What to do while traveling without guitar?

Hi,

I will be taking a trip to Europe for 10 days and won't be able to bring my guitar. I don't want to lose all that time not doing anything guitar related, so I am looking for ideas of ways to learn or practice sans guitar.

Thanks,
FB

If you have any type of portable music storage/play back machine to listen to your fav music have that along. Play an imaginary guitar. Maybe not to the extent of an "air guitar". Unless your into exhibitionism. You can opt for a travel guitar. Or check into rentals.
Oh yeah, study your theory.

A 10 day break from guitar practice is not going to put you behind... it might even be good, gives your brain a chance to process what you've been working on. I'd say just take your trip, enjoy it, and look forward to guitar upon your return.

That does work..

Yes, a break does you good sometimes. I've experienced what Slipin is talking about - where you don't touch the guitar for a week or so and when you finally pick it up, things you were struggling with suddenly come easier to you.

I take times like this as an opportunity to read bios of some of my favorite musicians, read up on some theory, or just enjoy listening to music!

What Slippin said AND study theory. I'm going to my doctor here in about an hour. Not exactly a European vacation! but I'm taking some 3x5 cards with scales and studying them in the waiting area while I wait.

Music theory...there's a whole bunch of books out there as well as the internet that you can study up on.

Collect music...locate lyrics/tabs/etc. of songs you want to learn. If you don't want to print 'em out on your trip, email the links to yourself.

Take a trip through Guitar Tricks...see what's available and what you'd like to tackle next. I always like to take a listen to new lessons before I actually sit down to start 'em.

Surf through the internet...there's tons of other (often free) lessons out there, other forums and blogs, and stores for toys. I discover ones new to me almost weekly.

Check out streaming radio stations and podcasts...sample new genres, find stations or podcasts playing music you'll never get to hear on 99.9% of terrestrial radio. (start with montanaradiocafe.org ;) )

Check out European TV...there's a bunch of music programming.

Hit the music stores...take a look at the guitars manufactured over there.

Drop in and say 'Howdy' to Justin ( Justinguitar.com ). :D

Hi,

Maybe try one of these, and good luck!

Planet Waves VariGrip Hand Exerciser

As mentioned 10 days off may be a good thing for your mind to get to work on things in the back ground, but your finger callus will suffer. Take a pic with you and press it in your finger tips and move it as a string would. If your left hand thumb nail is a little long it can be used in stead of a pic.

Even 5-10 minutes a day while waiting for a meal will help and make playing less painful when you return.

what i suggest is study all the notes on the fret board,u dont need a guitar to do that at all...u can wright them all down on paper make flash cards and like i do all the time run them in ur head 6st /8th fr.quickly if you had to think u have to study.....have fun...
hey how ya doin slip,maggior.

Sorry...don't mean to hijack this thread.

Axe - doing well. Tried to send you a PM, but you that feature disabled. Long story short...getting a PRS. Send me a PM for details :-).

Back to the thread...

Going over theory stuff is a great idea. The only problem is that without the instrument in your hand, you can only get so far with that. I find a lot of theory makes sense as I read it, but it's a lot of work to sort it out on the guitar itself.

For that reason, I use opportunites like this more for insperation. Some of that could be reading up on a theory topic to get inspired by it to dig deeper...like modes :-). I also like to search tabs online, think of new songs I'd like to learn. Maybe branch out into other genres and see what's possible. For instance, I found tabs on "Take 5" and "So What" for the guitar. Those are 2 of my all time favorite jazz tunes and it would be really cool to play those on guitar. It's been done already many times so I certainly wouldn't be the first...but you get the idea.

Yeah that sounds great jazz is cool stuff...
And as for this thread,maybe just enjoy ur vacation.ur guitar will still be right were u left it....or exp,when i couldnt play because i was in the hospital ,i took that time to go over all the theory i had learned and started to draw guitar diagrams and placeing all the notes on it.for me i did allot of memorizing were notes are on the FB....
MOST IMPORTANT TOO KNOW....

Originally Posted by: axe2...maybe just enjoy ur vacation.ur guitar will still be right were u left it....

Yeah, I wasn't sure if FB was talking about a mandatory trip for work etc, or a vacation. If someone finds themselves away from their guitar a lot due to work related travel, there are some good options out there, like travel guitars and small, battery operated "beat boxes" like Korg's Mini Pandora or BOSS's BR80.

But if you're going on a vacation, I personally think its better just to take a complete break and take in the adventure. Writers, painters, and poets through the centuries have travelled for inspiration. Speaking for myself, some music ideas I came up with were a direct result of a great weekend spent on the Oregon Coast surrounded by beautiful scenery. Having your head down constantly, either looking at your guitar, looking at your computer screen, or wading through books on theory is not going to do much to connect you emotionally to your guitar. Practice & study is great, but don't forget to come up for air and check in with the real world from time to time. After all, that's where most of the great music ideas come from.

Couldn't of said it any better slip.

The reason you sometimes feel like you've gotten better after taking a break is because the muscles in your arm, wrist, and hand have had a chance to recover. If you play guitar everyday, your arm and hand are always fatigued whether you realize it or not. After I'm drilling speed exercises for an hour or two, and I try to hold my fretting hand open, sometimes I can't; and my fingers will start moving on their own, it's weird. But it's just fatigue. So like any work out, you want to schedule some recovery time, which is hard because playing is addicting!

~Rusty

So no more daily exercise!!! :D

I wish I could take a break. I literally can't put the guitar down for a whole day. I have withdrawals.

Hello Roody91 and everyone,

I'm Char in California and I agree with the others on using this time for theory. I find just listening to the instructors gives you a chance to hear and absorb what they are teaching. I've noticed a pattern with me, when I'm working on a lesson and I'm getting frustrated, I stop and take a brake for a day or two, and when I come back, all of a sudden I'm playing the lesson. So, enjoy your trip and listen to the music.

Don't people sell those mini fretboards? They have like 5 or six frets, no body or strings or anything, just for fingering nots on the road. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by: Mason BruceDon't people sell those mini fretboards? itshey have like 5 or six frets, no body or strings or anything, just for fingering nots on the road. Hope this helps.

Good idea, they due come with strings and up too the 12th fret.
I would like to get one one so when I shower or on the bowl I will be able to have a guitar to play.lol