5 Ways To Break Out Of A Musical Rut
Todd Simpson
Sep 21 2020, 10:09 PM
GMC:er
Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS ON BREAKING A RUT?

Sometimes we get stuck. We fall into a rut, we start playing the same things, we don’t feel like picking up the guitar. The good news is there is always a way. Here are some quick tips to help you break through when you start to feel sorta stuck.

1.)Your Gear Doesn’t Really Matter

It’s easy to get sucked in to the quest for tone. Also, the endless quest for gear. We focus so much on getting our next piece of gear to the point that we play less and spend more time obsessing over the next bit of kit. The truth is, it’s not about the gear. It’s about the player. Some of the best players ever have used very simple setups. A guitar, a few pedals and an amp. It’s much more about what you are playing than it is about what you are playing through.

2.)Play Songs That You Love

Learning a song that you really dig can inspire you to play new things. Learning a new song, that you love but don’t already know, can give your fingers some new insight. Just playing a great song can be inspiring and you can take something from what you just learned and build on it to create something of your own!

3.)Good Artists Borrow, Great Artists Steal
Take everything you can from the players that you love. Learning to play songs that your heroes play is one way to connect with their style of play and make it your own. Look closely at your favorite players and isolate what it is about their playing that you really dig. Try to borrow the best bits from them and then try to make those licks your own. Combine things from several players you really like and you can come up with something that’s all you.

4.)Mistakes are Part of The Process
Making mistakes when you play is just part of the process of learning the instrument. Don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake. There are some bits that may trip you up no matter how many times you play them. This is perfectly ok. Watch your favorite players playing live. Even the best player will miss a note now and then. It’s just a sign that the instrument is being played by a human and not a computer. Allow yourself a few mistakes. Being self critical shouldn’t take away from the joy of playing.

5.)Gear Choice Does Matter

Despite the truth of example number one, the gear you select will matter. This is different than chasing the grail of tone. This is more about choosing gear that is easy to use. Do you have a practice amp, guitar, etc. that you can just grab and flip a switch and be playing? This is something many folks overlook. If you have to pull your guitar out of the case, set up your amp, find your cables, tweak your settings, it gets in the way of your practice. Spending time setting up is cutting in to your time on the guitar. Try to pick one guitar to keep on a stand, with a cable in it and connected to something easy to start. Making it easier to start playing will encourage more practice. Making it harder to play often reduces practice time.

Hope these tips help!
This article is based on a spiff vid by Time Pierce who has played on more tracks that can be counted.
https://youtu.be/yXtBNqDUE98

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Sep 21 2020, 10:17 PM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Manu RASSE
Sep 22 2020, 05:02 AM
Veteran Tone Master
Posts: 1.738
Joined: 8-January 15
From: France
Hi Todd

I agree smile.gif

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by MisterM: Sep 22 2020, 05:05 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Monica Gheorghev...
Sep 22 2020, 11:53 AM
Learning Tone Master
Posts: 2.320
Joined: 12-July 13
From: Bucharest, Romania
Great topic and very good tips!! smile.gif

I will also add something. smile.gif

From my point of view, to have an instructor is one of the best things that can help you to avoid being stuck in a rut. Why?.....I think that most of the problems are a result of an undisciplined playing. A practice directionless and unstructured it's definitely the route for being stuck and playing the same things over and over again.
An instructor will always save you from such frustrating moments because IMHO the most of self-taught students are not able to choose the right things for they level to have a good and constantly progress to avoid the stuck.
Assuming the fact that he/she is conscious that maybe adding a new thing in his practice (new style, new song, new technique, etc) will be a good step to go out from the blockage, the choice that he/she will do can be tricky and can lead him to a new stuck.
Also learning alone it's a high risk to get wrong information (are a lot of bad information on YT), you have no feedback about your playing and when you have a blockage, the only motivation that you have comes from within. It's no one there to catch you to not fall down.

BUT.... I want to mention something at what I wrote. This thing with "the instructor" works only if the student wants to learn, only if it's able to listen and follow all the instructor advice. It's a team work which requires a lot of effort from both sides. It's not about inventing excuses and finding reasons to quit every time when a difficult obstacle appear. Hard things will always appear no matter at what level of playing you are and I say this from my own experience. smile.gif

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


This post has been edited by Monica Gheorghevici: Sep 22 2020, 11:55 AM
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Phil66
Sep 22 2020, 12:13 PM
Learning Apprentice Player
Posts: 10.149
Joined: 5-July 14
From: The Black Country, England
Number four is probably my biggest enemy and what takes the most pleasure away.

Number five is similar to what I call "laptop syndrome", I often send people emails and ask them what they thought, they tell me they haven't seen it yet then, a few days later I ask again and get the same reply. I say something like "oh is your computer playing up?" and they say "nah, I can't be bother to get it out of the box and plug the cable in '.

Monica is right too, a tutor can only show you what to do and how to do it, they can't practise for you. I know a few tutors of students whose parents ask why their child isn't progressing as quickly as their friend is with another tutor, when asked "is your child practising as much and as focused as their friend?" the parent goes quiet.

That's another thing with a good tutor, they know how to encourage, some students need a pat on the back others respond to a little bit of reverse psychology, others need constant small challenges.

Stay safe

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


--------------------


SEE MY GMC CERTIFICATE





Success is not obtained overnight. It comes in instalments; you get a little bit today, a little bit tomorrow until the whole package is given out. The day you procrastinate, you lose that day's success.

Israelmore Ayivor
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Todd Simpson
Sep 23 2020, 02:23 AM
GMC:er
Posts: 25.297
Joined: 23-December 09
From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Very good points posted in replies here. Having a good instructor is important, but being a good student is even more important. The best instructor in the world can't help a student who won't practice. No matter how good the teacher is, the student is an equal partner in terms of making progress. I've been lucky to have great students to work with here at GMC. You guys RAWK!!

Todd

QUOTE (Phil66 @ Sep 22 2020, 07:13 AM) *
Number four is probably my biggest enemy and what takes the most pleasure away.

Number five is similar to what I call "laptop syndrome", I often send people emails and ask them what they thought, they tell me they haven't seen it yet then, a few days later I ask again and get the same reply. I say something like "oh is your computer playing up?" and they say "nah, I can't be bother to get it out of the box and plug the cable in '.

Monica is right too, a tutor can only show you what to do and how to do it, they can't practise for you. I know a few tutors of students whose parents ask why their child isn't progressing as quickly as their friend is with another tutor, when asked "is your child practising as much and as focused as their friend?" the parent goes quiet.

That's another thing with a good tutor, they know how to encourage, some students need a pat on the back others respond to a little bit of reverse psychology, others need constant small challenges.

Stay safe

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Storm Linnebjerg
Sep 25 2020, 06:44 PM
Learning Rock Star
Posts: 7.676
Joined: 14-June 08
From: Odense, Denmark
YouTube was randomly going through videos and it played this one, which may fit into this thread:

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!


--------------------

Check out my TikTok! - or check out my GMC video comments on YouTube
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 




RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 19th March 2024 - 08:21 AM