How do you get out of the rut?

DonovanB

So I'm at that low point again. That point where I feel like no matter how I practice I'm not going anywhere.

Does anyone else get this? How do you get out of it?

vic

Donovan Banks wrote: So I'm at that low point again. That point where I feel like no matter how I practice I'm not going anywhere.

Does anyone else get this? How do you get out of it?

You may be practising too much....take a break for a few days....go surfing or fishing. I'm serious.

Bob-Dubery

Donovan Banks wrote: So I'm at that low point again. That point where I feel like no matter how I practice I'm not going anywhere.

Does anyone else get this? How do you get out of it?

As Vic said, taking time out can be beneficial. Of course you don't want to take time out for too long.

Maybe try changing the game. Try a different tuning. I have been playing around with "Palmer tuning" - EEEEBE. The 6th and 5th and 4th and 3rd are the same note and so you have two pairs of strings an octave apart. This forced me to play along the neck more. Well that wasn't the plan, I was just curious about the tuning, but that's the effect it had. That seems to have addressed some little lack of confidence I had in my playing and I am now more confident about jumps of position - say from 3rd fret to 10th fret. Plus I found a couple of things on the high strings that I could take back to standard tuning, or make better use of with a G on the 3rd string. Little things in their way, but it's spiced up my playing a little.

Or try listening to something else. Not just a different genre but another instrument. Maybe listen to things where the primary instrument is piano or sax or trumpet or fiddle or accordion or... or... or...

Squonk

I feel the same Don!

I joined GFSA at the end of 2008, and got so much inspiration that I floated along for the past year and a bit.

What's helping me presently is trying a genre that I know nothing about. With the Help of TJ's and Bob (dont get a big head ?) I am embracing the acoustic, folk, singer, songwriter thing.

I am finding it quite hard , mainly beacuse my main musical interest borders on the Hard/ Progressive rock side of things.

Also it's quite amazing just to use my fingers instead of a plectrum, it's a whole new dynamic but quite difficult to start from scratch. Bob's Travis Picking lesson at our Acoustic get together was a real eye opener, my picking was always a random thing and done with a plectrum, no structure whatsoever.

I would still like to study a bit of Jazz and then Classical.

A Good Teacher would be the key...

[deleted]

Once you've gone fishing (using a spark plug as a sinker, I hope - it IS Durban...), how about...

Reading a book by/about one of your guitar heroes?
Buying a G3 DVD (or two, or three)?
Getting rid of the plectrum for a while?
Trying a new mode that will make you think about your phrasing and suitable progressions all over again?
When you pick up the plectrum again, trying out some new picking techniques - inside picking, sweep picking, etc?
Trying not to deliberately further your playing technically, but just writing songs?
Programming a few new patches on your GT-8, from scratch?
As Bob said, what about listening to something completely new and trying to absorb something from it?

EDIT: Squonk, you beat me to some of these... Bah.

ZarK

I've gone through what you've mentioned a number of times. Usually I'd just take a break. Sometimes even a few months at a time... This brings new clarity and worked for me, but the trade-off is that you lose some of your dexterity which is not ideal to say the least... Recently I got new inspiration through jamming with a band. We're playing a different style of music to what I'm accustomed to and so far I've used 4 different alternate tunings to what I'm used to, to jam the song selection. I haven't been this inspired in a very long time. Trying a new style and alternate tunings has opened up a new world of creativity for me. Give it a try.

[deleted]

It's funny you should say that Don, I was just thinking that the creativity of your weekly comps have really been very good recently. It might be that I hadn't noticed before, but there you go.

Sometimes I find that I can do more damage than good if I'm not practicing in the right frame of mind. So in that case it is better to not play, but there are a lot of things you can do to spice things up a bit. For me recording has replaced practicing, and getting that new guitar has renewed the pleasure of playing my old one. It's a luxury.

What is also very likely is that you've gotten used to improving at a certain pace, but that can't be maintained. It's like it happens in steps where there are long bits of just going forward, but not up. I would say concentrate on an actual product, maybe set a goal to write a new set of songs, or make new collaborations or your own CD. Doing something "easier" also opens doors to the difficult stuff we didn't know was there.

Sometimes if it feels like it's getting harder it's because you are actually reaching your goals and this is where you really have to dig your heels in and just do it.

PeteM

I know that you play in a band Don, but sometimes you need to get away from the norm. I find that when you collaborate with somebody different - both playing and writing, new/different challenges come to the fore and help stimulate your music ability.

DonovanB

PeteM wrote: I know that you play in a band Don, but sometimes you need to get away from the norm. I find that when you collaborate with somebody different - both playing and writing, new/different challenges come to the fore and help stimulate your music ability.

Is that a hint Pete? ? we must have coffee sometime. I met Paul (guitarboy) on Saturday. The Durban get together is long overdue.