WaimeaBay
Joined: Jul 05, 2006
Posts: 969
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Posted on Jun 18 2010 10:44 PM
I am pretty much in a rut, not been playing my guitar much the past few months. When I do play, I just seem t play the same stuff over again or jam to the same old tunes. I feel like I have peaked, which is pretty sad, because I'm not good.
I want to keep playing and possibly take my playing to a higher level. What can I do to improve and break out of my rut. I especially want to boost my lead guitar playing.
So players, what did you do to take your playing to a higher level? Or do you just have to be born gifted?
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Ruhar
Joined: Jun 21, 2007
Posts: 3909
San Diego, CA
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Posted on Jun 18 2010 11:04 PM
WaimeaBay
Or do you just have to be born gifted?
Not at all Dan. Its all about work ethic and devotion. What I'd do is to listen to and try to play styles that is foreign to you. Maybe old country (like Don Rich), middle eastern infused guitar (see Sir Richard Bishop's The Freak of Araby), Eastern European music (gypsy). This type of thing will get you to play outside of your comfort zone and get you familiar with different melodic ideas that will start to drift into your own writing.
This is just something that was really helpful to me. We all get into ruts, so don't sweat it. Its a natural part of growing into a better guitar player/writer/etc.
— Ryan
The Secret Samurai Website
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:11 AM
This has happened to me before. Just seek out some new music that appeals to you. Doesn't even have to be guitar based.
Also, perhaps play around with different timbres of your guitar. Just try to sound like you.
I disagree, slightly, with Ryan's work ethic. Granted I probably couldn't be considered great at the guitar, but I play stuff that is really interesting to me. I don't sit and try to figure out something over and over again.
I've found myself in need of a musical paradigm shift in the past, and just keeping my ears open while browsing the internet sure helped. I found some interesting harp playing, huge thick guitars, layered instrumental vocals, glide rhythm tracks, and walls of delay/reverse reverb guitar. Oh, and beats. Lots of beats.
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shivers13
Joined: Jul 29, 2009
Posts: 2605
Boss Angeles, CA
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:34 AM
I suggest taking some lessons. Pick a couple of tunes that are challenging to learn and sign up for a guitar class. I've played drums in every band that I've ever been in but I also play guitar. A couple of years ago I decided that I wanted to be a better guitar player and I took a few lessons and it did a world of good.
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2372
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:54 AM
I sometimes play in different tunings to get out of a rut. The other thing I do is hard to describe to someone else. I can't do it on command, but I try to clear my mind of preconceived songs, licks and techniques, going to a place deep within, and "channeling" whatever comes out. When I'm successful at doing this, it often makes for the best music and compositions I've created. It works for anything creative: music, art, writing, sports, whatever. I wish I could bring out this state of creativity on command, and I wish I could better describe it or teach it. Doing without thinking is the key. Having a facility on the instrument helps to do this, but you don't have to have your technique totally dialed-in. It may sound like a bunch of phooey, but it works for me.
— Bob
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mtkoltan
Joined: Nov 29, 2009
Posts: 29
Freiburg, Germany
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 03:51 AM
I'd support shiver13. When I seemed to get nowhere on my own 2 years ago, I decided to look for a teacher and found someone very good. And it improved my playing to a degree I wouldn't have thought possible (although it still sucks). I don't think it has to be someone proficient in surf music; it may even be better if you get teached some other stuff if you are stuck with your playing surf music. It will nevertheless improve your playing of surf music.
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 07:11 AM
I'd suggest finding someone to play with - a bass player or rhythm guitarist who'll make what you play more rewarding and highlight areas that need improving. Often they'll suggest different songs to learn and point you off in a different direction. Don't forget that getting out of a rut involves climbing some pretty steep sides!
Another suggestion is playing in the dark. You can end up finding notes you never knew you had!
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
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revmike
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3830
North Atlantic
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 07:40 AM
Go out and buy the book The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten. It's got me thinking differently about music.
