What do you do when you are feeling tired of playing?

[Br1ck]

A friend was giving me mandolin lessons to get me started off right. He gave me exercises and commented he knew they were tiresome and boring, but it was something I should do. I looked up with bewilderment and said I do not recall being bored with an instrument in my hands, ever. I can easily play scales and scale exercises for the first half hour of any practice session.

Right now I'm learning to use triads up the neck to string melodies together, and I watched a Guthrie Trap video using a mixolydian scale over simple I IV V progressions, and that kept me improvising with it all day. It really is a blessing to have a thirst for more knowledge. There is nothing more rewarding than to have a concept fall into place after a couple of weeks slogging along with something.

[rllink]

Interesting, because I took about that long off for a career and to raise a family and started back playing six or eight years ago. One day I was a little melancholy and I told my wife that I just wish that I had kept it up, made time even though I was busy with other things and she told me that if I had, I would probably be tired of it by and doing other things now. So I guess my advise is to do something else for a while and see if it calls to you to come back one day.

[DBW]

I will try my mandolin (like Rlink). I also bought a violin that I haven't played yet. But when I get tired of the guitar or have more time over the summer I plan on fooling around with that. I also bought a bicycle and ride that sometimes- will more when it warms up. I write down songs that I would like to play from the radio and make a list. Recently I had a therapy kiddo (I'm a therapist) who was in an accident and could only use buttons to request basic things like "more." So after our "academic" work was done I would play songs for him. It put a big smile on his face because he loves music. I learned a new song per week for him. So that motivated me for a while. I've played for kids at the elementary school I work at and teach them the letters A thru G while I'm doing it (that's about all the alphabet that a guitar is good for). Any of those things might provide some motivation.

[hamburg325]

Smoke a little weed. (Legally, of course!)

Your passion will likely be rekindled.

[llew]

Originally Posted by hamburg325

Smoke a little weed. (Legally, of course!)

Your passion will likely be rekindled.

For some "Nacho Cheese Doritos" and a jar of dill pickles?!?

Sorry I just couldn't resist. But yes...that could work admirably.

[mdvaden]

Originally Posted by TiffanyGuitar

I am going through a bad bout of just feeling sick of it, after playing for 30 something years. Really feeling very uninterested and bored with it all. Not sure how to snap out of it, or if I should even care to. Maybe it's time to just stop?

What do others do when you hit ruts?

More portraits and drive to the redwoods for forest photography. I enjoy rotating or alternating back and forth. If I do too many photos, it's less enjoyable than intermittently shooting photos.

My forum use can be similar. Some people have messaged me before about my dormancy on either guitar, arborist or photography forums. But I often participate in bursts, then take a break for days, or even a couple months.

Maybe you don't need to snap out of something. Maybe just enjoy your other activities and in time migrate back to your guitar. If you're skilled though, seems like it's worth keeping your guitars so that others can enjoy your playing.




[IMG]KH_Blue_1200 by mdvaden, on Flickr[/IMG]

Portrait_1_1400 by mdvaden, on Flickr

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Right now I'm learning to use triads up the neck to string melodies together, and I watched a Guthrie Trap video using a mixolydian scale over simple I IV V progressions, and that kept me improvising with it all day.

I've only ever come across the mixolydian scale in the context of fiddle tunes and old time songs (Old Joe Clark, Red Haired Boy, June Apple, Going to Boston, Little Maggie etc). The chords used are I, VIIb, V. So in the key of A (where many mixolydian tunes traditionally sit) that would be A, G and E. Mixolydian scale tunes arise from playing diatonic instruments a 5th above their natural pitch (playing a D flute in A for example).

There you go; that's piqued the interest of a few folks who were tired of playing and got them picking up their guitars again to work that one out.

Wondering about stuff leads to the wonder of discovery.

BTW... I love the portraits in MDVaden's post above.

[Silurian]

Bored, frustrated, lack of motivation?


Step way from the guitar for a few days. It's meant to be fun not a chore.

[Corndog]

I pick up another instrument.
Electric guitar
Bass
Flute
Keyboard

I think it's a good idea to do this, now and then, well before you get bored with (in this case) acoustic guitar. It gets you thinking differently and the other instruments compel different things from you.

Originally Posted by hamburg325

Smoke a little weed. (Legally, of course!)

Your passion will likely be rekindled.

That works also.

[k_russell]

One of my bookshelves holds a few hundred classical guitar pieces that I have acquired, over the years, with the idea of learning to play them some day. That shelf always seems to supply me with a new challenge to spark some interest.

My mandolin and digital keyboard also offer a diversion. A different instrument provides variety while maintaining, and often expanding, basic music skills.

Attending, and participating in, open mics, salons, and jams remind me of an entire community that many people have built. Interacting with other musicians also supplies me with motivation.

[Golffishny]

These days I may take a nap. Then I try to rekindle songs from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Sometimes I rearrange tempos and melodies. Anything that makes me smile.

[abn556]

When I am bored with what I am playing I just look up how to play some song that I’ve been wanting to play. Lately I do that with Nick Drake songs, which can be a bit challenging. The alt tunings are cool too and get up playing in some different ways. I especially like the CGCFCE tuning that Nick Drake used a lot. It has a very cool sound to it.

[davidd]

Just don't play. Simple.

[Bluenose]

If I get bored of fingerpicking I'll get take my dread off the wall and do some flatpicking or I might play some slide on my new resophonic. It does help to have some different guitars to change things up.

[Br1ck]

Originally Posted by abn556

When I am bored with what I am playing I just look up how to play some song that I’ve been wanting to play. Lately I do that with Nick Drake songs, which can be a bit challenging. The alt tunings are cool too and get up playing in some different ways. I especially like the CGCFCE tuning that Nick Drake used a lot. It has a very cool sound to it.

Ha! Try learning the picking pattern to Riverman.