Keeping skills up while travelling

[HP246]

Catchy, popular music is really good for ear-training, in my opinion.

How much Island music can you listen to?

 

[trevcda]

Craigslist for where your going before and while your there and pawn shops when you get there. Pick up a beater instrument and leave it there if you have a place there or sell it back to the place you bought it. Or simply make some kids day (and possibly ruin his life forever!) and just hand it to him when you leave. Or donate it to a school or any number of other nice things you could do. You could also purchase something before you leave and break it down to fit in you luggage.

 

[Killing Floor]

I can't say I've ever tried but I've seen them.

 

[Killing Floor]

Or, just trying to be helpful:

 

[HP246]

I can't say I've ever tried but I've seen them.
View attachment 4129547

Looked at them. Don't even have enough room for one of those.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

I can't say I've ever tried but I've seen them.
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I know the guy who invented those, but I've never actually "played" one.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

Airplane, but dive gear will be taking up all the extra space.

Sounds like a vacation. Why not simply enjoy the trip and be present in the moment?

 

[HP246]

Sounds like a vacation. Why not simply enjoy the trip and be present in the moment?

A couple of reasons. First, playing is relaxing to me and fun. I don't look at it like a job, so maybe there is a difference there than some of the others here. Second, I started playing as physical therapy for an injury. It has helped immensely.

 

[Govner22]

There are apps that make it fun to memorize the fretboard. Fretboard Addict is one but there are others.

 

[devnulljp]

Kala UBass
But honestly, 2 weeks? You'll live.
Get an app to practice theory away fro the instrument maybe? I finally learned to read bass clef with an app on my phone.

 

[DylanB]

I know you’ve been consistent in your commitment to keep playing through your vacation. But just to emphasise what others have said...

I took a 10 day break from playing over Christmas for a number of reasons. Coming back, I had no issue re-establishing a practice routine. And frankly I was grateful for the opportunity, because the initial physical unfamiliarity I felt coming back (which goes away very quickly) was an opportunity to re-evaluate various bits of technique and put small changes in place.

It sounds like getting an instrument to play while you’re away will be difficult. If you don’t manage it, it’s ok.

 

[Lagado]

Put the phone away and do it in your head. Then start analyzing chord progressions in tunes for practice.

Interval recognition - Wikipedia

 

[Minus]

Rich Severson has a great CD/mp3 course called "Theory For Road". I listen to it while traveling.

Guitar College, the best thing that could happen to your guitar playing!

Tim

 

[ShawnG]

For a two week vacation, I’d probably just get by. But, I travel for a living and spend months in a hotel every year. Shortly after I started playing bass (last year) I spent a week in a hotel and couldn’t stand it that I had all of this free time to myself and no bass to practice on, so I got this:

Traveler TB-4P. I got mine NOS and it is, HANDS DOWN, the best $350 I’ve spent on bass gear. It goes everywhere with me.
It punches WAY above its weight as a bass. I recently strung mine with EB Cobalt Flats and I’d gig this bass in a New York minute. It sounds great and has a neck to die for.
Built in headphone amp (I use Koss PortaPros for travel) and an Aux In for iPhone. 36 inches (32 inch scale) and 6.5 lbs of awesome (and it takes standard length strings).
It gets more play than any other bass in my very nice lineup because it is just so darn handy and sounds great.
Every traveling bass player should have one!