Rev
— Canadian Surf
http://www.urbansurfkings.com/
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morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 09:13 AM
I also hit a rut around 1990, and it caused me to stop playing for almost 20 years and to sell gear that I miss now, which kinda sucks. Playing the same things, the exact same way will do that! Adding to the great advice here, I prefer approaching a song as a project... learn the lead as best as I can, but also learn the bass line (maybe the rhythm too) and try to reproduce the percussion on a drum machine. I then record the entire song, which believe me, does wonders for how you end up playing it, and then move on. For me, committing it to an audio recording (or even better, a youtube video, so that you can reference it later if you forget something) is great for dumping knowledge. (And I hardly ever play the stuff I "dumped" into projects, probably because I'm so sick of it by then, hahaha.)
Anyway, don't make the mistake I did... keep it fresh and it will always be interesting.
— Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio
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raito
Joined: Oct 16, 2008
Posts: 551
Madison, WI
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 09:52 AM
Or even play some new exercises. If you're not in the habit of playing scales, chord circles, and other theory/technique exercises, it'll not only be something different to do, it'll help make your playing better. And make sure that you play things that you can't quite play right yet, but not so hard that you can't see yourself doing it right. It's easier to measure progress when you can see improvement.
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Number9
Joined: Jul 18, 2009
Posts: 499
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 09:52 AM
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Last edited: Mar 01, 2020 06:39:02
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DannySnyder
Joined: Mar 02, 2006
Posts: 11062
Berkeley, CA
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 09:53 AM
more on this topic:
http://surfguitar101.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=5659&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=rut&start=15
— Danny Snyder
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo
Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta
Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party
Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 11:28 AM
I got in a surf rut two years ago and ended up selling all my surf gear and completely getting into other styles of music. I'd like to think those changes made me a better guitarist then if I had just stayed with surf for the past two years.
If I'm in a rut the last thing I want to do is make guitar playing even more boring by practicing scales and exercises.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
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dp
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 11:30 AM
This always seems to help whenever I'm feeling in a rut:
...or you can try this approach:
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dp
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 11:34 AM
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WaimeaBay
Joined: Jul 05, 2006
Posts: 969
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:26 PM
wow, i didn't expect so many replies so quickly.
I appreciate the advice. I think I will try and take everyone's suggestions serious.
I have already sold some of my gear this year, but I think I am going to try and stick to playing. I watched a really interesting program on HBO yesterday. It actually that got me thinking about all this. It was a man who was mentoring 3 kids in classical music. Basically the old man's wisdom was its not the famous people that are solely responsible for keeping music both alive and evolving, rather just regular people who continue to be involved no matter how little recognition or reward they get.
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Brian
Joined: Feb 25, 2006
Posts: 19321
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:31 PM
I think in my particular case, playing with other people would have really helped the most.
— Site dude - S3 Agent #202
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Staredge
Joined: Sep 27, 2008
Posts: 1149
Damascus, Maryland
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 12:37 PM
dp
Enter the Zen guitar dojo:image
Great book! Would like to get the other one he wrote.
— Will
"You're done, once you're a surfer you're done. You're in. It's like the mob or something. You're not getting out." - Kelly Slater
The Luau Cinders
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SurferBill
Joined: Dec 20, 2009
Posts: 611
Jax, FL
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 01:11 PM
raito
Or even play some new exercises. If you're not in the habit of playing scales, chord circles, and other theory/technique exercises, it'll not only be something different to do, it'll help make your playing better.
I agree. Usually a rut means you're bored doing the same things over and over. So, learn some new technique. There are many good guitar teaching videos on the net. I like Justin...try to learn the spider technique here: http://www.justinguitar.com/en/TE-002-TheSpider.php
— Shoot the Pier on Bandcamp
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We are on Instagram under "@shootthepiersurfband"
My Country EP ... Florida Dirt Fire
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My French Love Songs ... I really needed a change...
www.lonelyrose.bandcamp.com
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LHR
Joined: Aug 23, 2006
Posts: 2123
The jungle
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Posted on Jun 19 2010 03:49 PM
A lot of great suggestions here. As shivers13 said, lessons do wonders for creativity somehow. You might hear your next tune come out of a misplayed scale.
Lately, I have been studying a lot and I am digging it. Chord melody, at present, is my focus. I think it is a great help overall even if it is not totally useful in a surf context.
I would add one more suggestion: change guitars. Or even instruments altogether. Try a piano for a bit. Perhaps a bass. Pick up a banjo. Whenever I pick up a foreign instrument, I hear all kinds of cool stuff right away that I don't with my main practice guitar.
— SSIV
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