How Many Have Stopped Playing?

[Goat]

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[Red_Label]

Couldn't help myself. I had a '79 PS Iceman, but ended up selling. I alway regretted the sale, so when I saw the '96, I couldn't pass it up. I don't play much, but I'm going to hold onto a few choice items. I think this is a midlife phase I'm going through. Once I shake it, I'll be playing as much as I ever was.

At 51, I've been going through a mid-life crisis on and off for several years, so I know just what you are talking about. You do [mostly] the same thing for years, and then one day you're like "why do I continue to do this?" and "the definition of insanity is continuing to do this and expecting a different result" and "is this what I wanna do with the dwindling time that I have left???"... so you step out of your comfort zone and habitual lifestyle and start checking other boxes off while you can still check them. At least that's how it's been for me. The guitar is always around, and I still gig... but my dreams and passions of youth are all gone and now I just do what I wanna do, when I wanna do it. Also, as I prepare to semi-retire (been at my day gig going-on 25 years)… I am starting to feel the pressure to whittle down all of the baggage that I've accumulated to something that I could keep in a condo or something in a more southern climate. I'm OVER these MT winters (it's snowing right now, and gonna dump up to a foot of snow today). So all of these things are starting to change the way I think and operate, and within the next several years, I will be living life completely different than I've been living it for the past 40 years. That's a pretty 'yuge change.

 

[Red_Label]

Back then I did not play in church every week. When I did the band was cool and I helped pack up for 30 minutes or so and then go home. I did that for the better part of 20 years. The live scene in southeastern WI was just getting stale. All the cover bands play the same old songs and if you are lucky the band members made $50-70 a piece. Playing What I Like About You, Bad Case of Loving You, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, etc was too painful to endure any longer.
If I ever play outside of Christian music it would be to put together another tribute band, the Iron Maiden one I did with my kid on drums was a lot of fun.

Man, I've wanted to do a Maiden tribute band for years. But when you live in the sticks, it's hard enough to find the right guys to do it with... much less an audience to care. But I would be thrilled just getting together and playing Maiden tunes well with some guys for our own fun. I've been playing their tunes (Wasted Years, Stranger In A Strange Land, The Trooper, and Number of the Beast) for years in various bands, as well as most of the rest of their catalog just in the man cave. I just saw them in Vegas on Friday the 13th, and they rock as much as ever. Was a killer show and after Bruce got warmed-up for a song or two, he just slayed and sounded better than I've heard him sound live in years. There were 17K people running around the MGM and south end of the Strip that day in Maiden t-shirts. And the MGM was playing Maiden through the hotel/casino PA all day. It was friggin awesome. I've been on a kick of listening to them and watching videos ever since.

 

[FourT6and2]

Honestly, haven't picked up a guitar in two months. And when I last did, I plugged in for 15 minutes, played a few riffs and was like... yeah ok. That's enough I guess. I prefer building amps to playing these days. And I haven't built anything in a while either. Last few years I'm busy rock climbing or going to the race track.

 

[Red_Label]

Honestly, haven't picked up a guitar in two months. And when I last did, I plugged in for 15 minutes, played a few riffs and was like... yeah ok. That's enough I guess. I prefer building amps to playing these days. And I haven't built anything in a while either. Last few years I'm busy rock climbing or going to the race track.

Hard to beat those! If I had a track nearby, I'd surely go there often. And since winter's now here (in MT), I guess I'll start pulling the ropes and ice tools out for the mountains. It'll be another month or two before I've got any decent ice to play on, but it's always good to get the ball rolling early. I've never been much of a rock climber (don't like trashing my hands), but I've been ice climbing for decades. It's nice to cycle through hobbies so none get too stale.

 

[Deanmachine]

I took a break a couple of months ago after years of g.a.s and playing , practice, etc and just have no desire to get back into it wasn't expecting that .

 

[Goat]

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[FourT6and2]

Honestly, haven't picked up a guitar in two months. And when I last did, I plugged in for 15 minutes, played a few riffs and was like... yeah ok. That's enough I guess. I prefer building amps to playing these days. And I haven't built anything in a while either. Last few years I'm busy rock climbing or going to the race track.

Hard to beat those! If I had a track nearby, I'd surely go there often. And since winter's now here (in MT), I guess I'll start pulling the ropes and ice tools out for the mountains. It'll be another month or two before I've got any decent ice to play on, but it's always good to get the ball rolling early. I've never been much of a rock climber (don't like trashing my hands), but I've been ice climbing for decades. It's nice to cycle through hobbies so none get too stale.

Ice climbing legit looks terrifying to me lol

 

[voodooradio1]

I'm running into an increasing number of guys who have completely bailed. I'm talking about cunts who've been playing for decades. On Monday, I asked a SA counter person what they are is seeing in sales numbers? "It's dead! The people who do purchase are usually from Brazil. American buyers are strictly into the modern metal thing, but they are few. Everyone wants to be a DJ..." Collectors will always be looking for things to add to their trophy rooms... but, they will eventually realize the reality of diminishing asset value. I'm down to three guitars, and three amplifiers myself. I play so little these days, three rigs is beginning to feel like two rigs too many.

Gear related forums are dying as well. Once bustling with excitement and activity have become cemeteries of repetition and pointless commentary. Sort-of like this post...

What say you?

A good friend of mine (also a member hear) once told me that we can all make time for the things we love, and I agree.
I had two brothers (RIP) that were 8 and 10 years older than me, that both played. I'm 56, and can't remember ever living in a home that didn't have guitars and several other instruments in it. I run my own Plumbing biz, have a band, a teenage daughter, and still play every day. If i find myself in a creative slump on guitar, I will take a day off and do stuff in the studio other than playing.
I don't think most players stop playing overnight. It is a gradual thing, where they skip a day here, a day there, and pretty soon those days turn into weeks, months, and years. I had a major slump a few years back, and decided I was going to go back to basics. I got in the habit of turning my computer off, opening some books, and cranking up the metronome. I still try to spend at least 30 minutes daily working on something outside of my comfort zone.
I can't imagine a life without being able to play.Besides being fun as hell, it is a great stress reliever. Keeps me sane.

 

[Goat]

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