I'm bored with guitar

AustrianJohn

axisus said:

I'm bored with guitar. My playing is sh*te, zero progress, can't be assed to play or record videos, can't learn songs, I've been trying to learn the same two for about 4 years, turgid improv, zero theory knowledge. What the hell am I doing with guitars!?!?!?! I should sell them all and take up knitting.

Depends what you're trying (and failing) to learn. Perhaps the songs are too far beyond your current capabilities (been there), or maybe you don't practice enough (been there too). As several have said, joining a band is a great way to progress. I first played guitar about 45 years ago. Between 40 and 2 years ago my capabilities didn't change much. Then I joined a band, learned 20 tracks that were well outside my comfort zone (out of the 50 or so we tried). And wow!!! I feel that I've made a ton of progress, and I'm enjoying playing guitar. I'm not a big SRV fan, but today Mr Amazon brough me the CD and TAB music book for Texas Flood. I'll try a few tracks then suggest our band plays a couple of them (which forces me to learn to play them properly), then it suddenly gets easy (well, easier).

But if you decide to give up, I'll give you £100 for the Tele ;-)

skunkwerx

Sympathy from me too dude! 

What are the tracks you speak of? 
Maybe we can all help. 
Whats wrong with how you're playing them now? 
Is there uncertainty in what notes you should be playing for starters? 
Is it that you cant play it at the speed of the record, or just fuck up on certain notes, or does it have a particular bit in it that you struggle with? 

Maybe try forgetting those tracks youre struggling with for a couple weeks. 
Go to youtube, find a decent guitar lesson for a simple track you like, and learn it. Keep it simple. Get the confidence boost and see how it makes you feel having learnt something new! 
I recommend guitarlessons365 or justinguitar. 

For example, for me, there is a riff in the track 'master of puppets' by Metallica, that no matter how much I practice it, I can never do it. I can't even figure out where I'm fucking up! Its a riff that has you alternate between muted and non muted single notes and power chords, and fuckin' fast! 

I cant get certain notes to be palm muted no matter how much I practice. Even at lower tempos. The whole switching between muted and non muted across the e, a, and d strings just throws me. 

So i slowed it down, I'm talking real slow. I can play it like that, but as soon as I speed things up it all goes to pot. 
Not that I can play the rest of the song at full speed anyway!! 

It must be a combination of accuracy and speed and completely inconsistant palm muting points or hand angles. 
The same thing happens when I try cowboys from hell by pantera. 

I know your frustration. It annoys the shit out of me that I cant palm mute this one bloody note in the entire riff that I know should be heavily muted. I've played the riff til I'm sick of it, but improved at it 0%! 

So I changed the game up, learned 'mr jones' by counting crows! I suck at getting strumming exact to the record so I just fell into a strumming pattern that felt natural to me while also playing with the song and just getting the chord changes in the right place. 

It has an F barre chord in it, which I can't fully play. Nevermind, switched that out for an Fmaj7 which is as easy as C, then discovered a 'new' chord for me which turned out to be an Fmaj7/C. So that little discovery made me feel good too. 

So I know I have the ability to learn and play stuff. But that metallica and pantera riff still really pisses me off, but not as much because with practice, problem solving and analysis of what and where I'm going wrong, i know I'll get it.. someday.. 

Clarky

Evilmags said:

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.  

Mags is right..
find a teacher for regular lessons or one that will do a one off session to reignite the enthusiasm..
sometimes you just need a different perspective to help push through the rutts

SNAKEBITE

Inspiration comes from odd places.

Sometimes coming out of a dark place and being more hopeful is enough to spark the urge again, sometimes it's meeting other people or it just may be listening to a song that triggers off that spark.

I've been there, several times in fact. Sometimes it's just easier to not bother, but getting back into it can be rewarding.

I'm at that stage now where I play because I want to, not because I feel I have to or I have anything to prove (which is just as well really!).

close2u

You must seriously check out the structured learning course and lessons on justinguitar.com

Check that you have the basics all learned and no sloppy habits by looking at the Beginner's Course.

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-000-BeginnersCourse.php

Learn lots of songs at the appropriate skill level, I mean lots.

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BS-000-BeginnersSongbook.php

Consolidate:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-199-Consolidation.php

Set goals and have a decent practice schedule:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/PC-000-Practice.php

Move on to the Intermediate course:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/IM-000-IntermediateMethod.php

Then more songs:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/SB-000-GuitarSongBook.php

Then some Blues for lead playing and improve:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BL-400-EssentialBluesLeadGuitar.php

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BL-600-AllOverBluesLeadGuitar.php

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BL-500-BluesLicks.php

Then try some style modules.

Don't forget Transcribing

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TR-000-Transcribing.php

Technique:

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-000-Technique.php

This should take you some time and is not a race to finish.

