I'm bored with guitar

DulcetJones

Lots of good advice so far, I've been playing off and on for (gulp) 40 years.   I've gone through spurts where I can't learn things fast enough, all the while playing in 2 or 3 different live bands at once to lulls where I didn't pick up a guitar for a couple of years.  Don't make it a stress trip, if you're not inspired take a break.  One day you will see or hear something that makes you want to grab the nearest guitar and go to work on it.  This has happened to me several times.  Different styles of music can be helpful, I started out like every other kid, playing rock but over the years I've studied and gigged as a classical player, learned a load of flamenco and accompanied flamenco dancers in a dance class and played bass off and on in bands.  My latest trip is writing and recording original spooky music using guitars, synths and computers.

proggy

If you've been trying to learn the same two songs for four years without much progression, may I suggest you forget those songs for a while and try a couple of different ones that might be easier for you to grasp. You can go back to them as you improve. You should also consider seeing a guitar teacher and finding out where you're going wrong.

Don't give up though, that's not the done thing. you'll get there.

DavidRees

take up knitting ...

xSkarloey

When I get p-ed off with electric I do a 'Ritchie Blackmore', unplug everything and go back to the acoustic.

If I get fed up of the acoustic I plug in again.


One thing guaranteed to  annoy me if trying to learn a piece and not feeling like I'm not making progress because I can't measure up to whoever played the tune first. 

So I write my own stuff. I have the germ of a project in mind at the mo that could see me very busy on my own stuff,  if it works. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that 'progress' or what feels like it can often be achieved by going in a different and fresh direction. 

Sassafras

Maybe only listen to really shit guitarists for a while.
That might give you a bit of confidence.
There's no shortage of appalling players on youtube.

Teetonetal

BRISTOL86 said:i

Nikko said:

BRISTOL86 said:

AllthegearNoidea said:

I have been in exactly the same position. Found @smogfalls as a teacher and my playing has improved more in 6 months than in years. A good teacher and a looper have worked wonders for me. Don't give up

I'd be interested to hear how you are using the looper as an improvement tool! As someone who never plays with others I feel it's something I should look at!

I also use a looper, and have found that it has helped me with my improvisation when 'noodling'. Its also helped me to understand how to actually structure a piece and improved my timing. Before I had one (and didn't use a metronome either), my practice lacked any real direction, and what I was doing didn't really seem particularly 'musical' to me.

Looper = good...

...innit

I know where you're coming from on the 'lacking direction' front. Though I've taken a positive step and signed back up for lessons. 

I've said to the tutor that I want to revisit some
absolute fundamentals because at the moment I feel like I'm tying to build fairly advanced stuff on top of crap foundations. 

When I'm on my own I'm drawn to tying to learn stuff that's well above my difficulty when there's some really basic things I can't do well, and it's basically all down to lack of discipline to knuckle down and work on things that will really benefit me rather than stuff that sounds cool. 

When you're paying £25 an hour you have more focus to actually do the necessary! 

Funny. I just stared charging one of my stdents 55 per hour. I felt he was wasting our time so I thought I'd charge him for it. I was upfront and he got it.

Since then he's made huge progress. More in 1 month than the previous year... he now has to justify the cost and it's motivated him. Wouldn't work for all though. 

Teetonetal

Should add told him I'd drop it when he does his first gig...

thomasross20

Stevepage said:

Get yourself in a band. I went through the same thing and as soon as I joined a band the 'fire' returned . Having a purpose to playing the guitar really helps you focus and remember why you play in the first place.

Oh God what have I done  

dogload

Stevepage said:

Get yourself in a band. I went through the same thing and as soon as I joined a band the 'fire' returned . Having a purpose to playing the guitar really helps you focus and remember why you play in the first place.

This. Although not necessarily easy if you're feeling anxious about your abilities. Maybe a band just forming rather than an established one... adding the process of learning tunes to developing playing as a unit together rather than on your own?

