A wise musician once told me, “if you get bored with your instrument, learn a new genre”. So I did, many times and it’s a piece of advice that has always worked for me and made me a more rounded and versatile player. Cheers!
My list: 1) deep dive on Jimmy Page 2) a looper if you don’t have one 3) random backing tracks 3) more acoustic 4) lose the pick 5) deep dive on Jimmy Page
I'm currently in a rut. I bought a new set of pickups (Custom '69s) that I hope will bust me out. Going out tomorrow to buy some strings and I have a feeling I'll probably walk out of the music shop with either a new amp or guitar (I'm weak). Wish me luck!
@@dvanolya Just the strings, but there's an AC15 that I'll probably go back for. There's also a big fat jazz box that's been there for ever that's on sale.
i have been looking for a damn 1968 fender strat custom shop maple neck for so damn long and cant find one im trying to build jimis Woodstock strat and i have everything but the damn neck lol. i know its weird looking for one cause who the hell is gonna sell just the neck of a custom shop but man i really dont one buy the ones on fender because of the damn skunk stripe. if anyone has one that they're looking to sell LMK plz lol if not looks like im gonna have to bite the bullet and get the skunk stripe one smh. im a lefty player btw and looking for a right 68 CS maple neck.
Randy Rhoads understood the value of lessons and education because his mom owned and operated a music school in Los Angeles so he literally grew up in a music school taking lessons every day. I believe his brother Kelle is still running the school.
Pick up a new instrument, if you are playing guitar and in a rut, try something new for while like mandolin, fiddle, banjo (5 string or 4 string), lap steel, pedal steel, piano then you will be surprised after trying that even for a few weeks then going back to guitar how it will change your approach. Then you add to the instruments you can play. It works!!
#1. Listen to new music… I am so old that Led Zeppelin ONE was new music! Seriously… bought Meet the Beatles and Surfin’ USA in 1964. By the time LZ1 came out in 1969, it was really new! Guess this means that I’ve been listening to “new music” for 53 years! #2. Play with your friends… in Chengdu, China, prior to COVID-19, the expat musicians would get together at the same bar on Mondays for open mic / jam. Every player got 20 minutes, BUT, anybody can get up on the stage and jam during your time! Great fun! Often would end up with drums, bass, sax, keys, and violin backing me. That kept me fresh! #3. New guitar… expected to be home last fall, so bought a new RainSong jumbo so it would be waiting for me. Sadly, still stuck in China, so haven’t played it yet, but looking forward to it bringing some energy to my playing!
Great content ! Mentioned before i've played for awhile, gigged about 15 years ago but was at my best when i played like 20 hours a weekend jamming with my stereo and various amps and an arsenal of guitars (Trower, S Type, UFO, V, etc). A move about 6 years ago had me leaving my guitars sit sometimes for months but been at it more for the last couple of years. What helps me now is trying to play a song from memory that i used to jam with end to end (haven't used my stereo in years, either). Latest example is Wheel In The Sky from Journey. Nothing too technical, i know but i dig it. Almost got the intro after just starting yesterday :) About half an hour's work so far. Been sick but getting better. Rotating guitars helps, too. This was my Wife's idea during the 'shutdown'. Brilliant ! Play ON !!!
Great advice chaps as always. Sometimes I like to go back and review my early lessons and just remind myself that at one time I thought playing a D chord was the most difficult thing I had ever done. It's a great way to show that I have grown as a player and makes me want to learn more. Also, if I may be "mean"...it was Tackleberry that didn't duck when Leslie swung around after firing the shotgun. :-)
I don't watch him...can't stand him. When I was a kid you could have gotten your @$$ kicked for being a Poison fan, and yes I know a guitar player that will tell you that they can't play their instruments.
#3- I bought a 2019 Fender Jazzmaster Ultra off of Marketplace a couple of days ago for a grand. It looks like it hasnt even been played. Fun getting to know it. Edit: I used to play UNO with a colorblind dude.
@@thesmellycatjazz Yeah, I watched it for 2 months . It started at 1900 and it kept dropping. I was going to pull the trigger at 1100. But it disappeared for a day and got relisted for $1000
I started playing a lot of blues/fuzz rock when I learned guitar. I hit a rut where I got bored of the pentatonic scale and it just didn’t make me want to play. I moved on to clean finger style playing. Now I’ve been practicing picking like Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. Thumb picking has been a new learning curve for me and it’s fun as heck.
#1 Listen to New Music... my huge music playlist is almost always on "shuffle". Very inspiring to be a little surprised by what's up next! I can't stress this enough to inspire my playing. #3 New gear can really inspire things for me as well!...or "New Settings!" #7 Take a Lesson Yep, especially on a specific skill or technique that I want to try....and have no clue how to even begin. #8 This was my Jam for years....until a new Worship Pastor arrived and was wanting "Perfection"! This ain't ME! or the way that I feel led to play at all...had to gracefully retire from the Worship Team, but during the previous years of many different leaders this was a huge benefit and boost to my skill levels. #9 Volunteer to Teach! Did that for a while.... very frustrating when the vast majority of folks that I encountered would NOT "practice" ... or even go over any material that they had requested to learn! Wow! #10. Take A Break! It never hurts to get away for a little break and come back refreshed! Great list!