57Deluxe

axisus said:

I'm bored with guitar. My playing is sh*te, zero progress, can't be assed to play or record videos, can't learn songs, I've been trying to learn the same two for about 4 years, turgid improv, zero theory knowledge. What the hell am I doing with guitars!?!?!?! I should sell them all and take up knitting. 

what a great idea!

http://www.mochimochiland.com/blogimages/katieboyette_guitar.jpg

Voxman

grungebob said:

dont let people pull the wool over your eyes, we all suffer the same from time to time

I've been playing guitar since I was 14 and I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that I thoroughly enjoy it and have never for a moment ever lost my enthusiasm for it.  I love playing live and although it's a chore sometimes to have to learn new stuff for the band that I'm not personally over-keen on to start with, there's always a sense of gratification when you've managed to get your head & fingers around something new and  t's amazing how you can grow to like stuff once you get into it and learn to play it.  

The two most recent songs I've learned are the Doors, 'Love me two times', and the RHCP's 'Dani California' - neither of which I'd ever have gravitated towards if it wasn't for the band.  

So, how do you stay fresh, keep your enjoyment and enthusiasm, and improve you're playing?  Well, I suppose that's the $64,000 question and it very much depends on the individual.  But the key word for me has to be 'fun' because if it genuinely stops being fun you'll find reasons not to play, not to practice, and your playing will deteriorate making it even less fun - i.e. you create ever-decreasing circles.  

So, for what it's worth my key tips are:

1. Budgets permitting try and find gear to play that really feels good in your hands and ears.  You don't need to spend a fortune, but if you are not getting on with a particular amp, guitar or pedals, it's going to deter you from playing.  If you have a guitar that sounds good, looks good and you WANT to pick up/plug into because it feels/sounds good then you'll be inspired and want to play.  
2. If you're struggling with an amp or MFX that's too complicated for you and you're spending too much time fiddling with it - get something simpler so you can concentrate on playing.
3. Try opening up your horizons and listening to lots of different types of music - there's so many connections between different genres that steal so much from each other.  Just because you're into metal or classic rock doesn't mean that you can't hear and learn some great stuff from a Country or jazz player - even if it's picking up a simple run or a nice few chords.
4. If you hear a riff or a lead progression that you really like, chances are there will be a vid on youtube that can help you to play it.  Don't worry about learning the whole song if it's only the riff you like - the key thing is to get the fun levels up and expand your guitar vocabulary.  It's a strange thing but the more you play, the more you realise how similar and familiar some riffs are.
5. Stretching yourself a little is good - over-stretching and over expecting to play something that is beyond your level at the moment can be downright deflating & disheartening - stick with things you can cope with and that you can enjoy.
6. Remember, it's not the amount of notes or how fast you play - it's way more important to play with feel.  For example, a classic rock track is Free's 'All Right Now'.  Technically, there's not a huge amount to the song - youtube vids will show you the right way to play it (especially the chords) and the lead solo is actually quite slow - so you can hear and pick out the notes.  But Paul Kossoff played it with great feel and he had a terrific vibrato.  So stuff like this can be terrific in building up playing technique and feel.  It will take time, but if you find a track that you really love and want to play then it's much better to have a go at that rather than something you're luke warm on.  

fretmeister

thomasross20 said:

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.

Plenty study music as an academic pleasure.

Classical musicians often never play anything they've written themselves.
There are lots of different reasons for wanting to play.

fretmeister

I found a big change in direction made me really want to play again.

I'd been playing rock and funk stuff for years and was getting bored. Then a few years ago my eldest spawn started to play clarinet and her books had piano accompaniment parts so I started to play the bass parts to help her out.

Then she joined the local kids music trust that has an orchestra, a jazz ensemble and plenty of others and was press-ganged into joining in by her clarinet teacher.

Not much rock or funk. Orchestral scores, old jazz, film themes, swing, big band. The christmas show has the usual number of old christmas songs, then sinatra stuff, and the Cantina tune from Star Wars.

My show-off chops have really diminished but I'm playing a far wider range and I'm really enjoying it.

It's also great that the trust rehearsals are on a Saturday morning and I don't have to do any of the organising for anything. I turn up and play. There are about 170 kids and adults across the different ensembles so really it doesn't matter if someone doesn't turn up, there are plenty of others who play the same instrument. None of the usual band crap to deal with.

ESBlonde

When I'm bored I talk to @slacker wife too! ;-)

I always think of guitar learning as a cyclic thing, one week you learn a whole song, the next week another etc. the after a couple of months you canm't seem to learn anything no matter how much time you put into it. My theory is that you are then cementing or polishing the techniques you have learned over preceeding weeks, you might not notice but I think thats what's happening.

