anyone else playing a musical instrument? it has really been helping me

[[sw...]]

I grew up playing the piano but largely haven't played since high school, however, as I've become increasingly trapped in my house I've been brushing up old tunes and working on some others I never finished learning to begin with.

 

Playing the piano is honestly some of the only relief I get in a day.  I'd say I have generally been playing no less than an hour a day (though that may well be many scattered sittings added up throughout the day) for a month or so.  It engages me fully and I stop feeling sick and I use a part of my brain that I don't normally and is a mystery to me.  I don't know if it's just a pleasant and productive distraction or if there is a theraputic benefit to it, but now that it looks like I've worked my last day for a while I am taking up the piano full time.

 

Is anyone else experiencing a similiar benefit?

[[Be...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps. 

[[Ta...]]

I was learning guitar but it has been months now. I am trying to just do scales as I do find it cathartic. I need to build up the calluses on my left hand again ; )

On a similar note (ha-ha), I have started to do just quick little sketches. It forces me to sit quietly for a few minutes and focus on something other than how crappy I feel. I figure music and art may use different senses, but they both accomplish the same thing. Something positive, that is just for yourself.

-Tanya

[[cd...]]

I play bass, unfortunately not very well, but it has definitely helped to run through scales up and down the neck and play my own little grooves. When you start playing music I think it puts your mind in an altered state. It's an effective way to distract from the w/d symptoms, if only for a moment.

[[...]]

Hi:

 

I just had to look in to find out what instrument you play.  I don't play anything but I have begun to appreciate music for the first time in my life since I went through WD. 

 

ntw

[[sw...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps.   

 

I say go for it!  I mean, it's fun to do but the way I see it is that I can either have nothing to show for all this down time or I can have something to show for all this down time.  Well, getting off drugs definitely counts as something pretty major to show for it, actually!  But I guess I mean something tangible.  I'm going to be able to show of my piano playing for a long time.  At a minimum to myself, and maybe also to my friends and youtube. 

 

Btw, what kind of music did you play on your flute?  Jazz?  Classical?

[[wo...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps.   

 

I play (played) flute too.   Playing a musical instrument I think is a great idea. I may join you all in finding my sheet music and giving it a try. I had planned on learning to play guitar instead but maybe I will do both, especially because reading music is supposed to be dynamite for building up the brain.

[[sw...]]

I was learning guitar but it has been months now. I am trying to just do scales as I do find it cathartic. I need to build up the calluses on my left hand again ; )

On a similar note (ha-ha), I have started to do just quick little sketches. It forces me to sit quietly for a few minutes and focus on something other than how crappy I feel. I figure music and art may use different senses, but they both accomplish the same thing. Something positive, that is just for yourself.

-Tanya

 

If that is your art in your avatar it looks great!

[[sw...]]

I play bass, unfortunately not very well, but it has definitely helped to run through scales up and down the neck and play my own little grooves. When you start playing music I think it puts your mind in an altered state. It's an effective way to distract from the w/d symptoms, if only for a moment.

 

I agree, it's a different state.  TIt's a totally non-verbal part of the brain that is still speaking.

[[sw...]]

Hi:

 

I just had to look in to find out what instrument you play.  I don't play anything but I have begun to appreciate music for the first time in my life since I went through WD. 

 

ntw

 

I love listening to music more than anything, but there have been a lot of times during all of this where it's been too much to have music going for weeks at a time.  Am I glad that that's not the case now!

 

[[sw...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps.   

 

I play (played) flute too.   Playing a musical instrument I think is a great idea. I may join you all in finding my sheet music and giving it a try. I had planned on learning to play guitar instead but maybe I will do both, especially because reading music is supposed to be dynamite for building up the brain.

 

Right on, wonder woman!  I taught myself the guitar a while ago but have had time to mess with it in years.  If this keeps up I'm diving back in!  (Btw, for some instant gratification, forget the full fingered deal- power chords are you friends!  It's as easy as pie and you just keep your fingers in the same position as you slide them up and down the neck of the guitar.  You'll be able to roughly play a few simple things extremely quickly.)

[[wo...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps.   

 

I play (played) flute too.   Playing a musical instrument I think is a great idea. I may join you all in finding my sheet music and giving it a try. I had planned on learning to play guitar instead but maybe I will do both, especially because reading music is supposed to be dynamite for building up the brain.

 

Right on, wonder woman!  I taught myself the guitar a while ago but have had time to mess with it in years.  If this keeps up I'm diving back in!  (Btw, for some instant gratification, forget the full fingered deal- power chords are you friends!  It's as easy as pie and you just keep your fingers in the same position as you slide them up and down the neck of the guitar.  You'll be able to roughly play a few simple things extremely quickly.)

 

Thanks for the tip G !!! Really appreciate it!

[[sw...]]

I played the flute for 8 years and I would pick it up but I doubt I could run a single scale.  I used to be a writer but I can't think clearly enough to write.  I read your post about the piano and now I'm thinking it might be fun to pull out my old sheet music...

Hmmmm something to think about.  I know staying busy helps.   

 

I play (played) flute too.   Playing a musical instrument I think is a great idea. I may join you all in finding my sheet music and giving it a try. I had planned on learning to play guitar instead but maybe I will do both, especially because reading music is supposed to be dynamite for building up the brain.

 

Right on, wonder woman!  I taught myself the guitar a while ago but have had time to mess with it in years.  If this keeps up I'm diving back in!  (Btw, for some instant gratification, forget the full fingered deal- power chords are you friends!  It's as easy as pie and you just keep your fingers in the same position as you slide them up and down the neck of the guitar.  You'll be able to roughly play a few simple things extremely quickly.)

 

Thanks for the tip G !!! Really appreciate it!

 

ha, sure!  When I started teaching myself the guitar I bought a chord book and was painstakingly teaching myself the full fledged fingering.  It was so unrewarding because it takes so long getting from one chord to the next that I only stuck with it out of stubbornness.  Finally a rocknroller friend of mine showed me the power chord thing (similar to a bar chord except you're only using the first three strings) and I was playing simple songs within about 10 minutes.  ta da!  With excitement like that I started playing all the time because I was finally hearing myself play actual songs which was extremely rewarding!

[[dr...]]

I played guitar for 20 years but stopped due to bilateral tendonitis.  I have been sketching/drawing and painting seriously for the past three years as a replacement.  I had pretty much stopped when I got into my taper, but I have been really getting back into sketching/drawing over the past two weeks.  I've been breaking into new ground lately, and feels so good to have it back as my creative outlet.

 

Draftsman