Not playing much lately.

NorioDS

I haven't touched my guitar in a week. Before that, it was probably another 2 weeks. It's such a sexy guitar and my gear is great - which makes it even more of a pity. My excuse is work but, even before I had this full-time contract, I was barely touching my guitar except for the odd jam once in a while.

I think I need to do something to get back into it. Start lessons again? Join a band? What do you guys think is the one thing you have done / can do that will result / has resulted in you playing more? I'd really love some tips!

Tonedef

What equipment do you have? You can sell it to me for peanuts, problem solved ?

I found that my strat's rebuild made me want to play it more than ever, maybe that's what you need. A bit of a guitar project with larney phat new pickups and a snazzy paint job and stuff.

NorioDS

Thing is, it's not the gear. I just bought a new guitar, got myself a DD-3 pedal and have my trust GT-8 (which I still don't know how to use). The gear is awesome but my motivation to pick it up is waning.

G-Man

Maybe enter the monthly comps or do an online collab with a like minded gfsa member? I found that when my interest started waning in my guitar I went back to playing the music that motivated me to start in the first place, and I have picked it up everyday now for the last week and a bit, only missed sunday coz I was away.

Tonedef

DON'T BE A FORUM EMO! ?

Pick a hard song and bash away at it. Tab it. Make a GP track from it. What you're maybe lost is that sense of accomplishment from which we all draw motivation.

shaundtsl

My biggest motivation is to listen to music. Try and revist the good old tunes which inspired you to play in the first place, then krank it up loud!

Seventhson

Norio wrote: I haven't touched my guitar in a week. Before that, it was probably another 2 weeks. It's such a sexy guitar and my gear is great - which makes it even more of a pity. My excuse is work but, even before I had this full-time contract, I was barely touching my guitar except for the odd jam once in a while.

I think I need to do something to get back into it. Start lessons again? Join a band? What do you guys think is the one thing you have done / can do that will result / has resulted in you playing more? I'd really love some tips!

I sometimes feel like you:-/ you need a jam buddy. Playing by yourself gets boring :-[

domhatch

So here's what happened. For my birthday, end of Jan, my family treated me to enough Andy McGibbon's vouchers to fund half of a new amp. A small practice amp - a Vox AC4 - but something I could really get in touch with, get a different sound out of (my current amp is also a small amp, a Blues Jnr, but it has a completely different sound). That's part one. Part two was that I treated myself to a new guitar at the same time. Sneaky, I know, but there you go. Part three is that I found, purely by accident, a couple of guys I could jam with.

Before all of this, though, I was actively looking for a teacher. The point of all this, is that I believe you attract to yourself that which you most need. It's a little like karma, I guess, and I must point out that I've never read 'The Secret', so it's got nothing to do with that.

Without sounding preachy, and with the proviso that you please stay away from my knees with a baseball bat, the best way to make it happen is to stop whining and go make it happen. It's exactly what I've had to do to pull myself out of the doldrums and, believe me, it's the only way.

Good luck
dh

Warren

Join a band or a jam session: something that's regular. Best, best thing I ever did and completely resurrected my desire to play! Nothing like playing music with and learning from other musos. It also forces you to commit to learning new stuff, and to honing the skills (like tight rhythm playing) that you never really work on by yourself.

You can also try lessons, although I found that I wasn't able to fit both band practice (personal and group) and lessons in with all the work pressures as well.

NorioDS

Thanks guys ? But how the hell do you find a band looking for (yet another) lead guitar player? I find those that are looking for a guitarist are too serious and those that aren't looking for a guitarist - are perfect for what I need ?

Warren

Norio wrote: Thanks guys ? But how the hell do you find a band looking for (yet another) lead guitar player? I find those that are looking for a guitarist are too serious and those that aren't looking for a guitarist - are perfect for what I need ?

