Taking a break from the FB - Did it work??

Jimbro66

The trouble with this great community is that it is so addictive and I've certainly got to the point where I'm spending more time reading/posting on here than practising guitar. My response to the recent 'Achilles Heel' thread made me think hard about the need to put in some serious practice time to get all aspects of my playing back up to their previous best. That's not to mention needing to work on new material for the solo act AND there's a guitar build project started nearly a year ago that desperately needs finishing ......

So. I'm aiming for a month off. My addiction to the FB will make that really quite a challenge but it has to be done I tell myself.

See you all again in Feb, by which time my fingers will be ground to stumps, and have a great 2018 all of you.

TTony

See you later Jimbro

Jimbro66

It’s a long time since 1st Jan so was the break worth it? Well, yes and no.

A combination of circumstances had meant I’d hardly touched a guitar in the previous four months. So my playing was rusty and the fingers had softened. Cue a LOT of practice which took determination to overcome the inevitable sore fingers hurdle. But first there was a matter of a guitar build project that had been dormant since last spring so I put in the time to complete it and then got it to Paul at Retro169 for painting.

Over the past 40 years I’ve put in the graft to play several guitar styles/genres to a decent level of proficiency but trying to get them all back to that level would be a struggle so I decided that the practice would comprise: Firstly scales/modes using the CAGED system simply to regain fluency across the board and an ear for the notes and, secondly, Travis/Atkins picking because it makes full use of the fingers of both hands and complements other playing styles -  well maybe not metal

For the first week or more I practiced minimum 3 hours each day and was really feeling the benefits but then -  disaster struck. Out of the blue a really, and I mean really, nasty dose of flu! It completely laid me out. Never had anything like it before. I barely had the energy to sit in a chair let alone play guitar. I spent over two weeks dozing or reading -  Wilco Johnson’s autobiography and umpteen accumulated back issues of Guitar & Bass mag, but no playing.

Now back on track again so trying to put in the practice hours and carry on from where I was three weeks ago.

Yes, of course I’ve missed The Fretboard and admit to occasional visits while laid low but stubbornly refusing to sign in Anyway, nice to be back.

Phil_aka_Pip

wb, mate

TTony

Jimbro66 said:

 Anyway, nice to be back.

And nice to have you back.

Just leave the germs at the door please.

Jimbro66

Thanks fellas

Someone came from Porton Down to collect the virus when I’d finished with it

boogieman

Sometimes a break from guitar is a good thing. The callouses go soft and you definitely lose muscle memory but I’ve always found you make up for that with enthusiasm for playing again. 

Good to see you back too. 

Jimbro66

Thanks @boogieman and you are spot-on with the comments.

Although circumstances had severely limited my guitar playing opportunities in the last four months of 2017 there's no denying that a certain amount of apathy had crept in. I've always enjoyed being in bands but a lot of travelling in the UK and abroad in the past few years has made band membership impractical. So I started performing solo, fairly successfully, and initially was enthusiastic but it's a rather insular gigging experience and totally lacks the banter and camaraderie of bands, which I miss. So gigging became as much a chore as a pleasure. Hence the apathy.

I'm not sure what the solution is but bottom line is my playing needs to be brought back up to scratch and, yes, a break means I'm approaching it with new enthusiasm

Panama_Jack666

Well done! It sounds like you really focussed on improving your playing before getting the flu! Inspiring!