is guitar your "soul food"?

[Skip Ellis]

Maybe, once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away. But when I found out I could make $$$ doing it, that all went away. Now, I don't even think much about guitar unless I have a gig coming up and need to learn a tune - which is unfortunate because I have a new custom Brook coming in a week or so and need to get myself into a playing frame of mind. After doing this for 50+ years for money, I've already learned all the tunes I'm likely to want to play on a gig so need to expand my horizons and try to re-learn playing for myself so I'm struggling with DADGAD and CGDGCD.

[Bob Womack]

Ummm... uh...

An inexpensive Klon clone for the masses.

Bob

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by generalliamsayn

1) playing guitar
2) a long walk
3) writing fiction
4) a good workout
5) SCUBA diving

...these are the 5 things in life that can get me to a real 'zen state' (...skiing used to be on there till I wrecked my knee!).

I can relate to this as well, except for me 'writing fiction' is 'writing songs' and 'a good workout' is jogging. No SCUBA but some wonderful hiking.

[FrankHudson]

Yes.

It's mindfullness meditation too.

[Mark Hatcher]

Guitar is my soul! It isn't always food though, it's much more manic than that.

[Bridgepin]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Hi guys,

Had a couple of upsetting days and not surprisingly realized again while how restorative sitting down and playing the guitar was. Of course its not like a light switch but after a few songs the stressful thoughts start melting away especially if I'm playing something challenging. Its funny whenever I’m down my wife tells me to go play guitar so she can see the positive impact it has on me.

How about you guys?

I would have to agree, playing brings me a lot of pleasure for sure.

[Pdubs76]

Since getting back into playing three years ago, I feel much more content with life in general. Something about these instruments for sure.

[sayheyjeff]

Playing guitar is great on good days and an important part of the days that aren’t as good. Being retired and intermittently locked down for a large part of the last 2 years, guitar has been even more important to me, especially over the winter when locked down is most often in the house. Playing with a special few friends is similarly helpful. Our situation has not allowed that to happen for a couple of months, but hoping that will be able to start up again in a couple of weeks. Taking a good walk offers me similar benefits, and even taking a leisurely drive can too. I have really found driving for the animal rescue org I work with to be therapeutic and the little bit I have done for a organization in the area that is helping new refugees get settled to give me a boost in the same way.

Jeff

[Peter Z]

Absolutely, since more than 40 years and it got even much more important in the last years.
The only activity that fascinates me similarly is scuba diving, that I started 4 years ago at the age of 54 years. But there are just 10 dives a year while my guitar is with me almost every day. So, all in all nothing comes close.

[TBman]

Yes, without a doubt. When I was having trouble with my blood pressure at the end of 2019, a tweak of my meds and learning to relax made the problem go away. Playing the guitar a little more helped to make that happen.

[Tycobb73]

I don't know about soul food and I don't know about guitar only. Sometimes I actually feel a slave to it. I have to play. I need to play. And more instruments than guitar.

[Dru Edwards]

My favorite pedal, Bob. It's my "always on" pedal for my electrics. I back off the amp's gain a little bit and use the Soul Food with everything set to about noon.

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Ummm... uh...

An inexpensive Klon clone for the masses.

Bob

[sloar]

From my time in the Marines and 25 years at the fire department. The guitar has helped me relax and forget a few hours a day.

[JBCROTTY]

Great post - and absolutely. Playing guitar is a great way to reset your mind and clean out the anxiety and negativity we all get overwhelmed by from time to time. I also absolutely have to do a couple of backpacking trips into the mountains or forests a couple of times per year to get up into the wilderness and away from modern life. The Rockies, Sierras, or the deserts of Southwest Utah are mandatory mind-clearing destinations to recharge and remember how lucky we are to be alive and how wonderful this place we live is.

[catfish]

Originally Posted by generalliamsayn

1) playing guitar
2) a long walk

The first two are the same for me, only in reverse --
(1) a VERY long walk
(2) playing guitar