Make me want to play guitar

[Mr_GoodBomb]

For a few years, I've played guitar less and less. Generally, I only really play guitar when I'm in a band, which includes writing and practicing, really. In the past two years or so, I haven't really been concerned with guitar, because... well, everyone {censored}ing plays it, and there's no real call for guitarists in a college town. I've started playing bass in two bands, and that's fun, but I still love guitars, the actual objects, I like buying and selling them, rebuilding them, modding them, etc. But I don't play them a lot. I'm almost 25, and at this point, I either know dudes who play who are in good bands already and have a reason to keep at it because they're in good bands who have potential, or they're... well, not being realistic, expecting to go somewhere with music when that's highly unlikely, and they're not doing anything worthwhile yet. Compounded with that is the fact that I don't listen to music much anymore, either. I find most new music to be either pretentiously and deliberately weird or just awful, as with most pop rock and radio music. When I find stuff I want to learn or play long to, it's either too easy or too difficult to be fun. I dunno, it just feels like a rut. I could use some new, good music recommendations and advice.

 

Thanks a lot, guys. I know everyone here has that passion and drive, and I just would appreciate some pleasant words.

[Mike Fiasco]

There's tons and tons of music out there. I think you just have to find a song or band that makes you say, "beautiful song, I want to play it". I go off and on about playing, and the thing that makes me want to play is learning that song I like so much.

[kayd_mon]

I got in a rut a few years ago. I wasn't in a band, and I thought about quitting. Rather than doing that, I took out my multi-track recorder and wrote/recorded a bunch of acoustic stuff. I got excited about what I had, and I branched out to electric stuff. I started writing what I wanted to hear. Fast forward to now, and I've hooked up with a great bassist and great drummer, and now I have a library of originals to use. We're just getting started, but we have connections in our area, and it's artistically fulfilling for me andthe other guys (if you can excuse me for being pretentious enough to say that, haha).

 

Anyway, remember what you enjoyed so much in the first place and go with it. I recharged myself by putting my electric down and going acoustic for a while.

 

For music recommendations, I've been listening to a lot of Porcupine Tree, The Decemberists, Oasis, John Scofield, Andy McKee, and Spock's Beard, among many others. Not sure if you'd dig any of those bands/players, but I like them.

[photon9]

I can't imagine not playing guitar so not really sure how to help you. Maybe you should force yourself to not play it for X amount of time. I've done that when I'm in a rut and I literally can't wait to play it by the end of it. For me X = 2 weeks. I was dying to get back to playing after that much arbitrarily forced time off.

Also I could give a {censored} if I'm in a band, or playing out, or feel I have the potential to make it. I just love to play plain and simple. As long as I have a guitar and two hands no one can ever take that away from me.

[cratz2]

Wow... after reading that post, maybe you should just jump off a bridge.

 

 

No seriously... DON'T jump off a bridge.

 

I went through a funk for a number of years. I started on classical then quickly went to surf, classic rock, hard rock, metal, punk... then just sort of fell away from it. I got down to just a nylon string and worked on classical stuff and very lightly got into jazz but mostly I started playing along with vocal lines or horn lines... my goal was to be able to put as much feeling and subtle details in as possible which you can certainly do playing 'guitar parts' but a lot of times, you sort of get away from those subtleties when trying to over-complicate things if that makes any sense.

 

Now I'm back to being pretty uninspired. I've been working on bass as well and I think if I were to find myself in a band next week, I'd either want to play bass or strictly rhythm guitar.

 

Don't know what to tell ya, brah... I think I'd grab a genre that you've never worked on and dive in head first... just see where it goes. Maybe nowhere, but maybe somewhere positive. Or maybe try the playing along with vocal parts. I think that works on several aspects of your playing... phrasing is a big one, feeling for sure, ear training and visualizing what your ears hear and translating that to the fretboard.

 

[mistersully]

how are you for amps?

a really sweet amp makes me want to play guitar

[sk8centilli]

It took me dropping all self-imposed musical barriers to really enjoy it. I used to be such a music snob it was ridiculous. Nowadays, I'm happy to listen to Christian, pop, country, jazz, rap-rock and others along with my staples of bubblegum punk, oldies (50's - 60's), rock 'n roll, etc. So long as I can find a hook or a rhythm that I like, I'm good.

