• From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Topic: Practicing without a guitar

im travelling round the world for 6 months soon and cant wait however due to the fact i will be on the move a lot im being forced to leaving the guitar at home. Im relatively new (bout 4 to 6 months) at it and i know that even if i miss a day of practice everything seems so much harder and my big dread is returning home and having to start all over again so im looking for any tips you guys have on keeping hand muscles strong (i know about the tennis ball theory) and keeping them hard worked calluses. also i want to practice chord changes aswell as they seem to suffer the most when im without her but cant think of how. any help would be greatly appreciated.

cheers all

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Practicing without a guitar

<img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">


I was going to say, what a strange question but then i thought about it and it is not that strange really.


Hmm,

only thing I can think of is get a bit of wood or plastic that resembles a part of a fret board and draw where the strings should be.

Or buy yourself a wee travel guitar. A cheap one so you dont mind if it gets bashed about.then you can sytill play,practice and keep your fingers moving


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: Practicing without a guitar

How's about this?

No matter where you are in the world, no matter what city, go into the first music store you find and make out that you want to buy a new guitar. Sit for a while, have a wee practice and try out some great expensive guitars. Then when you're done just say you want to shop around a bit or that you've changed your mind and off you go.

Only trouble is you might find the guitar of your dreams at a bargain price and end up blowing all your cash. AAhhhh you only live once.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: Practicing without a guitar

How about carrying a Ukelele with you?  A travel guitar is also a great idea. 


If I was traveling the world, I would go to several guitar stores (or makers) and try practicing on their guitars to get different perspectives and feel.  You may, in turn, get more lessons on different styles of play (flamingo, classical, finger picking, etc.) 


Ok, I'm envious now!

  • From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Re: Practicing without a guitar

Im glad its not just me thats finding this a tough question.i do like the shop idea. travel guitar i did think of. i even almost brought a little kids one the other day. my main problem is ( and i know this is a little self concious)im still learning and am not the greatest. in fact im borderline rubbish. And i do know from previous experiance travelling that anybody carrying any form of guitar is expected to bust out a campfire classics on demand.At the moment im just leaving the cringeworthy listenning to friends and family until i get better. there not allowed to make cruel comments about my f chord. I know this is a tough post.Thanks for all the ideas so far. any more please keep em coming


cheers again

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • Registered: 2006-09-08
  • Posts: 13

Re: Practicing without a guitar

Yahama makes a smaller version of guitar called a guitalele. Sounds like a guitar but its a bit higher. Just a bit bigger than a violin and in Canada they are about $100. You should be able to find one in most large music stores. I have one and it works well. I got it because I was walking across Canada. Use nylons string though and use a g string instead of the d string.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool">

  • From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Re: Practicing without a guitar

anybody got any places or websites where i can buy this guitalele. preferalby somewhere based in the uk so i dont have to pay for shipping. just tried googling it and only one place has come up and that doesnt have an image or any description

love the sound of it though. cheers mate

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Practicing without a guitar

Found this link that has a photo - have not located UK link yet, but shall keep looking.

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • Registered: 2006-08-15
  • Posts: 80

Re: Practicing without a guitar

I'm also pretty new to the guitar and i agree that playing every day is important. I actually started playing the Ukelele first (February this year) before picking up the guitar in March-ish. I've found that playing both really helps me think about what I'm doing and the portability of the ukelele means I can take it to work with me. Like you I'm not great either and i really don't have a problem with being forced to play campfire music despite taking my ukelele everywhere. Mind you I'm helped in this by the fact that my singing stinks!


Bon Voyage.


Denzil.

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 14

Re: Practicing without a guitar

I don't travel the world...but for the past year have been traveling for work a week or two each month.  Even just being away from my guitar for 5 days at a time was a pain...literally and figuratively.  My fingers would hurt when I got back home from each trip...not to mention the fact that my progress was slow.


Earlier this year I bought an Escape, made by Traveler Guitar from the Guitar Center.  This little guitar has a typical acoustic guitar scale and has been on every trip with me since.  It's great.  I can listen with headphones, although it has enough natural resonance to make playing in the morning in a hotel room satisfying to me.  Plus, it's constructed pretty solidly and travels well in the overhead bin on a plane or on the floor in the backseat of my car. 


