Have you tried starting a band? Even an acoustic two piece to get your writing juices flowing? I've reached a point in my guitarplaying where I have the techniques I use and enjoy down, so I focus my energies and playing time on writing for either my band or stuff for a solo-project I'm working on.

Record a few of your songs cheaply. Use that to listen to them from the outside and as an opportunity to further polish and structure.

Squonk, (and the other guys), I'm there too....... most frustrating is that I have a good "reason" for any solution given, like "No time", "too cold " etc, etc. Maybe I just hate going into my guitar room in winter. But there are times (in summer) when I can go sit and play/ have fun for hours....
I don't put pressure on myself to improve, (like I'm never gonna ever play in a band again). Getting Eli in there lately has been quite a drag as well, he is more obsessed with his football, I understand, his buddies are there, not in the guitar room! So ........ :-\

You and I sound quite similar in a lot of respects Squonk, and I've spent most of my life thinking I couldn't play very well (largely because I'm quite critical and compare myself to the masters in each genre that I try - a practice which is sure to make you doubt your own abilities). Do you find that if you stick with any one thing too long you get bored and move on to something else?

The thing with this kind of approach to learning is that you develop slowly in each genre you tackle. It can take a long time to reach each new level and then you "plateau" for longer. However, I believe that what it does give you in the long run is a fairly unique playing style which is a (hopefully unique) blend of all the things you learn. I'm just beginning to think I might be getting somewhere interesting. ?

The most important thing you can do is just keep on playing. Play with anyone and everyone you can as often as possible. Never stop learning (by whatever means) and absorbing. The "ruts" can actually be a good thing - they let you integrate the newer things fully into your playing and get them really tight before you move on.

Me too Squonk
The scales thing is frustrating me as well - this month's blues challenge seems to be getting the better of me.

But all's not lost?
I agree with the other guys about playing with others; although this hasn't helped with composition or technique, a casual impromptu set at an open mic the other night gave me a serious buzz and all I want to do is play guitar? I often find that these kind of things make me feel good about guitar, get me motivated to practice and make it seem less of a chore. When playing in a band, it's also cool to have someone to bounce ideas off of when you're stuck - a jam on one of your riffs that's sounding okay-ish can turn into something so much better (I played for a tiny while in a punk band with a guitarist who's much better than me and it was great to work on stuff together this way)
I went for lessons for a while and it did help but now I'm thinking of finding someone else; I think it's hard to find a teacher who fits with what YOU want to do.

Man, seems like we all have the Winter Blues or something. ?
I haven't touched my electrics since recording last months Challenge entry - just the acoustic I take to the bathroom to croon to myself with whilst drawing a bath. Partly due to time, but also a bit of a personal mindgame. I'm also stuck playing the same stuff over and over again and feeling like I have nothing new to say.
So my plan is this: Everytime we go away for a week or two and I can't take a guitar with, I find myself almost obsessing about playing again. By depriving myself of something I take for granted every day, I get all anxious and excited at the thought of getting back home and getting my fix. So much so that when we do get home, the missus will oooh and aaah over our kitties greeting us at the door and I will walk all over them and head straight to our entertainment room and pick up a guit ? I'm already itching to get started on this months Blues Challenge, but I will resist until I get that "need" feeling. I just know that when I do and I plug in again it will be awesome and I will Rock! ? :bopping: Why? Because I will enjoy it. And that's the main thing for me - fun. I know I will never turn pro or wow an audience or whatever, but I love the whole guitar thing just too much to bring myself down because I feel I am not making progress. So naah, i'm just giving it a bit of time. It will be back....
In the meanwhile I will keep plucking away on my acoustic and learn to sing a few new songs. And aagh you know what, that's also lekker hey.

I hope my playing improves enough so I can also find my own rut some day

Currently just floating around...

aja wrote: I hope my playing improves enough so I can also find my own rut some day

Currently just floating around...

Me too

Any guitarist that doesn't go through the same phase is lying to himself ?
My latest mission is taking an existing piece of music, a style that I have not yet tried, watching the artist perform it, then try it myself. At this stage I'm working on Electric Gypsey (Andy Timmons). Here's the great part about doing this - As with all first attempts, you make many mistakes, but quite often, its those mistakes that quickly become a lick in your bag of tricks. Just a thought - kinda helps me when I'm not feeling it ?

