~ ~ ~ new love for the guitar ~ ~ ~

ChrisMusic · November 2013

Reading through all the interesting discussions on here it seems obvious to me that a lot of you have stopped, or taken a protracted break from playing guitar.

I would love to know how many of us there are, and what stopped you playing.

Even more fascinating is what rekindled the love again,

and where do you, or did you, go from there.

Any contributions welcome, stories, gear, whatever, it should make interesting reading - so over to you now...

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

I lost my day job, teaching guitar became a chore, my dad died. All within weeks of each other. I found another day job and got stuck into that for a few years, leaving music alone. I listened to it but didn't play, teach, or write.

I lost that job, moved house, started picking up the guitar again just for something to do. Found a music tutor's job advertised, applied for & got it, started playing & writing again.

p90fool · November 2013

I stopped gigging in my early 20s, and guitar just sort of fizzled out for me. As a primarily electric player I got no pleasure from playing it on my own, so it eventually just migrated to the attic.

Then when I was 33 I decided to go and live in France, and being fed up with a conventional management career tried my hand at being a musician. I got some lucky breaks, and arrived there just as mainland Europe was getting back into rootsier styles after the whole shred thing, and I ended up doing pretty well.

Music has been my main (sometimes sole) form of income ever since. I'm an obsessive type though, so during my 8-10 year gap I didn't have time to miss it, I was totally absorbed in building custom motorcycles and travelling.

I think it's healthy to diversify. Between the ages of 14 and 24 my life was meaningless without a guitar in my hands, and I probably would've topped myself if I'd had an injury which ended my playing career. I have a far more balanced outlook now, music is not life, it's just decoration.

johnnyurq · November 2013

A combination of my Wife becoming disabled and me getting quite ill along with depression meant I had to pack in gigging 2 years ago. Went from 40 odd gigs a year to none, very hard and caused a near hiatus because I only tended to noodle aimlessly.

Tried to fill the void with recording projects that never took off due to the above.

Trying to get back into playing with purpose again as we speak, and making small progress to date.

chillidoggy · November 2013

I stopped when I was about 21, when the shift work job I had didn't lend itself to having Saturday nights off. Sold all the gear at the time, and only got back into it some 28 years later.

bertie · November 2013

I dont play that often - compared to most on here, sometimes once a week............ maybe a fortnight. Apart from 3 months off after a shoulder op, thats the longest

Roland · November 2013

When we got married house, career, and married life, took up most of my time; and then the children were born. After a break of 11 years I started playing again. About 16 years ago I took stock of life, and decided that I wanted to start gigging again. It has taken a long time to find a band that is competent, works as a team, and looks like staying together. If my fingers hold out then I expect to play for another ten years. After that I'm not sure. I mean, who wants to watch a 70 year old lead guitarist?

TTony · November 2013

I stopped when I left Uni.

Which was a bit odd, because guitar-playing was one of the main things that I did while I was there.

I got rid of one of my guitars but kept "the rest" (I think I had 2, back then) in the back of a cupboard. Got a job. Got girlfriended. Got married. I wasn't really coming into contact with any other players - but then guitar-playing maybe wasn't so popular in the 80s/90s? The guitars were still around - I even bought another one with a good bonus one year - but they'd probably get played once a year.

What got me back into it?

I'm not sure.

Quite possibly, it was wife #2, The guitars were one (or three) of the few things that I managed to salvage from the divorce settlement, and I think wife #2 must have asked me about them ... prompted me to take them out of their cases ... which must have got me playing more regularly again.

That was about 13/14 years ago, since when I've been playing fairly regularly. It's rare that a week passes without me playing.

The break was probably 15 years.

NervousJohn · November 2013

I picked up the guitar when I was 18 and played a lot through university. However after the first couple of years playing I found I didn't really practice unless I was in a band. In my mid 20s I somehow managed to get a girlfriend that didn't really like guitars, so things all took a bit of a back seat.
Once we had split up I did try and get back into things but the fun had gone, it was the late 90s and I lived in Brighton. Dance music or nothing really then.

