i've been very displaced lately. spending more time at the ladyfriend's house means i'm away from my gear and my preferred practice space. sure, i brought a yamaha THR practice amp and a guitar and it's been working out, but it's not the same. my practice has suffered and i'm feeling fairly disconnected from the instrument. that's a bummer.

guitar practice space
a few years ago when i got serious about practice i had read a book on... well, practicing a musical instrument. i realized i didn't know how to practice and that was certainly a hurdle to get over if i was going to have any amount of success. in the book it said that you needed to have as little in your way to practice as possible, which seems obvious, but probably isn't. it means the guitar is out, the cables plugged in, the amp is ready to go, and practice materials are at the ready. this has worked bananas for me over the past several years. at most maybe i decide to use a different guitar one day and have to dig it out of a gig bag, but at the very least a guitar is ready to rock. 

this hasn't been the case lately. at my ladyfriend's there is some set up required. i can't (or at least don't want to... i dunno, i haven't pushed those boundaries yet) leave my stuff out and ready to go because it is her space. that's fine i can work with it but practicing does suffer. when i am practicing i find i can't relax and focus well enough to have a satisfying session. it feels like it's a make-do situation, and it is. 

i find only when i'm in my room at home with my materials out, my amp set up the way i like it, the pedals i want, and the guitar i want can i have the freedom and privacy to fully focus and immerse myself in playing. practicing an instrument is a very personal endeavor. it involves a lot of repetition, mistakes, experimentation, horrible noises, and occasionally something that sounds ok. for an outside listener this could get irritating real fast, and i'm very aware of that. i simply can't focus if i think my garbage playing is being heard loud and clear by anyone. it reminds me of riding trans-am and being far away from anyone and taking photos. knowing i was all alone i had the freedom and comfort to experiment as much as i wanted.