Another option is recording your music - try doing full compositions. I don't know if you already do this so sorry if I' stating the obvious! But it's a good thing to do...  start from the other end of a piece of music, starting with some drum patterns, a bass part, some keys (I often find that using a keyboard to come up with ideas brings out stuff I might not with guitar due to my awful keyboard playing) constructing it as a vehicle for your playing rather than just playing guitar as an end in itself. Does this make sense?

thomasross20

The end goal is definitely band or recording your own stuff, otherwise what's the point? I'm playing more acoustic now as we aim to do acoustic gigs but the only reason I'm not playing more electric is because all my time is spent doing drums and bass for an album, the guitars for which are already done.

breakstuff

You have my full sympathys @axisus,I feel exactly the same.I'm struggling to learn the most simple things and my playing has definitely gone backwards.I know it's lack of practice but finding the will to put the time in is a real stretch at the minute.I feel my guitars are wasted on me.

TonyR

I have been playing the guitar for over 30 years now. I'm a mediocre player at best having been pretty much self taught and never jammed with other musicians or guitarists unfortunately.

My lack of playing ability doesn't stop me enjoying the guitar, I have quite a nice collection and I love playing them all. 

I have to really work very hard to get anywhere but I do get there eventually. 

Something I find is if I'm struggling with a piece, I have a rest for a day or two, then go back to it and am amazed what it was I found so difficult!

I've also found having a keyboard to hand is handy for stuff like chord theory.

Don't give up heart, accept we can't all be virtuosos and just enjoy your guitar.

Evilmags

Honestly, get a coaching session with an inspirational teacher. @Clarky spent 6 hours showing me stuff amd making me thing properly about the instrument and I' m now shite in all real scales as well as pentatonic.  

TTBZ

Stevepage said:

Get yourself in a band. I went through the same thing and as soon as I joined a band the 'fire' returned . Having a purpose to playing the guitar really helps you focus and remember why you play in the first place.

This completely. Whilst i used to play all the time, nowadays I barely play if I'm not in a band and have a purpose.

I do sometimes get really bored of guitar though - have days where I think typical rock/lead guitar is the cheesiest sound going and go through some "anti solo" phases! Then again I'm not much a fan of the "guitar hero" type of flashy playing, for me Guthrie/Vai/Satch is the devil and not in a good way.

Troy

Sassafras said:

Maybe only listen to really shit guitarists for a while.
That might give you a bit of confidence.
There's no shortage of appalling players on youtube.

I didn't realised I had uploaded my video's onto YouTube, lol.

To keep in on topic, I'm currently on a break.

Sassafras

Get away from the repetitive misery of playing and just write some songs.
It's a lot more satisfying than endlessly practising the same thing over and over.
Or buy a banjo.

IvanMC

But try to get well-organised. Try to set clear goals, clear and attainable for you. Is it guitar what has got you bored? In my case I've started to loathe the job and social life. I mean, music has always been priority 1 in my life, and I went to a college of music, I've got 2 bands and I direct lots of energies into learning new things. But I get back home frazzled and that's when I pick up the guitar. And there's no time. The music world is massive and there's a lot to do. So, there's my free afternoon coming up when the girlfriend comes up with "mom's cooked some scrumptious dish for you" so I've got to write off MY own goals -again- for some more everlasting hours and on top of that I've got to say thanks. What I mean is your problem might go beyond the guitar field...

Col_Decker

As said above join or make a band. You'll learn more in 1 month with a band than in 1 year on your own. 

If youre in a band already then switch to bass. It'll make you approach songs you already know in a completely different manner, plus you'll discover 'the groove'.

pintspiller

Try playing bass-lines on your guitar. Then get a bass.

richardhomer

About 4 or 5 years ago, I'd more or less decided to quit playing; I rarely picked up a guitar - and when I did - it gave me no pleasure. Looking back, nothing did. I was profoundly depressed and suffering from all kinds of anxieties. I had no headspace left for music or playing - I was almost completely numb. Just getting up and earning a living was at the limits of my capabilities.

As I've slowly come out of this period - some on here will know the story as to how I ended up in such a state - my playing came back. I'm not great technically - but I can coax music out of a guitar. After 44 years of playing, I should probably be better than I am - but on a good day, the noise I make pleases me.

As I reach my Autumn years, I think I'm okay with that. The guitar gives me enough back to want to keep at it. I think that's all I can ask after almost a full lifetime together....