General Music Chat

Well its happened again............................................

Lately when I pick up the guitar I just feel ho-hum. It seems like every few monthes I hit some sort of plateau in my playing and get bored with it. I was wondering who else does this and what do you do about it? Take a break, play thru or what?

It may be that Ive got the weekend off and really dont have much to do but house work, and I avoid that like the plague. Weve got a gig next sat night so I probably need to practice some, but when I do I just find myself drifting and not into it like I should be.

Start writing some originals. How many times can you play the same cover tunes over and over again until you want to puke? Start with something completely fresh and new. Work a few out with your band and insert a few of them into your show. Don't even say they are yours. See how the people respond. There's nothing more rewarding than to see an audience applaud something they never heard before. Another thing I keep telling myself about the covers we play, most people have never heard US do them before. It's "new" to them. Even though it may be old hat to you, there's always some people in the crowd who have never heard YOU do it. Maybe put something different into some of the covers. Perhaps a bridge that doesn't exist. Ad lib some new vocals. Maybe throw a verse of nothing but vocals with some good harmonies where it doesn't exist. You can do some original things with covers and keep them fresh. Yeah, I get in the same funk as you, it'll work itself out...

Maybe throw a verse of nothing but vocals with some good harmonies where it doesn't exist.

Hey, Bob, we used to do that on "Proud Mary" just to change it up. 3rd verse was just drums and 3-part vocals. It really set the song off.

I'm relatively new to playing guitar having given it up for 10+ years due to family priorities. Played about 2 years prior to giving it up so I'm nowhere near the experience of those on this board, but I set a personal goal to get to a level of playing where I feel confident that I can say "I play the guitar" and feel like it's true.

I can relate to some degree about losing interest in playing, but from a slightly different perspective. I have a personal goal of being able to do runs that are fast and clean, kind of like Jason Becker, but obviously not many can get that fast especially starting off as late in life as me. But I think I can get to a point that at least makes me feel like I'm a decent player.

That said, I practice scales, arpeggios, runs and real metrinomy boring stuff for hours on end; trying to press my current speed and better my muting skills so the notes I play are clean. This goal is boring as hell to achive because most of it is brainless finger exercises. I don't look forward to starting a 3-4 hours of practice. I have a "starting practice" fear I have to overcome or else I'll procrastinate. Getting started is the hard part, but once I start, I find I'm in the mood and it's not so bad.

So how do I personally overcome this fear? Believe it or not, I cheat by replacing the monotony with entertainment. I look forward to sitting down with my guitar to get past that "starting practice" phobia by firing up a movie (i have a Netflix account and watch movies online), setting a metrinome at the same level as the movie, then do all the monotonous, brain-dead warm-ups while watching a movie. That's how I personally survive the first 1.5 hours of speed drills. I find once I break the 20 minute mark, I'm warmed up and interested in practice and will often start paying more attention to my playing than the movie.

Wierd I know, but I truly look forward to watching a movie every night, and that gets me past the practice phobia wall, then I'm motivated to either turn off the movie or watch it and extend my practice an hour to work on new things I need to pay attention to.

...then do all the monotonous, brain-dead warm-ups while watching a movie.

You may actually be hurting your ability to improve by doing that.

Focusing and having awareness of what you're doing down to the smallest fiber in your body is actually important. By warming up while watching a movie you're not applying awareness. Any slight mistakes you make will not get corrected because you aren't noticing them. You will plateau without the awareness to correct even the smallest mistakes.

Marathon practice sessions don't help either. You've already discovered why - the dread of anticipation which can lead to procrastination. Also, long sessions do not mean better sessions. The key to practice is to be efficient.

I'd suggestion a different approach to your practice sessions: Shorter yet more highly focused practice sessions. Instead of 3 hours of repetitive exercises performed without focus, attention and awareness, limit yourself to an hour focused, attentive practice, and nothing more. Do NOT go over an hour. With only an hour to practice you'll want to achieve maximum efficiency - you'll work harder to get more out of your session. This should lead to much more attention placed on what you're doing; a greater awareness if every note, every mistake. You need to be analyzing everything you're doing in real-time and correcting every mistake as you go.

And then keep notes. Make a note of what you did that day and at what metronome speed you were able to achieve and still play cleanly. Record yourself every time you think you've advanced a particular technique. Keep a running log of your progress in written and audio format.

With a shorter, more focused practice session you may not feel like you're advancing, so the logs of your progress will be key. This way you can reflect on your logs and see that yes, you are actually making progress.

Marathon practice sessions dont work as well due to the actual electro-chemical and mechanical functions by which we learn.

Multiple short sessions work best for all types of learning scenarios.

Physiological facts.

I may "play" for a couple of hours, but I keep the "learning" session to around thirty minutes. The rest of the time I'm just playing, having fun and experimenting with sound.

One should not practice "learn" whith other distractions.
Though it is good to practice playing through distraction.

I think I will follow the Cripster and chase some boobies for a few days!

...One should not practice "learn" whith other distractions. Though it is good to practice playing through distraction.

Thanks Colors and Sans. I'll adjust my practice with your advice. BTW sans, I appreciate this statement. Like I said in my post, it's only when I'm warmed up and interested in applying myself to learn something new that I don't pay attention to the movie.

All good advice, thanks.
Chris

I experience that so often, it is hard to believe that I even want to be in this business. But I tell ya, I have been going through this since I was 10 years old. Yep, 52 years with regular bouts of burn-out. I just know thuough, that if I lived another 52 years, I will be hanging out with guys like you, struggling to perform and wearing spiked heeled shoes with my walker. "Blame it on the Boogie."

Now theres me a mental image for the day.

Now theres me a mental image for the day.

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5471/100uhe.jpg

I think I will follow the Cripster and chase some boobies for a few days!

Yes, there's a method to Crip's madness. It'll take your mind off the music-very refreshing!

Hey Ratsass where did you find that picture of my last patient;

Hey Ratsass where did you find that picture of my last patient;

Who are you trying to kid, Sans. You know your patients don't live THAT long!!

SHhhhhh ! They may be listening. he he he he heeeeee

as for how to deal with the funk of playing, I play some funk bop wicka wicka bop pop pop, honestly I haven't been playing that much lately, sooo I don't have that funk, come to think about it I should get on it again