🎸 Middle-Aged Guitarist Series 20: The Burnout After Cleanup Edition

Playing guitar is fun. But why is 'cleaning up' so exhausting?

Practicing guitar is,
actually, more physically demanding
in the tasks before and after than in the 'practice itself'.

I feel like when I was young,
I could handle 3 or 4 hours of rehearsal without a problem.

But in my 50s,
Practice → Wiring → Cleanup
out of these three steps,

the one that drains the most stamina is 'cleanup'.

It's not the practice.
It's not the technique.
It's not the muscle strength.

What defeats me is the cleanup.

■1. Before even starting practice, 30% of my energy is spent on wiring

To start practicing, there is work to be done first.

• Take out cables

• Find patch cables

• Untangle the instrument cables

• Plug in the pedalboard power supply

• Check the amp position

• Adjust the chair height

• Find the metronome (*goes missing every time)

30% of my stamina is already gone on this 'preparation'.

The moment I pick up the instrument, I'm already a little tired.

■2. Practice is fun. But the end is always in sight

Once I start practicing, I feel good.

• My fingers are moving well

• My form isn't bad today either

• The amp sounds great too

• I can remember phrases I used to play

However, somewhere in my heart, I'm thinking this:

"The 'cleanup' is coming after this..."

This shadow follows me the whole time, so I can't do a 'full-tension practice' like I did when I was young.
I can't do a 'full-tension practice' like I did when I was young.

■③ And then the fateful 'cleanup time' arrives

When I finish practicing, there is a
messy zone of cables spread out there.

Now, this is where the real work begins.

• The instrument cable gets tangled with other cables

• The patch cables are in a mysterious braided state

• The power cable is strangely long

• I'm debating whether to put the effect pedals back in their boxes

• The guitar stand won't fold up

• I suddenly notice the dust and it bothers me

I think this every single time while cleaning up.

"Why do guitarists have so much wiring?"

■④ The dull and heavy sport of 'coiling cables'

It was nothing when I was young, but in my 50s, I get out of breath just from coiling cables.
In my 50s, I get out of breath just from coiling cables.

• The kinks won't come out

• It unravels while I'm trying to coil it

• Even if I roll it up neatly, it's distorted by the next day

• My fingers cramp halfway through

Just coiling a single cable feels like some kind of niche sport.

■⑤ At the end of cleanup, only a 'mysterious sense of accomplishment' remains

Everything is put away, the room is back to normal, and
the moment I put the guitar back on the stand—

“...I did it.”

There's a sense of accomplishment. There's even a feeling of refreshment. It's more fulfilling than the practice itself now.

But at the same time, this also means the following:

“I can't... practice anymore...”

Stamina is at zero.

I've used up all my muscle and willpower.

■⑥ In the end, for a middle-aged guitarist, 'cleanup is part of the live show'

For a middle-aged guitarist,

• Practice = The main event

• Cleanup = The encore

• Coiling cables = Merchandise time

• Unplugging power = Load-out

All of it together is 'today's live show'.

The fact that packing up is more exhausting than the performance itself
hasn't changed a bit since my live house days.

The only difference is
that now I do it all by myself.

And by the time I'm finished, I'm drenched in sweat,
panting as I collapse into a chair.

That figure is now completely,

a roadie burned out from cleanup.

■⑦ Even so, tomorrow I'll take out the guitar again, pack it up, get tired, and smile

Even though packing up is this exhausting,
this middle-aged guitarist will take the guitar out again the next day.

It's tiring,
it's a hassle,
it drains all my stamina,
but in the end, I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

In the end—

playing guitar is just too much fun.

Whether it's cleaning up or dealing with cables,
it's all part of the 'joy of a hobby'.

This guy in his 50s is, once again today,
wrestling with cables as he picks up his guitar.

And then, he burns out from the cleanup.