Members nuke_diver Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Lately I've had more and more trouble getting motivated to play. I seem to be in a rut, can't think of new stuff to write and can't find pleasure in what I do play. I'm playing the same amount and I just had a week off so I would have thought that if I needed a break that would have done it. Further I seem to be playing worse now (I know hard to believe) than I was a few months ago. I need something to get me motivated again... Come on HCEG give me some ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gas Hed Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Two suggestions - go and see a live performance or three. That usually does a lot to motivate me. Final suggestion - take a lot of time off. For anything in life, I find that when I'm tired of it, taking a long break awy from it (many months) works wonders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members turdadactyl Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Playing guitar is supposed to be fun. If you aren't motivated and can't find motivation, you should just put it down. When/if you start wanting it again, you'll pick it back up. I've been playing drums for 25 years. I just quit my band in June after playing regularly 1-2 shows a week plus rehearsals. I've played drums 3 times since then. I play guitar every day. One of these days I'll wake up and go "god, I miss my drums!" Til then...I'm not worrying about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chuck1016 Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 I completely switch up what I'm playing from time to time. I'll play only slide for a day or two, I'll play bass (and play it like a bass, not like a guitar), I'll play mandolin, etc. The point is not to play a different instrument per se, it's to change the way I think about music. Playing blues licks on a bass sounds ridiculous so I have to stop that and think in a different direction. Bending notes on a mandolin...aint happenin, so I have to slide or play more staccato. If all goes well I stumble across something that sounds interesting and I follow it as far as I can. That takes me away from the same old stuff I always play and keeps me interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Do you have any way to record yourself? One of my biggest motivations is hearing the playback of stuff I've recorded....and getting feedback from what I've recorded both here and on other forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members benzem Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Lately I've had more and more trouble getting motivated to play. I seem to be in a rut, can't think of new stuff to write and can't find pleasure in what I do play. I'm playing the same amount and I just had a week off so I would have thought that if I needed a break that would have done it. Further I seem to be playing worse now (I know hard to believe) than I was a few months ago. I need something to get me motivated again... Come on HCEG give me some ideas I hear you. I will be interested in the suggestions.One thing that helps me tho is to play easy covers that I learned way back. This helps me get thru the warm up period and reminds me of why I play in the 1st place. Love of music, and great songs that made me want to play.This gets me playing then if I want to work on technique or composing, I am warmed up and in a better frame of mind.BT's help alot too. I check u2b's and search the new BT's. There is a constant stream of interesting stuff. And don't ignore one just 'cuz it's not your usual genre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scuzzo Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 been there nuke,, still kinda threre, all this gear an no motivation.. every thing i play seems to be a retread of what i have played before.. or just some half hearted fubby nothing thing..but it happens... what i like to do is either just put the thing down, walk away.. you will feel the urge to play again.. let it float till then.. or try some weird stuff you have not attemptedFunky stuff seem to pull me out of the drecks.. but reggae or some alternate tuning blues might cause inspiration.. its just the way it is... slumps suck but its all part of it.. mho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Guitar (I assume) is a hobby. If you can't get motivated or if it isn't fun, then it isn't. You can't make it happen. It's not something like school or work where you need to force yourself to keep effort/motivation up.For me, my interest goes thru waves, even on a week to week basis. This week, I've been really into it! Who knows why. Just step away for a few days and eventually your guitars will beckon you back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 write a song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orbm1 Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 write a song even better: write a song about your lack of motivation for playing the guitar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members artiem Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 Buy a new guitar! Seriously, I would guess everyone's been there before...have you considered taking lessons again? Perhaps find someone who can teach you a new musical style or technique, like jazz improvisation or fingerstyle or slide guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 I've been playing a long time. I still enjoy it, but I feel I've become stagnant. I don't gig. I'm not learning any new genre. I'm not really going anywhere. I've thought about taking lessons... actually on bass. I played bass for a year in HS jazz band and wouldn't mind getting back into it... mostly to learn to play bass like a bassist rather than a lead guitarist. I also like playing along with vocal lines. Helps with the subtleties... dynamics, phrasing, vibrato, bending and importantly, slowing down. And I've been playing along with songs on songsterr.com Usually something I used to know but have forgotten, or learning something new that's pretty easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 do you ever play in open tunings nuke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Deadbeat Son Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 I became rather disinterested with and burnt out on playing guitar, so I quit. I left my gigging band and stowed my guitars under the bed in the guestroom. I got back into it when I had some ideas for songs bouncing around in my head and needed to get them out. I got a group of musicians/friends together, and worked out those songs. I do enjoy playing with the new band, but I'm simply not interested in sitting at home and noodling around on the guitar anymore. My advice? Walk away and wait for the urge to come back; you can't force it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crisco Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 chug on over to mamby-pamby land and pickup some confidence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted January 6, 2011 Members Share Posted January 6, 2011 That is a good idea, open tunings (especially on acoustic - I always feel like acoustics sound awesome with all those open strings ringing and vibrating the top) can really open things up because all the familiar patterns and ruts you can fall into no longer exist. Nice change of pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nuke_diver Posted January 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 7, 2011 write a song I do try but most of the creativity has been sucked out of me have you considered taking lessons againI still take lessons and will bring this up with my instructor tonight do you ever play in open tunings nukeYeah Jkater has graciously gotten me on open C and DADGAD tunings and I've expanded DADGAD to mess around (badly) with Kashmir and Black Mountain Side chug on over to mamby-pamby land and pickup some confidence Seriously I suspect my motivation centres on the perceived lack of recent progress. I either can play what I can play or struggle to play something more difficult (the open C song is a good example) and can't see much improvement. It is possible I'm reaching my technical max as I started to be serious about this too late (about the time I joined the board in my mid 40's). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Misha Posted January 7, 2011 Members Share Posted January 7, 2011 I stumble upon this book yesterday: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/573467.Fretboard_Logic_SE It seems like a very good book! It picked my intererest!! There is a third volume too: http://www.amazon.ca/Fretboard-Logic-III-Bill-Edwards/dp/0962477028/ref=pd_sim_b_1 And today, I saw this other tool of interest, at least, for me: the Guitar Wheel Music Theory Study Reference Aid Edit: sorry, at first I didn't put the right video. This one is much better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted January 7, 2011 Members Share Posted January 7, 2011 Try a different genre from your normal comfort zone. Get a couple of songs nailed down good enough that you could do them in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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