[dcindc]

insert bourbon


That is all.

[mrbrown49]

I can't watch this clip and not want to play.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPAbjNT7nQY

[Doctor49]

For a few years, I've played guitar less and less. Generally, I only really play guitar when I'm in a band, which includes writing and practicing, really. In the past two years or so, I haven't really been concerned with guitar, because... well, everyone {censored}ing plays it, and there's no real call for guitarists in a college town. I've started playing bass in two bands, and that's fun, but I still love guitars, the actual objects, I like buying and selling them, rebuilding them, modding them, etc. But I don't play them a lot. I'm almost 25, and at this point, I either know dudes who play who are in good bands already and have a reason to keep at it because they're in good bands who have potential, or they're... well, not being realistic, expecting to go somewhere with music when that's highly unlikely, and they're not doing anything worthwhile yet. Compounded with that is the fact that I don't listen to music much anymore, either. I find most new music to be either pretentiously and deliberately weird or just awful, as with most pop rock and radio music. When I find stuff I want to learn or play long to, it's either too easy or too difficult to be fun. I dunno, it just feels like a rut. I could use some new, good music recommendations and advice. Thanks a lot, guys. I know everyone here has that passion and drive, and I just would appreciate some pleasant words.

 

 

Sounds like you painted yourself into a corner with your musical preferences. If you cannot relax and just listen to anything without condemning it, maybe you should just forget music until something happens to change your mindset.

 

Music to play along with or learn is not all too easy or too difficult - you just haven't got the right frame of mind to deal with it.

 

 

Above all it sounds as if you just plain don't enjoy it.

 

So find another hobby.

Maybe later the music world will meet your expectations better.

There's plenty of time.

[akaiser77]

For a few years, I've played guitar less and less. Generally, I only really play guitar when I'm in a band, which includes writing and practicing, really. In the past two years or so, I haven't really been concerned with guitar, because... well, everyone {censored}ing plays it, and there's no real call for guitarists in a college town. I've started playing bass in two bands, and that's fun, but I still love guitars, the actual objects, I like buying and selling them, rebuilding them, modding them, etc. But I don't play them a lot. I'm almost 25, and at this point, I either know dudes who play who are in good bands already and have a reason to keep at it because they're in good bands who have potential, or they're... well, not being realistic, expecting to go somewhere with music when that's highly unlikely, and they're not doing anything worthwhile yet. Compounded with that is the fact that I don't listen to music much anymore, either. I find most new music to be either pretentiously and deliberately weird or just awful, as with most pop rock and radio music. When I find stuff I want to learn or play long to, it's either too easy or too difficult to be fun. I dunno, it just feels like a rut. I could use some new, good music recommendations and advice. Thanks a lot, guys. I know everyone here has that passion and drive, and I just would appreciate some pleasant words.

 

 

Taking up multiple instruments is the best way I know to avoid musical boredom. Keep the guitar in your musical arsenal, but explore other things, too. Chances are you'll want to come back to it sometime down the road.

 

There are times when I don't touch the bass or piano or months because I'm playing guitar or drums all the time. Then I spend another six months playing nothing but bass and piano. I helps keep me interested (ie, challenged), musically.

 

AK

[docjeffrey]

Challenge yourself to learn a difficult song note for note, start to finish. Maybe a style that you don't normally play. Or not. Whatever. I love playing for myself and experimenting with my gear.

 

Or, get up at 3 am. Set up your Marshall 100 watt stack in your driveway and give your neighborhood an impromptu concert before the cops show up. Pyro would be a nice touch too.

[DaleH]

Just pack it in.
When you hit your mid 40s you will realize how enjoying and relaxing it is to have a little time to yourself to play and you may pick it up again.

[guitahax]

Sometimes playing guitar sucks and sometimes it's the most fun thing in the world. That 'passion and drive' you're talking about isn't always a 24/7 thing. Everybody gets burned out. Take a break for awhile. You might appreciate it more when you come back.