How much time per week do you play? (in the last month)

playing time in a week


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I'm really having a lot of fun with my ukulele and play it almost everyday (I think the newness factor helps; and probably the lock down).

My finger nails are trimmed all the way; and I can even feel calluses on the tips. I'm even beginning to practice (instead of just messing around).
 
My uking is way down without the group to bring it to. I don’t think my favorite has been out of its case since the last jam before lockdown. I’m picking one up occasionally to go through a Uketropolis lesson or to try to put together something for the Seasons, but music-wise I’ve been spending most of my time on piano and most of the rest on bass.
 
I don't have a set time, but just play as long as it feels right. With uke, that has usually been 30-60 minutes, but with guitar, I've gone several hours when the mood hits. I've been neglecting my guitars recently in favor of uke, so today I began working with a guitar more to knock off the rust. I like them both.
 
I practiced 3 to 4 hours daily until my late thirties and had to cut back due to gainful employment. However, I can still manage about 90 minutes most days and two hours on a good day. I actually play more than that—teaching, a few casuals and occasional tracking session—but that varies so much it's hard to estimate. To me, playing isn't as fun as focused practicing.
 
I come home from work and basically start playing, sometimes decompressing and sometimes working on arrangements, but on the weekends I play way more.
 
I'm an hour a day person. It isn't by design really and it has nothing to do with the pandemic. I just sit down, start wanking around with this or that scale and then I look on the mantle and the clock says an hour has gone by.
 
My New Years resolution was to learn the music and memorize the words to 12 songs I am familiar with, over the years, but never added to my song list. My list has grown by several more since. This has been fun and challenging, made easier by shelter in place.

So, to the question: Three to four hr week on piano, and around four hr on ukulele, maybe more. Perhaps an hour a week on mountain dulcimer. I spend a lot of time on harmonica, but mostly while driving to errands. Also practice harmonica with my strings. So, all together around a dozen hours a week. Fortunately, for me, memorizing words is the easy part. Can’t figure that in hours, except to say, “All the time.”

But sometimes the plans above go haywire. Wife leaves the house for a day with daughter, all chores done, and feeling good. Honestly, might focus on music for 8-10 hours, and wonder where the time went so fast. Growth days. I suspect most of you know exactly what I’m talking about.
 
Prior to the pandemic I was a 4-6 hour a week player, which included playing in two uke groups and at church. I retired at the same as the pandemic began. I assumed my playing time would increase a lot. Unfortunately my play time decreased. Not being able to play with & for others was difficult for me. The ukulele always made me so happy before the pandemic. After the stay home orders, it just reminded me of what I was missing. Little by little, I’ve found online Zoom groups to jam with, and live streamed uke festivals. One of my local groups is starting to meet outdoors in small numbers, and my church is exploring adding back music via Zoom. These things are helping me regain my joy. Just this morning I spent an hour working on new music.
 
My play time is way up this past couple months. I've been stuck in the house with a new uke that I just can't put down. I'm playing 2-3 hours a day.
 
I was playing 1 to 1 1/2 hours per day before the lock down.

When I got to work one morning to find the door locked and a note on the door that the business was now closed, (would have been nice if they had told me!), my first thought was - well, at least I'll have more time for music.

Turns out that I've been spending hours and hours on Zoom meetings instead, as there has been an attempt to figure out when/how/if either of the 2 businesses I work for could reopen.

One is back online, (kind of), and will resume in person in a month, if all goes according to plan. Seems to take a lot more time (with preparation for presentations, etc.) to do the online stuff.

Don't know if the other job will ever be back. The building it is in has already been cited as non-compliant, (I'm not surprised), so there are safety and legal concerns, aside from the financial hit that the business has had. But, I've still been involved in preparations just in case it can reopen.

So, my playing has taken a hit. I have had days where I've been able to play 1 1/2 hours, but would say that mostly I can only find time for 30 minutes on the majority of days, and some days, there just isn't time.

This isn't what I expected, but at least I've stayed healthy, so that's the priority. Everyone I know at least knows someone who has had COVID, if they themselves haven't had it, so I count myself as fortunate that I've stayed healthy.

But, I'm done with today's Zoom meeting, and everything else seems under control at the moment, so today will hopefully be a good day to get lots of playing time in!

I'm not taking part in the poll, since I'm not sure how to pick a choice. But, eventually, there will be the "new normal", as the saying goes, and hopefully, I'll get to regularly get my 1 1/2 hours in.

Throughout it all, ukulele has been a bright spot, for sure, though.
 
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