How much do you play music lately?

Mark Wein

Mark Wein

Grand Poobah
Staff member
I've been on something of a binge with practicing even though my gigs have slowed down for the summer (about once every two weeks at the moment). I've been discovering things to do for the "Lick of the Week" to keep it interesting and some of the folks here on the forum have been motivating me too....how about you?
 
It varies for me. I almost never play around the house right now as I am working so many odd hours. I mostly play at gigs and open mics, so am playing 1-2 times a month. I'm surprised I haven't lost my callouses.
 
Because of you, Tommy, and Mo, and others, I've been seriously practicing a lot, lately, and not just noodling... What's happening is I'm actually getting better, and it is very encouraging... Basically, after my first few years of learning guitar, I was satisfied enough to write my own garage rock, and never even cared about improving... Around the end of 2009, I decided to become a "student" of guitar, and not just a hack... Then I showed up here and discovered how much I suck, but also how much I don't... I wish I would have had this attitude 30 years ago...
 
Very little since I've gotten sick, just haven't had a lot of energy - but it's coming back now, so I expect my playing time to increase soon.
 
I have a good number of songs to either learn or get firmer in the old memory so I have been playing quite a bit lately. I did a bunch of recording last week for the country band CD project and some studio stuff for another friends CD project. I actually slacked off a bit last week because I had so much going on - but this week I need to pick it back up and put at least an hour a day into practice. And try to slide a few new licks into the pentatonic vocabulary while I am at it.
 
Not as much as I'd like to, but as much as I could hope for. The kids like it when I play, so that helps a lot.
 
I recently purchased a new guitar - the Godin Artisan ST-1 I´ve posted a pic of here. A change of instruments, pickups, tubes, pedals, pots, strings, cables, whatever, makes me play more. I always change something... :confused:
 
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Flamencology said:
Not as much as I'd like to, but as much as I could hope for. The kids like it when I play, so that helps a lot.
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mine are starting to dig music and are much more tolerant of "dad making noise" in the house.

I still don't have an amplifier here at home but buying an extra telecaster and leaving it here has really helped me practice more when I'm not at work.
 
Now that I have a 6 string again, I have been playing just about every night. Usually for an hour or so my wife is getting the kids down. She is taking them up to my parents for the 4th, so I will be rocking all weekend long.
 
Mark Wein said:
I still don't have an amplifier here at home but buying an extra telecaster and leaving it here has really helped me practice more when I'm not at work.
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Are you planning to change that? Small Fender, or something that sounds great through headphones?
 
Flamencology said:
Are you planning to change that? Small Fender, or something that sounds great through headphones?
Click to expand...

I almost don't feel the need. I have an iRig for my phone but I never use it. I like hearing the acoustic sound of the instrument and if it's too loud to hear it in my house then there is something else going on that I need to pay attention to.
 
I havent picked up a guitar in months. Its a little bit of a sore spot to be honest. Even when I play with headphones, since my room is right next to the little one's, the wife is convinced that even my electric through headphones is enough to wake her up. :mad:
 
Between practicing playing bass parts while singing for the band stuff and playing guitar for "fun" I've been playing almost every day. I'm getting the hang of this playing and singing at the same time thing pretty well. Well, I think so, anyway.
 
Mark Wein said:
I like hearing the acoustic sound of the instrument
Click to expand...

Been leaving a lot of my equipment in our rehearsal space (an hour away) so I've done a lot of unplugged practice. Found that it's really helped decrease "farted out" notes and really tightened up my technique. Hell, if I can nail licks and riffs unplugged, it's gonna sound great plugged in.
 
I probably play 3 times a week for about 45 minutes.

Always acoustic, though...

Since I've moved, I don't even know where all my stuff is. I found my GNX-3 the other day in a box with some of my tools in it.
I don't even know where my amp is.....nevermind all my cables, pedals, etc....

In a box somewhere I hope.
 
Last week I played about 3-4 hours every night once I got home. Some of it was practice, some was just messing around. I'm still having problems getting my speed back to where it was and my right wrist is really bothering me when I'm strumming straight 16ths. I've actually ditched my pick 75% of the time and am just going fingerstyle.
 
I practice sparingly. With that said, I love the BT's as it forces me to work at it. Knowledge gained is more recording experience and the opportunity to stretch the mind from mediocrity. Watching the Albert Lee w/Hot Roux has inspired me to work on my country playing along with my Rockabilly and Cajon stuff. Hence me listening alot to the Hellacasters and as individuals - Jerry Donahue and John Jorgenson, I don't own anything from Will Ray; Albert; Ray Flacke; and going to order Brent Mason's video. The flatpicing Youtube Mark put up was just so freakin' inspirational.

I still attend blues jams and am restarting my attendance to the jazz jams as well. A gig here and a gig there but sporadic. Also starting work on solo acoustic guitar material so I can go out to do a few open mics. :tongue:
 
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