Then Christmas 2007 some friends visited and one brought his xbox and a copy of guitar hero... Suddenly I remembered what I liked doing. Now I have a supportive wife who enjoys the racket I make, guitars live out so I can play when I want and I'm in an originals band that gives me complete freedom to come up with whatever I want to play. S'alright really

ESBlonde · November 2013

After a particularly good stint (7 years) in a great and busy band (100+ gigs a year) I had little interest in it and didn't want to be in a band anymore. After about a year I got a call to join a suol function band so I started again. 17 years later I'm in another lull and really enjoying not having my holidays and weekends mapped out months in advance.

I still play but most weeks only once or twice unless I'm depping or somesuch.

Neil · November 2013

I just got really bored with it all, it was a hard slog on my own and when I moved house I didn't touch my guitar for fifteen years what with young kids etc etc.

The internet rekindled my interest, I changed the rusty strings on my Strat, joined a few guitar fora, enjoyed talking to like minded people and really started to enjoy it again.......and bought another couple of guitars. :-S

suspiciousminds · November 2013

I left it alone for 3 years when my mom died of cancer in 2004 - felt it was an utter utter waste of time, however i lost interest in most things at the time due to bereavement.
But once i eventually got back into it i seem to put a lot more effort into it.

Myranda · November 2013

I'm currently going through a period of not playing. Always seem to have too much stuff to do...

breakstuff · November 2013

I went probably a couple of years without picking up a guitar then about five years ago a mate bought a cheap strat copy and showed me it to see what I thought.It prompted me to dig out my old Squier Strat and I haven't looked back.Bought seven guitars since then and keep at least three in the living room and one in the back room so they are always close to hand along with my Yammy THR10.If you keep them near you pick them up more.I do have a very tolerant wife and I often just noodle acousticaly next to her while she watches telly or reads a book.

mike_l · November 2013

6 weeks, after I lost a close friend. Until I realised she wouldn't want me to not play.

holnrew · November 2013

I'm sure I posted in this thread. Never mind, I'll say it again.

I've never really been a massively regular player because the effort required for the reward I get is too much.

ChrisMusic · November 2013

Who else has a story to tell ?

menamestom · November 2013

Guitar, Kids, Wife. My 3 loves in life, there's room and time never to neglect any. Neglect any and you neglect yourself. Guitars are inanimate objects, but if you ignore something they stir in you, you neglect a part of yourself. In the last year work has ruled me and taken far too much time but I resigned and they apologised for getting it wrong and I ended up staying. Life is a balance, speak up when it's needed and avoid frustration. Yes guitar can be frustrating, but If you have not played for a while you are still only a few evenings from getting to the point where it can be an outlet for all the things that made you stop in the first place. Just keep playing. Always. Music is good, frustration is from not playing enough.

chrispy108 · November 2013

I like complicated metal music, which I'm not good enough to play, and to get good enough requires time and effort I don't really have. After a days work I want something relaxing, and I find failing at guitar unrelaxing

I'll have a quick play every now and then, but it's been ages since I've played in anger

ChrisMusic · December 2013

Now I know there are a lot more folks on here who have stopped playing for whatever reason and then come back to a love for the guitar. A place here to share your stories if you like...

tonyrath · December 2013

Been teaching guitar for 12 years. So I play every day - not much electric except jazz and blues. Lots of acoustic - classical and some flamenco. 3 years ago at the age of 65 plus I started taking flamenco lesson. Very hard slog of up to 4 hours practice a day. Please smashing out blues - boogie and jazz piano.

Guitar playing ie fingerstyle - classical - flamenco - fingerstyle jazz etc gets me up in the morning and makes makes me practice. FAO Roland - next year I am going to see what punters think of a 69 year old fingerstyle jazz and Latin player

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~ ~ ~ new love for the guitar ~ ~ ~

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