Members kwakatak Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 I may just be sick of my guitars but I'm too overdrawn financially right now to do anything about it. I'm not about to start eating dog food over it, but a mortgage, car payments and high XMAS credit card bills will do that to you. Anyway, I've been playing for over 25 years and I've had a lot of guitars come and go. During that time I haven't have the best of acoustic guitars and have spent too much on the electric side of the fence. These past couple of years I've discovered that acoustic guitars CAN play as easily as my electrics. Maybe it's my ego but I started to believe that my guitars were holding me back. I felt this way several times in the past and it's usually followed by me falling out of love with playing guitar. I have gone through some real long dry spells where I didn't pick up a guitar much. The last one lasted about 5 years and I feel as if I'm headed toward another dry spell. What brought me out of it last time wasn't GAS, but getting a good setup on my old entry-level acoustic and discovering fingerstyle. This time I think it's gonna take a bit more - like finally easign that GAS and throwing myself into playing for more that my own personal enjoyment. I'm actually thinking of approaching my church's musical director and requesting to sit in with the P&W band - and I'm more of a wretch than a Bible-thumper. Has anyone else every felt this way? Someone talk me out of packing away my gear for another dry spell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cldplytkmn Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 i don't think anybody can talk you out of it... but its normal man... it comes and goes, i think it hits everybody every once in a while... you don't have to be learning something or accomplishing anything... play it just to play it... if its not fun then don't do it til it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KATMAN Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 Being interested is the first thing here. If you could find maybe a good concert to go to,or learn more interesting things on guitar like alterative tunings,maybe classical guitar. Like you,I spent way too much time trying to get my electric skills polished I forgot about the acoustic side of me. For motivation,I like to watch my favorite instrction video,I got Phil Keaggy's for acoustic guitar,man can this guy play.He does some interesting things on a acoustic. I also listen to acoustic drive praise and worship music,very soothing.This is what keeps me going. I don't know what else to say,except hang in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riffmeister Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 I know the feeling. Best way out for me was to play with other people. I'm in three bands now, attend a number of open mics with my guitar, and play in a flute-guitar duo. All but the last, btw, are electric gigs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members riffmeister Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 P.S. Find a teacher. Nothing like an imposed regimen to get you back into the groove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 Don't do it, man. A friend of mine decided to not play for a while. He was hit by an ice cream truck. Were these two things connected? Who knows? The point is, an ice cream truck may seem friendly, but it can kill you. But seriously... Don't do it. I haven't been playing long enough to have experienced dry spells of longer than two or three weeks. BUT... I do get to points where I feel my playing has become very stagnant, where I feel I am not improving, where I begin to bore myself. I actually find that GAS can be helpful as an impetus, just a little thing to keep me interested; HOWEVER, I'm with you on not having a freakin' dime; HOWEVER HOWEVER, even mini-gas is helpful, I find... Like experimenting with different strings... I find that when I throw some unfamiliar strings on one of my bitches, this small change makes me want to play everything I know (which takes about five minutes, but that is neither here nor there) to see how different everything may sound... And what Steve-O said: Play it just to play it. Even if you're not that inspired at the moment you open the case. Whatever you do, though, don't actually pack away your guitars. That's asking for a dry spell. Playing an instrument - and I'm biased here, but particularly an instrument as cool and infinite as the guitar - is a cool-ass, unique thing. You've invested a lot of time in it and I'm sure it's given you a lot. Don't shelve it. Shelf it? However you spell it, don't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sid langley Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 ignore your art for a day and it will ignore you for a week... someone once said that ... could have been me stop playing and will take a long long while just to get your muscle memory back just do scales and exercises to keep your fingers moving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dave W. Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 If I am getting lazy or disinterested I watch some videos, just listining to a CD does not do it for me, but watching players like Tommy Emmanuel, Pete Huttlinger, or Pat Donohue really wakes me up. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasmineTea Posted January 8, 2006 Members Share Posted January 8, 2006 Don't "pack it away". Leave it where you can get to it easily, preferably NOT in the case. If you have to keep it in the case, make sure there's easy access for right-now-guitar-playing. If it's accessable, you'll eventualy play it. Most likely the next time you hear a song that strikes your fancey. Speaking of witch, kwak, it's about music. Does'nt matter what kind of guitar you have. Just music. Make up a song. Home cooking is always the best. I suppose joining the P&W would keep you playing. You'd learn some new songs. I played bass in a large gospel choire band for a few years. Learned lots of hymns. It's fun to convert hymns to fingerstyle. Especialy the old ones. "Rock Of Ages" is a gem of a song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted January 9, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 I suppose you're right. It just seems like everything I touch lately turns to {censored}. It's put me in a