Again, at $350(US), it's a bit pricey...but looking back, it was <b>WELL worth every penny.</b>

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Practicing without a guitar

I was at Sam Ash music the other day helping my nephew pick out a bass an seen a practice neck. It was an octave with machine heads. I don't remember what brand but if your handy you can find a cheap neck and fashion a string holder on the body side to hold the strings making your own.


I just jumped on the Sam Ash website it is called a shreddneck. It sells for $44.95.

  • Registered: 2006-12-30
  • Posts: 1

Re: Practicing without a guitar

I feel your pain man! I have and idea that does not involve deceiving anyone and it would be cheap. I've never had the pleasure of being in the UK, but I assume they have music stores that are friendly and helpful also and in fact all over the world. Tell a local dealer your problem in an area you visit, ask them if you can pay a couple of bucks to practice on one of their used products for awhile. If they are anything like dealers in my area, they'll gladly help and probably for free. Music shops are great to hang out too! Be honest make new friends, it really really works! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: Practicing without a guitar

To Mengo1955; By the time you have payed a couple of bucks to practice you could buy a shreddneck. You would be able to practice (keep your fingers calloused and in shape) anytime of the day. If the music store is closed in the town your in no practice. Although it is a good idea!


Bootleger, <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_twisted.gif" border=0 alt="Twisted Evil">

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 14

Re: Practicing without a guitar

While the Shreddneck looks pretty cool and may have some value...I don't think I could force myself to spend much time with it.  My idea of practice involves both hands and my ears.  I can make tons of chords and can change between most of them quickly enough to keep up with most music...but for me, coordination of actions from both hands is essential practice, plus hearing that I haven't muffed the chords.

  • From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Re: Practicing without a guitar

well been in thailand 2 weeks now and decided to opt for the find a music shop approach. im quiet similar i do seem to play with my ears and lets face without hearing yourself sounding better it just doesnt seem worthwhile. plus the fact im a terribly low budget(all donations accepted!!) its seemed the ideal solution

One problem. I cannot for the life of me find a music shop anyway. anyone whos ever been to bangkok knows how difficult to get around and the traffic is just a joke so if anybody knows of a music shop particulaly round the konn san area in will be much appreciated cause all i can find are tuk tuks and boom boom everywhere.as a last ditch approch im giving some homeless guy outside my guesthouse money to let me play on his. a couple of weeks and he,ll be richer then me !!!

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • Registered: 2006-12-15
  • Posts: 2

Re: Practicing without a guitar

IF you're really that into it, I suggest buying, well I'm not sure what it's call. It's like the 3rd of the size of a guitar, but you plug headphones into it. It's small and travels well. I've always wanted one. Plus, you won't disturb anyone else.

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 27

Re: Practicing without a guitar

This is probly a bit over the top but if you have any sound recording equipment you could record notes/chords and things and play it back on a mp3 or CD player and then you will learn how to tune quite fast


rereading that it sounds alot worse then when i thought of it...but ill post my opinion anyway


Musicalmonkey


[Just saw your post on being in tialand....]

  • From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Re: Practicing without a guitar

just a quick sidnote cause i think this has pretty much ran its course but im now in a town called nha trang which is in south vietnam and ive found a bar called the zippo bar which has about 8 or 9 guitars hanging on the wall that anybody camn pick up and play with for no cost at all and an incredibly friendly owner who pretty much spends his day jamming with the tourist. plus for those that dare they do open mike every night. absolutly quality place and anybody whos in vietnam please look it up epsecially those like me who are missing the guitar

cheers to the lot of you

noise

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: Practicing without a guitar

The Zippo Bar - sounds like a great place, you have found a real gem.  Tell the owner he now has international exposure and that chordie users around the world are wishing he had a franchise in their hometown!  What is being played at the open mike?

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Re: Practicing without a guitar

to tell you the truth its mainly a lot of depressing crap by this regular american chap( sound bloke but can put an audience to slep in 10 mins) but the more people are there the better it sems to get. last night it was packed and there was a huge range of stuff from blues and jazz to the modern stuff like verve and razorlight even a bit of ocean colour scene which i thought theyd never heard of. the manager, like me is pretty new to the guitar but unlike me hes blody brilliant. i suppose some people just pick it up quickly. he mainly pumps out john lennon and other beatles classic but ive introduced him to the holloways and hes loving some of there stuff so maybe by the time i get back he'll be throwing them out. oh and his missus( whos french) makes a mean bowl of pho bo(noodle soup). guitars and pho bo. thats pretty much all you need for a good night

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar