Getting back

[jnorris765]

I've been playing on and off again for 17 years, I took lessons for about 2 years. I could probably step in and play rythm guitar in a cover band.

I played bass for about 7 years and I've done the whole cover original circuit.

Got married 2 kids later, you know the drill. I still play but I'm not doing my initial 30 mins a day.

I'm looking to start off again, I'd like to learn how to play some solos and learn some licks just for my own personal enjoyment. Not looking to play out again. So I'm looking to do a 30 minute ramp up to get back into shape. I never really learned how to solo over chord changes and what not, I'd like to make that a goal.

Any good guidelines or scheduling advice?

[Superhuman]

Had a very similar experience to you - used to play in a few bands, did lot of live when I was in school and college, travelled around and worked in Asia with no guitar for about 6 years then came home and got married and had kids. Only took up playing again about 4 years ago (seriously about 2 years ago) and I rarely get to play at all. Although I managed to become a better player than I ever was before though on much less practice time. I stopped playing runs and exercises because I don't have the time and I ignored theory becuase it takes the fun out my very limited playing time (about 4 hours per week if I am very lucky).
Basically I learned by thinking up a riff and recording it, then I imagine what I would like to hear over it as the ideal solo and just started working it out - it was tough at first but the more I did it this way the quicker it got so that now I can pretty much play what I hear in my head without having to work it out.
I already had a good grounding in technique but couldnt string a solo together until I started working this way. Of course you can do scales and exercises but I just did'nt have the time or inclination so I found myself learning the most by working out what wa in my head - helped me to relearn the fretboard in my own way and think outsid the box of standard scales and patterns. This method probably works best for guitarists who can already play a bit, have a good ear and have ZERO practice time. Best of all, this method kept me interested because every time I sat down I created a piece of music rather than just going through the motion of some practice drill - kept me wanting to come back for more.

[Geeetar4Life]

Basically, you just need to get back into the swing of things again, and be dicipline enough to practice 30 min. a day, or at least try to. But yeah, good luck with it.