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Author Topic: Breaking out of a rut in your playing  (Read 10703 times)

JacksonRR

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #15 on: April 14, 2011, 05:37:04 PM »
 :lol: Whoa, dude. It's cool. Wasn't like that. :lol:
I was just tryin to have a conversation. I didn't start this thread thinkin this was something only I go through or that everyone thinks about it in the same way.
For me it's just not as simple as you put it. A few people have mentioned things that get the mind going. Putting yourself in a scenario for discovery in addition to formulaic learning. I didn't say the standard methods you mentioned were bunk, or I don't or won't do them, just that it doesn't cover the whole thing. I explained myself better because you said you didn't see why this is so hard and that the solution should be common sense.

AndyR

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #16 on: April 14, 2011, 06:42:09 PM »
I'd agree with Frank about keyboards if you've got some. Ever since I picked up a guitar 30-odd years ago what I've really wanted to be is a piano player like Freddie Mercury!

A few years back I finally got some keyboards. I find it a real struggle playing them, but every time I do put any effort into it I discover it's done amazing stuff to my guitar playing.

Playing bass does the same thing to me. I'm a lot better at bass than piano, but I have to put a lot of work into creating bass parts - listening to the bass in songs that I like the effect they achieve, trying to get in the mind of the bassist figuring out how he/she fits the song. When I'm done with the bass part I was working on, and I pick up a guitar again, suddenly I can make the thing stand on its head.

But I'd also recommend the "taking a break and doing something else" option - put all the instruments down and catch up on the rest of the world. I really couldn't manage this years ago, I'd just obsess on music, getting frustrated, thinking I was cr@p (I wasn't, but I still thought I was).

If you feel like you're a slave to your guitar and music, that you "have" to do it otherwise you've wasted the day ... if it's driving you instead of the other way round... and then it accuses you of being repetitive and ineffective... then maybe try taking a break. Only needs to be a day or so for me. For example, I come home after work intending to do this or that on the guitar because I "must" and I've only an hour til the missus gets in, and then I look at the thing and think "sod it, you can wait..." and watch Eggheads or something instead. Next thing I know, a day or two later, I've been playing like a demon, written a song, maybe even recorded it, and I can't even remember feeling frustrated.

It comes and goes, I just accept it nowadays... The way I look at it, it's like making sure the guitars know who's the boss - me. They're like a bunch of children demanding my attention, which isn't always the best thing for me. But unlike real children, they're just lumps of wood and metal you can ignore without hurting their feelings!


It's different for different people though, the main thing is to find the way that works for you (and it helps having someone you trust, when you feel stuck in a rut, who says "well, it doesn't sound like it, I was enjoying that..." :lol:)
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musicmaker29

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2011, 04:41:28 PM »
use some bizarre tunings and learn songs that were written in these tunings - I find this takes the 'predictability' out of playing if im in a rut.

MDV

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2011, 07:49:35 PM »
:lol: Whoa, dude. It's cool. Wasn't like that. :lol:
I was just tryin to have a conversation. I didn't start this thread thinkin this was something only I go through or that everyone thinks about it in the same way.
For me it's just not as simple as you put it. A few people have mentioned things that get the mind going. Putting yourself in a scenario for discovery in addition to formulaic learning. I didn't say the standard methods you mentioned were bunk, or I don't or won't do them, just that it doesn't cover the whole thing. I explained myself better because you said you didn't see why this is so hard and that the solution should be common sense.

Okey dokey. I dont really go for the playing with other people thing because most people I've played with either suck, their playing bores the cr@p out of me, or they're going in very different directions than appeal to me, and when it comes to music and most especially my music, I become a tyrannical egomaniacal control freak and this simply will not do :lol: That and my day job leads me to encounter and work with different musicians all the time, and sometimes its very cool, sometimes I learn from it and it and the whole process of understanding their sound, influences and songs expands my own musical vocabulary, but mostly I dont want to be influenced by them and it irks me when something about what they played that I've now heard a thousand times drifts into my playing :lol:

But if you can find compatible musicians then that can be a very good thing. It just happens to me extremely rarely!