Hey squonk, i often find myself in the same frame of mind as you are describing. I have just bought the house that I have been renting and I am looking at building a jam room (with recording capabilities) and I am in weltevreden park too. We should hook up for a jam sometime and see what happens. Maybe we can work towards a few tj's duo gigs or something, you never know.

These sentiments are out of our control. In the depths of your consciousness you know the solution. Sometimes you just gotta man up and accept that solution. Other times you can ignore it and just organise a jam. With that being said. Organise a jam! The first time i jammed with a friend (a super good player and forumite - lethe) he told me to play a riff. Being very insecure yet having nothing to loose, i did. He mic'ed my amp and we recorded it, put some drums to it, he did a nice lead harmony and a little progression to add to it. He added some programmed drums. And BOOM!! I was so blown away! It sounded so good imo! But on top of it all- After being so paranoid that it was not in time or in key he explained it was basically straight up 4/4 and was in e minor except for one note but thats why he liked it because it added tension. point is- Instead of just watching him play i participated. And i was rewarded. I was motivated for months! more motivated then i have ever been. I finally felt like music was not this impossible task. Ha ha, Of course it slowly faded away and i have been back in a rut. I still cant make a full song. I still have no technique or much knowledge of theory. I still wish to know what its like to play in a band. And to an audience. Its been years since then and i dont think i have progressed much. Maybe its because we haven't jammed since then. But the point is, creating is better than consuming. Creation is motivation. Jamming with someone better than you is a great tool to create. Not the only tool though. But i think its the best. So... Who wants to hook up a jam? Im keen!

Thanks for all the encouragement.

Look on the bright side, Squonk. You're not complacent.

I hear you. I was there for many years. For me it took new equipment to get me out of the rut, and in particular a vintage valve amp, a fender bassman. I had been using an Ibanez soundblaster , a very sterile solidstate amp. Stuff that sounded dull and uninspired suddenly sounded awesome through the fender, and my playing took off again. If you do not have decent gear, and particularly a decent amp,it can become dificult to lift your playing level.

tubescreamer63 wrote: I hear you. I was there for many years. For me it took new equipment to get me out of the rut, and in particular a vintage valve amp, a fender bassman. I had been using an Ibanez soundblaster , a very sterile solidstate amp. Stuff that sounded dull and uninspired suddenly sounded awesome through the fender, and my playing took off again. If you do not have decent gear, and particularly a decent amp,it can become dificult to lift your playing level.

This has happened to me with the purchases of a 1950's Epiphone Zephyr 1x15" amp and Laney Lionheart 20W 1x12" amp.

The sounds they produce are inspiring on their own. I know exactly what you mean!

And still I cannot get beginners to understand how important the amp is. They spend all their money on the guitar, buy a "shower radio" amp and then lose interest because no matter what they do it sounds terrible...

Join a music club.

Squonk wrote: Have no clue about Theory, everything is done by ear.

Theres your problem right there.

Learn your modes front to back,back to front,x-over and jump all over..then give us some feedback...LOL

Heres a good example...find one of your favorite lead breaks...with a looper its simple enough to work out the notes....but once you work out what mode hes using.. you'll understand the concept and be able to apply it to your own style and music.

Takes time,some people thrive on theory some don't,if you can understand theory its a lot easier..LOL

exsanguinator wrote:

Squonk wrote: Have no clue about Theory, everything is done by ear.

Theres your problem right there.

The reverse is also true. Increasingly so these days. People can rip up and down scales, but don't listen to what they are playing. They bend mechanically without listening for tension or resolution. I've seen more than one technically brilliant, super facile guitarist start a song in the wrong key and not realise it for a few bars because their fingers were in the right boxes for the key they thought the song was in.

exsanguinator wrote:

Squonk wrote: Have no clue about Theory, everything is done by ear.

Theres your problem right there.

No. If you cant trust your ear are you going to trust the sums?

Ah squonk such a pity we are so far apart! Part of the problem here is that you are a really good player and this can sometimes make it harder to go back to basic theory, i guess like a fluent speaker learning to read for first time by starting with T-H-E. C-A-T S-A-T O-N. T-H-E. M-A-T.

But learning major scales and pentatonic scales all over fretboard together with an understanding of how chords are built and how they relate back to scales has helped me over the years. Doesnt make you a better player necessarily and like anything its what you do with the tools that counts and not the tools themselves!

Failing that join a punk band, turn the amp loud and jump into the deep end wherever possible!