bad mood lately which has probably been apparant in some recent posts. I thought I had a handle on it, but apparantly not. FWIW I don't feel nearly as bad today though, so hopefully it's just temporary. This morning I got the guts to pick up the Takamine at the kitchen table and belt out a few songs while my 2 year-old played at my feet. My singing is rusty and I don't strum much anymore, but I dug out a black Dunlop I found in my pocket and proceeded to wail and howl out "Pride and Joy", "All Along the Watchtower" and "Wild World". Well, my little boy (he's almost 2) stopped playing with his cars and trucks and with a smile on his face ran into the other room to fetch his own little toy guitar. Before I knew it he had the guitar at my feet and was picking away. The kid can barely talk and here I was having a jam session with him! Life is good, I just don't always notice it. I have to admit that sometimes I do indeed have my head up my ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tom A Posted January 9, 2006 Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 Sounds like you're on the right track now! Playing with and for other people is a wondrous thing. I'll bet the P&W group would be happy to have you sit in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackwatch Posted January 9, 2006 Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 You've played for 25 years, don't worry about it. Put them away for a while and when you come back you'll be fresh. If you'd only been playing for 6 months and said this you could be worried, but it's in your blood, you won't quit, but you will miss it after a while and when you pick them up again it will feel great........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members desiderium Posted January 9, 2006 Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 I'll be honest... I've been playing guitar for about 11 years, piano and singing for 19, plus drums, trumpet, bass, flute, saxophone and french horn. I've spent nearly my whole life playing music. But there are times I won't touch a guitar for weeks. Hell, for the past two weeks I haven't even sat down at the piano. it's not that I don't love it... I never stop LISTENING to music, but sometimes a break does wonders. I'll sit down at my guitar or my piano and my creative juice begins to flow and flow. my technique may have fallen a bit behind, but that can be brought back to speed. maybe you need a break for you to carry on... there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted January 9, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 Make up a song. Home cooking is always the best. FWIW, I've been trying my hand at composing but it's been hit or miss for me. I should probably spend more time cleaning up my technique which can sometimes be downright horrible to my ears. Here's a couple of recordings of two ideas that I've been fiddling with for months now: Moody Arabic DADGAD piece with some banging on the guitar Chicken-picking alternating bass folk/blues song Sorry for the bad tempo, tuning and technique. I've been putting a lot of effort into calming down in front of the microphone but it's harder to actually get decent recording quality sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JasmineTea Posted January 9, 2006 Members Share Posted January 9, 2006 Originally posted by kwakatak FWIW, I've been trying my hand at composing but it's been hit or miss for me. I should probably spend more time cleaning up my technique which can sometimes be downright horrible to my ears. You don't have to do just one or the other. Here's what works for me: Say I come up with a new song. I then put all my effoert into perfecting that song; figuring out how to arrange it best; work out the tricky f/p parts; invent a bridge, an intro and an outro; find the best way to connect this part to that. There's lots to do. And when you get done, you get to play the whole thing a few hundred more times in order to fine tune it. It's all fun. So I guess my point is, don't worry about technique, and how your old songs should sound. Make up a new one that works great with the technique you have. Along the way you'll teach yourself a new trick. Originally posted by kwakatak I've been putting a lot of effort into calming down in front of the microphone but it's harder to actually get decent recording quality sometimes. Two things: 1) You don't have to play your recordings for anyone. You can make them just for you. 2) The more you play while it's running, the less you notice it. Who cares if you make a mistake? So what. Listen to some Beatles bootlegs, they sound horible. You're in good company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tony Burns Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 It seems like everyone of these ideas is a super one , I'm just getting back to playing again myself- stopped for about 2 years-- seems i wasnt progressing just spinning in a circle with my style and abilities - went to some of those tab and chord sites to get some new tunes- and bought a new Martin on Oct --I also looked at some of my older instruments - one being a Guild i had in storage-- i found by changing its bridge saddle from plastic to bone I made the guitar better sounding than it ever was . I know you mentioned being tight for dough ( honestly i went into hock for my OM-28v - also had to trade a Ovation I had to make it more affordable ) Getting something different to play ( thats a quality Instrument ) will help give you back the excitement , and being able to progress in your abilities-( music theory or lesson books are an idea )- I also recently decided to build my own Guitar ( an OM style ) which is another avenue for some , Ive always wanted to play my own songs on a guitar Ive built - I wish you well my friend - remember your not the only own whos going threw this - us old farts have to stick together ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flip333 Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 After years and years of teaching myself, I finally got an instructor two years ago. I have learned things that I was not aware of, in addition to some things that I just could not quite get on my own. I also started recording myself. That helps improve my weak spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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