How do you find motivation to play after work?

[Nimitz]

Here is my motivation. I love playing.

[leftykingv2]

I have no choice because I teach guitar for a living 57 hours a week. That being said even when I am off it always seems like a have a guitar in my hands. It's like having a wooden conjoined twin that just happens to be much better looking than me.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Aussie Terry84, it can be tough. Retail can be draining work. I've been at it over 10 years now. But part of my income comes from playing music live too, so I've had to find ways around that lack of energy one has when they come home from work. One thing I do (provided I'm working the 2nd shift like you are) is practice in the morning before work. I feel more focused and find it easier to concentrate then anyway. Another thing is that I used to be bad about letting stuff get to me after leaving the store, things that would happen in the day, and once I figured out how to turn that off, it became a lot easier to switch mindsets and focus on other things. I guess the biggest thing though is that I would love to someday not work retail at all and get all of my income from playing music. There's some great stuff in Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding encyclopedia about motivation that helps get me through hard times. Here's a pretty good article about it too:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionate-about-then-do,31742/

[Axewielder]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/fin...then-do,31742/

That was great!

[artonsafari]

I usually bring a beater to practice an hour a day at lunch in my car. If I'm pissed off I'll focus on all technique stuff. If I feel like noodling I have backing tracks. Lately I've been going over a couple tunes.

For about a 6yr stretch I really didn't even pick up a guitar. Kicked the rust off and got back into some of the stuff I skipped over as a kid. Like note names, scales, getting into theory...

Gotten to the point where I'd rather practice an hour a day than ride my motorcycle to work.

[pianoguyy]

57 hours of teaching. At 20 for a half hour.
Wow


anyhow
Music has always been my job. Even the things i have expanded upon, its still music and entertainment.

I have two motivational issues
1. New music. When new music sucks, i have no reason to keep playing. I can only listen to dream on so many times.
2. Band mates. If the guys i play with can't keep up, i have no reason to keep playing. Its like Michael Jordan playing with a bunch of toddlers.


So, what do i do.
Learn a new instrument - i got seriously into piano around the same time when i got online and needed screen names.

Forget the playing part. Update the accessory knowledge. Learn to use technology. I took my love of music and hatred of the ring tones available commercially, and turned it into a business.
*if you like phones being able to play mp3 audio and being able to stream YouTube, you have me to thank.

Now i am on a -what makes it tick- kick. Just playing the ones i like isn't enough, i want to know why i like it.
Radius and scale lengths. Woods and combinations of woods. You know, why is my gid frankenstehn like heroin. Playing anything else isn't enough. What makes it different than the others.

[Axewielder]

Its like Michael Jordan playing with a bunch of toddlers.

Roll with that, it's a great band name: "Jordan and the Toddlers"

[darkshredder]

When I discovered this player and I was inspred.. He popular in my country. He was a child prodigy in 1981 and hes like 48 now

57 hours of teaching. At 20 for a half hour.
Wow


anyhow
Music has always been my job. Even the things i have expanded upon, its still music and entertainment.

I have two motivational issues
1. New music. When new music sucks, i have no reason to keep playing. I can only listen to dream on so many times.
2. Band mates. If the guys i play with can't keep up, i have no reason to keep playing. Its like Michael Jordan playing with a bunch of toddlers.


So, what do i do.
Learn a new instrument - i got seriously into piano around the same time when i got online and needed screen names.

Forget the playing part. Update the accessory knowledge. Learn to use technology. I took my love of music and hatred of the ring tones available commercially, and turned it into a business.
*if you like phones being able to play mp3 audio and being able to stream YouTube, you have me to thank.

Now i am on a -what makes it tick- kick. Just playing the ones i like isn't enough, i want to know why i like it.
Radius and scale lengths. Woods and combinations of woods. You know, why is my gid frankenstehn like heroin. Playing anything else isn't enough. What makes it different than the others.

[Shawn Lutz]

It comes and goes for me but I started a ritual back in 2012 that I always play guitar before going to bed regardless if I played earlier or not. I get up at 5am for work...so most of the time, some where around 9-9:30pm I got in my studio, kill the lights, light a candle play for an hour or 90 minutes unwinding before hitting the hay..this assures that I'll get some playing in to retain the chops so to speak. I find after doign this I fall asleep a lot easier

[bombtek]

For me its either go play the go play one of my guitars and take out my frustrations that way or kill the person that has me amped up and have to go to jail....I choose the guitar ...its tough sometimes, but so far its always been guitar.

[markD]

I am in 3 bands that gig, and I do sessions, so I really don't have a choice. I still teach 7th grade English all day. honestly, I am running pretty close to empty right now. I consume a lot of 5 hour energy, but it's a lot of fun to constantly be stretching myself as a player.

[tomanyjacksons]

I work in a tire/mechanic shop all day, I'm motivated, just my hands hurt a lot by the time I get home. I hate it, but I like having a paycheck.

[BLOOD SPLATTER]

It comes and goes for me but I started a ritual back in 2012 that I always play guitar before going to bed regardless if I played earlier or not. I get up at 5am for work...so most of the time, some where around 9-9:30pm I got in my studio, kill the lights, light a candle play for an hour or 90 minutes unwinding before hitting the hay..this assures that I'll get some playing in to retain the chops so to speak. I find after doign this I fall asleep a lot easier

I HAVE to start doing that too!!

[pianoguyy]

But with no job - - meaning no set schedule, not unemployed - - that's not feasible for some.
One day this week i slept for ninety minutes and was up for 22 hours. The next day fell asleep on the couch at 8pm


if you can, routine is great. Routine becomes habit. Habit becomes addiction. Addiction becomes obsession.
That's why we have stalking laws. Stalking laws are why we have Facebook and gps tracking.
I'm sorry, what was the topic? I got lost for a minute.

[walshula]

I suggest keeping a guitar at arms length where ever you unwind at the end of the day. The site of a lonely guitar should be inspiration enough to muster up the motivation