Playing for church was huge! It forces you to play waaay differently than you might be used to especially if you have creative freedom for ambient sounds etc.
I got myself out of a 5+year rut during lockdown with my favourite method for increasing creative productivity: impose more limitations. A bit counterintuitive, but it worked wonders for me. For example, I banned open tunings. Standard only. I banned finger style (my main thing for the previous 20 years). Hybrid picking only. I got rid of gear. One guitar, one amp only, stop procrastinating in a downward spiral of GAS! No more looping - I was getting more and more sophisticated with crafting intricate compositions but my actual playing became atrophied coz each layer of a loop could be so short and simple and compartmentalised. No more effects (well, except for reverb). To stop the endless knob twiddling and just work with the dang strings and fretboard only.
listening to new music!! that's the biggest one for me. my friends and I play very lofi 90s indie style. I can't play more that about 2% of what polyphia does, or or 0% of animals as leaders, but after finding their music last year, I've really pushed myself to practice and try new things. also, the best way I've found new music, is going down youtube rabbit holes... the same way I ended up finding this channel!
Talk about a rut- You should hear me play keyboard..... For 10 min I may impress you - Then everything starts to sound the same ... 😁it all comes back to the same place.
I would love to play a more melodic rhythm/ lead maybe Hendrix like. Which online courses would people recommend? I can play guitar pretty well by the way
Started playing in church in 1975, lots of players I know started there and are still playing from time to time. It’s a great place to learn… And it used to be the Place music was evolving the fastest. Sadly not the case anymore. I hope it gets back to that at some point.
I’ve been in a every 4-6 month rut for 20 years or more. I always push through it and almost every time it’s learning a few songs that have things within them that open up little licks and connect dots in way of looking at the fretboard or the patterns and ways I’m playing.
one of the best topics ever…played a friends wedding , terrifying but made me focus, now playing in church band..more like family then friends, and signing up for lessons for jazz ..
awesome suggestions...I'd add 11 as 60 days (minimum) light gauge flat wounds...30 to settle and at least 30 to explore how much "tone" you actually do or don't have in your hands...they will show you real quick like in a very unforgiving fashion....I'm on month 6 and they have changed a lot of my understanding of dynamics....
ol tommy said it the other day, play a four chord sequence for like 45 minutes strait, listening for all the minor nuances, or heck be like any of the you tube teachers and jam noodle for 15 minutes in any key, we all listen to all these better players, so just sit and force yourself to play,
New music --- I just discovered JJ Cale, heard his songs, mostly performed by other artists, but somehow knowledge of JJ escaped me until recently. Amazing songs list he has. Wow!
I'm in Australia, and I haven't had Covid yet. Because all my friends are on RU-vid. 💻🙄 And, I just want to say that I watched Jonathan's Hay Street Virtual Gig the other day and was blown away. If you want some motivation, people, give it a watch/listen.
Last night, I changed my bass strings to flatwounds. Loved the new sound, freaked out (in a good way) by the feel. Skipped breakfast (not the coffee), so I could play before work. ☕️+🎸= 😎
Guitar RU-vid is the best thing on the internet. It has changed the game, made me a better player, a more knowledgeable gearhead and brought alot of awesome people into my world. Including you guys!
Play a different instrument. I sit down in front of a piano now and then and play. No, I don't play piano really but my knowledge of chords and scales from playing guitar helps me tremendously. It shakes up how I look at music for awhile.
James cordon is our present to you for the " special relationship" hahaha don't hurry to send him back, same goes for adele and Chris Martin.....America, u can keep all 3 😁
You could always pick up a new instrument to learn to play. This does two things, gives you a new perspective and understanding of music construction. And after you realize you're bad at it. You will realize you love your guitar.🤘😎🎸
I was in a rut, then I bought a Magnatone, then an Orange Rockerverb and im still in my playing rut but I'm much happier with those amps so it's a win win
different guitars- they pull your playing in different directions. I even put the guitar down sometimes as long as I don’t have a gig and play bass to the radio- really make you think about what’s going on. Jon mentioned Tommy Buk- that guy will really make you think about guitar in helpful ways. Lots of inspiration on RU-vid- you guys are inspirational! Great subject!
I started to tech myself the piano for the last couple weeks and has helped me write different chord progressions and arrangements I wouldn’t have tried if I was just playing guitar.
As always great content. What gets a player into a rut in the first place ,is no feed back . To cure this in the first place would go to where people gather . And just play . If they injoy the music it bulds confidence. If they stand back this should impress you to change the way or what your playing. Which makes you a better artist. It dosent cost any thing. How well you get paid let's you know how good your doing
I fall in and out of love with the Jazz III. Currently out of love and was playing the Misha Mansoor Bulbs, but lost them and all I have left are Jazz III 🤦♂️
