When you hit a wall

I have been there several times and in fact have hung up the guitar for long periods of time but I was lucky enough to find some friends who were in the same boat, that used to play in their basements by themselves, so we got together and played a few songs, now we meet each week on a Monday at one of our homes, eat some snacks, drink some wine and play some music.

You talk about motivation, you want to be sharp when you arrive cause you don't want to let anyone down. We have been doing this for almost 2 years now and I am still motivated and look forward to each and every Monday night. My family knows I am booked that night and nothing can get in the way of it.

Don't know if it helps, but try to find some friends in the same boat, you will be amazed how many there are and who they are.

Listen to someone who is so incredibly talented that it makes you either want to pick up your guitar and practice or smash it on your desk.  Don't smash it on your desk.

- Zurf

I had that happen with golf.  I took a lesson.  It helped.

Andy McKee blew my mind.  We keep talking about how hard it is to do barre chords, and he was hammering on barre chords while picking a pattern and thumping the body so that he sounded like two guitarists and a percussionist when in fact it was just one guy.  And it wasn't just tricks either, it was a very pleasing style of music. 

- Zurf

I'll second the playing with other people thing, that's always fun. I even taught a couple of my cousins how to play.
When you can't do that though, finding new songs on your same skill level helps, or even tackling one thats a little harder. Building your song repetoire makes it less monotinous. Practicing scales and all thats important, but can get a little tedious after a while. Sometimes you need a break from the technical stuff to just play.

All You Need is Love

Sometimes you get to a point that everything is just too frustrating. All you need to do is back-off, take a little break and come at the problem from a different angle. That angle could be talking to other musicans, sitting in and playing with other musicans, taking a lesson or 2 from a qualified teacher or just relaxing for a while. For me, I've found that when I am having difficulties with a song I can leave it for a few days then it just comes easier. Not long back my wife and I were asked to do a 5 to 7 song set at a local "open mike" nite establishment. Well I had heard a song that I just could not get outta my head and my wife also liked it. I had the CD with the song and I found the words without the chords. By trial and error I found that the key I needed to do the song in was "C" but I just could not get the chord progerssion right and I was badly frustrated. My wife and I went to a local music store in our town to see if I could find some sheet music there for this song. One thing lead to another and we could not find the lyrics, chords or anything. The counterperson asked if he could play the CD so he could listen to the song and as the song was playing one of the guitar teachers came out to listen as well. After the songs played a couple of times the "teacher" and I got started talking and I told him my problems. He said he had just had a student cancel a lesson and he was free and for me to "come on back". It took him a matter of minutes to listen to the song, play the song and then tab it out for me. All this and he refused to let me pay him for the canceled lesson. By the end of the day I was playing the song and my wife was singing it. So, my advice to you would be when you hit the wall - back up - take a breath - and come at the problem a little differently. Ask for help when you need it and be sure to be thankful for the help when you get it.

Nela

I appreciate all the great advice, the thing is, is that I don't have any friends who play anymore. I use to have lots who did back in my earlier years, but you know how things change as you get a little older, you lose touch. Anyway, I've always worked through it when I hit the wall, and I will again, I'm that determined, though it would be easier if I had the friend who played, but it's great getting ideas on how others work through it. Thanks again for all the advice, and Zurf...I promise not to smash the guitar, at least not today.

     Cam

I think that's great.  I've seen that before, not necessarily guitar, where somebody books a regular time and holds it sacred.  I'm not very good at that and I'm envious.  I'll keep that one in mind.  Thanks.

Great job Cam about finding sum one to help you!!! That's gr8! Everyone hits that wall and the only things to do is keep going becasue sometimes...as it happened to you....the solution comes to you!!!!