Stopped playing guitar?need help please?

I want some advice from people..And please be nice because I will only accept real answers cause I'm really asking for help.
Well, I play guitar..Mostly blues and jazz,the real stuff..nothing fake,not pretend blues or jazz..but the raw stuff.The thing is,that (and I'm not making exuses) I am so tired from my job,and when I come home all I do is sleep,and sleep like until I wake up the next day,even I forget to eat...stuff like that.
I started at 13 and I'm 20 now..and I stopped playing guitar a lot,months ago..I'm worried,because thats all I wanted to be and do with my life,is to do that,have a band..and play music,cause I love the arts. But I get so depressed sometimes,cause I just want to do that,and I'm worried like..if its too late,or if I missed too much time practicing,and cant ever get it back. And I dont know what to do, Im kind of lost really.. Cause when I dont play it,I get sad like nothing else.Im thinking its too late,and it will take too long to get back all that time.

I wasnt done) Well, I just want to get it back somehow.. I just want to be able to play every day,and get it back..cause when I do it, I feel so good about everything and I'm happy. I want to be so good,and to have a band..and make my life music. I need help ... What do I do,with myself, how do I make time to play,and not be so tired? How do I get all the time that I lost? Is it too late for me?

I know what your going through. i play guitar as well and for quite some time now. I also have very litle time to play but i try to get in 15 min everyday or 2 days, it really helps and allows u to relax. I'm sure u can find 10-15 mins. Good luck.

Never too late!
The guitar for me is a God-send.
It helps me express myself when I can't find the means to do it in conventional ways.
Try writing your own stuff.
For God's sake don't ever stop playing..., It's a precious gift.
Never think of it as a chore.

Hi,

I can sympothize with you. This is not easy at all. I applaud your thought process to reach out and at-least ask others for advice. A lesser person would have just made excuses or even worse, given up.

I think "WWJD" makes a good point. As busy as we all are, I'm 100% sure you can find 15 minutes in your day. But, the real question is, how do you make those 15 minutes count? Believe it or not, I actually have a "15 Minute Rule" and it really works for me. If time is really so limited, here is the best suggestion I can make:

Make yourself a promise: 15 minutes a day, no excuses.

Suggestions:

1) 15 minutes can take place any time during the day, morning, night, whever. Just don't break it up 'cause anything less is just not enough time to really get into a groove.

2) No BS. Use a stopwatch. Bathroom / ciggarette breaks take longer than you think. Every time you stop playing for even 10 seconds, stop the timer. Don't use a clock. Use the timer. When the timer / stopwatch says it's been 15 minutes, ok, it's been 15 minutes. And not a second less, no b.s.

3) Make it count. Don't jam along to freebird. Use that 15 minutes to improve your playing. You know better than anyone what you skillset and needs are. So, be it stretching excercises or modes, put your time into whatever area you are trying to improve in. 15 ain't alot of time, so make it count.

4) When your done, be done. The only way to make this work at first is to keep the 15 minutes to 15 minutes. This whole issue came up because you don't have time. After a few weeks of sticking to this formula, you will make an association: every time you sit down to do your 15 minutes, you will know in your heart that it is only 15 minutes, so it will be impossible to make excuses. You won't be able to blow it off becasue you will know, it's only 15 minutes, and that ain't alot, so let's get on with it, and be done with it.

With all that said, what can happen is that you are at least practicing (even playing) regularly. That's done. Then, if there are other moments in the day when you have a little extra energy or time, you can pick the guitar up again, and feel great about it. But even if you play for 2 hours today, tomorrow, no less than 15 minutes, come hell or high water.

Hopefully you can change jobs, or things will lighten up a little at your job and you'll be able to get back to many daily hours of playing. But at present, my suggestion is to make yourself a promise that it will be no less than 15 minutes, no b.s. and make it count! If you fully commit, and you stick to it, this might at minimum alleviate the anxiety and guilt of just not playing so much at all.

Good Luck!

Kevin Chisholm - American Guitarist

I think there is something more important than finding a few minutes to practice. It sounds a lot like what I went through in the past. It's called "depression". Really Malendria, you need to get in touch with your doctor or other mental health professional.

I am not saying you are crazy. Depression is something insidious that creeps up on us and can debilitate us before we realize it. However, getting help is easy and effective.

I suffered from depression in the past. Unfortunately I let it go and go and it did a real number on my life. However, after I decided to get help and started seeing a therapist, within a few months I was back to "normal". I still see the therapist though, just because I was feeling better didn't mean I could stop. Feeling better is fast, getting better takes more time.

Please, talk to your family doctor and go from there. Stopping something you love and are passionate about is not the problem, it's just a symptom.

It's okay to put it down for a while if that is what you need to do.

But, if you are depressed, not playing will only make you MORE depressed. Play everyday, if only for about 10 minutes.