Now these days I don't often learn a new song every week or even every month, but once in a while I might need to learn a dozen songs at short notice for a dep gig or a show, in those instances I can 'learn' the parts but until I have played them with the band a few times each they are a bit painting by numbers. All the notes are there in the right order but that zing/polish/flare is missing. Have you ever watched a star actor rehearse, they do the minimum and walk about with the script in hand. When the film or show takes place all those special elements come together and it's a different performance.

So don't be hard on yourself, you're not that unique, you might even be a hidden star so keep at it.

Ravenous

I'll buy your guitars. What have you got?

Seriously: if you want to give up guitar then just sell up and find something else.  Knitting?  Go for it. Girls are into it, it's cheaper and you're far less likely to hurt yourself on the strings.

Sassafras

Sounds like you could be suffering a bout of depression. I'd lay off guitar for a while and pay your GP a visit.
Some anti-depressants do actually work despite what people would have you think.

SimpleSimon

carlos said:

Get your guitar, put it the wrong way around on your lap, i.e. like a left-hander would use it. That's how good you were when you started! Now put it the right way around and that's your progress right there.

But he is left handed....

Sassafras

Whenever I get sick of guitar I'll often listen to some really old albums, the kind of stuff that first made me want to pick up a guitar. Sometimes works for me.

Ravenous

Spend one week playing slide, and nothing else.  Use an open tuning if necessary.

Alnico

This has happened to me my whole life, it normally revolves around how happy i am generally with the rest of my life.
I found that when i'm truly happy, i *want* to play. Leave me in an unhappy situation and i will ignore any guitar now matter how good it is.

Something else i noticed about myself was that the more i get either in touch with the music scene or out and see it / get involved live, the more i wanted to play. The social part of all of this is something that i ended up seeing as fuel and whenever i had been around live music or even sometimes just a good experience in a guitar shop, i then went on to play more and feel better about it.

Off the top of my head the only thing i can relate to this is maybe when i find new music that i really like, it makes me want to play it and that brings with it, it's own wave of enthusiasm and drive. When Maiden released Brave New World i was in the middle of losing my Dad and driving HGV's all over Europe so it passed me by and in the years since i've been kinda busy so i didn't get to hear the full album until earlier this year. I didn't need an adrenaline boost with my playing at that point but that album (and Dance of Death) has given me a huge burst of hunger for playing Maiden music on my guitar again. I'm still reeling over it every time i play that album to either listen to, learn or play along with.
Have you found any music recently that really hits you and makes you literally reach for your guitar?

I've been through rough patches in my life and looking back now (As a result of this thread) in an analytical way, the pattern is definitely that my enjoyment of playing was directly linked to my enjoyment of life and when life got very bad the guitar got put away. It sounds obvious typed out like that but i wonder how many people, like maybe yourself in this instance, only see the "Feel like giving up" part and not the "Here's the obvious reasons why" part ?

All of this might not apply to you and i hope you don't take it the wrong way, i've tried to mostly talk about myself and how my own playing gets affected and i don't mean to sound judge mental.

Now......

Put on some Sex Pistols and plug your guitar in. If this will cause arguments, play it really loud because if you're already in trouble then fuck it, you may as well enjoy it.
(If Mrs AxesRus reads this and you're even possibly going to the show next February,............i'm joking here, of course i am. He should stop playing altogether and buy you more shoes, yes. Terrible Behaviour !)

Right i'm off to help the Nuns

thomasross20

Ah, it was you who wrote that last post.. I wanted to add that I'm exactly the same... I can only play when I'm in the good mood for it, else it's worth nowt. I also go through "phases" and right now I'm actually quite interested in my work again. Music-wise, I do an acoustic thing every Wednesday and outside of that I'm hammering away at drums for my album and might play my electrics 2-3 hours a week. Not much compared to my youth. I don't want to be one of those guys that quits, and I wont, but right now, I'm not "in the mood" and other things are more important. When I play guitar, though... that's when folk know I'm in a happy place. So maybe I'm not right now!

AllthegearNoidea

Teetonetal said:

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. 

This sums up the benefits of the looper and a good teacher. I have an idea where I am going. The looper allows me to play rhythm and then the lead. I am learning whole songs rather than jumping around all over the place. I am paying a fair price for lessons and have the 'cost' as an incentive to practice. It's embarrassing and obvious to me and Alex when I don't practice.

AllthegearNoidea

Teetonetal said:

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. 

This sums up the benefits of the looper and a good teacher. I have an idea where I am going. The looper allows me to play rhythm and then the lead. I am learning whole songs rather than jumping around all over the place. I am paying a fair price for lessons and have the 'cost' as an incentive to practice. It's embarrassing and obvious to me and Alex when I don't practice.