Have you ever given up playing?

[UncleJam]

My tale is very similar to 12guage's story. I was gigging regularly, and making decent money. However, I found myself dreading having to do gigs, and had to force myself to show up at rehearsals. What had once been my life's passion had become a job. I was playing mainstream country, and I hated it, but it was that or not play out on a local level.

One day, I simply told the other guys in the band that they needed to find a replacement for me ASAP. I was only planning to take a break for a few months. That few months ended up being 6 years. After the second year I sold all of my gear, and didn't pick a lick.

A little better than a year ago, I stumbled across Harmony Central. I hung out in Cool Jam for a few months, and after reading all the threads about people playing, I started Jonsing for a guitar. I decided to get me an acoustic. I had always primarily played electric, but decided to reinvent myself and start with something different. I bought a Blue Ridge, BR-180 and took up playing old mountain music and fiddle standards. I've been back at it for a year now, and am starting to jam with other pickers, and I'm right back where I started. Having fun, and playing with a new found passion.

[Mikeo]

I may take a few days off here and there , but play pretty much every day, even if it's just for 1/2 and hour or so.

I'm 30 plus years into it too.

[kwakatak]

My tale is very similar to 12guage's story. I was gigging regularly, and making decent money. However, I found myself dreading having to do gigs, and had to force myself to show up at rehearsals. What had once been my life's passion had become a job. I was playing mainstream country, and I hated it, but it was that or not play out on a local level. One day, I simply told the other guys in the band that they needed to find a replacement for me ASAP. I was only planning to take a break for a few months. That few months ended up being 6 years. After the second year I sold all of my gear, and didn't pick a lick. A little better than a year ago, I stumbled across Harmony Central. I hung out in Cool Jam for a few months, and after reading all the threads about people playing, I started Jonsing for a guitar. I decided to get me an acoustic. I had always primarily played electric, but decided to reinvent myself and start with something different. I bought a Blue Ridge, BR-180 and took up playing old mountain music and fiddle standards. I've been back at it for a year now, and am starting to jam with other pickers, and I'm right back where I started. Having fun, and playing with a new found passion.

 

 

That's awesome! Have you found that there's an underground following for that type of music in your area? If so, do you think there's a market for it somehow?

 

I wonder if maybe what spoiled you off gigging - besides the type of music you were playing - was the schedule you had to keep. If you were to find a venue or two in your area that was receptive to your current repertoire and got maybe 2-3 gigs and 6-8 practices in a month do you think that it would get old like it used to be when you quit all those years ago?

[UncleJam]

That's awesome! Have you found that there's an underground following for that type of music in your area? If so, do you think there's a market for it somehow? I wonder if maybe what spoiled you off gigging - besides the type of music you were playing - was the schedule you had to keep. If you were to find a venue or two in your area that was receptive to your current repertoire and got maybe 2-3 gigs and 6-8 practices in a month do you think that it would get old like it used to be when you quit all those years ago?

 

 

This kind of music has been relatively popular here in theses parts for as long as I can remember. Many of the songs I am learning now, I started out trying to pick when I was a kid, more than 35 years ago. They continue to be mainstays at Bluegrass jams all over the country.

 

I'm not sure if I'll ever get back into gigging. I won't rule it out, but I am enjoying picking for the wife, my kids and jamming with other players from all over the US. Hell, I even jammed with a feller from Ireland at MerleFest, this past April. I plan on buying a resonator after the first of next year, and trying to learn something new.