Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

[shredmonster]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Wow lots of us in the same boat. I work and I work out about 2 hours a day six days a week and then on top of that play at least 1-1/2 hours per night.

Sometimes I get cramps in my forearms or sore wrists.

I was gifted with the ability to play well plus I started taking lessons when I was 7. I just play for myself these days because I don't want to do the week end band thing with a full time job and house and car etc...

I wonder why I do it sometimes but it is so damn fun. I once heard that if you are given a talent don't waste it. So I keep going.

[Newc]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Yeah, me too - too pooped to play most days when I come in, but when something grabs you and you have an uncontrollable urge to play, ya gotta do it. Definitely don't try to force yourself to do it, or else it'll become like work.

[donf]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I'm another one. Up to last Jan, I practiced 2-6 hours a day for 9 years, played in band and was really into gaining knowledge, then one night at practice, I stopped in the middle of a song, told the band I couldn't do it anymore, and walked away. Not only did I quit the band, I put my guitars away.
I still do play, once in a while, but not with the same intensity or drive I had. I posted on this subject back in March, I think. I think what got to me was the amount of time I had put into learning and practicing, and how I felt I wasn't as accomplished as I should be. It's was a big let down not to practice and unfortunately, I'm still affected by it. Hopefully that'll change. Seeing other people not playing because of being tired, being burnt out or a variety of reasons, is good, in a sense that, I'm not the only one in the boat alone. I really want the drive to come back, but I have to wait for it. I'm not ready yet.

[hammer84]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

[ QUOTE ]
I have been on the same boat for the last 1 1/2 years.
We have a new baby girl (1 1/2 years old) and when I get back from work its play time, feeding time, bath time and bedtime.
Not much more after that. Whenever baby amd Mommy go to the mall, papa can play and have a good 'ol time.
I miss being able to play every day and sometimes get downright angry.

Then I see my beautiful baby girl's eyes and everything is allright in the world. I'll find time someday.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in the same boat. I have a 11 month old and a soon to be 4 year old. By the time I get them to bed, I have little left in me for any thing that takes much mental horsepower.

And like Joe, if I even get grouchy abut it only takes a smile from my daughter or a "you my best friend Daddy" from my son to make al right in the world.

[dannyr]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I'm in the same boat. I work 12-14 hour days. I have a girlfriend that expects alot of my time. I go to the gym regularly. Not to mention alot of other things. All this doesn't leave much time for playing guitar. I just fit it in whenever I can. Fortunately, I do get to play alot on the weekends. Funny, I just was complaining about this to a friend last night. He is a fireman and only works 2 days per week. When he's off he sits around the house and plays guitar all day. He doesn't realize how lucky he is!!

[Jack The Riffer]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Yeah, been there. Still there. Can't wait to get home from work and play and then can't cuz I'm wiped out. It sucks. Sometimes I force myself and have an awesome time and others it's in exercise in frustration.

[Jason1212]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I keep my guitar in my bedroom beside my bed. I pick it up and play for about thirty minutes before I crash each night. I dont plug in and all of that, I just play. A more structured practice regiman would be better, but hey it beats not playing at all.

[shredmonster]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Because of time limitations and real world demands I have learned to maximize the 1-1/2 hours that I put in and get the most out of it.

I warm up - have the luxury of doing that for about 1/2 hour - picking, finger, arpeggio, legato and speed exercises. I do the same routine every day like clockwork. I have to because the shit I play is hard and requires constant practice to stay at a certain level.

Then I got instab off of harmony-central. Started coming up with my own stuff - lots of solo ideas, arpeggio stuff and unique original things. I have about 200 pages of original stuff. I spend 1/2 hour going over a portion of it on most days. I developed my own style and sound doing this.

Then I spend 1/2 hour either free jamming or developing more orignial stuff. I write it down and add it to my collection.

So that is how I structure my practice and I am constantly making gains. Every 6 months I am noticeably much better.

[kmanick]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

It's tough, I've got a 3 year old and a lot of the time ,by the time I get home from work, my wife has had it, so I have to take over.
I usually end up practicing from 10:00-12:00 midnight, if I'm not too beat from work.
Parenting kills practice time [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[thenine]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Yep, another one here. I work 12 hours shifts, 4 on, three off one week, then 3 on, 4 off the next week. On long weeks (4 on) I usuually dont play at all. After a 12 hour shift plus travel to a fro it is a 14 hour day. Only time to eat dinner, ask the wife how her day was then to bed as I have to be AT work the next day 6:00am. I usually make good progress on short weeks (3 on/4 off) then lose it all the next week when I dont play. Very frustrating. If I can try and get at least 1/2 hour per night ruinning chromatics and scales during long weeks, it helps to not lose any ground, but most weeks I dont.


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[DK127]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Thanks for starting this thread Ninja, I thought I was the only one in this situation. My wife works at night. After a hard day's work and doing house chores, I'm already too tired to play guitar. Then I'll just go "I'll do it tomorrow". My 16 year old son plays better than me now. But it's alright. It makes me feel good to hear him play. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[Guitarnut]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I guess I don't have it as bad as you guys, but with 3 hours of travel on top of the working day (not a manual job thankfully) I'm tired when I get home, then there's getting quality time with my partner, chores of one sort or another, etc & then it's time to crash out. To compensate, I get up an hour earlier than I need to, at about 5am, so I can get about 45 mins in the morning (one of those Tascam phrase trainers & a set of headphones is a "must have" here). I've got no hope of getting good, but it's enough to keep me going & I think I'm progressing a bit. I've never been more than a hobby guitarist anyway & putting the hours in to learn music theory, etc, properly isn't really on the cards.

[Ozz666]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I'm right here with everyone else...ever since I've been outta school working full time I have hardly any time to play anymore. I work, get home...take an hour and do misc. BS I need to take care of, eat, then off to the gym, then to the g/f's to crash. Same routine during the week. Then on the weekends there's always something going on....we stay at my place, but when I get any free chunks of time I try to get something done on my car...I really wanna get it back on the road after 4.5 years now....so that's more of my priority.

- Joel

[NunoSoWylde]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

Story of my life. Work 8 hours a day, drive an hour and a half both directions, wife, kids, house...leads to less time than I require with my significant others(my guitars).

[RR05xx]

Re: Anyone else ever too tired to play after work?

I usually get home and I am pretty beat and i sometimes dont feel like playing. However, I have found that after i sit down for 20 mins (after dealing with the baby etc. - sometimes it pretty late [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]), find myself picking up and playing unpluged for at least a little while. I think it really makes me a eaier person to deal with.