What can I do at work?

There are many different things you can do without a guitar in your hand. How about learn the notes on the fretboard?
Fretboard Trainer

You can also study up on theory!

There are many different things you can do without a guitar in your hand. How about learn the notes on the fretboard?
Fretboard Trainer

You can also study up on theory!

Absolutely! I've done a lot of reading while I'm at work. I've read the articles and lessons here. I've taken notes and printed out lessons, made Word documents of them and done all kinds of things. I've made cheat charts of scales, the fretboard, and so on. It saves me from doing it at home when I could be playing. One of the perks of my job. :D

Thanks for the replies! One of the perks of my job (I work in IT) is that its either feast or famine around here, so I definitely could get some reading done.

Maybe I will pick up that Noteboat theory book that seems to get such good reviews on this site.... I am really a noob at all things musical (beyond listening and enjoying of course) so learning about any aspect of it should be fun.

Thanks for the replies! One of the perks of my job (I work in IT) is that its either feast or famine around here, so I definitely could get some reading done.

Off topic... that's what I do. IBM AS/400 network. I try to look busy and important; my boss knows otherwise. And like you said, it's feast or famine. I can sit there for a month waiting for something to burp, or I can do an overnight putting a system back together again.

I've done a lot of sitting and playing at work while waiting on someone to come to me to present a patient they're seeing. Lately I haven't had lots of time to play, though. Sometimes I just pack it all back home without touching it. Better to have it and not need it than wish I had it and have left it at home!

A friend of mine at work was lamenting about not having enough time at home to practice. After us talking about he said he should bring his guitar to work and play for a while in his office during lunch time.

Thanks for the replies! One of the perks of my job (I work in IT) is that its either feast or famine around here, so I definitely could get some reading done.

Maybe I will pick up that Noteboat theory book that seems to get such good reviews on this site.... I am really a noob at all things musical (beyond listening and enjoying of course) so learning about any aspect of it should be fun.

I work in IT too, I like to use Fretboard Warrior as a trainer (Google and download). As Minotaur said, I bring my guitar and headphone amp to work then practice during lunch. Server rooms are great places for peace and quiet!

Well, drumming on the desk whilst waiting for Windoze to do anything worthwhile gets done to a p-a-m-i pattern which is what I need for tremelo, and I've noticed that my picking hand is about on the same level as a pocket of small change so I have been known to practice my rasgueados whilst waiting for the lift or the coffee machine.

A :-)

Hahaha yeah we're running a windows domain but use AS/400 for our ERP.

I have an office... with a door. I think an acoustic would be too loud but if (when!) I get an electric I can totally see me bringing it in hahaha.

I travel around with a laptop quite a bit and I was looking at something like this:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Vox-JamVOX-Guitar-Jam-and-Practice-Tool-105146310-i1425115.gc

You guys have any experience with software like that?

Our desktop and dot com environments are Windows, but the AS/400 runs our picking, distribution and routing. We run one partition on each of three AS/400s. One is production, one is a mirror of production (Vision Solutions) and the third is development. OK, geekiness satisfied... :D

I wish I had an office with a door. I have a cubicle. I would use the electric with my Pocket Rockit mini amp. We have conference rooms that are sometimes unused. With the lights down low, headphones on, and the door closed, it's practice Heaven. Hmm... :!: I'm going to tell my friend about the mini amp and using the conference rooms. Even unplugged we can still hear each other to play a bit. Where there is a will, there is a way!

This past summer I brought my acoustic into the office and played during lunchtime. Was great until I got sick of constantly worrying that someone was going to steal it from under my desk. Thinking back, I should have been using my Ovation. I would have been less stressed.

BTW..I'm a card carrying member of the geek squad. But since I'm a software development project manager, I suppose that makes me a sadist as well. :shock: (PMs are there to be blamed for everything that goes wrong but rarely, if ever, get the kudos when things go smooth)

If youre in management I say bring the guitar in and let her rip.

If your people perform well, play nicely. If they perform poorly, then its time for the "cat wailing / nails on chalk board" style of playing until performance improves.

Hahah.

I work in IT as well. I just keep a guitar on a stand in my office. Any time I'm waiting on something or during lunch I pick it up and goof for a bit.

The guy in the next office has actually bought himself a guitar since I started bringing it in. It's all about sharing the love!

hi mate
one of the best thing you can do is to drum and sing rhythms clapping your hands and tapping your foot. It may seem silly but believe me: if you can play a rhythm with your hands you can be sure that you'll be able to play it on your guitar too!
you can start simple i.e tapping regurarly your foot and clapping you hands like this

1,2,3 and,4 (the resulting rhythm would be ta,ta,ta-ta,ta, ta,ta,ta-ta,ta and so on)

or

1,2,3,4e (the resulting rhythm would be ta,ta,ta,ta-ta,ta,ta,ta,ta-ta and so on)

cheers

Matteo