THAT is a good question. I was very lucky to find a band that was willing to work with a very novice guitarist. There were originally 2 guitarists (the other dude was basically the band founder) but we eventually asked him to leave after a number of differences of opinion. That was really sad, and I still feel crap about it today. However, he was also very unhappy with the type of music we were playing, whereas I was more accommodating so...I dunno.

It might be worth just looking for another guitarist to jam with regularly for a bit.

IceCreamMan

me , i feel guilty if i dont play every day but hten i have set myself some goals which i will achieve...... i tend to be one of those ppl who is bullish about achieving goals.

Within 2 weeks of getting a guitar i had a jam session going , yip i was absoutely terrible ( some say not much has changed) but i realised that it was important to have ppl better than i to play with ... and also to have ppl depend on me which will "force" me to grow an learn.

but the most important motivation to me is the fact i actaully love playing the guitar .... it takes me out of my comfort zone , away from the soul sucking TV, and i get an almighty high when i achieve something. It forces me to stop worryiung about problems at work and gives me time to forget about my worries an my strife. ?

PeteM

Try to find one other guitar playing buddy... that's all you need to start with. Set goals for yourselves like learning to play two numbers together from beginning to end without any fluffs. Once you've got that sorted, go and play at open mic sessions.... there's nothing like goals and an audience to up your adrenalin levels and to give you a sense of accomplishment.

costafonix

yep... and you also have an audience on this forum, so record some of your stuff and post it for comment

StephenG

Norio wrote: Thanks guys ? But how the hell do you find a band looking for (yet another) lead guitar player? I find those that are looking for a guitarist are too serious and those that aren't looking for a guitarist - are perfect for what I need ?

take up the drums.

AlanRatcliffe

Find someone to play with. Anyone, any instrument and even with a different style to you. Any other musician will be inspiring and teach you new things, either directly or by osmosis.

I can highly recommend finding a singer/songwriter and work together with you as the only backing - that'll bring you back to what's really important and make you an honest player again ? You can do it just as a fun jam or work towards getting a handful of numbers together for an open mic performance.

StephenG wrote: take up the drums.

There's truth in that - even if it's just a hand drum, a tambourine or an egg shaker, you'll get into the rhythm of the music and you'll become a better guitar player.

[deleted]

I guess it boils down to the reason you want to play - at least, that's what I believe. New gear is a short-term solution for motivation. As I mentioned somewhere else in another thread, I was recently forced to stop playing for some months because of a pinched nerve, and with no pressing engagements coming up (I've stepped back from musical commitments in quite a big way over the last year) I didn't really have any external reason to start playing again. But I had to, because sooner or later it provides the conduit for expression that can only happen musically. Which is why I actually find your requirement that the band is looking for a "lead guitarist" bothersome. I mean you no disrespect at all, but I think you should broaden what you're looking for - the results may just surprise you and force you to take on some new skills you didn't have before. The pinnacle of guitar-playing is not necessarily to float over the other stuff going on - which was Alan's point, IINM. (Besides, the notion of "lead guitar" isn't narrow for me. When it is, it's boring, IMO.)

Warren

Stratisfear wrote: Which is why I actually find your requirement that the band is looking for a "lead guitarist" bothersome. I mean you no disrespect at all, but I think you should broaden what you're looking for - the results may just surprise you and force you to take on some new skills you didn't have before. The pinnacle of guitar-playing is not necessarily to float over the other stuff going on. (Besides, the notion of "lead guitar" isn't narrow for me. When it is, it's boring, IMO.)

+1;

Keith Richards said "You can't go into a guitar shop and ask for a 'Lead Guitar.' You're a guitar player, and you play a guitar."

NorioDS

Thanks guys ? Definitely seems like the main feeling is to find someone else to jam with.

Brendan, I think you're right, I should broaden what I'm looking for and I could grow a lot from it.

Thanks guys! ?

PeteM

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
StephenG wrote: take up the drums.
There's truth in that - even if it's just a hand drum, a tambourine or an egg shaker, you'll get into the rhythm of the music and you'll become a better guitar player.