• From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Topic: In a rut - gotta get out of it

I've been playing for some years

Know all the open chords and can work my way round the barre chord in varous positions. Do most chord music

Can play tab and know various scales (pentatonic and major)

Trouble is I'm in a rut (have not played the guitar for months)

What do you do to recover your inspiration.

New to this site and hope I can share a few tips

lol

johncross21's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

Listen to new and different music as well as your favorite band and see how their styles differ and or is the guitar player doing something that will catch your ear.  Then Practise, Practise and when your tired practise some more.

Bootlegger.

  • Altex
  • Altex
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Goonellabah, NSW, Australia
  • Registered: 2006-12-13
  • Posts: 211

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

I always find that if you are lacking inspiration, put on your favourite cd and just play along and solo. Usally after ive done that i feel pretty stoked.

[url=http://www.myspace.com/rdxfunk]www.myspace.com/rdxfunk[/url]

Altex's Website

  • From: Powder Springs, Ga., USA
  • Registered: 2007-04-08
  • Posts: 54

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

Ever tried a new tuning? I was in a rut a few years back, and read an article on "DADGAD" or celtic modal tuning. I tried it and spent days finding new chord shapes and scales not possible in standard tuning...in short, broke out of the rut.

  • From: montreal, quebec
  • Registered: 2007-04-17
  • Posts: 327

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

When I get in a rut the thing that gets me out is a new set of strings and learning a new song

what a long strange trip it's been
  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

All excellent advice above - if you play alone mostly then find some poeple to play with.  If you already have some playing friends, then find some new ones.  Tap into your local music culture.

Ask around, post a note at local music shop bulliten board, go to open mic nights . . . Also, if you play well but maybe don't sing&play well, work on doing both together.  No fun to be in a rut . . . but the fact that you have posted here is positive step to getting back to enjoying playing!

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: In a rut - gotta get out of it

Hello Johncross21,

We all have our different ways of getting out of a rut and it is interesting seeing the ways that others do it. Since I have been visiting Chordie my way is to go to the Songwriting section and find a song that someone has posted and give it a bash.

As the song is not known, all you have are the chords, you can put your own interpretaion of style, tempo and melody to it without any preconceived ideas. There is no right or wrong. At the end you have achieved something unique as I can almost certainly guarantee that your version will be completely different to the composer's.

James's "One OF These Days" has turned out to be one of my favourite songs and I play it regularly.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website