guitar. So I go check out bass gear. Again, I can’t bring myself to justify the expense. I consider buying a midi keyboard and messing around with some software to totally change it up and maybe get a new interest and then find my way back to guitar later. I can’t even bring myself to pay $100 for the keyboard because I don’t think I will actually do anything with it. I feel like maybe I am just done with music altogether, as far as trying to make music goes. Then at times I think I want to dive in and really work at it and get better and that that will make a difference. I don’t know. I don’t know what the issue is. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Am I just done being a “musician” and maybe it’s time to find new hobbies? Thanks for reading and any advice or insight.

H

Hey man, welcome. I think I understand what you are saying. I too had to put stuff down for long stretches as life required. It has always been really hard to get excited about playing after those stretches because my tone and just my overall playing felt like it was lost. It just wasn't fun. Anyhow, for whatever reason, I made the decision (it's a choice, no doubt) to push myself to stick with it for a bit. No huge pressure - it's the pressure that made it unfun - but like anything truly meaningful in life, to get it there's work involved. To date, I've always managed to get back into it and I'm incredibly grateful that i did. I'm not saying it's a bad choice to switch to bass or to drop playing completely, that may be the right thing for you at this time, that's your thing to decide, but what I am trying to say (and I hope this makes sense and is helpful) is that you may want to stick it out a bit longer and put a little bit more into it before deciding. Then do what you feel is right. That little bit of extra effort might be what you need to make a good call on this. Justifying the expense to me means is the expense worth the personal value of the thing vs all the other expenses in one's life. For me, if it brings real joy (not just a quick thrill), you can't put a price on it. I've been really really poor a few times and I've done alright for myself other times. I've sold stuff I no longer get pleasure from during both and always I regret the sale of the the thing I realize later was bringing me real joy and I always regretted that i put a price on that.

Sorry if this is a ramble. I got no special insights or any kinda real wisdom about much, but what I described above has been how it's been for me so I figured I'd share it.

 

[redhouse_ca]

Music is a ton of work for sure. Especially playing a more up front instrument like guitar. The rewards are minimal, but some of us need that space, that reward. If your head is not sending you there, it's OK, find something else.

Man, well said.

 

[redhouse_ca]

- learn Keef's style of playing from records and videos

It'll open up a 2nd life for your playing. You'll enjoy playing along to records or sound clips at home and learning the material, and you'll enjoy playing out if you get the opportunity.

- dedicate one cheap electric guitar to open-G tuning

- if you only have one guitar, keep it in standard and pick up a $100 tele style from Rondo or a local store; a few bucks more will get you one with a humbucker neck pickup - Keef's setup

#1 - it'll keep you interested and stoked

- interested - it's a broad catalogue of great songs and riffs, enough to keep pursuing for the half-a-lifetime you got left

- stoked - you'll be stoked that Keef's entire deal falls right under your fingers in that tuning, you just barre and hammer on and off with 1 or 2 fingers and it's all right there:
instant Keef, I swear

- capo as needed (watch a couple Stones live concerts and note where he capos and for what key; keep a list)

- youtube has guys posting lessons that make it even easier; look up the one on Stray Cat Blues, it's in open-D but you only re-tune a couple strings, and you'll be amazed you can play such a cool-sounding song with 1-finger barres and a couple hammer-ons

#2 - if you do get to jam with friends, or if a casual band pursuit sets up, you bring a wealth of classic-rock catalogue to the table by being able to play that style and have it sound correct (guys playing Keef's parts in standard tuning don't cut it for the most part)

#3 - also sets you up for much of the Black Crowes and Rich Robinson material, Georgia Satellites, etc

You can keep the 6th string on, it's useful in spots (big D-chord by barring the other 5 strings at 7th fret and letting the low D ring out); also, check out Ry Cooder to see how he uses it for walk-ups into the G).

You can damp the 6th string with the tip of a finger to keep it from ringing when you don't want it to. You're usually barring 5 strings with your index finger, you just make sure you're over to the bass side of the neck enough that your fingertip mutes out that 6th string.

Or you can take it off and go full-Keef 5-string, your call

Find a singer that likes to sing the material and you can spin a couple songs at open jams if you like, drums and bass can follow along easily because everybody knows the songs and they'll be able to hear and make the changes. With a singer and a Keef-style guitarist, the rest of the band can materialize around you ... at a club or backyard barbecue

New lease on life, I swear

In the meantime, in standard tuning, capo at 7th fret and look up a youtube lesson on Midnight Rambler, key of B

Again, you'll be stoked you can play a really cool song and have it sound correct-to-spec with real simple playing technique (1st position cowboy chords)

Keef is a true master

Right on! It's funny you should suggest this, that's exactly what kept me in music the last time I got detoured. I tuned a guitar to 5 string open G (get rid of that 6th string for sure - it is really a huge distraction and totally unnecessary), put on a stones record from exile or later, plug that sucker in and strum bars. Man, that is still super fun to do.

 

[redhouse_ca]

I'm a tone junkie who can't play a lick. Just give me a couple of drive pedals and a halfway decent amp and I can amuse my self for hours. I have no desire to join a band or play for others, I just like to make loud chaotic noises sometimes bordering on music. As my pro singer/songwriter friend said "You know everything about guitar and nothing about music."

Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. Not sure why I thought of this when I read your post, but it's what I though of.

 

[Phrygian77]

I didn't really get into playing with bands until my '30s, even though I had played guitar all my life. The urge sort of hit me like a midlife crises. I had a 3 year old daughter and was recently divorced. I got on Craigslist and found a very serious and active band looking for a guitarist. Jumping right into playing 3-5 times a week was bit much, but the lessons learned were worth it. Now days I gig 2-3 nights a month.

The satisfaction that comes with playing for people, watching them dancing and enjoying every minute of it, is one of the greatest that life has to offer. I just wish I hadn't waited until my '30s.

 

[fretknot]

First of all, welcome to the site.

You can always keep a beater guitar under your bed for those moments when the mood strikes. If there's any music in you, then you'll have a way to express it. Or not....

I decided to give music a rest in the late 1980s, when I was building a business and raising a family. I just kept an old parlor guitar hanging on the wall. As time went by, I got a Strat and a nice little Peavey Classic 20. I kept them in my office at work.

In my late 40s/early 50s, I started performing and jamming again and collecting an obscene amount of gear. Now I'm in my late 60s and I have reduced it to three of everything and it's more than I really need. I like things simple. I'm seriously thinking of paring that small herd down to one of each, an acoustic and a Tele, and one small Fender tube amp.

Now I'm retired and playing at home. There is a slight chance I'll play out with some other musicians again. Life goes on, friends and family come and go, priorities shift. Now it's chop wood and carry water.