General Music Chat

in my grave. Later...

^ I agree Bob but sometimes I record or jam A Capella, bass, or or piano for a while. So when I go back to the guitar I feel a loss in performance. Same with the bass or piano.

People get out of practice when they put down their instrument, for a day or 2, which turns into a week . . . maybe more.
I'd put mine down for ten years. Big mistake . . . .
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Reasons to be out of practice will vary, but lots of time people feel they've hit a plateau, or they're just not enjoying it any more.
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I call it: boredom.
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My solution?
> Learn a new song, either a cover or an original.
> Learn a new song, but in a different style than what you play.
> Take an old song, and play it with a completely different rhythm.
> Take a chord you NEVER use, and find a spot in a song where it will fit. Try 50 songs - if you can't find a song where it fits: then write one. Why not? What the heck, you're bored, anyway, right?
> Pull out a book, find 3 chords which you have never used, and write a song using those 3 chords . . .
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Out of practice usually = boredom.
That's usually the case.
Other than emergencies or marriages and the like, people usually stop playing when they get bored.
What you need to do is play something different.

All good points, RhythmMan. I agree entirely. Boredom can be fought when it comes to music, just by picking up something new and different. Hey, here is an idea, let's say you play guitar for 10 years, find yourself bored for some days with it, try a new instrument out? Eventually you will go back to your guitar, but this is a way to stay in music and take away that boredom. Just one of my suggestions.

Also, a reason I think playing becomes effected, when people do not play for a while, is putting down the instrument - as you guys pointed out. Another thing that can do it is not diversifying yourself, if you play the same 5 tunes everyday it is just like doing nothing. You got to be diversified in music, keep it flowing, keep those creative juices moving, try and practice for a couple hours a day, even an hour. Just take aside some time out of your busy schedule and sit there and jam a bit.

I know with me if I put my instrument down for a couple of days (Which has not happened yet) it sometimes slows me up, other times I actually do better from the rest - I assume this is due to my carpal tunnel syndrome.

So as I was saying, RhythmMan is right, great advice!

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

I think the key is to not limit yourself. I like all forms of music and love learning something new. I started learning spanish flamenco sometime back and I'm fooling around with some jazz right now. Blues and classic/rock are my first love and I do session work sometimes in that genre but I played heavy metal in high school and I'm in a hardcore/screamo band right now. I'm sort of a musical mutt I guess. You never get bored if your always learning.

You've got a point there. It keeps you vital. There isn't a single music genre I have experimented with, that hasn't taught me something and left its mark.