I'll second the keys/piano thing and add guitar pro or similar MIDI composition. As new gear can help with faclitating a vibe or style, taking the gear out completely can help a lot as well. A lot of guitar music relies on tone to the point where its a crutch for poor composition, imo. You take that crutch away and hear only the composition and your musicality can get a short sharp kick up the arse, and your playing benefits.

All of these, however, are just other ways to go about the 'learn new music' thing ;)

Oroficus

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #19 on: June 13, 2011, 11:23:44 PM »
Have a good Toke n Smoke, should help u play outside the box.
Did wonders for the Beatles when they went to India. And kept Bob Marley going for a very long time.
Oh sweet Mary Jane how I love you ect.

choucas09

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #20 on: June 14, 2011, 12:22:36 AM »
I just buy some dope.

Ratrod

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #21 on: June 14, 2011, 12:13:10 PM »
Go see a great band playing live.

Even if it's not your style of playing. You will get a kick out of it and you will get inspired by it.
BKP user since 2004: early 7K Blackguard 50

Roobubba

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #22 on: June 14, 2011, 05:23:27 PM »
Stuck in a big rut at the minute - trying to come up with new riffs and just getting nowhere.

I'll probably get depressed for a bit, make more-than-the-usual posts about how anyone with a telecaster is a w***er and eventually stumble upon some riff that I like, before it's put down by band mates.

Or something.

Transcend

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #23 on: June 14, 2011, 05:34:02 PM »
Stuck in a big rut at the minute - trying to come up with new riffs and just getting nowhere.

I'll probably get depressed for a bit, make more-than-the-usual posts about how anyone with a telecaster is a w***er and eventually stumble upon some riff that I like, before it's put down by band mates.

Or something.

Why not write a song about how gay telecasters are?

im sure that will influence some incredibly brutal riffage from you!

JacksonRR

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #24 on: June 14, 2011, 05:44:16 PM »
Here you go Roo. Inspiration for the Tele's are horrible song. I love this song and especially the performance, but Hal Lindes(I think) looks like a total fruitcake playing that tele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pa9x9fZBtY

Dmoney

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #25 on: June 14, 2011, 05:55:48 PM »
Roo.

not my thing. but I think it might be yours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSQnJkvLeAk

Ratrod

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #26 on: June 15, 2011, 12:13:20 PM »
Nothing for Roo here.

Completely outside of the box Tele playing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJtGY8uRNIw&playnext=1&list=PL790FAD85C2F8A63D

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HTH AMPS

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #27 on: June 15, 2011, 05:36:55 PM »
Stuck in a big rut at the minute - trying to come up with new riffs and just getting nowhere.

I'll probably get depressed for a bit, make more-than-the-usual posts about how anyone with a telecaster is a w***er and eventually stumble upon some riff that I like, before it's put down by band mates.

Or something.

Why not write a song about how gay telecasters are?

im sure that will influence some incredibly brutal riffage from you!

and play it on a Tele  :o

HTH AMPS

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #28 on: June 15, 2011, 05:44:47 PM »
Roo.

not my thing. but I think it might be yours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSQnJkvLeAk

good band, this one of their videos is better though... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suN1QWJMWQM&NR=1

it looks like a youth club training school for moshing.

also, wtf is with all this flinging your arms around now? - it really p*isses me off at metal gigs.  nothing wrong with a good old mosh pit, but getting repeatedly tw*ated in the face by flailing arms gets tiring very quickly.  no wonder there are always fights at gigs now.



Dmoney

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Re: Breaking out of a rut in your playing
« Reply #29 on: June 15, 2011, 05:51:46 PM »
that dancing stuff is old.
It's one of those things that just found its way into the mainstream. It goes way back really... maybe over 20 years now.
That band isn't really my thing.