How many times have you quit guitar?

[EllenGtrGrl]

Technically once, but considering I got my first guitar in 1969, when I was 6 years old (my grandpa, who was a luthier, made it for me), and I had nobody to teach how to play (grandpa wasn't into teaching, and became sick with cancer that eventually killed him, my uncle [who also played guitar] joined the Air Force, and neither of my parents were musicians [nor did they have the money for me to take guitar lessons]), I don't necessarily consider that quitting, so much as not really getting started with playing guitar.

I did finally get serious learning how to play guitar in early 1979, when I was 15. I have been playing ever since then (41 years and counting). There were times, where my playing time wasn't much do to other things going on in life (workload, etc.), but I've never seriously considered quitting playing guitar. Playing guitar has often helped me to get through (emotionally) the rough times in my life. I'll probably play until the day I die.

[stokes1971]

I started playing in 1967.Have played ever since.In 2013 I was in a motorcycle accident and mangled my left hand pretty good.Struggled for about 6 yrs to regain dexterity in my hand.Last year I bought an acoustic,first acoustic I have owned in over 30 yrs,was strictly an electric player all those years.A D'Angelico EX63 archtop.In the past year playing the acoustic I have made leaps and bounds in recovering some of my ability.So I figure I quit playing,not trying to play, for the last 6 yrs for the first and only time in my life.

[Boozehound]

Started when I was around 12 and am 37 now. I’ve never quit, but have definitely ebbed and flowed throughout the years!

[NevadaPic]

Never. Laid off for whatever reason for months on end though.

[grayback]

I was always interested in music, but never picked up an instrument. I retired in 2017 and my brother (long time guitar player) bought me a guitar chord book as a joke gift. I borrowed his spare guitar and started trying to figure it out. Now I have an acoustic and 2 electrics, take weekly lessons, and play with a local ensemble. I think I'm in this for keeps. Never too late to start.
A long answer, but I can’t quit yet. I just started!

[Ed66]

Once. I got a guitar for Christmas in the early 70's along with a couple of lesson books and a pitch pipe. I messed around with it for a few months but nothing ever clicked and it ended up over our garage. Fast forward 40 years and I started again - no quitting in site now

[whvick]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

1983. I woke up virtually paralysed.

Some time later in hospital they diagnosed a lymphatic sarcoidosis which effectively froze up every joint. I regained the ability to walk, well stagger, after about 6 months, and returned to work - far too early, as I was in significant pain for most of following ten years - very tiring and not conducive to performing well in a work situation.

The D35, my Dobro and mandolin were put up into the unheated, un-insulated attic for ten summers and winters.

As my mobility slowly improved my creative instincts were applied to photography, which was something I could do in private so my agonies need not be shared. I found an unused darkroom in my company's social club, joined a couple of clubs, entered competitions and exhibitions, and did very well.

In 1993 I saw a guitar in a local dealer and thought about my instruments again. My wife brought them down and they were in remarkably good condition.

i performed in public a few months later- a short "floor" spot" in a club that I had often performed with a bluegrass band as booked artists.
Within a year or two I was running the place.

I have been limited by illness of the past two years but am slowly getting back into it as long as my hands last out.

Way to go. I am impressed by people who overcome such things. Proud of you !

[whvick]

I have never really quit, but over the last 57 years there have been seasons where you could say I “ignored” my guitar.

[Humbucker]

Never quit, but took a 4-month break after my heart surgery in 2014. Been hard at it every day since I was 10 y/o in '67, after I was corrupted by the Rolling Stones. har-har

[fred4321]

Originally Posted by whvick

Way to go. I am impressed by people who overcome such things. Proud of you !

Second that.

[Neil K Walk]

I quit often; it’s healthy to take a break and come back to it when you feel drawn to it. It’s called “playing” for a reason. If it were work I’d be stressed about it. Play is about release and feeling refreshed.

That being said, I’ve had several breaks over the years followed by reunions and great progress. I quit twice when I was taking lessons because they felt like work. Each time I went back to a new teacher who made it all feel fresh again. My last teacher instilled the passion in me not by having me do exercises but by teaching me how to listen to music and recognize patterns like chord progressions and intervals within chords. He also taught me the pentatonic scale and how to “overlap” melodies over chords.

My next break came when I joined the Navy. Because of basic training I just didn’t have the time of opportunity to play. On our first liberty to the base’s enlisted men’s club they had guitars there we could check out. They weren’t anything special and the one I checked out to play for a couple of hours was awful but I had the best time in a long time playing between games of pool with my fellow recruits. After graduation, I made sure to bring a guitar along for my flight halfway around the world. During the journey I found myself on an auxiliary ship bound to rendevous with mind and somebody noticed my guitar. Soon after I found myself jamming with a couple of other guys I’d never met before - and haven’t seen since.

My last major break came after I graduated from college and was trying to get an “honest” job. I turned down a chance to join a friend’s band and moved across the state. I put the acoustic that had served me well through college in its case for several years. I had never felt so lost but then one day about 20 years ago something made me bring it out and I haven’t quit since.

[BallisticSquid]

My journey has been quite twisty and turney. I started playing since I was 13 and never really stopped, but there were very long stretches of barely playing. I always had a guitar around, though at times it had less than the 6 strings it was supposed to have .

I got serious and started taking lessons in my early 30's in 2000. That lasted a year. I got even more serious in 2013 by signing up for online lessons. Along the way I started playing in bands and gigging. After 5 years of gigging, I gave that up and started writing and recording.

I find myself seriously considering taking a break at this point. I've been in "this place" before and I've always been called back to the instrument somehow. Each time it happens though, it's worse. We'll see what calls me back this time around.

[bufflehead]

I never quit per se, but during the couple years I was working on my doctoral dissertation I played very little--only once or twice a month. My studies didn't allow the bandwidth for a hobby at that point, and I had to force myself actively not to get distracted.

[MyWifesHusband]

Oh my, one of my few regrets in life is that I didn't keep playing since starting at 15 years. Life got busy, I had spurts here and there when I would play, but nothing too steady. Then three years ago, at 57, I started again. I feel like I am racing the clock, but I am trying hard to make up some of that lost time.

[Rille]

One time. Started learning with Yousician, but it turned out to be too much of a computer game for me so I gave up. Restarted about two years later with Justinguitar and still going strong!

Peace