Its all about priorities man, I've turned down quite a few "good" jobs because of the fact that music is my first priority, and i've had other places not hire me because of the fact that i need 2 days a week off for band practice plus time off for shows...so right now I'm working in fast food :S because thats the only place that really is willing to work around my hectic schedule, but it's a sacrifice that I'm more than willing to take so I can follow my dreams. Life isn't about working all the time, It's about doing the things you love, if you really love the guitar as much as you say you do, and you have ambitions of playing guitar for a living....go for it. Follow your dreams or you will be one of those middle aged guys looking back on todays saying "man i wish i would have made time to start a band."

There are some things that you can do. One thing is to start looking for a different job - if you can. If you can't, at least put your guitar on a stand so that is visible to you so that you can grab it quickly and at least practice for a few minutes every day. If you can do that, that's better than not being able to have the time to play it at all. My personal recommendation is you look for a different job - even take some kind of classes - if you can - so that you can do something else that won't zap your energy so much that you don't have the energy to play when you get home. This includes the possibility of moving to another place so that you have the opportunity to work at a different job. Whatever you do, don't give up. Hope this helps.

Well , you're going to have to weigh it out...like i did. It doesn't matter the style - i started playing at about 11-12 , and was in a few bands during school , but as i got a bit older , i got that parent speech about "You'll need something to fall back on..", so a year after high school (graduated at 17) , i went in the Navy for 3 years - my secret goal being to travel the world and have the Navy foot the bill while i search other countries for guitars (LOL!). Yet i still managed to land myself in a Navy sponsored rock band. After i got out , it was on to playing clubs and originals projects. But all that time , i learned what "Struggle" meant , - and that was: If i was playing in a bar band , it was for very little money, but i didn't have a day job cause i was trying to perfect myself as a musician. The times i had a day job , i wasn't playing in a band. So, it was a weird toss-up for me - do what i absolutely LOVE....and always be broke, or have some money...but no band or gigs. The weird pitch here is that i've seen a lot of players come and go. Most had great day jobs where they made lots of money, and they bought every piece of "dream gear" they wanted , ...but, they were never great players...cause they worked so darn much! Cause of knowing THAT , i was always a messenger of "Play the gear you have and learn your chops" thing. I always laughed at dudes who had to have 25 guitars and the latest "Rack System" , ....and they sucked! Trust me , it's not "Too Late" , it NEVER is! If you feel you may have something to contribute musically , then YOU DO IT!!!! If nothing else , do it for yourself! Yeah , i work a regular "Joe job" every day - i get up at 3am to get to work at 4am , get off at 1pm, and take care of errands, etc. then go home. Maybe a nap , maybe not. Then i find some time to devote to playing a bit - you need to map out a schedule for this kind of thing , ....till you get comfy in a routine. Hope this helps...

Hello, as a fellow musician let me just say that we can be prone to depression. That said, it sounds like your job is consuming your life. I think you need to worry less about the guitar and more about finding a job that is at least, if not less of a pain, less time and energy consuming, so you CAN worry about playing your guitar. As far as missing out on crucial practice time, do not fret. ;D There are famous guitarists who have holed themselves up in a room with their guitar and no prior experience for 6 months and come out swinging. It's not about years, it's about minutes practiced. You play for thirty years, 10 minutes a day and you have less experience than the guy who plays 4 hours a day for say, a year and 3 months or so. SO find a new job so you have more MINUTES.
P.S.~ Playing an instrument is very much like riding a bike. You will have lost your callouses and it will take some practice, but I would say only a month or two to get back to where you were. Nothing crazy. All the mental stuff is still in there. Best of luck to you!

I studied piano for 11 years. Took it to college level. Then I became a "wage slave" and pretty much set aside the piano. I never seemed to have energy left after work, chores of life etc. I had excellent chops, and here it is 35 years later and I still haven't picked it up to the level I was, but I KNOW that I can if I want to, I didn't lose my chops that much. My advice, DON'T BECOME A WAGE SLAVE like me, to the detriment of your creativity. Find another job that is not so consuming and/or depressing. IT ISN'T WORTH letting a job suck the best of your life energy. Trust me on that one. Good luck. At least see if your employer won't let you go part-time. That's what I did, and I'm a lot happier!
Good luck.....Added later. My husband, a drummer, is teaching himself guitar and he found a fabulous website: Freeguitarvideos.com, which has video lessons by different guitar teachers teaching different styles. You can download "private lessons" on video for dirt cheap or free, and they are very good. You can sit in front of your computer and play along with the video lesson or solo along to a jam track. Check out lessons by Jody Worrell and Billy Wilkie (among others). It may be a good way to "jump start" yourself again. My husband loves it and most mornings I awake to find him already practicing a new lesson in front of the computer. He's getting quite good and quickly, too.

WOE YA you Have the blues as do I , You should write songs about how you feel and (write the lyrics first) and just play what ever notes or chords that come to mind and , You should have a some great songs . That's How I have Made it Big By Playing my own songs , You were born to play the blues

"KEEP IT LIVE"
Satan Handy

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